Register New Player - Log In

Mahler Symphonies

Created by frogthoven

Fun Trivia : Quizzes : Mahler
Mahler Symphonies game quiz
"The Austrian composer Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) wrote some of the most sublime symphonic music of all time during an age when the traditional symphony was quickly fading out of fashion. How much do you know about these monumental orchestral works?"

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Let's start with the basics! Including the symphonic poem "Das Lied von der Erde," how many complete symphonies did Mahler write?

2. Which of the following Mahler symphonies does NOT contain at least one choral or vocal movement?

3. Which Mahler symphony's first movement contains a fondly nostalgic theme meant to depict the composer's wife Alma?

4. The popular "Fifth Symphony" opens with a stunning trumpet fanfare in C-Sharp minor. But this fanfare is explicitly foreshadowed in the first movement of a previous symphony. Which one is it?

5. "Das Lied von der Erde" is based on texts which were originally written in which language?

6. Which is the longest of the Mahler symphonies?

7. Some speculate that the third movement of the "First Symphony" ("Titan") was strongly influenced by Mahler's Jewish heritage. What popular melody lies at the heart of this movement?
    God Save the Queen
    Frere Jacques
    La Marseillaise
    Ode to Joy

8. Mahler often drew upon various themes from his song cycles and incorporated them into his symphonies. Often thought of as the "eye of the storm," the serene fourth movement of the "Second Symphony" ("Resurrection") is one such example. From which song cycle is this movement adapted?
    Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen
    Funf Lieder nach Ruckert
    Des Knaben Wunderhorn

9. The astoundingly beautiful fourth movement ("Adagietto") from the "Fifth Symphony" (featured in the film "Death in Venice") is arguably Mahler's most famous work. The "Fifth Symphony" itself is in C-Sharp minor, although it concludes in D Major. In which key is the fourth movement based?
    E Minor
    G-Sharp Major
    F Major
    B-Sharp Minor

10. The enormous "Eighth Symphony," dubbed the "Symphony of a Thousand," makes use of a couple hundred instruments and vocalists. On which famous literary work did Mahler base the second part of this symphony?
    Goethe's "Faust"
    Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex"
    Shakespeare's "Macbeth"
    Voltaire's "Candide"

11. It is fair to say that the majority of Mahler's symphonies end with "a bang." Which of the following, by contrast, ALL end in a whisper?
    Seventh, Fourth, and Eighth
    Ninth, Das Lied, and Fourth
    Fifth, Ninth, and Second
    Das Lied, Third, and Sixth

12. Likewise, most of Mahler's symphonies open rather flamboyantly. Which of the following, by contrast, ALL begin in an unambiguously subdued manner?
    Eight, Seventh, and Second
    Fifth, Fourth, and Sixth
    First, Ninth, and Tenth
    Ninth, Das Lied, and Third

13. In which symphony does Mahler write parts for both a cowbell and xylophone?
    Das Lied von der Erde

14. Which of the following symphonies adhere to the traditional four-movement format?
    Second and Third
    Seventh, Eighth and Das Lied von der Erde
    First, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth

15. In homage to Mahler, let's end on a bang ourselves! What does the German word "aufstehen" mean, and how does it relate to the Mahler symphonies?
    It means "gently" and is written to instruct the harp in the "Ninth Symphony."
    It means "stand up" and is a literal instruction to the horns in the finale of the "First Symphony."
    It means "terrible" and is what Mahler yelled out in the Vienna Opera House after the premiere of his "Second Symphony."
    It means "bird-like" and is an instruction to the flutes in the third movement of the "Seventh Symphony."

Copyright, FunTrivia.com. All Rights Reserved.
Legal / Conditions of Use
Compiled Feb 09 13