Georg Philipp Telemann Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. When was Georg Philipp Telemann born?
A. March 14, 1681
B. March 21, 1685
C. April 14, 1681
D. February 14, 1681
Answer: A. March 14, 1681
Q2. In which German city was Telemann born?
A. Hamburg
B. Leipzig
C. Magdeburg
D. Eisenach
Answer: C. Magdeburg
Q3. When did Georg Philipp Telemann die?
A. June 25, 1767
B. July 28, 1750
C. June 15, 1770
D. May 25, 1767
Answer: A. June 25, 1767
Q4. What is Telemann particularly recognized for in music history?
A. Being the first opera composer
B. Being one of the most prolific composers in history
C. Inventing the symphony
D. Creating the first piano concerto
Answer: B. Being one of the most prolific composers in history
Q5. What was Telemann’s father’s profession?
A. Court musician
B. University professor
C. Protestant minister
D. Merchant
Answer: C. Protestant minister
Q6. What subject did Telemann initially study at Leipzig University in 1701?
A. Theology
B. Medicine
C. Law
D. Philosophy
Answer: C. Law
Q7. How many instruments had Telemann taught himself to play by age 12?
A. Two instruments
B. Three instruments
C. Four instruments
D. Five instruments
Answer: B. Three instruments
Q8. At what age did Telemann compose his first opera?
A. 12 years old
B. 13 years old
C. 15 years old
D. 18 years old
Answer: A. 12 years old
Q9. Which famous school did Telemann attend in Hildesheim where his musical talent flourished?
A. Thomasschule
B. Kreuzschule
C. Gymnasium Andreanum
D. Lateinschule
Answer: C. Gymnasium Andreanum
Q10. What position did Telemann accept in Hamburg in 1721?
A. Court composer to the King
B. Kantor of the Johanneum Lateinschule and music director of five largest churches
C. Opera director only
D. Cathedral organist
Answer: B. Kantor of the Johanneum Lateinschule and music director of five largest churches
Q11. In which year did Telemann apply for the position of Thomaskantor in Leipzig?
A. 1720
B. 1721
C. 1722
D. 1723
Answer: C. 1722
Q12. Who became Thomaskantor in Leipzig after Telemann declined the position?
A. George Frideric Handel
B. Johann Sebastian Bach
C. Antonio Vivaldi
D. Johann Pachelbel
Answer: B. Johann Sebastian Bach
Q13. What was the name of the Leipzig musical organization that Telemann re-founded in 1704?
A. Leipzig Opera Society
B. Musica Antiqua
C. Collegium Musicum
D. Gewandhaus Orchestra
Answer: C. Collegium Musicum
Q14. Which of Bach’s sons was Telemann the godfather to?
A. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
B. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
C. Johann Christian Bach
D. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach
Answer: B. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Q15. Approximately how many known works did Telemann compose during his lifetime?
A. Over 1,000 works
B. Over 2,000 works
C. Over 3,000 works
D. Over 5,000 works
Answer: C. Over 3,000 works
Q16. How many complete cantata cycles for the liturgical year did Telemann compose?
A. 6 complete cycles
B. 8 complete cycles
C. 10 complete cycles
D. 12 complete cycles
Answer: D. 12 complete cycles
Q17. Approximately how many cantatas did Telemann compose?
A. Over 500
B. Over 1,000
C. Over 1,700
D. Over 2,500
Answer: C. Over 1,700
Q18. How many Passions did Telemann compose?
A. 12 Passions
B. 24 Passions
C. 44 Passions
D. 60 Passions
Answer: C. 44 Passions
Q19. What was the name of Telemann’s famous 1733 collection of instrumental music?
A. Musikalisches Opfer
B. Musique de table (Tafelmusik)
C. The Art of Fugue
D. Musical Offering
Answer: B. Musique de table (Tafelmusik)
Q20. What was the name of the first music periodical published by Telemann in 1728-29?
A. Der getreue Music-Meister
B. Musikalische Zeitung
C. Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung
D. Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
Answer: A. Der getreue Music-Meister
Q21. What is the name of Telemann’s collection of 72 church cantatas published in 1725-26?
A. Musikalisches Opfer
B. Der harmonische Gottesdienst
C. Kirchenkantaten
D. Sacred Concerts
Answer: B. Der harmonische Gottesdienst
Q22. Approximately how many operas may Telemann have written?
A. At least 20 operas
B. At least 30 operas
C. At least 40 operas
D. At least 50 operas
Answer: D. At least 50 operas
Q23. How many of Telemann’s operas have survived intact?
A. Only three
B. Only six
C. Only nine
D. Only fifteen
Answer: C. Only nine
Q24. Which city did Telemann work in as Kapellmeister to Count Erdmann II from 1705?
A. Frankfurt
B. Sorau
C. Dresden
D. Berlin
Answer: B. Sorau
Q25. In which year was Telemann appointed Kapellmeister in Eisenach?
A. 1704
B. 1705
C. 1708
D. 1721
Answer: B. 1708