# Classical Quiz - how good are you?



## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

Ah, Amazon! Source of so many wonderful - and cheap - classical recordings from the last 75 years (with thanks to the record companies, of course). But Amazon, thanks to it being run by 20-somethings who think music comes out of a computer instead of an instrument, has no idea how to list music. All their music catalogues are based on the Song-Perfomer model. Or, possibly, Album-Performer. Simple; it's a 2-dimension thing. Hit them with 4 pieces of data at once: Johannes Brahms / Symphony No 4 / Vienna Philharmonic / Carlos Kleiber and they've *no idea* at all.
Someone bastardizes their database as much as they can, but they never get it right - after all, they're used to just two data points. Maybe they could cope with:
Johannes Brahms / Symphony No 4 / Vienna Philharmonic / Carlos Kleiber, but what about
Vienna Philharmonic / Carlos Kleiber / Brahms / Symphony No 4? Worse, try
Brahms / Concerto No 1 / Gilels / Jochum / Berlin PO. Shudder. We might list that as
BRAHMS by Gilels and Johannes, or
GILELS by Brahms and Emil, or any random compilation of the 5 data items.
But, gosh, it makes for great guessing games identifying what they're trying to sell.

So, I get a spam-ish email from Amazon. In March, DG are releasing an 85-CD box from the Vienna PO. It's called "Wiener Philharmoniker Symphony Edition" http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/r.html?R=E271XPLR2OI9&C=18TOF2VZ2MO32&H=JG0XZPYMPXDVHV7JX9WASYZW4ASA&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB00A7Q814Y%2Fref%3Dpe_98751_34131571_snp_dp
And they've helpfully provided a track listing for all 50 CDs. All only 85 quid, by they way. That's around, what, US$130?

So, here's CD1:
Disc 1

1. 1. Molto allegro - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
2. 2. Andante - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
3. 3. Presto - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
4. 1. Allegro - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
5. 2. Andante - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
6. 3. Presto - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
7. 1. Allegro assai - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
8. 2. Andante - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
9. 3. Presto - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
10. 1. Allegro - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
11. 2. Andante - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
12. 3. Molto allegro - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
13. 1. Allegro maestoso - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
14. 2. Andante - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
15. 3. Presto - Richard Fuller, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine

Test your knowledge!! I've not googled, and I've never heard of Richard Fuller. Given there's (presumably) 5 symphonies here, I'm figuring on early Haydn with harpsichord? CPE Bach? There are 4 more discs of those, then:

Disc 6

1. 1. Allegro - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
2. 2. Andante - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
3. 3. Menuetto - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
4. 4. Allegro - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
5. 1. Allegro assai - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
6. 2. Andantino grazioso - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
7. 3. Presto assai - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
8. 1. Allegro spirituoso - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
9. 2. Andantino - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
10. 3. Presto assai - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
11. 1. Allegro spiritoso - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
12. 2. Andantino grazioso - James Levine, Wiener Philharmoniker
13. 3. Allegro - James Levine, Wiener Philharmoniker
14. 1. Allegro con brio - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
15. 2. Andante - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
16. 3. Menuetto - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine
17. 4. Allegro - Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine

later Haydn? Mozart? Then, later, presumably Mozart again:
Disc 12

1. 1. Adagio - Allegro - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
2. 2. Largo - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
3. 3. Menuetto (Allegretto) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
4. 4. Finale (Allegro con spirito) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
5. 1. Vivace - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
6. 2. Andante con moto - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
7. 3. Menuet & Trio (Allegretto) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
8. 4. Finale: Vivace assai - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
9. 1. Adagio-Allegro assai - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
10. 2. Andante - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
11. 3. Menuet - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
12. 4. Finale (Allegro assai) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm

Ah, but which ones? How well do you know your Mozart movement tempi, and your DG recording history?
And on we go. How many can you guess? No 8 here is a giveaway; clearly tracks 5-8 are Mendelssohn 5th:
Disc 21
1. 1. Allegro vivace - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
2. 2. Andante con moto - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
3. 3. Con moto moderato - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
4. 4. Saltarello (Presto) - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
5. 1. Andante - Allegro con fuoco - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
6. 2. Allegro vivace - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
7. 3. Andante - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
8. 4. Choral "Ein' Feste Burg ist unser Gott!" (Andante con moto - Allegro vivace - Allegro maestoso - Più animato poco a poco) - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
9. 2. Andante con moto - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
10. 3. Menuetto. Con moto grazioso - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner
11. 4. Saltarello. Allegro di molto - Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner

Doing well? How about this? Maazel, 2 symphonies:
Disc 37

1. 1. Allegro con brio - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
2. 2. Adagio - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
3. 3. Allegretto grazioso - Molto vivace - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
4. 4. Allegro ma non troppo - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
5. 1. Adagio - Allegro molto - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
6. 2. Largo - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
7. 3. Scherzo (Molto vivace) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
8. 4. Allegro con fuoco - Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel

I actually wished for running times; then I might make an experienced guess at the works. But it's is tough without them! See how you go!
cheers,
Graeme


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

CD1 is rather obviously a set of concertos (not symphonies) with Richard Fuller as the soloist. I doubt that it would be Haydn, perhaps Boccherini if Fuller plays cello?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

OK, I googled CD1 and stand corrected. Don't understand it though.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

CD1: Fuller plays harpsichord in the Levine/VPO recording of early Mozart symphonies.

CD 6: More Mozart, including 23 ("Allegro spirituoso - Presto assai")

CD 12: Haydn 88,89,92

CD 21: starts with Mendelsson 4th and then the 5th. Then comes alternative movements from the 4th

CD 37: Dvorak 8+9
*
EDIT:* it turns out that the original label DG has a track list of the set - always a good thing to try seeking out for such web "song" lists: http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4790718 
It´s incredible that the Amazon leadership doesn´t care more about their product quality in such matters.


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