Chapter 40. Multimedia Hits: Verdi and Italian Romantic Opera

Which Verdi opera is set in Egypt?

Aida

Which of the following characters sing in the "Un dì" quartet in Verdi's Rigoletto?

Correct Answer(s) Duke Rigoletto Maddalena Gilda Incorrect Answer(s) Sparafucile

Jenny Lind was a famous nineteenth-century composer of opera.

False

Rigoletto is an opera based on Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

False

Verdi's Rigoletto was not an immediate success.

False

Romantic opera developed distinct national styles in Italy, Germany, and -Press Space to opensingersFranceEnglandconductorscomposersRussia, and women -Press Space to opensingersFranceEnglandconductorscomposersRussia excelled in all styles.

France, singers

Match each character with their description as seen in Verdi's Rigoletto.

GildaRigoletto's daughter Correct label:Rigoletto's daughter Sparafucileassassin Correct label:assassin MaddalenaSparafucile's sister Correct label:Sparafucile's sister Rigolettocourt jester Correct label:court jester

Which of the following operas by Verdi is NOT based on a Shakespeare play?

La Traviata

Who managed the American debut tour of international singing sensation Jenny Lind?

P.T. Barnum

Giuseppe Verdi was viewed as an Italian nationalist composer.

True

The bel canto style of singing is characterized by florid melodic lines.

True

The aria "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto is in a lilting -Press Space to opendupletriple meter.

triple

Which of these operas marked the high point of the singing style known as bel canto?

Correct Answer(s) Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia Rossini's Guillaume Tell Incorrect Answer(s) Monteverdi's Orfeo Mozart's Don Giovanni

In the nineteenth century, opera excerpts were marketed to domestic consumers via which?

Correct Answer(s) four-hand piano arrangements wind band medleys voice and guitar arrangements Incorrect Answer(s) radio broadcasts professional recordings

Which opera did Verdi write based on the story of the king of Babylon?

Nabucco

The form of the aria "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto is -Press Space to openthrough-composedstrophic.

Strophic

What is the historical setting of Rigoletto?

an Italian court, during the Renaissance era

In nineteenth-century Italy, audiences favored both the opera seria and opera -Press Space to openbel cantooratoriocantatabuffaorganum styles and the use of -Press Space to openbel cantooratoriocantatabuffaorganum singing.

buffa, bel canto

The operas of -Press Space to openBeethovenRossiniRavelharmonicmelodic marked the high point of the bel canto singing style, which is characterized by florid -Press Space to openBeethovenRossiniRavelharmonicmelodic lines.

Rossini, melodic

What is the literary basis for Verdi's Rigoletto?

a play by victor Hugo