Family Quiz - MOZART FOR CHILDREN

1. Mozart plays Minuet in G major, one of the earliest pieces of music he composed. What does it mean to compose music? How old was Mozart when he composed this music? Do you think most five-year olds could compose music like that? Some people say that Mozart was a "wunderkind." That means he was exceptionally talented and achieved great success at a young age. Do you think he was a wunderkind?
2. Mozart plays a minuet (a kind of dance) for the Empress at the Palace while he is blindfolded. Do you think it's harder or easier to play with a blindfold? Why?
3. What instrument does Mozart's father teach? According to the CD, does Mozart's father think it is easier for Mozart to learn the piano or the violin when he is young? The violin is a type of string instrument. Other string instruments are a bass, cello and viola. What is a string quartet? *
4. In this track, you can hear the same music as the string quartet played, but it's played by a whole orchestra? How does it sound different to you and how does it sound the same? What does Mozart say he does to the Empress after playing this piece? See also Monti's Music Time - Discover an Orchestra*
5. Mozart is playing for the King of France at his palace in Versailles. Mozart says that the violin sonata is slow and melancholy, which means sad. Does it sound slow and sad to you? Can you remember some of the tune and hum it? What do you think it would sound like if it was played faster? See also Monti's Music Time - Adagio, Andante, Allegro
   
6. What animal does Mozart say looks like his piano keys? Mozart says he likes Turkish music and plays his Rondo alla Turca. How does this sound to you compared to the violin sonata in the fifth track?* See also Monti's Music Time - The Difference between Piano and Organ
   
7. What is one thing Mozart says he doesn't like about traveling? How do you feel about sleeping in a different bed if you go away somewhere? In this track, Mozart and his family sing Bona Nox in a round, which means each person starts at a different place. See if you can hear the melody of the entire song.*
   Here are the words.
   

1. How does Mozart get paid when he composes the concerto for the french horn? Do you know what a concerto is?* See also Monti's Music Time - How to Compose Music
   

2. Mozart is composing the Overture for his opera, The Marriage of Figaro, and he conducts it when the orchestra plays. What is an opera? What does a composer do? What does a conductor do? *

3. Mozart's wife sings Susanna's aria. Can you understand the words she is singing? Do you know what language they are in? Mozart says that in his opera, the character of Susanna wants to get married. Do you think the aria makes it sound like she wants to get married? What do you think she is singing about?

4. Mozart's Serenade in G Major is also called A Little Night Music or, in German, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Mozart is surprised that some people think it is a lullaby. What does it say on the CD that Mozart was thinking about when he gave the piece its title? Can you sing the melody of the first notes from A Little Night Music? *
5. Mozart explains the four movements (parts) of A Little Night Music. Each movement has a name, which describes the tempo or speed at which it should be played. The first movement is Allegro, which means fast and lively; the second movement is Romance, which is a song of love. When you listen to this movement, the Romance, does it make you think of people or places or things that you love? Who or what does it make you think of? *
6. The third movement is a minuet, which is a kind of dance. Do you know the names of other kinds of dances? What kind of dancing do you think people would do to this minuet?
7. Mozart talks about all the places that he has visited in Europe. In those days, there were no airplanes and they traveled mostly by horse-drawn coach. The fourth and final movement of A Little Night Music is a Rondo, which usually has a theme that is repeated. How many times can you hear the same theme repeated in this movement? *

8. What instrument does Mozart's best friend Kajetan play? How do you feel when you hear the Piano Sonata in F Major being played? What is a sonata?
9. Mozart describes how he got the idea for the melody for the Serenade for Winds when he was playing with his dog Pumperl and they tumbled down a hill into the water. Do you know what a serenade is? Can you hum the melody of the Serenade for Winds? What did you notice about it? Can you imagine Mozart and Pumperl tumbling down a hill when you hear it?

• What is something that you remember or liked about listening to this CD?
• Would you like to listen to more of Mozart's music or learn more about Mozart? Let's see what we can find out.

Note to Parents: Check out the Web site little-amadeus.com and the suggested Web sites.