10 Composers You Should Know
It is safe to say about each of them that he is the greatest composer who has ever been, although in fact it is impossible, and indeed impossible, to compare music written over several centuries. However, all of these composers stand out among their contemporaries as composers who have composed music of the highest caliber and have striven to push the boundaries of classical music to new limits. The list does not contain any order, such as importance or personal preference. Simply 10 great composers you should know.
1. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) The most important figure in world classical music. One of the most performed and respected composers in the world. He worked in all the genres that existed in his time, including opera, ballet, music for dramatic performances, and choral compositions. Instrumental works are considered to be the most significant in his heritage: piano, violin and cello sonatas, piano and violin concertos, quartets, overtures, symphonies. The founder of the romantic period in classical music.
An interesting fact: Beethoven first wanted to dedicate his third symphony (1804) to Napoleon, the Composer was fascinated by this man, who seemed to many at the beginning of his reign a real hero. But when Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, Beethoven crossed out his dedication to Napoleon on the title page and wrote only one word - "Heroic".
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata:
2. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) German composer and organist, representative of the Baroque era. One of the greatest composers in the history of music. During his life, Bach wrote more than 1000 works. All significant genres of that time are represented in his work, except for opera; he summarized the achievements of the musical art of the Baroque period. Ancestor of the most famous musical dynasty.
Interesting fact: During his lifetime, Bach was so underestimated that less than a dozen of his works were printed.
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by J.S. Bach:
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) A great Austrian composer, instrumentalist and conductor, a representative of the Vienna Classical School, a virtuoso violinist, harpsichordist, organist, conductor, he had a phenomenal musical ear, memory and ability to improvise. As a composer who has excelled in every genre, he is rightfully considered one of the greatest composers in the history of classical music.
Interesting fact: As a child, Mozart memorized and recorded the Miserere (Catholic chant to the text of the 50th Psalm of David) by the Italian Grigorio Allegri, having listened to it only once.
Mozart's Little Night Serenade:
4. Richard Wagner (1813-1883) German composer, conductor, playwright, philosopher. He had a significant impact on European culture at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, especially modernism. Wagner's operas amaze with their grand scale and eternal human values.
Interesting fact: Wagner took part in the failed revolution of 1848-1849 in Germany, and was forced to hide from Franz Liszt's arrest.
"Ride of the Valkyries" from Wagner's opera "Valkyrie":
5. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Russian composer, one of the best melodists, conductor, teacher, music critic. His works have made an invaluable contribution to world musical culture. One of the most popular composers among classical music lovers, Tchaikovsky's unique style successfully combines the Western symphonic heritage of Beethoven and Schumann with the Russian traditions inherited from Mikhail Glinka.
Interesting fact: From his youth, Tchaikovsky had an irresistible thirst for knowledge, and in a variety of fields. So, one of the first among his contemporaries, he met with a new invention of the XIX century, which was destined for a great future. It was Edison's phonograph that ushered in the era of sound recording.
"Waltz of the Flowers" from Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker":
6. Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Italian composer, central figure of the Italian opera school. Verdi had a sense of the stage, temperament and impeccable skill. He did not deny operatic traditions (unlike Wagner), but rather developed them (the traditions of Italian opera), he transformed Italian opera, filled it with realism, gave it the unity of the whole.
Interesting fact: Verdi was an Italian nationalist and was elected to the first Italian parliament in 1860, after Italy's independence from Austria.
Overture to Verdi's La Traviata:
7. Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971) Russian (American - after emigration) composer, conductor, pianist. One of the most important composers of the twentieth century. Stravinsky's work has been united throughout his career, although at different periods the style of his works was different, but the core and Russian roots remained, which manifested themselves in all his works, he is considered one of the leading innovators of the 20th century. His innovative use of rhythm and harmony has inspired and continues to inspire many musicians, and not just in classical music.
Fun Fact: During World War I, Roman customs officials confiscated a portrait of Stravinsky by Pablo Picasso when the composer was leaving Italy. The portrait was painted in a futuristic manner and the customs officers mistook these circles and lines for some kind of encrypted secret material.
Suite from Stravinsky's The Firebird:
8. Johann Strauss (1825-1899) Austrian light music composer, conductor and violinist. "King of Waltzes" - he worked in the genre of dance music and opperta. His musical heritage includes more than 500 waltzes, polkas, square dances and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas and ballets. Thanks to him, the waltz became extremely popular in Vienna in the 19th century.
Interesting fact: The father of Johann Strauss is also Johann and also a famous musician, and therefore the “king of waltzes” is called the younger or son, his brothers Joseph and Eduard were also famous composers.
Strauss Waltz "On the beautiful blue Danube":
9. Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov (1873-1943) Russian composer, pianist and conductor, the largest representatives of Russian and world musical culture of the late XIX - first half of the XX centuries. Rachmaninov's style, which grew out of late romanticism, goes far beyond the post-romantic tradition and at the same time does not belong to any of the stylistic currents of the musical avant-garde of the 20th century. Rachmaninov's work stands apart in the world music of the 20th century, his style has remained uniquely individual and original, unparalleled in world art.
Interesting fact: The premiere of Rachmaninov's First Symphony ended in complete failure, both because of poor performance and because of the innovative nature of the music, far ahead of its time. This event caused a serious nervous illness.
Rachmaninov Concerto Piano Concerto 4 – Movement 1:
10. Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) Austrian composer, one of the prominent representatives of the Viennese classical music school and one of the founders of romanticism in music. In his short life, Schubert made significant contributions to orchestral, chamber and piano music that influenced an entire generation of composers. However, his most striking contribution was to the development of German romances, of which he created more than 600.
Interesting fact: Schubert's friends and fellow musicians got together and played Schubert's music. These meetings were called "Schubertiads" (Schubertiads). Some first fan club!
Ave Maria Schubert: