The Classical Free-Reed, Inc. Quiz

from the article The Classical Squeezebox by Henry Doktorski


1. Which classical composer used the accordion in a major work for orchestra?

______ A: Mikhail Glinka -- the opera Russlan and Ludmilla (1842)
______ B: Tchaikovsky -- Orchestral Suite No. 2 (1883)
______ C: Saint-Saëns -- Le Carnaval des Animaux (1886)

2. Which classical composer used the accordion in a major opera?

______ A: the Italian composer Umberto Giordano -- Fedora (1898)
______ B: the German composer Alban Berg -- Wozzeck (1922)
______ C: the American composer Virgil Thomson -- Four Saints in Three Acts (1928)

3. Which instrument had many concerti written for it and numerous virtuosi to perform it in the mid-nineteenth century?

______ A: accordion
______ B: concertina
______ C: harmonium

4. The accordion was banned by which of the following institutions?

______ A: the Italian Catholic Church
______ B: the German Third Reich
______ C: the Soviet Communist Party

5. The American bandleader and composer John Philip Sousa wrote a piece for:

______ A: harmonica band
______ B: accordion band
______ C: concertina band

6: The English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos and the French composer Darius Milhaud wrote music for:

______ A: accordion and orchestra
______ B: bandoneon and orchestra
______ C: harmonica and orchestra

7: Which Argentino bandoneonista was threatened by a tango singer, who put a pistol to his head during a radio interview?

______ A: Astor Piazzolla (the father of the New Tango)
______ B: Alejandro Barletta (the father of the classical bandoneon)
______ C: Eduardo Arolas (El Tigre del Bandoneon)

8: Which French organist/composer wrote music for the harmonium?

______ A: Saint-Saens
______ B: Cesar Franck
______ C: Louis Vierne

9: The first two concerti for the accordion were written by:

______ A: the American composers: Pietro Deiro and Anthony Galla-Rini
______ B: the German composers: Hugo Herrmann and Fred Malige
______ C: the Soviet composers: F.A. Rubtsov and T. Sotnikov

10: The first college to offer a degree in accordion was:

______ A: State Academy of Music, Trossingen Germany
______ B: Oklahoma City University, USA
______ C: Music Conservatory of Kiev, USSR

Quiz Answers

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