Vivaldi
Handel
Classical
Mozart
Salieri
Beethoven
Romantic
Greig
Chopin
Offenbach
Wagner
Tchaikovsky
Mahler
Schubert
20th Century
Prokoviev
Beach
Shostakovich
Baroque literally means irregularly-shaped pearl. This fancy, ornamented style can be seen especially in the architecture of the period. New instrumental forms included the sonata, the concerto, and the fugue (a special kind of canon).
Vivaldi
1678-1741The Four Seasons - Spring
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy on March 4th, 1678 and died on July 28th, 1741. Two of his famous music are the four Seasons and Gloria. Vivaldi was born in a minor earthquake. He was known as the red hair priest because he had red hair and he was a priest. Vivaldi wrote a dozen concertos for flute and 37 for bassoon.
By: Stephanie
picture from: http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxvivaldi.html
Handel
1685-1759Alla hornpipe from the "Water Music" Suite No.2 in D, HWV.349
GEORGE FREDERIC HANDEL
Born: February 23, 1685
Died: April 14, 1759
Popular Works: Water Music
Messiah
The music for the royal fireworks was composed to celebrate the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. In 1752, at the height of his popularity, Handel was struck by blindness. Handel’s music was the best example of the baroque style. Handel fainted during a performance of the Messiah in 1759 and died soon afterward. Three thousand people attended his funeral in Western Abbey.
By Amira
picture from http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/handel.html
This period is characterized by a clean, unornamented, orderly style. The predominant musical form is melody with accompaniment.
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (or "A Little Night Music")
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born January 27, 1756. He died December 5, 1791.
His most popular works today are
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 21 in C
Don Diovanni
Serenade No. 13 in G
Symphony No. 41 in C
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A
His genius for music was extraordinary and perhaps unique. He could memorize long and complicated pieces of music.
Mozart produced a string of masterpieces in the 1780s including comic operas, several symphonies and at least nine great piano concertos.
After numerous exhausting tours Mozart settled in Vienna in 1781 and remained there. He died because he overworked...he worked too much. He died a few weeks before his 36th birthday.
by Natalie
picture from: http://www.classicalarchives.com/bios/gif/mozart_as_a_child.jpg
Salieri
1750-1825Missa stylo a capella
Antonio Salieri was born August 18, 1750. He died May 2, 1825. His most popular works today are Concerto for Flute, Oboe, Orchestra and Keyboard Concerto in B-Flat. He was orphaned at the age of 15. He was sent to study music in Venice. His greatest student was Beethoven. Antonio was jealous of Mozart. He died in an asylum.
by Eric Jude
picture from http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/salieri.html
5th Symphony - 1st Movement
Violin Sonata 1
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Ludwig Van Beethoven was one of the best composers in the world. A couple of his famous works are his Fifth Symphony and Ode to Joy from his Ninth Symphony.
He was born on December 16. In the first decade of the 19 century, Beethoven reannounced the sectional septet op. 20, for strings and winds. Beethoven had 9 major symphonies. Ludwig Van Beethoven died March 26, 1827.
By Allison
picture from: http://www.lucare.com/immortal/
In contrast to the Classical Period, the Romantic era produced soft, dreamy music that expressed emotions and feelings. Bigger orchestras were needed to enhance the wide range of emotion. The piano was perfected and used both as a solo instrument and as an accompaniment for the voice.
Greig
1843-1907"Weddingday at Troldhaugen", sequenced by B.S. Lengton.
Edvard Greig was born June 15, 1843 in Bergen, Norway. His most popular piece is Peer Gynt Suites.
His mother, a talented pianist, was his first teacher. He married Nina Hagerup, a famous singer. He also wrote “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, “Solviegs Song “ and “Morning”. He died September 4, 1907.
By Olivia
picture from: http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/7920/greig1.jpg
Chopin
1810-1849"Variations sur un air national allemand, in E major ("Der Schweitzerbub"). Donated and sequenced by B.S. Lengton.
Frederic Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 and died on October 17, 1849. A popular piece by Frederic Chopin is the "Minute Waltz.". Frederic Chopin created 200 works for the piano. Frederic Chopin died when he was 39. Frederic Chopin hated performing in front of a large audience. His talent was recognized when he was young.
By Richard
Picture from: http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/chopin.html
Offenbach
1819-1880Barcarolle from the opera Les Contes d’Hoffman (Hoffman's Tales)
Jacques Offenbach was born in Germany on June 20, 1819. He died October 5, 1880. His most popular work today is Orpheus in the Underworld. Offenbach was the supreme master of French comic opera in the 1850’s and ‘60s. He paved the way for enormous success of the Gilbert and Sullivan’s light operas, and introduced the stage techniques that led to the musicals of the 20th century. His work was so consistently rejected that, in 1855, he opened his own tiny theater to produce his operas. No institution was safe from Offenbach’s wit, and he made many enemies. Offenbach was perhaps more of an entertainer than a serious composer.
by Bernadette
picture from: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/offenbach.html
Wagner
1813-1883Ride of the Valkyrie
Richard was born on May 22, 11818 and died on February 22, 1883. Today his most popular works are The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin, The Meistersings of Nuremberg and The Ring of the Niebelung.
In 1835, Wagner took a job as the conductor of a small opera house. Wagner's first public recognition came with the opera Riezi. In 1843, he was made director of the Dresden Opera. Tannhauser was the most popular of his early opera. It premiered there in 1845. Wagner also composed Tristan and Isolde. Wagner Bayreuth Theater opening in 1876 with a three-day performance of his huge musical drama The Ring of the Niebelung.
by Dia
picture from: http://www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de/service/presse/wagner/wagner_willich_1862_sandig.jpg
Tchaikovsky
1840-1893The Sugar Plum Fairy
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in Vothinsk, Russia. He died on November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg. His most popular compositions today are: Fantasy Overture to Romeo and Juliet (1869) 1812 Overture (1880) The Nutcracker Suite (1892) and Symphony No.6 in B Minor (‘’Pathetique’’) (1893.) The town Tchaikovsky lived in was 600 miles from Moscow. His wife's name was Antonina. He went to work as a clerk in the Ministry of Justice. A month after the first performance of his sixth Symphony Tchaikovsky got sick and died. He was famous all over Europe.
by Kimberly
picture from: http://www.classicalarchives.com/tchaikovsky.html
Mahler
1860-1911Symphony 1 - extract of 2nd movement
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was born July 7, 1860. He died May 18, 1911.
His most popular song is The Titan. By the age of 25, he was established in Leipzig, in a single season. In 1902 he married a musician named Alma Schindler. His deep metaphysical doubt made his music irresistible to some listeners and drearily self-indulgent to others. Five of his children died. One committed suicide. Two were mentally disturbed.
By Evan
picture from: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/mahler.html
Schubert
1797-1828Musical Moment 5
Franz Schubert was born the 31st of January 1797 and Schubert died in 1828 on the 19th of November. In some ways the work of Franz Schubert has always been overshadowed by the dominating presence of Beethoven. They were living at the same time in the same city of Vienna at the time of significant change in the development and shape of music. While Beethoven was well-known and well funded, and working towards a major revolution in musical expression, Schubert was younger, less well-known.
Work: • 9 Symphonies - including the remarkable "Unfinished" (8th), the sweeping "Great C Major" (9th) and "The Tragic" (4th) - the 7th was sketched but not orchestrated
• 2 Masses
• Rosamunde - ballet, the Overture often being played separately
• 600+ Songs (and some duets)- in many different forms, often settings of poems by Goethe, Schiller and others, including "Die Ferelle" (The Trout), "An Silvia" and the profound song cycle "Winterreise" (Winter's Journey)
By Sammy
picture from: http://www.schubertsocietyusa.org/schubert1.jpg
In addition to new experimental forms, earlier musical forms such as the concerto and symphony were extended. These extended forms also included new techniques in both the way the music was constructed and how the notes themselves were used.
Sonata 87 Opus 83
Prokofiev was born on April 23,1891 and died on March 5,1953. His popular works were Classical Symphony, Piano Concerto No.3, Lieutenant Kije Suite and Peter and the Wolf.
He played the piano at three and he produced an opera at nine. The Classical Symphony is a parody of the styles of Mozart and Haydn. Prokofiev wrote in about every style of music. Piano Concerto No.3 became one of the most popular Piano Concertos in the 1900s.
by Marley
picture from: http://www.siue.edu/~aho/musov/sergei.html
Hermit Thrush at Morn
Op 92 No 2
Amy Beach was born September 5, 1867. She was born in Henniker, New Hampshire. She died December 27, 1944 in New York City. She was an American and also the first major woman composer from the United States.
Her full name is Amy Marcy Beach. She was born Amy Marcy Cheney. Many of her compositions and performances were under the name Mrs. H.H. A. Beach. She was a composer and a pianist.
by Libby
picture from: http://www.fembio.org/images/WF-amy-beach-1a.jpg
Fugue No. 3 in G Major
Dmitri Shostakovich was born September 25, 1906 in St. Peterburg and was the most important Russian composer of the 20th century. His mother helped him in his early years to learn to play the piano. He was so good that he was sent to the St. Petersburg Conservatory to be an apprentice to Glazunov. At age twenty he wrote his first symphony. His fifth symphony premiered during the 20th anniversary celebrations of the revolution. He received the Order of Lenin and many other honors, and during his last years he was left in peace to compose in his own way.
by Samantha
picture from: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/mn200/music/shostakovich/shostakovich.gif