Quiz, Part 1
1 What famous composer said, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music. Irving Berlin IS American music.”
2 “Annie, Get Your Gun” was Irving Berlin’s biggest success, but he was the producers’ second choice. Their first choice, one of Broadway’s greatest composers, died before he could write it. Who was he?
3 Two famous composers decided to write for Broadway because they were so inspired by the music of Jerome Kern. Who were they?
4 Name a major Broadway composer who emigrated to the USA as an adult.
5 A famous composer once said about his most famous work, “It’s so wonderful, I can hardly believe I wrote it.” Who was he, and what was the name of the work?
6 Which famous lyricist worked with 8 collaborators and had 8 wives (consecutively, of course)?
7 Which famous composer found the title for a famous song when he was inspired by a beautiful sunrise in Rio de Janeiro harbor? And what was the song’s title?
8 Before Lerner & Loewe created “My Fair Lady,” what other famous songwriting team considered making a musical out of “Pygmalion,” but decided it would be impossible?
9 Who said, “I write what the public wants. Then if the public doesn’t like it, I change it?”
10 In the 1930s, most of the great Broadway composers went to Hollywood to work, because the movie industry was thriving while Broadway was suffering from the Depression. But at least two composers worked in Hollywood before their first great Broadway success. Who were they?
The answers are at the bottom of the website.
Quiz, Part 2
Some of these composers’ most beautiful songs had beautiful titles, too. Some of these songs are famous, but others remain largely unknown. Can you match the songs with their composers?
A. Irving Berlin B. George Gershwin C. Jerome Kern D. Frederick Loewe
E. Cole Porter F. Richard Rodgers (Rodgers & Hart)
G. Richard Rodgers (Rodgers & Hammerstein) H. Jule Styne
1 Here in My Arms It’s Adorable ___
2 I Talk to the Trees ___
3 I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise ___
4 Just a Kiss Apart ___
5 Like A God ___
6 Tonight Just Let Me Look at You ___
7 Trust Your Destiny to a Star ___
8 You Keep Coming Back Like a Song ___
The answers are at the bottom of the website.
Story + Song Programs:
If you find these quizzes interesting, but don’t know most of the answers, a Story & Song Program might be just right for you and your group. Each program focuses on one composer, or on one theme relating to a composer (e.g. “Shall We Dance? Rodgers & Hammerstein Songs Inspired by Dance and Other Movement”) or on 2 or 3 individual musicals.
Quiz Answers, Part One: 1. Jerome Kern 2. Jerome Kern 3. George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers 4. Frederick (Fritz) Loewe or Kurt Weill 5. George Gershwin, Porgy & Bess 6. Alan Jay Lerner 7. Cole Porter, It’s DeLovely 8. Rodgers & Hammerstein, possibly also Dietz & Schwartz 9. Irving Berlin 10. Jule Styne and Frank Loesser
Quiz Answers, Part Two: 1F 2D 3B 4H 5G 6C 7E 8A
1 What famous composer said, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music. Irving Berlin IS American music.”
2 “Annie, Get Your Gun” was Irving Berlin’s biggest success, but he was the producers’ second choice. Their first choice, one of Broadway’s greatest composers, died before he could write it. Who was he?
3 Two famous composers decided to write for Broadway because they were so inspired by the music of Jerome Kern. Who were they?
4 Name a major Broadway composer who emigrated to the USA as an adult.
5 A famous composer once said about his most famous work, “It’s so wonderful, I can hardly believe I wrote it.” Who was he, and what was the name of the work?
6 Which famous lyricist worked with 8 collaborators and had 8 wives (consecutively, of course)?
7 Which famous composer found the title for a famous song when he was inspired by a beautiful sunrise in Rio de Janeiro harbor? And what was the song’s title?
8 Before Lerner & Loewe created “My Fair Lady,” what other famous songwriting team considered making a musical out of “Pygmalion,” but decided it would be impossible?
9 Who said, “I write what the public wants. Then if the public doesn’t like it, I change it?”
10 In the 1930s, most of the great Broadway composers went to Hollywood to work, because the movie industry was thriving while Broadway was suffering from the Depression. But at least two composers worked in Hollywood before their first great Broadway success. Who were they?
The answers are at the bottom of the website.
Quiz, Part 2
Some of these composers’ most beautiful songs had beautiful titles, too. Some of these songs are famous, but others remain largely unknown. Can you match the songs with their composers?
A. Irving Berlin B. George Gershwin C. Jerome Kern D. Frederick Loewe
E. Cole Porter F. Richard Rodgers (Rodgers & Hart)
G. Richard Rodgers (Rodgers & Hammerstein) H. Jule Styne
1 Here in My Arms It’s Adorable ___
2 I Talk to the Trees ___
3 I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise ___
4 Just a Kiss Apart ___
5 Like A God ___
6 Tonight Just Let Me Look at You ___
7 Trust Your Destiny to a Star ___
8 You Keep Coming Back Like a Song ___
The answers are at the bottom of the website.
Story + Song Programs:
If you find these quizzes interesting, but don’t know most of the answers, a Story & Song Program might be just right for you and your group. Each program focuses on one composer, or on one theme relating to a composer (e.g. “Shall We Dance? Rodgers & Hammerstein Songs Inspired by Dance and Other Movement”) or on 2 or 3 individual musicals.
Quiz Answers, Part One: 1. Jerome Kern 2. Jerome Kern 3. George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers 4. Frederick (Fritz) Loewe or Kurt Weill 5. George Gershwin, Porgy & Bess 6. Alan Jay Lerner 7. Cole Porter, It’s DeLovely 8. Rodgers & Hammerstein, possibly also Dietz & Schwartz 9. Irving Berlin 10. Jule Styne and Frank Loesser
Quiz Answers, Part Two: 1F 2D 3B 4H 5G 6C 7E 8A