Who doesn’t love a good opera villain? In an art form of extreme emotions, there is no doubt that some of the characters are among the most heinous you could ever imagine. But how well do you know your villains, their motives, their crimes, and their fates? Here’s a quiz to test out your understanding of opera’s worst beings.
(Photos: Lisa Tomasetti) Gounod is one of the core composers of the French repertory. Born on June 17, 1818, two of his operas remain major staples of the repertory. But Gounod composed more than just “Faust” and “Roméo et Juliette.” How well do you know that repertory? This quiz will test your knowledge of Gounod’s entire operatic output.
Happy Father’s Day! Last year we tried to match up your dad with one of the iconic opera fathers in the canon. But this time around we want to see how well you know and understand the father-child dynamics in the world of opera. So here’s our little quiz to test your knowledge on this unique relationship in the art {…}
A few weeks ago we published a quiz in which we asked you to name the character that uttered a series of final lines. This week, we revisit a similar theme but with a twist. Now we tell you the name of the character and ask you to identify their respective entrance aria, or the first solo number they sing {…}
Opera singers are a bit—how shall we put this—odd. We do random lip trills in public, insert opera puns into everyday conversations, and break out singing at the drop of a hat. We have special singing wardrobes in our closets and we have entire bookcases devoted to sheet music. Objectively, we are a lot to… Handel. If you think you’re {…}
Beverly Sills is one of the most iconic American singers of the past century. Her stamp was felt in all areas of the opera world. Not only was she a major artists on stage, but she popularized the art form on TV and in a wide range of other means. After her performing career was at an end, Sills continued {…}
Zinka Milanov and Birgit Nilsson are two of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Not only were they superstar sopranos (albeit of different repertory), but they share a birthday. So in celebration of their special day, here’s a little quiz in which you’re tasked with figuring out which of the two divas the prompt refers too. Of course, don’t {…}
Opera has a number of mother figures throughout its history. Many people tend to remember the most vile of mothers, but there are a fair share of women portrayed in positive light in relation to their children and their world. So for this week’s quiz, we are going to give you a prompt and ask you to figure out which {…}
Most people can easily identify the first words that a character sings the moment they grace the stage. And there are a fair share of iconic goodbyes. But in general, those final lines of text aren’t quite as renowned for a fair share of characters. So for this quiz, we put you to the test to see if you can {…}
Opera is full of iconic text. You all know those famous lines or arias that encapsulate them. But what if you were shown a translation of some text following those famous verses? Now stripped of their music and their original language, how well do you know them? That’s what this quiz is all about. So here are the rules. We’ll {…}
Throughout these days, many people will celebrate Easter or Passover (or both). These essential holidays have been adapted to a number of art forms, including opera. So as you prepare to engage with your faith (or not), here is a little quiz to see which representation of those stories on the operatic stage might further enhance that experience.