Greatest Classical Music Composers of All time

Famous Classical Music Composers of all time: Classical music continues to inspire even today, especially the works by the greatest composers of all times. These masters may have lived hundreds of years ago, but their masterpieces still impress and inspire.

Introduction

The Classical period in music history took place from around 1750 to about 1820. Classical music was characterized by the importance of the sonata form, a construction that, in its simplest terms, consists of a thematic material (exposition), development and a return of the original themes (recapitulation). Another significant development of the Classical period was the rise of instrumental music, especially the symphony. Three of the most famous and influential composers of the Classical period were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

German organist, composer, violist and violinist, Bach wrote over 1100 compositions which include cantatas, songs and arias, chorales, passions and oratorios, organ works, works for harpsichord, concertos. Best known works by Bach include the Brandenburg Concertos, Air on the G String, Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Arioso.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791

Austrian composer Mozart mastered keyboard and violin at the age of 5. A child prodigy in music performance, Mozart was famous even before he began composing for a living, and entertained royalty throughout Europe. His father took him on tours of Europe–often lying about his age to make his skills seem even more impressive. Mozart composed his first piece at the age of 5 and his first opera, “La Finta Semplice” (“The Feigned Simpleton”) at the age of 12. He is best known for his later operas, including “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786), “Don Giovanni” (1787) and “The Magic Flute” (1791). His final work, a Requiem (funeral mass), was left unfinished at his death; it was completed by his student, Franz Xaver Sussmayr.

Mozart composed over 600 works. Popular Mozart works include Requiem, Symphony No. 40, operas The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro, Piano Sonata No 16 in C Major, Symphony No. 25, Piano Concerto No. 21 and Piano Sonata No. 11 (Mov. 3 – Turkish March).

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

German composer and pianist was the tallest figure during transition period between Classical and Romantic, and also considered as one of the most famous classical music composers of all times. Beethoven is often cited as a Romantic composer, but while his work exemplifies the transition between the two musical periods, it is firmly anchored in the Classical tradition. Although Beethoven wrote one opera, “Fidelio,” he is best known for his symphonies. His Ninth Symphony, which includes the well-known chorus “Ode to Joy,” was revolutionary at the time; its implication that music required poetry to reach its full potential helped inspire the Romantic Opera composer Richard Wagner’s theory of Gesamtkunstwerk (the complete integration of music, drama and poetry). Beethoven’s work is also profoundly significant because of the deafness he developed later in life. He composed many of his pieces without the benefit of hearing them, simply from the memory of the instruments’ sounds.

Popular works include 9th symphony (created after he became deaf), Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata), 5th Symphony, 6th Symphony, Bagatelle No. 25 (Für Elise) and Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op.73.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Italian composer best known for his operas was a dominant figure of the 19th century Italian classical music. Popular operas include Nabucco, La traviata, Rigoletto, Aida, Don Carlos, Otello and Falstaff.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a big Mozart fan and did some outstanding work. Popular works include Swan Lake, the Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Polish composer Chopin was a gifted child. The virtuoso pianist wrote two piano concertos and three sonatas, and is also credited with the invention of the instrumental ballade and several musical innovations. Popular works include Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2, Funeral March (Prelude in C minor), Minute Waltz (Waltz in D-flat major), Revolutionary Etude (Op.10, No.12) and Fantasie-Impromptu (Op. Posth. 66).

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Italian Baroque composer and violin virtuoso Vivaldi is known for instrumental concertos for violin. Vivaldi composed over 500 concertos, most of them for solo instruments and strings, mainly for violin. His greatest masterpiece is a series of violin concertos called Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons). Other works include operas, sacred choral music, symphonies, sonatas and chamber music.

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

One of the greatest masters of Baroque era, German-born British composer Handel wrote over 40 operas, 29 oratories, more than 100 cantatas, duets and trios, 16 organ concertos and a number of arias, ecumenical pieces, chamber music, odes and serenatas. Popular works include the Messiah, Sarabande, Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Haydn was a prolific composer; 19 operas, 107 symphonies, 68 string quartets and 62 piano trios are included in his work. Though he struggled as a young musician, he found success in the court of the Esterházy princes, where he served as Kappelmeister (director of music) for more than 40 years. Several of his better-known pieces include the “Surprise” symphony (No. 94), the “Creation” oratorio (1798) and the “Kaiserhymne” or “Emperor’s Hymn” (1797), which became the Austrian national anthem (and later the national anthem of Germany, “Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles”). Unlike Mozart and Beethoven, he died a rich man.

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Russian born French and then American composer, conductor and pianist Stravinsky was an influential 20th century composer. Popular works include The Firebird, Petrushka, The Rite of Spring, A Soldier’s Tale, The Song of the Nightingale, Mavra, Oedipus Rex, the Symphony in C and the Symphony in Three Movements.

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)

French composer Claude Debussy composed several innovative works throughout his career, including the well-loved “Clair de Lune.”

100 Greatest Classical Music Composer

Here’s a list of the Best 100 Greatest Classical Music Composers of all time, from around the world.

1. Ludwig Van Beethoven – 1770-1827
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – 1756-1791
3. Johann Sebastian Bach – 1685-1750
4. Richard Wagner – 1813-1883
5. Joseph Haydn – 1732-1809
6. Johannes Brahms – 1833-1897
7. Franz Schubert – 1797-1828
8. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1840-1893
9. George Frideric Handel – 1685-1759
10. Igor Stravinsky – 1882-1971
11. Robert Schumann – 1810-1856
12. Frederic Chopin – 1810-1849
13. Felix Mendelssohn – 1809-1847
14. Claude Debussy – 1862-1918
15. Franz Liszt – 1811-1886
16. Antonin Dvorak – 1841-1904
17. Giuseppe Verdi – 1813-1901
18. Gustav Mahler – 1860-1911
19. Hector Berlioz – 1803-1869
20. Antonio Vivaldi – 1678-1741
21. Richard Strauss – 1864-1949
22. Serge Prokofiev – 1891-1953
23. Dmitri Shostakovich – 1906-1975
24. Béla Bartók – 1881-1945
25. Anton Bruckner – 1824-1896
26. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – 1525-1594
27. Claudio Monteverdi – 1567-1643
28. Jean Sibelius – 1865-1957
29. Maurice Ravel – 1875-1937
30. Ralph Vaughan Williams – 1872-1958
31. Modest Mussorgsky – 1839-1881
32. Giacomo Puccini – 1858-1924
33. Henry Purcell – 1659-1695
34. Gioacchino Rossini – 1792-1868
35. Edward Elgar – 1857-1934
36. Sergei Rachmaninoff – 1873-1943
37. Camille Saint-Saëns – 1835-1921
38. Josquin Des Prez – c.1440-1521
39. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – 1844-1908
40. Carl Maria von Weber – 1786-1826
41. Jean-Philippe Rameau – 1683-1764
42. Jean-Baptiste Lully – 1632-1687
43. Gabriel Fauré – 1845-1924
44. Edvard Grieg – 1843-1907
45. Christoph Willibald Gluck – 1714-1787
46. Arnold Schoenberg – 1874-1951
47. Charles Ives – 1874-1954
48. Paul Hindemith – 1895-1963
49. Olivier Messiaen – 1908-1992
50. Aaron Copland – 1900-1990
51. Francois Couperin – 1668-1733
52. William Byrd – 1539-1623
53. Erik Satie – 1866-1925
54. Benjamin Britten – 1913-1976
55. Bedrick Smetana – 1824-1884
56. César Franck – 1822-1890
57. Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin – 1872-1915
58. Georges Bizet – 1838-1875
59. Domenico Scarlatti – 1685-1757
60. Georg Philipp Telemann – 1681-1767
61. Anton Webern – 1883-1945
62. Roland de Lassus – 1532-1594
63. George Gershwin – 1898-1937
64. Gaetano Donizetti – 1797-1848
65. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – 1714-1788
66. Archangelo Corelli – 1653-1713
67. Thomas Tallis – 1505-1585
68. Jules Massenet – 1842-1912
69. Johann Strauss II – 1825-1899
70. Leos Janácek – 1854-1928
71. Guillaume de Machaut – 1300-1377
72. Alban Berg – 1885-1935
73. Alexander Borodin – 1833-1887
74. Vincenzo Bellini – 1801-1835
75. Charles Gounod – 1818-1893
76. Francis Poulenc – 1899-1963
77. Giovanni Gabrieli – 1554-1612
78. Pérotin – 1160-1225
79. Heinrich Schütz – 1585-1672
80. John Cage – 1912-1992
81. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi – 1710-1736
82. John Dowland – 1563-1626
83. Gustav Holst – 1874-1934
84. Dietrich Buxtehude – 1637-1707
85. Ottorino Respighi – 1879-1936
86. Guillaume Dufay – 1400-1474
87. Hugo Wolf – 1860-1903
88. Carl Nielsen – 1865-1931
89. William Walton – 1902-1983
90. Darius Milhaud – 1892-1974
91. Orlando Gibbons – 1583-1625
92. Giacomo Meyerbeer – 1791-1864
93. Samuel Barber – 1910-1981
94. Tomás Luis de Victoria – 1549-1611
95. Léonin – 1135-1201
96. Manuel de Falla – 1876-1946
97. Hildegard von Bingen – 1098-1179
98. Mikhail Glinka – 1804-1857
99. Alexander Glazunov – 1865-1936
100. Don Carlo Gesualdo – 1566-1613

Source: digitaldreamdoor.com

More Classical Composers

American Classical Composer Stephen Paulus
Stephen Paulus was a popular American composer, who was known for his melodic operas and choral works, including an operatic version of “The Postman Always Rings Twice”. He composed over 500 pieces, including 13 operas and at least 400 choral works. Paulus He wrote in pen on manuscript paper, then scanned his work into a computer.

His compositions were reliably accessible and often lyrical, if not boldly innovative, and he took pride in his versatility and broad appeal. It helped ensure him a select line of work: He was one of the few people to make a living solely by writing classical music.

Here’s what the classical composer once said about his working style.

“You work at it every day, the same way a lawyer would work at a job every day or a physician or a carpenter, whatever. And the more you work at it, the better you get.”

While the music of some of his contemporaries could be atonal and elusive, his was often lush and extravagant. Joseph McLellan, the longtime classical music critic for The Washington Post, described his style as neo-romanticism.

“This means an effort to embody strong emotions in music, to return to melody and often to a sense of tonality. It also implies colorful orchestration and free-ranging imagination — in a word, music that tries to reach the average music lover, whether or not it conforms to academic procedures and criteria,” wrote Mr. McLellan wrote in 1988.

Mr. Paulus composed several popular shorter pieces, including “Pilgrims’ Hymn,” which was performed at the funerals of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald R. Ford.

Stephen Harrison Paulus received his bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota in 1971 before earning his master’s and doctorate.

Source: nytimes.com

Classical music facing issues like racism and class?

Jamaican contemporary music composer Eleanor Alberga says there’s ‘hesitancy or even condescension in welcoming black people as part of the classical music family’. Says composers from minority groups do not fit into classical music’s “inner club”

When it comes to certain genres of music, such as jazz or reggae, you would expect the musician or composer to have a Afro-Caribbean ethnic background.

However, when it comes to Classical music, these musicians seem to be missing from the action.

So is it that classical music is not receptive to such musicians? Composer Eleanor Alberga definitely feels so.

Alberga has written for the Royal Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic and the Mozart Players, and her work Arise, Athena! opened last year’s Last Night of the Proms.

Eleanor Alberga said the classical music world is “not very inclusive and I suspect there are wider issues here, like unconscious racism and class”.

Research shows that in most cases, composers were commissioned by artistic directors or through other personal networks, rather than through open processes.

Susanna Eastburn, chief executive of charity Sound & Music, added that “the system is somehow weighted against diversity and against the encouragement of diversity, so we think that interventions are necessary”.

Another composer, Daniel Kidane, recounted how a recent book on composers had included none from minority ethnic groups. “There is still a sense of them and us,” he said.

Composer Priti Paintal advocated introducing quotas for organisations like the BBC and Arts Council England to ensure minorities were fairly represented.

Read full story here…

Watch: Eleanor Alberga interview

Warner Music Award for Classical Musicians: 100,000 Cash & Recording Offer

Now this is something that will cheer up serious classical music students, who really want to make a career in classical music.

The Warner Music Group is establishing the Warner Music Prize, a new classical music award, to be given annually to a musician between 18 and 35 who demonstrates exceptional promise during a season in which his or her performances are seen by a jury of classical musicians and music industry executives. The award includes a $100,000 cash prize, and a recording offer from Warner Classics.

For its first year, Warner is collaborating with Carnegie Hall: the performances to be judged are part of the hall’s current schedule, and the winner – who will be announced in the spring – will perform at Zankel Hall as part of the Warner Music Prize Gala, next Oct. 27. A spokeswoman for the prize said that the award would be associated with a different hall or performing arts institution every year. The prize is also supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, which underwrites educational, scientific and cultural projects.

The musicians under consideration for the 2015 prize are two sopranos, Sarah Shafer and Jennifer Zetlan; the mezzo-sopranos Jamie Barton, Rachel Calloway, Cecelia Hall, Alisa Kolosova and Peabody Southwell; the tenor Dominic Armstrong; the bass-baritones Aubrey Allicock and Evan Hughes; the violinists Augustin Hadelich and Itamar Zorman; the cellist Brook Speltz; the double-bassist Roman Patkolo; the harpist Sivan Magen; and the pianist Behzod Abduraimov.

artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com