Inspired by Beethoven

 

This composer was convinced that Beethoven had achived everything that was possible in the symphony genre. This is why he struggled for over 20 years to finish his own First symphony, finally completed in 1876. After the premiere, when one critic poined out a similarity to Beethoven ’Ode to Joy’, the composer replied bitterly: „And any idiot can see that!“. Conductor/pianist Hans von Bülow memorably tagged the piece "Beethoven's Tenth". Who was this composer?

 

A: Johannes Brahms

 

It is widely believed that the characteristics of the Sony/Philips Compact Disc were influenced by a desire to accommodate performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on a single disc. The diameter of the disc was therefore increased to accommodate a playing time of 74 minutes. What is the diameter of a CD (in centimeters)?

 

A: 12 centimeters

 

The 2005 movie „Copying Beethoven“ is a fictionalized account of the last year of Beethoven's life. This film, which features Ed Harris as Ludwig van Beethoven, is the latest work of a Polish director who left Poland in 1981 after the martial law was declared and moved to Paris. Her movie „Angry Harvest“ (Bittere Ernte) was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film, representing Wast Germany in 1986. Name this director!

 

A: Agnieszka Holland

 

Cosmic Impacts

 

On June 30th, 1908, something exploded 8 km above Siberia. About 2150 square kilometres of Siberian taiga were devastated and 80 millions trees were overthrown. There are many theories what happened, most plausible of them are explaining the blast with a meteorite, asteroid or comet, but some speculate with UFOs or other paranormal phenomenas. This event is named after an nearby river. What is it called?

 

A: Tunguska

 

On July 4th 2005 NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft probe smashed into a comet in an attempt to gain knowledge of its structure and composition. What was the name of the comet?

 

A: Tempel 1

 

In July 2005 eight new sites joined the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Among them was a place in South Africa, near Johannesburg, which is the site of Earth’s largest and oldest known meteorite impact. Two billion years ago a rock bigger than Mount Everest collided with Earth leaving behind a dome and a 380 km wide crater surrounding it. The collision was the world’s greatest single known energy release and may have increased oxygen in the atmosphere enough for multicellular life to develop. Name this this heritage site!

 

A: Vredefort Dome

 

Exotic islands

 

Which country is also known as Perfume Isles because they export around 80% of the world’s supply of ylang ylang essence, an essential oil that is the main ingredient of most expensive perfumes? Ylang ylang was introduced to these islands in the late 19th century.

 

A: Comoros

 

This volcanic island of 36 hectares and approx. 1000 inhabitants belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage list from 1978. It was discovered in 1444 by Portuguese sailor Dinis Dias, who named it Palma. 1588 Dutch seized the island, in 1850 it went under French control. From 16th until 19th centuries it was one of the centres for slave trading, something similar to a concentration camp for slaves before they were shipped to the New World. This is why among other Mohammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, John Paul II have all visited this island. Which island?

 

A: Goree (locally also known as Beer, Ber or Bir; belongs to Senegal, 4 km from Dakar)

 

The legendary ethnologist and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl attended the University of Oslo, studying zoology and geography, but left before graduating to travel to Polynesia. It was while on an island in the Marquesas that he began to wonder how Pacific inhabitants had reached the islands and this made him to make the famous Kon-Tiki voyage to prove that Polynesians may have originated in South America. In 1974 his book called “......: Back to Nature” was published. What is the name of this inspiring island?

 

A: Fatu Hiva

 

 

Africa in Music

 

You will hear Miles Davis perform a famous tune, which title includes the name of an African country. What is the song, composed by Dizzy Gillespie, called?

 

A: Night in Tunisia

 

You’ll hear a song called ‘Marrakech’ by a German DJ who likes his name written in three letters. What are these?

 

A: ATB (André Tanneberger)

 

Which Swedish rock band?

 

A: Sahara Hotnights

 

 


Turkey

 

This 9000 years old settlement has been hailed by some archeologist as the world's oldest known city. This large Neolithic settlement covered more than 12 hectares and may have harbored as many as 10,000 people. It was first discovered in the late 1950s and excavated by James Mellaart between 1961 and 1965. The site rapidly became famous internationally due to the large size, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and other art that was uncovered inside the houses. The community’s economy was apparently based on agriculture, along with a developing practice of cattle raising. Name this stone-age city near the modern day town on Konya!

 

A: Çatalhöyük (Çatal Hüyük)

 

In 2005 the second longest oil pipeline in the world opened. The pipeline was commissioned by a consortium of energy companies led by BP, which has a 30% stake and is the operator of the pipeline. It passes through Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia and finishes in a Turkish Mediterranean port. What is the name of this port?

 

A: Ceyhan

 

Turkey’s largest body of water is Lake Van, which derives it’s name from the city of Van or Chauon, that flourished on the lake's eastern shore between the 10th and 8th centuries BC. This city but under another name was the capital of an ancient country that was most powerful in the 8th century BC, when it ruled over most of North-Syria. The country constantly fought with Assyria, but never completely subdued it. In the 7th century BC repeated invasions by the Cimmerians, Scyths, and Medes finally brought about the downfall of the kingdom and the people assimilated with Armenians. Which ancient country?

 

A: Urartu

 

Chess

 

Which former world champion became in 1982 at the age of 61 the oldest candidate ever to compete for the world title? In his candidates match with the German Robert Hübner the match was tied 7-7. To break the tie, both players agreed to use a roulette wheel to select the winner. He won and proceeded eventually to the candidates final, where he lost to the future world champion Garri Kasparov.

 

A: Vasily Smyslov

 

Which Spanish city holds annualy one of the most strongest chess tournaments in the world, sometimes also called as the Wimbledon of chess? First held in 1978, it was then won by Swede Jaan Eslon, in 2005 Garry Kasparov was the winner.

 

A: Linares

 

The tradition of Chess Olympics begun in 1927. Soviet Union and Russia top the table with 24 total victories, followed by USA with 5 titles. Which is the only other country to win more than one title? It has won the Chess Olympics three times, including the first two.

A: Hungary

 

 

Naming Animals

 

The Carthagian navigator Hanno wrote in the 5th century BC of an “island, full of savage people, the greater part of whom were women, whose bodies were hairy”. The name given back then to those creatures inspired in 1847 to give a new scientifically described species the name Troglodytes ******. The taxonomic reclassification later changes this to ****** ****** ******. What animal?

 

A: Gorilla (Western Lowland Gorilla)

 

When American paleontologists Osborn and Brown classified their recently found bones to a new species in 1905, they did not know that the same creature had already been described and named by another author several years earlier. Due to taxonomic rules, the earlier name given to a specimen is most valid, so actually this creature should have carried the name Manospondylus gigas. But Osborn and Brown ignored that and the name, they used, has become iconic. In 2000, their name achieved official confirmation. What name?

 

A: Tyrannosaurus rex

 

Due to the same taxonomic rules, the famous name brontosaurus was replaced in 1974 by an older title. What is the official name of the brontosaurus?

 

A: Apatosaurus

 

 

Artificial Alphabets

 

What is the next best known alphabet for the blind next to the Braille’s? This consists of raised simplified forms of Roman letters suitable for reading with the fingers and is considered easier to learn than Braille, particularly for people who loose their sight in later life. It is named after it’s inventor.

 

A: Moon alphabet

 

The Deseret alphabet was devised as an alternative to the Latin alphabet for writing the English language. It was developed during the 1850s at the University of Deseret, (now known by another name) and was promotod what group of people? However, the alphabet failed to gain wide acceptance and was not actively promoted after 1869.

 

A: Mormons

 

The Standard Galactic Alphabet was devolod for which series of computer games? Its creator Tom Hall originally just wanted to make the writing on signs in the games look futuristic or alien. Then he realised that he could create a whole alternative alphabet and add cryptic messages throughout the games.

 

A: Commander Keen

 

 

Fruits

 

The word ‘marmalade’ originates from the Portuguese name of which fruit?  The fruits of this central Asian tree of the rose family resemble hard-fleshed yellow apples or pears and are used especially in preserves. The fruits are golden yellow in colour, and the flesh takes on a pink colour when cooked, giving an attractive colour to jellies and conserves. They are too hard, astringent and sour to eat raw.

 

A: Quince (Cydonia oblonga), EST – küdoonia, aiva, NED – kwee, FIN – kvitteni, NOR – kvede.

 

New Zealand is good in trademarking fruit. We all know Kiwi, but how is the trademark for horned cucumber or melon? It is an odd-looking fruit with vividly colored orange skin and spines all around it. They have a bland citrus or banana-like flavor but they are difficult to use because of the seeds. The primary marketing thrust, however, is to sell the fruit for garnishes or decorative purposes.

 

A: Kiwano

 

These fruits have been called "the little gems of the citrus family". The common name means "golden orange" in China. The Japanese equivalent is kin kan or kin kit. Because of the thick peel, this fruit has good keeping quality and stands handling and shipment well. In appearance it resembles a miniature oval or oblong orange, 3-5 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. Depending on variety, peel color ranges from yellow to red. They are frequently eaten whole — the skin is sweet and the inner fruit tart. The juicy center is often too sour to eat and is thrown away after the rind is nibbled off and consumed. Which fruit?

 

A: Kumquat

 

 


Extreme Races

 

What is the name of an annual dogsled race held in March between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska, U.S., held from 1973? The course is roughly 1770 km long, partially follows an old dogsled mail route and also commemorates an emergency mission to get medical supplies to Nome during a 1925 diphtheria epidemic.

 

A: Iditarod

 

Starting in 1983 this is one of the best known ultramarathons and follows the track of the legendary messenger Pheidippides, as described by Herodotus. According to his accounts of the Battle of Marathon, Pheidippides was sent by his generals to Sparta in order to secure help against the forthcoming Asiatic incursion. He made it with around 36 hours. Today the runners follow the same route, measuring 246 kms. What is the name of this race?

 

A: Spartathlon

 

In 1998 Monterrey, Mexico, hosted an extra-long triathlon, won by Lithuanian Vidmantas Urbonas, who completed the race in less than 438 hours. How many times longer was this event than the Ironman?

 

A: 20

 

Historic terror

 

In Russian the term means literally “separate government”. This was a system in Russia during the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible and refers to his reign of terror, aiming to destroy the boyars’ opposition and strenghten the central powers. The second half of Ivan IV reign is named after this term. What word?

 

A: Oprichnina

 

The Red Guards were groups of militant university and high school students formed into paramilitary units as part of the Cultural Revolution (1966–76). They were formed in order to help party chairman Mao Zedong combat those party leaders he considered as being insufficiently revolutionary. Red Guard units attacked and persecuted local party leaders as well as schoolteachers and school officials, other intellectuals, and persons of traditional views. Several hundred thousand people were executed by them in the course of these persecutions. Under what Chinese name were the Red Guards known?

 

A: Hongwei Bing or Hung-wei Ping

 

They were ancient Roman prosecutors or informers. Because there were no paid prosecutors, any citizen could act as a volunteer prosecutor, and, if the person he accused was convicted, he could collect a share of the confiscated property. They made a profitable career of seeking out or inventing crime. Many of the prosecutions were based on rumour or falsified evidence, and there were few Romans who were so honoured or so powerful that they did not need to fear the attack of them. Tiberius used them in the last years of his reign to implement terror and prosecute many great Roman names. What were these prosecuters called?

A: Delator(es)

 

 

Zorro

 

The Zorro character is loosely based on the historical California outlaw Joaquin Murieta, whose life was fictionalized in an 1854 book. The author fo this book is considered to be the first Native American novelist. He was a mebmer of the Cherokee tribe, with the Indian name Yellow Bird. Who?

 

A: John Rollin Ridge

 

Zorro first made his appearance in the novel The Curse of Capistrano that was serialized in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly in 1919. Soon followed a successful silent film, starring Douglas Fairbanks. Soon, Zorro became a regular character in numerous pulp fiction magazines. Who was the author of The Curse of Capistrano?

 

A: Johnston McCulley

 

In 2005 this Chilean writer gave her interpretation of the Zorro legend in the fictional biography Zorro: A Novel. Among other thing we learn from the book, that Zorro wore his mask to hide his big ears. Name the author!

 

A: Isabel Allende

 

 

American Sports

 

With the possible exception of baseball's New York Yankees and basketball's Boston Celtics, no North American sports team has had as successful a history as this ice hockey team. They have won 24 Stanley Cups, far more than any other team. Already in 1916, one year before the NHL was founded, they won their first Stanley Cup. Between 1951 and 1960 the team won the Cup 6 times, including 5 straight wins. The last time they won was in 1993. What’s the name of this legendary ice hockey team?

 

A: Montreal Canadians

 

In October 2004, a right fielder of the Seattle Mariners broke the 80-year old record of most hits in a single season. This Japanese baseball player was three times elected Most Valuable Player in the Japanese Pacific League. In 2001 he became the first Japanese position player in the MBL and has been the most consistent hitter since, being in the starting line-up of the All-Star Game ever since. What is the name of this baseball phenomenon?

 

A: Ichiro Suzuki

 

The guy on the picture has been the commissioner, say the big boss, of the NBA since 1984 and is thus one of the most powerful people in American sports. What is his name?

 

A: David Stern

 

 

East European literature

 

Born in 1956, he was voted ‘Russian writer of the year 2000’. His speciality is historical mysteries set in Tsarist Russia, centring on the hero Erast Fandorin. Some titles: ‘Coronation, or the last of the Romanovs’ and ‘The Winter Queen’. What is his name?

 

A: Boris Akunin

 

A father and his son are considered the founders of the Bulgarian modern literature. Petko, the father, born in 1827, was a patriotic poet, translated the Bible to Bulgarian and was an important politician, co-founding the Democratic Party. His son Pencho, born in 1866, was influenced by Goethe, Heine and Nietzsche and is best known for his epic poem ‘Kurvava Pesen’ or ‘Song of Blood’. What was their surname?

 

A: Slaveykov

 

He established his reputation with the novel ‘Ex Ponto’, written during his imprisonment by the Austro-Hungarian authorities. Another famous work was ‘The Bridge on the Drina’. At the age of 69, he became the only Yugoslavian writer to date to have won the Nobel Prize for literature. What was his name?

 

A: Ivo Andric

 

 

Comic Strips

 

What is the full name of this funny little hunter that’s always chasing Bugs Bunny?

 

A: Elmer Fudd

 

This comics artist was born in Malta in 1960 but lives in the United States. His comics are a combination of journalism and autobiography. In the early 1990s, he went to the Middle East to do research for his award winning 'Palestine'. He also travelled to former Yugoslavia to find material for his 'Stories from Bosnia' and 'Safe Area: Gorazde'. His name?

 

A: Joe Sacco

 

This comic artist was born in Denmark. In 1937, he created the newspaper strip 'Ferd'nand', which was soon distributed to Danish, English and American newspapers. After World War II he moved to America, where his strip had become immensely popular. He died in 1982 but Ferd’nand still lives.

 

A: Henning Dahl Mikkelsen, who uses the pseudonym Mik

 

 


Past and future capitals

 

The city of Trondheim was founded in 997 AD and was the Norwegian capital until 1070. During that time however the city was known under another name that was derived from the name of the river that flows through it. In 1930 the old name was adopted again but after a citizen campaign the city was renamed Trondheim again in 1931. What was that old name?

 

A: Nidaros (river: Nidarva)

 

Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, was founded at the end of the 15th century and hosts the oldest hospital and cathedral of the New World. In 1936 however it was renamed. A death in 1961 caused it to receive its original name again. Under what name was Santo Domingo known between 1936 and 1961?

 

A: (Ciudad) Trujillo (City)

 

In August of 2004 a prime minister proclaimed that its country will start building a new capital and that by 2012 the parliament will be relocated. The entire city should be ready by 2030. In October 2004 however the country’s Constitutional Court decided that a national referendum is needed to make that decision final. A relocation of the capital will certainly be a source of confusion as the name of the current capital means ‘capital’ in the national language of the country. What’s the name of the current capital?

 

A: Seoul

 

 

Fjords and Sounds

 

On the picture you see 'Western Brook Pond', a fresh water fjord which was carved out during the most recent ice age. It is found on the west coast of which island, where you can also find the Pissing Mare Falls and the Long Range Mountains?

 

A: Newfoundland

 

Sometimes called the largest fjord in the world but often regarded a sound, this sea inlet in eastern Greenland extends inlands for a distance of 110 km with side fjords extending even 200 km further until the the edge of the inland ice cap. What is its name? (you have to edit the picture to get rid of the name)

 

A: Scoresby Sund (Scoresby Sound)

 

In contrast to its name it's not really a fjord, but rather a 180 km-long shallow sound. It separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The main port in Alborg. What is its name?

 

A: Limfjord

 

 


The Crusades

 

The trigger to the first crusade was the appeal from the Byzantine emporer to pope Urbanus II for mercenaries to help him resist Muslim advances. However, the response was much larger and less helpful than the emporer expected. What was the name of this Byzantine emporer, 3rd son of John Comnenus, who reigned from 1081 to 1118?

 

A: Alexius I

 

Which Kurdish Muslim military general who was known for his leadership, chivalry and Merciful nature, invaded the kingdom of Jeruzalem in 1187 and annihilated the Crusader army at the battle of Hattin, a turning point in the history of the crusades. His conquest of Jeruzalem prompted the 3rd crusade. His tomb is nowadays one of the most visited in the world. What was his name?

 

A: Saladin (or Salah ad-Din)

 

 

The 12th century also saw the advent of the Northern Crusades undertaken against the still heathen people of the North East of Europe, like the Wends and Rugians, the Finns, the Old Prussians etc.

These Northern Crusades provided the primary rationale for the growth of which order of knights, founded in Akko in Palestina at the end of the 12th century. The military power of this order, recognisable by a black cross on a white background, was broken in 1410 at the battle of Tanneberg. Which order?

 

A: Teutonic Order (Deutscher Order)

 

 


Best Actresses

 

When Ingrid Bergman opened the enveloppe for best actress at 1968 Oscar ceremony, she exclaimed: 'It's a tie'. The unthinkable had happened: 2 actresses had gotten exactly the same amount of votes and each received an Oscar. One was Barbra Streisand for her role in 'Funny Girl', the other was Katherine Hepburn who won her 3rd of 4 Oscars for her role of Eleanor of Aquitaine, in an Anthony Harvey film. What was the title of that film?

 

A: The Lion in Winter

 

In 1962 there was a feud between the two main actresses of the Robert Aldrich film 'What ever happened to Baby Jane'. Only one of the two was nominated, but the other had her revenge. She accepted the oscar in lieu of the absent Anne Bancroft who won it for her performance in 'The Miracle Worker'. What were the names of both the lead actresses in 'What ever happened to Baby Jane'?

 

A: Bette Davis and Joan Crawford

 

The first Afro-American to win an Oscar was Hattie McDaniel in 1939 for 'Gone with the Wind'. The first black male to win it was Sidney Poitiers in 1963 for 'Lilies in the Field'. But who that first Afro-American woman to win the Oscar for an actress in a leading role and for which film?

 

A: Halle Berry for Monster's Ball (2002)

 

 

Call the fire brigade

 

The chateau’s heyday came under Stanislas, the dethroned King of Poland, who made it his home.  Dubbed the ‘Versailles of Lorraine’, which palace near Nancy suffered a serious fire in January 2003 threatening a collection of pottery dating back to the early 1700s?

 

A: Luneville

 

 

In March 2003 a fire broke out in a newly-opened, controversial library.  Thankfully, the fire was restricted to 4th floor administrative offices. Opened in October 2002 the library - whose famous forerunner suffered a far more extensive fire - has room for 4 million volumes but presently contains just a fraction of that. It also has a planetarium, a conference hall, five research institutes, six galleries and three museums. Where is it?

 

A: Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina)

 

Founded in 1691 this library was named for a German duchess. In September 2004 it was destroyed in a blaze along with 30,000 books & manuscripts.  Germany's culture minister said "A piece of the world's cultural heritage has been lost forever" and the President of the Weimar Classics Foundation cried “We lost the cradle of our national classic culture today.” A UNESCO World Heritage site, what was the name of this Weimar library?

 

A: Anna-Amalia (Library)

 

 

Musically dead in 2004

 

What American rap artist, born as Russell Tyrone Jones, became famous with songs as 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya' and 'Get your money' and became infamous by drug abuse and shooting incidents. In 2000 he fled from a rehab centre and lived several months as a fugitive. Who was this guy, who died in 2004 at age 35, who had a total of 13 children?

 

A: O.D.B. (Ol' Dirty Bastard)

 

This 1933 French singer became a superstar in his own country. Initially he worked as a jazz guitarist with Juliette Gréco and Lionel Hampton. Unsurprisingly, his romance with Brigitte Bardot got a lot of media attention. His first big solo hit was 'Scoubidou' in 1958. On the international scene he earned success with 'Raindrops keep falling on my head.' He died in 2004. What was his name?

 

A: Sacha Distel

 

Time Magazine called her 'The Madonna of the Townships', this South African pop star was born in 1964 but already died in 2004, aged 39. She shot to fame in the early 80's with her hit 'Weekend Special'. Later she the multi-platinum seller 'Too late for mama'. In 1997 she released 'Shout' ('Memeza'). But in the meantime she had discovered alcohol and cocaine, which would lead to her untimely death after being visited in hospital by Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. What was the name of this South African singer?

 

A: Brenda Fassie

 

 


What Happened Recently

 

The American Supreme Court has great power in the USA. It was this court that presented George W. Bush with the presidency in 2000. It is also in the power of this court to decide whether to grant fundamental right to all groups of people or not. New appointments are hence always eagerly watched, especially this year now two judges had to be replaced. What are the names of the two judges that have to be replaced, one the chief justice who recently died and second the first woman ever to be appointed, who will step down once an acceptable successor is chosen?

 

A: William Rehnquist and Sandra Day O'Connor

 

On October 5th in Rome the trial started of the five individuals charged with the murder of an Italian banker known to the press as the "God's Banker". He fled Italy after one of the country's largest private banks, Banco Ambrosiano, went bankrupt under his chairmanship with debts of around 1 billion dollars. Much of the money had been siphoned off via the Vatican Bank. His body was found with his suit stuffed with rocks and thousands of pounds worth of bank notes hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London in June 1982. What was his name?

 

A: Roberto Calvi

 

Tessy Anthony and her boyfriend are expecting a child in the spring of 2006 but the couple does not intend to marry in the immediate future. Familiar story but still remarkable as the boyfriend is a 19 year old prince. The mother currently works as an officer in her country's army. The child will be the first grandchild of the current monarch. Where is this happening?

 

A: Luxembourg

 

 

Land ahoy!

 

Based on our current calendar; in which month of 1492 did a lookout on the Pinta first sight land in the Caribbean (most likely Watling Island in the Bahamas)?

 

A: October

 

Ferdinand and Isabella had promised a lifetime pension to the first man to sight land on Columbus’ voyage. Who then was the fortunate lookout aboard the Pinta?

 

A: Juan Rodriguez Bermeo

 

Columbus installed himself as Governor of the Caribbean islands, with headquarters on Hispaniola.  What was the name of the island’s indigenous people whom Columbus shamefully considered, and treated as sub-human?

 

A: Arawaks or Tainos

 


Fancy a beer?

 

Its family roots go back to Milwaukee in 1855, the USA’s second oldest and second largest brewer celebrated its 150th anniversary this year.  What is its name?

 

A: Miller Beer or SABMILLERplc

 

Which low-calorie beer did they launch nationwide in 1975, using the now famous slogan “tastes great - less filling''?

 

A: Miller Lite

 

Dubbed ‘The Champagne of Bottle Beer’, which best-selling premium priced beer did Miller launch in 1903?

 

A: High Life

 

 

Dangerous Mountains

 

Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth highest peak, is widely known in mountaineering circles as ‘The Killer’.  It stands in which country?

 

A: Pakistan

 

Which climber said recently that bones, a shoe & clothing found on Nanga Parbat in July prove he did not abandon his younger brother Gunther to die there in 1970?

 

A: Reinhold Messner

 

Italian Reinhold Messner was the first mountaineer to climb all of the world's 8,000-metre-plus peaks.  How many peaks are there over 8,000m high?

 

A: 14

 

 


Unholy murder

           

Brother Roger Schutz aged 90 was fatally stabbed while celebrating mass in August 2005.  Brother Roger was the founder of which remarkable church community?

 

A: Taize

 

Brother Roger first started his community in 1940 as a sanctuary for wartime refugees, including Jews and later German Prisoners of War.  In which French region is the little village of Taize where the community is based?

 

A: Burgundy

 

Among messages of hope sent to Taize following Brother Roger’s slaying was one from Chiara Lubich, herself the founder of a religious movement.  Now claiming 90 000 members worldwide, which ‘militant movement for unity’ did she establish in 1943?

 

A: Focolari or ‘Opus Mariae’ (The Work of Mary)

 

 

 

Caribbean Music

 

Ibrahim Ferrer began singing professionally at the age of 14. However, this Cuban singer, who died in 2005 aged 78 only rose to world fame late in life, when recruited by US guitarist Ry Cooder to join which musical project?

 

A: Buena Vista Social Club

 

Who directed the film released In 1999 which showed Ry Cooder's work with this now famous group of veteran Cuban musicians?

 

A: Wim Wenders

 

Name either of Ferrer’s fellow Buena Vista stars, one a pianist, the other a guitarist, who passed away in 2003?

 

A: Ruben Gonzalez or Compay Segundo

 

 


Film Festivals

           

Which Swiss film festival is referred to as "the smallest of the big film festivals”?

 

A: Locarno

 

Berlin has the Golden Bear, Venice the Golden Lion, what does Locarno have?

 

A: Golden Leopard

 

The Golden Leopard for the best film was won in 2005 by the US film ‘Nine Lives’.  Starring Glenn Close, Holly Hunter and Sissy Spacek, who was the director?

 

A: Rodrigo Garcia

 

 

Architecture

 

Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles were the architects of what world famous building?

 

A: Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

 

Born in Paris in 1713, this French architect was one of the first to introduce Neoclassicism. Most typical for his personal taste is the 'Hôtel Marigny', built for his young patron the Marquis de Marigny in 1768. By far his most famous accomplishment can be found in the Latin Quarter of Paris. There king Louis XV vowed in 1744 that he would replace the ruined church of Sainte-Geneviève. Our French architect was commissioned to replace it by a building modelled after the Pantheon in Rome. Who was the architect of the Panthéon?

 

A: Jacques-Germain Soufflot

 

 

This Swiss architect, born in 1943, designed his first house at age 16. His ideas were influenced by Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn and Carlo Scarpa. His designs tend to include a strong sense of geometry, often being based on very simple shapes, yet creating unique volumes of space. His buildings are often made of brick, yet his use of material is wide, varied, and often unique. He built a cathedral near Evry and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. What is his name?

 

A: Mario Botta

 


Painting Death

 

Which is the date in the title of this famous picture by Francisco de Goya?

 

A: Third May 1808

 

This painting is called “A Dead Poet being Carried by a Centaur”. Who is the artist, a French painter, one of the leading Symbolist artists? His pupils included Marquet and Matisse.

 

A: Gustave Moreau

 

Death was one of the themes that this artist returned throughout the career. The artist was married to a physician in one of the poorest sections of Berlin, so death was a usual thing around. Who is this artist and sculptor?


A: Käthe Kollwitz