Composers
Which composer ended his career almost completely deaf?
Beethoven
What were the key ideas of the Romantic Period?
Freedom, the power of nature, emotion over reason, individuality, etc.
Which keyboard instrument, popular during the Baroque era, produces sound by plucking strings rather than striking them like a piano?
Harpsichord
Which festive orchestral piece by Tchaikovsky features actual, live cannon fire during its explosive climax?
1812 Overture
Which term refers to the expressive alteration of rhythm or tempo, where the performer slightly speeds up and slows down?
Rubato
Which Baroque master is famous for the Brandenburg Concertos and Toccata and Fugue in D minor?
Johann Sebastian Bach
What are the dates that span the Classical Period?
1750-1820
Which instrument plays the melody in Camille Saint-Saëns' "The Swan" from The Carnival of the Animals?
Cello
Which massive choral finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is a passionate hymn to universal brotherhood and joy?
Ode to Joy
Which term means "dying away?"
Morendo
Which Polish composer is known for composing Mazurkas and Polonaises for the piano?
Frederik Chopin
What dates span the Romantic Period?
1820-1900
Which woodwind instrument uses a double reed and is famous for playing the mournful duck theme in Peter and the Wolf?
Oboe
Which Beethoven piano piece features a dark, rolling rhythm inspired by a moonlit night on a Swiss lake?
Moonlight Sonata
Which term means expressive alteration of rhythm or tempo, where the performer slightly speeds up and slows down?
Rubato
Which Russian composer is world-famous for his ballet scores, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty?
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Which period is known for complex, heavily ornamented music by composers like Bach and Vivaldi?
Baroque Period
What brass instrument performs the jazz-inflected rising slide that opens George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue?
Clarinet
Which set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi musically describes Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter?
The Four Seasons
Which term means a style of singing or playing where the musician slides smoothly from one pitch to another, rather than jumping cleanly between notes?
Portamento or Glissando
Which child prodigy started composing at age five and is famous for operas like The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Which era is characterized by diverse styles like Impressionism and Modernism, began around 1900, and broke traditional rules of harmony?
20th Century/Modern Era
What brass instrument famously plays the off-stage calls in the opening of Rossini's William Tell Overture?
French horn
Which frantic orchestral interlude by Rimsky-Korsakov mimics the chaotic, buzzing flight pattern of an insect?
Flight of the Bumblebee
Which German term, famously utilized by Gustav Mahler, instructs brass players to use a "flutter-tonguing" technique to produce a whirring, buzzing sound?
Flatterzunge