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The Politicians In Opera Puzzler

Bass Boris Christoff plays Philip II of Spain in Verdi's <em>Don Carlo</em>. Although the real Philip was a successful politician, he bankrupted his government four times.
Erich Auerbach
/
Getty Images
Bass Boris Christoff plays Philip II of Spain in Verdi's Don Carlo. Although the real Philip was a successful politician, he bankrupted his government four times.

As the presidential campaign heads into the homestretch, with binders, bayonets and a profusion of political ads, perhaps it's time to step back from the election hubbub. Instead of fumbling for your smartphone to decipher the latest poll results, put on your thinking cap and focus on the famous (and infamous) politicians in opera.

Below is a gallery of monarchs, senators and presidents, all of whom have their diva moments onstage. Your job: Listen to the music clip containing a famous operatic politician, then drag the clip to the appropriate image (where the officeholder's name is revealed along with the name of the opera he or she appears in). Get them all right and control the Electoral College. Get them wrong and you'll have to make other plans for Inauguration Day.

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Tom Huizenga is a producer for NPR Music. He contributes a wide range of stories about classical music to NPR's news programs and is the classical music reviewer for All Things Considered. He appears regularly on NPR Music podcasts and founded NPR's classical music blog Deceptive Cadence in 2010.