Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The opera Mozart completed months before his death

The Magic Flute premiered in Vienna in September 1791, just two months before Mozart died at the age of 35. It was written as a singspiel, a German-language form that mixes spoken dialogue with sung numbers, rather than the Italian operatic style Mozart had often used before. The work became one of the most frequently performed operas in the repertoire and is often a first introduction to the genre for new audiences.

Two capitals that are not the largest cities

Washington and New Delhi share an interesting trait: neither is the most populous city in its country. Washington is far smaller than New York or Los Angeles, while New Delhi, though part of a large metropolitan area, has historically competed with Mumbai as India's economic and cultural hub. Both cities were planned as national capitals rather than emerging organically as commercial centres, which shaped their wide avenues and monumental architecture.

Madonna's Vogue and a dance culture revival

When Madonna released Vogue in 1990, the song drew attention to voguing, a stylised dance form that had developed in New York's ballroom culture, particularly among Black and Latino LGBTQ communities. The track became a worldwide number-one hit and helped bring an underground movement into mainstream pop culture. Its black-and-white music video, directed by David Fincher, referenced classic Hollywood glamour and remains one of the most recognisable visuals of the early 1990s.

Molière and the comedy of human flaws

The Misanthrope was first performed in 1666 by Molière's theatre company in Paris. The play centres on Alceste, a man who insists on total honesty and despises social flattery, which constantly puts him at odds with polite society. Molière wrote the title role for himself and used the character to explore the tension between personal integrity and the compromises required to live among others. It is now considered one of the greatest comedies in French literature.