A culture quiz: Classical Music I

[Achinz]

Originally posted by SSK


Well, not all his music was like that. The hideous "Leningrad" symphony was quite the piece of crap (inspiring Bartok to musically mock it in his concerto for orchestra), but I like the piano and trumpet concerto and the hugely popular 5th symphony.

Couldn't agree more with you
There are other genres where he excelled, like chamber music (the magnificent set of string quartets and the piano quintet and trio), his homage to Bach in the form of Preludes and Fugues for piano, as well as works for the stage (eg his opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District).

 

[SSK]

Originally posted by Achinz

No, but Russian is the correct nationality just from a bit earlier (that's quite a hint )

OK, my next guess is Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. I seem to remember something about his being an academic. I think one can definitely categorize his music as being of strong Russian flavour, although I don't know if I would have said "Nationalistic".

... It shows how cultivated the this forum is compared with the likes of Apolyton.

Ugh. I left Apolyton as soon as I discovered this site. I like Civ, but I have an outside existence

 

[Achinz]

Originally posted by SSK

OK, my next guess is Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. I seem to remember something about his being an academic. I think one can definitely categorize his music as being of strong Russian flavour, although I don't know if I would have said "Nationalistic".

Getting closer all the time! It's a contemporary of his.

Ugh. I left Apolyton as soon as I discovered this site. I like Civ, but I have an outside existence

Ditto here. The whole atmosphere (if we can attribute that to an e-forum) is more civilised here ironically

 

[Achinz]

The answers to remaining questions:

3) Which Australian concert pianist was also a composer of works based largely on folkmusic?

Percy Grainger

4) Some weird deaths - which composer died
4b) when a bookshelf fell on top of him when he was retrieving a book

Charles Alkan

4c) when he was accidentally shot by occupying troops while going out to smoke a cigarette during a curfew in his occupied city.

Anton (von) Webern

d) when the passenger ship he was travelling on sank after being torpedoed.

Enrique Granados

5) A couple of suicides:
a) This 20th Century English composer had an alter ego (another persona) as a writer. What are his respective names?

As composer: Peter Warlock; as writer: Philip Heseltine.

b) This 20th Century English musician was a pioneer of the so-called "historically informed (authentic)" performance of early music (up the Classical period). His ensemble The Early Music of London was a prolific recording group from which many current leading practitioners of early music have graduated.

David Munrow

6a) He was a professor of chemistry who apparently only kept one class ahead of his students because of the time spent in composing his musical works, which had a strong nationalist flavour.

*For final try by SSK and Vrylakas. * (Hinted that he was a contemporary of countryman Rimsky-Korsakov)

8) Who composed "Iberia" originally for piano but is widely transcribed for guitar?

Isaac Albeniz

9) Which other famous classical guitarist teamed up with John Williams to record works for two guitars?

Julian Bream

10) Which Venezuelan composer wrote waltzes for guitar based on his country's native folk-music?

Antonio Lauro, a favourite of John Williams.

---
Thanks to all who participated - Second quiz in the series coming shortly

 

[SSK]

Originally posted by Achinz
The answers to remaining questions:

3) Which Australian concert pianist was also a composer of works based largely on folkmusic?

Percy Grainger

Didn't realize Grainger was Aussie. I really like Lincolnshire Posy

Originally posted by Achinz

6a) He was a professor of chemistry who apparently only kept one class ahead of his students because of the time spent in composing his musical works, which had a strong nationalist flavour.

*For final try by SSK and Vrylakas. * (Hinted that he was a contemporary of countryman Rimsky-Korsakov)

Thanks . OK, the final three I'm considering are Aleksandr Glazunov, Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

I don't think Rach had time to be a scientist. So that leaves the other 2. I'll go with Glazunov, because I was about to guess him before I decided to go with Rimsky-Korsakov.

 

[Achinz]

Good try, SSK.

If I say that his middle name was Porphyrevich and his famous opera was finished by two of the composers you mentioned, Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov, you'd be able to name him?

 

[SSK]

Originally posted by Achinz
Good try, SSK.

If I say that his middle name was Porphyrevich and his famous opera was finished by two of the composers you mentioned, Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov, you'd be able to name him?

Ah, how could I forget Aleksandr "In the Steppes of Central Asia" Borodin? Never knew he was a scientist... Here's a quote by Rimsky-Korsakov about Borodin I found on the web:

His friend Nikolai Rimsky-Korsokov said about Borodin: "Borodin was an exceedingly cordial and cultured man, pleasant and oddly witty to talk with. On visiting him I often found him working in the laboratory which adjoined his apartment. When he sat over his retorts filled with some colourless gas and distilled it by means of a tube from one vessel into another, I used to tell him that he was transfusing emptiness into vacancy."

I myself have been a scientist as well as a musician, so I appreciate Borodin all the more.

Good Quiz Achinz. I guess you *really* wanted me to answer that one correctly

 

[Achinz]

Originally posted by SSK

I myself have been a scientist as well as a musician, so I appreciate Borodin all the more.

There's always been a positive correlation between music and maths though less for science per se. What's your discipline? BTW mine was also chemistry though I'm no trained musician.

Good Quiz Achinz. I guess you *really* wanted me to answer that one correctly

It was on the cards that you had the answer in your system

 

[SSK]

Originally posted by Achinz
There's always been a positive correlation between music and maths though less for science per se.

In college, about 50% of the orchestra was majoring in Molecular Biology (like me), with plenty of Chemists also represented. I played trombone.

Originally posted by Achinz
What's your discipline? BTW mine was also chemistry though I'm no trained musician.

M.D. (going to be a radiologist), and Ph.D. in Microbiology.

Originally posted by Achinz
It was on the cards that you had the answer in your system

Not sure what you mean by this. You mean I could've looked it up on the net the whole time?

 

[Achinz]

Originally posted by SSK

Not sure what you mean by this. You mean I could've looked it up on the net the whole time?

I meant that you knew about Borodin but had not made the connection in the context of the quiz question.

I doff my hat to your attainments in the professional and musical fields . There are also a few accomplished musicians here in Melbourne, Australia who are specialists in eg physiology and medical disciplines. But music usually comes second for income security reasons - a pity in many ways.

Edit: looks like a duplicated post

 

[Achinz]

Oops, duplicated post.