Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 17-12-2025 — Ludwig van Beethoven (Ten Questions)

17th December, 2025: Ludwig.

Yes: it’s official.

I’ve finished my review of “The Deep”, the third episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea.

Hopefully, that’ll get a few views: despite the spoiler warning … !

~≈§≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with Debbi scoring five out of five, and Mum on four.

The day also saw Olga‡ leaving us a message.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.

Q1)        17th December saw Ludwig van Beethoven do what: get born, baptised or married?

Q2)        The event in his life took place in which year: 1770, 1771 or 1772?

Q3)        Ludwig was born in which German city: Bonn, Berlin or Bremen?

Q4)        Between 1792 and 1802, Ludwig lived in Vienna.   Vienna is the capital of where: Austria, Germany or Lichtenstein?

Q5)        According to a conversation Ludwig had in 1815, he started going deaf, when: 1797, 1798 or 1799?

Q6)        Ludwig’s first published works were catalogued as WoO47, in the early 1780s.   They were for which instrument: the violin, piano or clarinet?

Q7)        Ludwig’s Piano Sonata №14 (Opus 27/2, apparently) is known as the what: Moonlight Sonata, Sunlight Sonata or Starshine Sonata?

Q8)        During World War 2, the BBC used the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as a call sign: because those note are identical to the Morse code for which letter?

Q9)        The Fourth Movement of Ludwig’s Ninth Symphony is known as the “Ode to Joy”.   Famously — or notoriously — it’s used in which Stanley Kubrick film: Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange or 2001: A Space Odyssey?   (A version of the piece is today’s featured music.)

Q10)        Finally … ?   Ludwig gave his name to to a 1992 film called Beethoven.   The film was a comedy about a what: St Bernard, Jack Russell or Labradoodle?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Billy Gibbons was born on 16th December, 1949.   What was the name of the first band he was in: Moving Sidewalks, ZZTop or Billy Gibbons and the BFGs?

A1)        Moving Sidewalks.   (He founded ZZTop after Moving Sidewalks disbanded: at least one of the latter band’s members was drafted in to ZZTop’s original lineup.)

Q2)        Miranda Otto was born on 16th December, 1971.   She played which Lord of the Rings character: Galadriel, Éowyn or Lobelia Sackville-Baggins?

A2)        Éowyn.

Q3)        16th December, 1955, saw the late Queen Elizabeth 2nd open what’s now called Terminal 2: of what was then called London Airport.   What’s that airport now called?

A3)        Heathrow Airport.

Q4)        16th December, 1977, saw the late Queen Elizabeth 2nd formally open a tube line.   To which London airport?

A4)        Surprisingly?   Heathrow Airport.   (It took twenty years to build that tube line …)

Q5)        Finally … ?   16th December is the feast day of Saint Adelaide of where: Italy, Australia or France?

A5)        Italy.

Here’s a thought, or two …

“DEAFNESS DOESN’T PREVENT COMPOSERS HEARING THE MUSIC.   IT PREVENTS THEM HEARING THE DISTRACTIONS.”

Death, speaking about deaf composers, in Terry Pratchett’s Soul Music.

“One of the most revered figures in the history of Western music, [Beethoven’s] works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era.”

From the Wikipedia entry on Beethoven.

The fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth symphony …

The first episode of Ludwig…

And a paradox …

The next twelve question set is on 31st December, 2025: it’s about 2025.

The next ten question set is on 1st January, 2026: it’s about The Archers.

Your comments, and today’s answers, will be published in tomorrow’s Teaser.

AI is avoided when writing these questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!   (ZZTop was Billy’s second band, Mum.)

†        Hopefully, Debbi, the answers are short enough to not be a problem!   I think Kamala Harris would’ve been an improvement, certainly!

        I think Hollywood — and Bollywood, Hollywood, et al — all have an advantage on the UK’s cinema industry: the advantages they have, in terms of money, man-power and domestic audiences, is huge!   The Chinese movie industry’s the same.

        Some British actors get around a lot: did you know André Morrell voiced Elrond, in Bakshi’s version of Lord of the Rings?   Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) is in it, too: he voiced Legolas.

‡        If that’s not a case of nominative determinism, Olga, I don’t know what is.   Actually, I do have another example.   I’ve had a police officer visit, a couple of times: one of the neighbours is difficult.   Turns out he’s a Constable Dixon … !

        And I know what you mean about leaves.   One ex-girlfriend was a fairly confident driver: her only ‘accident’ while we were dating, was skidding on some wet leaves, after a rainstorm.   (Thankfully, no-one was hurt, and nothing was damaged.)