Composers
Musical Terms
Random
True or False
100
Which famous romantic composer became a celebrity for his dramatic and impressive piano playing?
Franz Liszt. He even had a poet write about "Lisztomania" to describe his fame and status. This is important because musicians were previously considered "servants."
100
What musical term means to play 3 or more notes at the same time?
A CHORD!
100
Which famous violinist inspired many Liszt compositions? AND his practice ethic?
Niccolo Paganini
100
True or False - Liszt often wore fancy costumes when he performed.
TRUE He loved even wearing a FUR CAPE and fancy gloves!
200
Where was Franz Liszt born?
Doborján, Hungary (this is now part of Austria)
200
What musical term means to play the notes of a chord ONE AT A TIME - either ascending or descending?
ARPEGGIO! 
200
Whose fiery playing often broke strings on early pianos?
Beethoven! He encouraged piano makers to make important changes in the range and construction of the Piano.
200
Liszt rarely gave performances
FALSE - he sometimes performed up to 4 times a week and often gave away the money he made at the performances.
300
Who was Liszt's first Piano teacher?
His father - Adam. Adam played in the court orchestra under the direction of Franz Joseph Haydn at the Palace Esterhazy!
300
Name ONE element of Liszt's music that makes it extraordinarily difficult
Repeated pairs of notes, Arpeggios, Scales, Octaves, Chords that are big distances apart, Ornaments, Articulation
300
Liszt invented an entirely new musical form. What was it?
The Symphonic Poem - these are inspired by literature or art and tells a story in the music. This one, Mazeppa, is inspired by a great Hungarian General.
300
True or False - Liszt was just as great as a piano TEACHER as he was a piano PLAYER.
TRUE - and this is RARE. He really wanted his students to concentrate on the emotion and feeling of their music and do their technical practicing at home. By the way, he was known to practice up to 5 yours a day!
400
Which famous composer was also Franz Liszt's piano teacher at age 8?
Carl Czerny - he helped "write the book" on how to effectively teach piano. 
400
What TOOL did Liszt often employ in his practicing AND encourage his students to use?
The METRONOME! First invented in 1696 in France, it wasn't perfected until the early 1800s. We still use a version of this original metronome today!
400
What one word describes someone who plays an instrument at its highest level? (The best in the world)
VIRTUOSO!
400
True or False - We have recordings of Liszt playing the piano.
FALSE - even though recording equipment WAS invented during his lifetime, the cylinders that music was recorded upon wore out very quickly and have not survived.
500
Liszt attended the first performance of what famous piece of music?
Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz! He even transcribed it for piano. He was still a teenager when he did this!
500
What is it called when a composer performs the work of another composer, but on a different instrument?
A TRANSCRIPTION - Liszt wrote over 900 of these!
500
Which compositions by Liszt are considered SO difficult that only Liszt himself could play them?
His 12 Transcendental Etudes.
500
Franz Liszt said "Rome wasn't built in a day."
BOTH! He said it often to his students. The quote is by John Heywood (who lived in the 1500s!) Here's the entire quote. Some version of it has been around since the 1100s!