Tag: opera

+ — Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

These questions all relate to today, February 17th.

Question Two. Flag of Kosovo.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

A singer born in 1991 released their debut album, +, in September 2011. Who is the singer?

Answer: Ed Sheeran.

Ed Sheeran’s debut studio album, + (Plus), was released on 9 September 2011 and marked his commercial breakthrough. The album, produced by Jake Gosling, Sheeran and No I.D., received positive reviews and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

Two

In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from which country?

Answer: Serbia.

Kosovo, a self-declared independent country in the Balkans, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. While recognised by the US and most EU members, its independence is not universally accepted. In 2010 the International Court of Justice ruled Kosovo’s declaration didn’t breach international law but Serbia rejected the decision. Despite lacking full international agreement, Kosovo has established structures akin to an independent nation under international supervision. The EU oversees police judicial and customs activities.

Three

In what decade did the opera Madama Butterfly premiere at La Scala, Milan, and who composed it?

Answer: 1900s; Giacomo Puccini.

Madama Butterfly is a three-act opera by Giacomo Puccini, based on John Luther Long’s short story and Pierre Loti’s novel. The original two-act version premiered in 1904 at La Scala but was poorly received, leading Puccini to revise it into the successful three-act version.

Four

What entertainer and actor born in Kew in 1934, links a housewife, the voice of Bruce in 2003 and, a novennium later, a Great Goblin?

Answer: Barry Humphries.

Barry Humphries, an Australian actor, was best known for his character Dame Edna Everage. He also created other characters, appeared in films, and wrote books. The housewife from the question was of course Dame Edna. Bruce was the shark from Finding Nemo (2003) and the Great Goblin, the king of the caverns, was played by Humphries in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).

Five

In 1965, the Ranger 8 probe was launched on a mission to photograph among other things Mare Tranquillitatis. Where is Mare Tranquillitatis?

Answer: Moon

Ranger was a series of nine unmanned probes launched by NASA between 1961 and 1965 to explore the Moon. While the first five probes failed, the last three, Ranger 7, 8 and 9, successfully transmitted over 17,000 high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface. These images included the Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis), which would become the 1969 landing site of Apollo 11.

+

These questions all relate to today, February 17th.

Question Two. Flag of Kosovo.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

A singer born in 1991 released their debut album, +, in September 2011. Who is the singer?

Two

In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from which country?

Three

In what decade did the opera Madama Butterfly premiere at La Scala, Milan, and who composed it?

Four

What entertainer and actor born in Kew in 1934, links a housewife, the voice of Bruce in 2003 and, a novennium later, a Great Goblin?

Five

In 1965, the Ranger 8 probe was launched on a mission to photograph among other things Mare Tranquillitatis. Where is Mare Tranquillitatis?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Where on Earth—Answers

Ross’s Antarctic expedition.
HMS Erebus and Terror in the Antarctic by John Wilson Carmichael.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 16 August 1923, the UK named the Ross Dependency. On what continent is the Ross Dependency?

— Answer: Antarctica

The Ross Dependency, claimed by New Zealand, is a region of Antarctica defined by specific longitudes and latitude. While New Zealand’s claim is recognised by a few countries, the 1961 Antarctic Treaty holds all claims in abeyance. The Dependency, named after Sir James Clark Ross, includes the Ross Sea, Ross Ice Shelf, and several islands.

Two

Born in 1888, a military strategist and archaeological scholar also authored Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Who is he, and what by-name is he commonly known?

— Answer: T.E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia

T.E. Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a British Army officer, archaeologist, and writer. He gained fame for his role in the Arab Revolt during the First World War and his subsequent work with Emir Faisal. Lawrence published his autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and later served in the Army and RAF before his death in a motorcycle accident in 1935. His life was dramatised in the 1962 film Lawrence Of Arabia.

1834 portrait of James Buchanan at age 42–43 by Jacob Eichholtz.
Image Wikipedia

Three

On 16 August 1858, a new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated. The inaugural event involved an exchange of greetings between the Heads of State of the United Kingdom and the United States. Who were these two Heads of State?

— Answer: Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan

The Atlantic Telegraph Company, led by Cyrus West Field, constructed the first transatlantic telegraph cable. On that day, the first official telegram to cross two continents was a congratulatory letter from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom to President James Buchanan of the United States. Despite initial success, the cable’s poor signal quality and subsequent destruction after three weeks undermined confidence and delayed restoration efforts.

Madonna, 2020.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Madonna, the singer and actress, celebrates her birthday on August 16th. In which city and state was she born?

— Answer: Bay City, Michigan

Madonna, the ‘Queen of Pop’, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, with numerous accolades including seven Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madonna is also a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and advocate for gender equality and LGBT rights.

Richard Wagner, 1871.
Image Wikipedia

Five

On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner’s penultimate opera in his Ring cycle premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. What was the name of the opera?

— Answer: Siegfried

Siegfried is the third of Richard Wagner’s four epic music dramas, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). It premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, marking the first complete performance of the cycle.

Written over twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874. The Ring cycle comprises:

  • Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)
  • Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)
  • Siegfried
  • Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

Where on Earth

One

On 16 August 1923, the UK named the Ross Dependency. On what continent is the Ross Dependency?

Two

Born in 1888, a military strategist and archaeological scholar also authored Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Who is he, and what by-name is he commonly known?

Three

On 16 August 1858, a new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated. The inaugural event involved an exchange of greetings between the Heads of State of the United Kingdom and the United States. Who were these two Heads of State?

Four

Madonna, the singer and actress, celebrates her birthday on August 16th. In which city and state was she born?

Five

On this day in 1876, Richard Wagner’s penultimate opera in his Ring cycle premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. What was the name of the opera?