Anton Webren Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. When was Anton Webern born?
A. December 3, 1883
B. November 15, 1884
C. January 5, 1882
D. October 20, 1885
Answer: A. December 3
Q2. What was the profession of Anton Webern’s father?
A. University professor of musicology
B. Professional musician and conductor
C. Mining engineer and civil servant
D. Painter and art historian
Answer: C. Mining engineer and civil servant
Q3. Who was Anton Webern’s primary composition teacher during his formative years?
A. Gustav Mahler
B. Arnold Schoenberg
C. Guido Adler
D. Alban Berg
Answer: B. Arnold Schoenberg
Q4. What was the subject of Anton Webern’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Vienna?
A. The Choralis Constantinus by Heinrich Isaac
B. The symphonies of Gustav Mahler
C. The operas of Richard Wagner
D. The quartets of Ludwig van Beethoven
Answer: A. The Choralis Constantinus by Heinrich Isaac
Q5. In what year did Anton Webern earn his PhD in musicology?
A. 1904
B. 1906
C. 1908
D. 1910
Answer: B. 1906
Q6. Anton Webern is considered a key member of which musical group?
A. The French Les Six
B. The Darmstadt School
C. The Second Viennese School
D. The Russian Five
Answer: C. The Second Viennese School
Q7. Which composer had a profound influence on Webern’s orchestration and spiritual approach to music?
A. Gustav Mahler
B. Johann Sebastian Bach
C. Claude Debussy
D. Igor Stravinsky
Answer: A. Gustav Mahler
Q8. Webern’s musical style is often described as emphasizing what key characteristic?
A. Grandiose symphonic structures
B. Extreme concision and brevity
C. Melodic lyricism and romanticism
D. Rhythmic complexity and dance forms
Answer: B. Extreme concision and brevity
Q9. What term best describes Webern’s aphoristic compositions, where musical ideas are presented in highly condensed forms?
A. Programmatic
B. Impressionistic
C. Pointillistic
D. Fugato
Answer: C. Pointillistic
Q10. Around what year did Anton Webern fully adopt the twelve-tone technique in his compositions?
A. 1918
B. 1924
C. 1930
D. 1908
Answer: B. 1924
Q11. What is the opus number of Webern’s Passacaglia for Orchestra, his first published work?
A. Op. 1
B. Op. 6
C. Op. 10
D. Op. 21
Answer: A. Op. 1
Q12. Webern’s Six Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6, are associated with what personal event in his life?
A. His marriage
B. The death of his mother
C. The birth of his child
D. His first conducting job
Answer: B. The death of his mother
Q13. In which composition did Webern explore ultra-brief miniatures for string quartet, known as the Six Bagatelles?
A. Op. 7
B. Op. 9
C. Op. 11
D. Op. 5
Answer: B. Op. 9
Q14. Webern’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10, are notable for their use of what innovative technique?
A. Extended symphonic development
B. Traditional tonal harmony
C. Klangfarbenmelodie
D. Folk melody integration
Answer: C. Klangfarbenmelodie
Q15. What is the instrumentation of Webern’s Symphony, Op. 21?
A. Chamber orchestra of nine solo instruments
B. Full symphony orchestra
C. String quartet
D. Piano solo
Answer: A. Chamber orchestra of nine solo instruments
Q16. Webern’s Variations for Piano, Op. 27, exemplify his mastery of what technique?
A. Tonal variation form
B. Twelve-tone serialism
C. Impressionistic harmony
D. Minimalist repetition
Answer: B. Twelve-tone serialism
Q17. In his String Quartet, Op. 28, Webern incorporated a musical motif based on the letters of which composer’s name?
A. S-C-H-O-E-N-B-E-R-G (Arnold Schoenberg)
B. B-E-E-T-H-O-V-E-N (Ludwig van Beethoven)
C. B-A-C-H (Johann Sebastian Bach)
D. M-A-H-L-E-R (Gustav Mahler)
Answer: C. B-A-C-H (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Q18. What is Webern’s last completed work, a vocal composition setting texts on themes of life and nature?
A. Cantata No. 1, Op. 29
B. Cantata No. 2, Op. 31
C. Three Songs, Op. 25
D. Four Songs, Op. 12
Answer: B. Cantata No. 2, Op. 31
Q19. Where did Anton Webern begin his professional conducting career?
A. Regional theaters like Ischl and Teplitz
B. Vienna State Opera
C. Berlin Philharmonic
D. Salzburg Festival
Answer: A. Regional theaters like Ischl and Teplitz
Q20. Webern served as the director of which organization in Vienna from 1920 to 1922?
A. Vienna Philharmonic
B. Society for Private Musical Performances
C. Workers’ Symphony Concerts
D. International Society for Contemporary Music
Answer: C. Workers’ Symphony Concerts
Q21. In what capacity did Webern work after being dismissed from teaching positions under Nazi policies?
A. Proofreader for Universal Edition
B. Full-time composer for films
C. Conductor for radio broadcasts
D. Private tutor in Berlin
Answer: A. Proofreader for Universal Edition
Q22. How did the political climate of Nazi Austria affect Webern’s career?
A. He received state sponsorship for his works
B. He was marginalized and banned from public performances
C. He emigrated to the United States
D. He became a prominent regime supporter
Answer: B. He was marginalized and banned from public performances
Q23. What were the circumstances of Anton Webern’s death?
A. Natural causes in Vienna in 1940
B. Accidentally shot by a U.S. soldier in 1945
C. During World War I combat in 1918
D. In a car accident in 1935
Answer: B. Accidentally shot by a U.S. soldier in 1945
Q24. Which post-war composers were significantly influenced by Webern’s serial techniques?
A. Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev
B. Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein
C. Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen
D. Benjamin Britten and Michael Tippett
Answer: C. Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen
Q25. How many published opuses does Anton Webern’s catalog contain?
A. 31
B. 45
C. 20
D. 50
Answer: A. 31