Rachmaninoff Trivia

1. What is Sergei Rachmaninoff primarily known for?
   1. Being a violinist
   2. Being a composer and pianist
   3. Being a conductor and vocalist
   4. Being a cellist
2. Which of the following composers was an early influence on Rachmaninoff?
   1. Johann Sebastian Bach
   2. Ludwig van Beethoven
   3. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
   4. Claude Debussy
3. When did Rachmaninoff make his first tour of the United States as a pianist?
   1. 1897
   2. 1901
   3. 1904
   4. 1909
4. Which orchestra did our soloist Oleg Volkov perform with when he received critical acclaim for Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini?
   1. Berkeley Symphony
   2. Peabody Conservatory Orchestra
   3. National Philharmonic
   4. Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
5. Where was the premiere of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 held?
   1. Petersburg
   2. Paris
   3. New York City
   4. Moscow
6. What method did Rachmaninoff use to practice his Piano Concerto No. 3 while traveling to the United States?
   1. Memorizing the score
   2. Practicing on a silent keyboard
   3. Listening to recordings of his own work
   4. Using a harpsichord on the ship
7. Why did Josef Hofmann, to whom the concerto no.3 is dedicated, never perform it publicly?
   1. He didn’t like the composition.
   2. He had an injury.
   3. He preferred the Second Piano Concerto.
   4. He felt it “wasn’t for” him due to its difficulty.
8. How did Rachmaninoff react to the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony?
   1. He immediately composed a new symphony.
   2. He suffered a psychological breakdown and stopped composing for three years.
   3. He rewrote the symphony and performed it again.
   4. He left music to focus on conducting full-time.
9. What major challenge did Rachmaninoff face when composingPiano Concerto No. 2?
   1. Finding a suitable pianist for the premiere
   2. Difficulties completing the first movement
   3. A lack of financial support
   4. Disputes with his conductor
10. Which film famously featured Rachmaninoff’sPiano Concerto No. 2in its soundtrack, further popularizing the piece?
    1. Brief Encounter
    2. September Affair
    3. Rhapsody
    4. The Seven Year Itch
11. Where did Sergei Rachmaninoff write theRhapsody on a Theme of Paganini?
    1. Villa Senar in Switzerland
    2. His childhood home in Russia
    3. A studio in Baltimore, Maryland
    4. Paris, France
12. Which orchestra premiered Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganiniunder the baton of Leopold Stokowski?
    1. New York Philharmonic
    2. Philadelphia Orchestra
    3. Boston Symphony Orchestra
    4. The Hallé
13. What is notable about the structure of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini?
    1. It is written for two pianos.
    2. It consists of multiple movements.
    3. It resembles a piano concerto but is in a single movement.
    4. It is only for solo piano.
14. Who performed the piano part at the premiere of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganiniin 1934?
    1. Nicolai Malko
    2. Sergei Rachmaninoff
    3. Arthur Rubinstein
    4. Franz Liszt