Author: Mauvin Sequeira

Q1. In which century did Thomas Tallis primarily compose his music?
A. 15th century
B. 16th century
C. 17th century
D. 18th century
Answer: B. 16th century

Q2. Thomas Tallis served as a composer and organist under how many English monarchs?
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
Answer: C. Four

Q3. Which of Tallis’s works is considered one of the most complex 40-part motets ever written?
A. Gaude gloriosa
B. Spem in alium
C. Salvator mundi
D. O nata lux
Answer: B. Spem in alium

Q1. Hildegard of Bingen is widely regarded as the earliest composer whose music has survived with an attributable name. In which century did she live and compose most of her works?
A. 10th century
B. 11th century
C. 12th century
D. 13th century
Answer: C. 12th century

Q2. What was the primary language in which Hildegard wrote the texts for her musical compositions?
A. German
B. Latin
C. French
D. Greek
Answer: B. Latin

Q3. Hildegard’s most famous musical collection is contained in two large manuscripts. What is the commonly accepted title of the larger one?
A. Wiesbaden Codex
B. Ordo virtutum
C. Liber vitae meritorum
D. Scivias
Answer: A. Wiesbaden Codex

Q1. In which year was Antonio Salieri born?
A. 1740
B. 1750
C. 1760
D. 1770
Answer: B. 1750

Q2. Where was Antonio Salieri born?
A. Venice
B. Verona
C. Legnago
D. Milan
Answer: C. Legnago

Q3. What was the name of Salieri’s older brother who initially taught him music?
A. Giuseppe
B. Francesco
C. Giovanni
D. Leopold
Answer: B. Francesco

Q1. In which city was Vincenzo Bellini born?
A. Naples
B. Milan
C. Catania
D. Venice
Answer: C. Catania

Q2. What year was Vincenzo Bellini born?
A. 1792
B. 1801
C. 1810
D. 1820
Answer: B. 1801

Q3. Bellini was considered a child prodigy; at what age did he reportedly compose his first pieces?
A. Three
B. Five
C. Six
D. Twelve
Answer: C. Six

Q1. What is the full name of the French composer known as Charles Gounod?
A. Charles-Francois Gounod
B. Charles-Louis Gounod
C. Charles-Antoine Gounod
D. Charles-Henri Gounod
Answer: A. Charles-Francois Gounod

Q2. In which year was Charles Gounod born?
A. 1816
B. 1818
C. 1820
D. 1822
Answer: B. 1818

Q3. Where was Charles Gounod born?
A. Lyon
B. Marseille
C. Paris
D. Bordeaux
Answer: C. Paris

Q1. In which year was Olivier Messiaen born?
A. 1905
B. 1908
C. 1910
D. 1912
Answer: B. 1908

Q2. What was Olivier Messiaen’s birthplace?
A. Paris, France
B. Grenoble, France
C. Avignon, France
D. Nantes, France
Answer: C. Avignon, France

Q3. Who was Olivier Messiaen’s first wife, a violinist and composer who inspired several of his works?
A. Yvonne Loriod
B. Claire Delbos
C. Cécile Sauvage
D. Jeanne Loriod
Answer: B. Claire Delbos

Q1. When was Guillaume Du Fay born?
A. August 5, 1397
B. November 27, 1474
C. June 6,  1414
D. February 22, 1454
Answer: A. August 5, 1397

Q2. Where is Guillaume Du Fay believed to have been born?
A. Cambrai, France
B. Beersel, near Brussels
C. Rimini, Italy
D. Florence, Italy
Answer: B. Beersel, near Brussels

Q3. What was Guillaume Du Fay’s likely family background?
A. Illegitimate child of a priest and Marie Du Fayt
B. Son of a noble duke and a court musician
C. Orphan raised by cathedral authorities
D. Descendant of Burgundian royalty
Answer: A. Illegitimate child of a priest and Marie Du Fayt

Q1. In which year was Francis Poulenc born?
A. 1899
B. 1905
C. 1885
D. 1912
Answer: A. 1899

Q2. Which musical group was Francis Poulenc associated with in the 1920s?
A. The Impressionists
B. Les Six
C. The Vienna School
D. The Futurists
Answer: B. Les Six

Q3. What is the primary genre of music for which Poulenc is best known?
A. Symphonic music
B. Chamber music
C. Opera
D. Electronic music
Answer: B. Chamber music