Liszt Trivia Game Q.12 – The Man Inside the Facade

“Despite his many notorious liaisons with high-titled women (accompanied by duels, attempted poisonings, and grotesque adventures outlandish enough to fill a dozen purple novels), Liszt’s significance to history is principally as a pianist. He was said by everyone who heard him–and that was half of Europe–to be the greatest pianist who ever lived. With his long hair and demonic good looks, he had women swooning at this concerts, but despite an excess of showmanship, there was real substance to his musical style. He was apparently able to sight-read almost anything, playing it on a read-through with a mixture of spontaneity and depth, chatting all the while with ladies right and left of the piano.” – Bill Parker

With only two weeks left in our Liszt Trivia Game, we’re almost at the end of the R.Kassman Franz Liszt bicentennial celebration. What’s next?? We wanted to get your input on what you might want to see happen on our blog, what kind of contests, games or information would you like?  Please drop us your ideas through the comment section of this blog, post it on our Facebook wall, or send us an email from the contact section of this blog…any way you choose to voice your opinion, we’ll listen!

With that in mind, last week we presented our 2-part Liszt Trivia game Q.11: Who said the following?  “I would choose Hiller for my friend, Chopin for my husband and Liszt for my lover.” Write a short essay on why she would have made these three choice distinctions (for friend, husband and lover.)

To no one’s surprise, Joan R. answered first and correctly with: “The Countess Plater made this comment about these three famous pianists of the day, who she apparently knew well. Chopin with his impeccable manners may have seemed the perfect society husband– refined, but perhaps a bit on the docile or dependent side, at least externally. Hiller was stolid and affable, but perhaps not romantically attractive to the countess, thus a friend. And Liszt was, well, the rock star of his day– handsome, magnetic, sexy, already seen as a “chick magnet”– the ideal choice for a lover.” Good essay Joan! You now have 9 points in the game. Congratulations!! There’s no doubt that you will be this quarter’s winner!!! (But please keep playing…for the fun of it)

For this week’s Liszt Trivia Game Q.12 we’ve come up with the following: Who wrote “My piano is my very self. . . Ten fingers have the power to reproduce the harmonies which are created by hundreds of performers.” and what was the writer specifically referring to when he boasts that “ten fingers have the power to reproduce the harmonies which are created by hundreds of performers”?

As a Reminder: To ensure you are kept in the loop about the latest and greatest at R.Kassman Pianos,  join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to this blog. As soon as a new blog article is posted, you’ll be the first to know. We also have a Sign Up form on our Facebook page for people who would like to receive the monthly R.Kassman newsletter. Just click here. You will be the first to know about special promotions, sales, events, concerts and other news.

Good luck!

Liszt Trivia Game Q. 11 – “Liszt, or The Art of Running after Women”

George Sand (born Amantine Lucile Dupin and friend to one of Liszt’s mistresses) was a chief crusader against the curse of monogamy. She practiced this anarchy in the guise of religion, as the old crusaders out-heathened the barbarians, and raided civilization in the name of the Cross. George Sand’s gospel, summed up briefly by Ramann, is as follows: “Love,” said the authoress, ‘is Christian compassion concentrated on a single being. It belongs to the sinner, and not to the just; only for the former it moves restlessly, passionately, and vehemently. When thou, O noble and upright man,’ she continues, with deceitfully fantastic warmth, ‘when thou feelest a violent passion for a miserable fallen creature, be reassured that is genuine love; blush not therefore! so has Christ loved who crucified him.” *

And so began the concept of “women’s liberation”!!

Last week we presented  our  2-part Liszt Trivia Game Q. 10: “What do these women all have in common with each other: Leah David, Jessie Laussot née Taylor, Friederike Meyer, and  Judith Mendès Gautier? Considering this commonality, what is so odd about the Leah David connection?”

Joan R. once again, answered first and correctly with: “Wagner was romantically involved with all these women — Leah was Jewish , which makes the liaison unusual for Wagner, who was notoriously anti-Semitic.” Congratulations Joan! You are in the lead for this final quarter with 8 points.

There are only 3 more weeks left in our game (including this one)! With that in mind, here is our 2-part Liszt Trivia game Q.11: Who said the following?  “I would choose Hiller for my friend, Chopin for my husband and Liszt for my lover.” Write a short essay on why she would have made these three choice distinctions (for friend, husband and lover.)

As a Reminder: To ensure you are kept in the loop about the latest and greatest,  join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to this blog. As soon as a new Liszt Trivia Game question is posted, you’ll be the first to know. We also have a Sign Up form on our Facebook page for people who would like to receive the monthly R.Kassman newsletter. Just click here. You will be the first to know about special promotions, sales, events, concerts and other news.

Good luck to all!

*this paragraph was taken from The Love Affairs of Great Musicians, Volume 2 by Rupert Hughes

Liszt Trivia Game Q.10 – Liasons of the Heart

As in every age, there were some truly amazing and inspired woman in the 1800′s. Often unacknowledged artists in their own rite, these women found themselves attracted to similarly creative people, especially, just like in today’s world, musicians! The emotional response elicited from music has always and will forever, I’m sure,  create the perfect breeding ground for romance…

Let’s see where our game stands. Last week, we presented Trivia Game Q.9: Who wrote this and what were the circumstances that prompted such an acerbic communication?“I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my (spouse) from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness.”

Two players answered correctly: Joan R. and Vishnu. However, Joan R. wrote in her answer first making her the winner and putting her in the lead with 7 points! Here’s what she answered: “Minna Wagner , Wagner’s first wife, wrote this to Mathilde Wesendonck with whom Wagner was passionately involved at the time of the composItion of Tristan and Isolde, another story of infidelity”. Congratulation Joan!

And here is our  2-part Liszt Trivia Game Q. 10: “What do these women all have in common with each other: Leah David, Jessie Laussot née Taylor, Friederike Meyer, and  Judith Mendès Gautier? Considering this commonality, what is so odd about the Leah David connection?”

As a Reminder: To ensure you are kept in the loop about the latest and greatest,  join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to this blog. As soon as a new Liszt Trivia Game question is posted, you’ll be the first to know. We also have a Sign Up form on our Facebook page for people who would like to receive the monthly R.Kassman newsletter. Just click here. You will be the first to know about special promotions, sales, events, concerts and other news.

Good luck to all!

Franz Liszt Trivia Game Q.9 – To Be or Not To Be “Unfaithful”

Infidelity, the fact of it, has been around as long as man and woman have existed, albeit, in some earth cultures, the idea of being unfaithful or having to be faithful to one person, is a non-existent concept. Who can really say that those cultures which do not adhere to such ideals as monogamy, marriage vows or ownership, are “uncivilized”? When you look at all the human suffering, tragedies, divorces, suicides and murders committed in the name of “love”, it gives rise to question whose way of living is the sanest, doesn’t it?

Going along this very line is the fact of the adulterous nature of our Franz Liszt, our Richard Wagner and indeed, the host of other characters surrounding them and those they cared about the most. But first….

Last week, Joan R. took up her lead in our Liszt Trivia Game. Her 5 points turned into 6 when she answered first and correctly to Trivia Game Q.8: The picture included in this post is a caricature. The three part question is: Who are the people in the caricature? What makes it funny? And finally, what does the concept of the caricature have to do with this purchase order? Order: ‘Pink satin stuffed with eiderdown and quilted in squares . . . lined with white satin, six widths at the bottom … a padded ruching all round’.

Joan’s  answer was, rightly: “This is a caricature of Wagner and his milliner. He had written in great detail about fabrics, style and so forth to the point of ridiculousness.. The pink satin was for a dressing gown that Wagner was ordering with the details described. The caricature is from “The Flea” a humorous publication. Wagner was held up to ridicule for his vanity and extravagance..” Congratulations Joan!

And now, in keeping with our opening contemplation, we present our Trivia Game Q.9: Who wrote this and what were the circumstances that prompted such an acerbic communication?“I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my (spouse) from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness.”

As a Reminder: To ensure you are kept in the loop about the latest and greatest,  join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to this blog. As soon as a new Liszt Trivia Game question is posted, you’ll be the first to know. We also have a Sign Up form on our Facebook page for people who would like to receive the monthly R.Kassman newsletter. Just click here. You will be the first to know about special promotions, sales, events, concerts and other news.

Good luck!

Liszt Trivia Game Q.8 – What to Wear, What to Wear, Oh My Dear

It has been reported that Richard Wagner and his first wife Minna, were quarrelling even in the presence of the clergyman who was to marry them. The couple were married on November 24th, 1836, but their life together was one of constant turmoil. While Wagner could not tolerate the many admirers attracted by Minna’s regular stage appearances, Minna had her pet peeve, which eventually led to the demise of their marriage. And this week’s Trivia Game question will be about that very pet peeve…

But first let’s see where we are in our game standings. Up till last week, Joan R. was bringing up the lead with 4 points to Vishnu’s 2 points. Then our Liszt Trivia Game Q. 7 was presented: “Name TWO things that the following people had in common with each other: Marie d’Agoult, George Sand, Balzac.”

It was Joan R who wrote in twice and answered first and correctly with: “They were writers who wrote thinly disguised portraits of former lovers in their works. They were all writers and wrote under pen names.”

We thought we’d throw in, as an aside, that in addition to the above, Marie d’Agoult, George Sands and Balzac each had a relationship with each other regarding Liszt!

Congratulations Joan. You have 5 points in the game! (and with 6 more questions to go, it’s still anyone’s guess who will win the quarter)

This week will be the 8th in the 3rd and last quarter (which ends the last week of September). Here we go with Trivia Game Q.8: The picture included in this post is a caricature. The three part question is: Who are the people in the caricature? What makes it funny? And finally, what does the concept of the caricature have to do with this purchase order? Order: ‘Pink satin stuffed with eiderdown and quilted in squares . . . lined with white satin, six widths at the bottom … a padded ruching all round’.

As a Reminder: To ensure you are kept in the loop about the latest and greatest,  join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to this blog. As soon as a new Liszt Trivia Game question is posted, you’ll be the first to know. We also have a Sign Up form on our Facebook page for people who would like to receive the monthly R.Kassman newsletter. Just click here. You will be the first to know about special promotions, sales, events, concerts and other news.

Good luck to all!

Liszt Triva Game Q.7 – Poisonous Words

Every person who puts himself in the limelight for public view is fair game to the same public’s rumor mongering and wily gossip, about your life, your relationships, what you eat…well…everything. But when you’re a true celebrity, it seems a never ending flow of speculation, better known as “public fact” is constantly and freely written upon…and even moves into the future as “history” long after you are deceased.

Such was the same of the lives of Liszt and Wagner, Chopin and Bach, amongst the many others of their time. There were and always will be those who make it their life’s mission to use their past relationships with a celebrity for their own vested interests. And this is the very subject of this week’s Trivia game question. But first….

…let’s see the standings from last week’s Liszt Trivia Game Q. 6! The question was: Who wrote these words, to whom were they written to and to what was the writer specifically referring to: “Every day I read one or the other of your scores, just as I would read a poem, easily and without hindrance. Then I feel every time as if I had dived into a crystalline depth, there to be all alone by myself, having left all the world behind, to live for an hour my own proper life. Refreshed and invigorated, I then come to the surface again, full of longing for your presonal presence…”

After a couple of attempts, Joan R. wrote in first and correctly with “Wagner wrote this to Liszt about the symphonic poems of Liszt.” giving Joan a grand 4 points in the 3rd quarter game! Vishnu trails in 2nd place with 2 points.

With 7 more points available in this quarter, we present this week’s Trivia Game Q.7: Name TWO things that the following people had in common with each other: Marie d’Agoult, George Sand, Balzac.

We still need lots more votes in our poll on the right of this blog. Please let us know what you think is the best prize to offer you for our 3rd quarter Franz Liszt Trivia Game. Thanks!

As a Reminder: To ensure you are kept in the loop about the latest and greatest,  join us on Facebook and/or subscribe to this blog. As soon as a new Liszt Trivia Game question is posted, you’ll be the first to know. We also have a Sign Up form on our Facebook page for people who would like to receive the monthly R.Kassman newsletter. Just click here. You will be the first to know about special promotions, sales, events, concerts and other news.

Good luck to all!

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