Final Jeopardy: Literature & Opera (3-31-14)

The Final Jeopardy question (3/31/2014), in the category “Literature & Opera” was:

An aria in this Shakespeare-based opera says, “Di Scozia a te promettono le profetesse il trono…che tardi?”

The Battle of the Decades continues this week with the 2000s edition. Starting out the week are: Tom Nissley, 8-day champ from Season 27; Celeste DiNucci, the 2007 TOC winner; and Colby Burnett, 2013 Teachers Tournament and TOC winner.

Round 1: Colby found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Retronyms” under the $800 clue. He was in the lead with $1,800, $400 ahead of Tom in second place. He bet $1,200 and he was RIGHT.

The arrival of SiriusXM means the good old dial in your Ford Falcon now plays this earth-bound type of radio. show

WHAT IS TERRESTRIAL?

Colby finished in the lead with $5,600. Tom was second with $2,600 and Celeste was last with $1,200.

Round 2: Colby found the first Daily Double in “Animals in Mythology” under the $1,600 clue. He was in the lead with $8,400, $1,600 more than Celeste in second place. He bet $1,200 and he was RIGHT.

This creature killed by Hercules during his second labor was the offspring of the 100-headed Typhon. show

WHAT IS THE HYDRA?

Celeste found the last Daily Double in “It Happened in the Past” under the $1,600 clue. In second place with $7,600, she had $4,400 less than Colby’s lead. She bet $5,000 and she was RIGHT.

An Italian bid for empire was ended by defeat at the 1896 Battle of Adwa in this African country. show

WHAT IS ETHIOPIA?

Colby finished in the lead with $16,400. Celeste was next with $16,200 and Tom was in third place with $7,400.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS “MACBETH”?

“Giuseppe Verdi was always fascinated by the plays of Shakespeare; he wrote three operas based on them, and contemplated a fourth (based on King Lear) but was never able to find the proper libretto. Macbeth was the earliest of these Shakespeare adaptations, and a work which never quite satisfied the composer. The first version of the opera premiered in 1847 in Florence, but the version best known today is the revision the composer made for the 1865 Parisian revival. The changes include a new aria for Lady Macbeth in Act Two, the addition of a ballet scene for the witches, and the removal of Macbeth’s death scene.” (All Music)

Lady Macbeth utters the line in the clue in Act I, Scene V. Here is a link to the words of the opera with an English translation.

Tom got it right. He bet $6,000 and finished with $13,400.

Celeste thought it was “Falstaff” (also by Verdi). She lost $1,399 and finished with $14,801.

Colby had “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.” He only bet $199 so he still won the match with his remaining $16,201.

So Colby will be back when the Battle of the Decades wraps up in May.

2 years ago:: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in U.S. Vice-Presidents.

More VPs have been from this State than any other, including 2 20th century VPs who were its governor. show

WHAT IS NEW YORK?

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