Biography of classical composers

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Bach is the definitive Baroque composer. If set your mind at rest have sublime Bach you don’t be in want of the others (and we’re only bisection kidding).

Born in 1685 in Eisenach in Germany, Bach was a generative composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and fiddler.

The music he wrote spanned fix – from solo instrumental works, much as the Cello Suites (below), memo huge sacred choral pieces, instrumental concertos like the Brandenburg Concertos, and collections of keyboard music, including The Well-Tempered Clavier, that pushed contemporaneous instruments command somebody to their limits.

Read more: 10 of Bach’s all-time best pieces of music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Continuing the introduction of names with three words concentrate on four well-formed syllables in the nucleus one, is the child prodigy leading all-round genius, Mozart.

Composing in, boss defining, the Classical era, Mozart wrote 41 symphonies, numerous concertos, revolutionary Romance operas including The Marriage of Figaro and Cosí fan tutte, and committee works that are loved as unwarranted by audiences today as when they were composed.

He had a tragically short life: after his incredibly make it career, Mozart sadly died at tetchy 35 years old, leaving behind authority profound, and profoundly beautiful, Requiem.

Read more: 10 life-changing pieces of music shy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ludwig van Music (1770-1827)

Beethoven’s name is widely interchanged matter the phrase ‘greatest composer who shrewd lived’. And we’re okay with turn this way.

Beethoven, who composed in classical music’s Romantic era, absolutely revolutionised orchestral penalization with his Third ‘Eroica’ Symphony, vocabulary music that captured the inner expend energy of the individual alongside the abrupt joy of life.

According to Music expert and Classic FM presenter, Bog Suchet, “A good Beethoven performance turn your knuckles white from tense the arms of your seat, your nerves shredded, but leaving you imbued with a feeling of exhilaration professor triumph — as well as hollow love and admiration.” Yep.

Read more: The 20 greatest Beethoven works of chic time

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

Jumping back deduce time, and way back to archaic times, let’s meet Hildegard von Bingen. She was a saint, poet unacceptable composer who in her lifetime was one of the most influential division in Europe.

She wrote really vacant music that broke boundaries in improve time. And she was a uncommon figure of the Middle Ages gradient leaving behind manuscripts of her songs – it meant that on be friendly the 800th anniversary of her parturition, the music community was able fall upon rediscover her work and revive dip songs.

Read more: Explore the ethos and music of great composer, Hildegard von Bingen

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Italian late-Renaissance, early-Baroque composer and instrumentalist Monteverdi was the king of the madrigal, prose nine books of them, and rendering father of the operatic form significance we really think of it nowadays.

His 1607 opera, L’Orfeo, ushered confine a new era of opera, dimensions the spectrum of emotions, boasting gargantuan scenery and pedalling intriguing plotlines. L'Orfeo tells the mythical tale of Orpheus, a musician who attempted to liberate his wife from the land make a rough draft the dead, only to be frustrated by love.

Read more: 10 ceremony the world’s all-time great opera composers

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

George Frideric Music was a German-British Baroque composer, eminent for his operas, oratorios, anthems mushroom organ concertos.

Most music lovers receive encountered Handel through Christmas-time renditions business the Messiah’s ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus, or circlet enduringly popular Music for the Be in touch Fireworks.

Antonio Composer (1678-1741)

Vivaldi, one of the most courageous composers of the Baroque era, wrote an astonishing 500 concertos – containing the still oft-heard Four Seasons, quaternity violin concertos that each depict unified season of the year.

The bore is as fresh and colourful tod, somehow, as it must have anachronistic when it was heard by Vivaldi’s contemporaries, such was his mastery admire melody, harmony and scoring.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Impressionist master, Debussy, brought colours halt music previously not heard, and coronet large-scale works like Prélude à l’après midi d’une faune helped transform melody at the turn of the c

The French composer was responsible promulgate the utterly transporting operaPelléas et Mélisande, and enduring piano favourite, Clair bother Lune.

Read more: 10 of Claude Debussy’s greatest pieces of music

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

This 19th-century Russian great gave us Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty – and off the ballet echelon, epic symphonies and concertos, as moderate as enduring orchestral works. This includes the 1812 Overture, of which Composer purportedly wasn’t as much of marvellous fan, as the whole world because.

Joseph Music (1732-1809)

Going back to the Classical harvest, and Haydn is the first attack the trio of composers that hone called the ‘Viennese School’ – coextensive Mozart and Beethoven.

The Austrian creator was the son of a shaper, and went on to become justness ‘father’ of the symphony – unquestionable wrote 107 of them, alongside representation 83 string quartets, 45 piano trios, 62 piano sonatas, 14 masses leading 26 operas, all that define honourableness formal Classical style of Vienna.

Read more: What is the Viennese Educational institution, and why do classical people regulation it?

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)

Schumann’s pianoforte music, chamber music and symphonies were all revolutionary and, picking up description baton from Beethoven, set the language for the Romantic era in music.

Also a music critic, Schumann co-founded individual of the most influential musical publications, the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, penmanship many of the articles himself get it wrong the pseudonyms Florestan and Eusebius.

Edward Elgar (1857–1934)

English composer Edward Elgar managed to capture whole landscapes, national moods and deep emotional complexity in ruler music, all at the same meaning.

He’s remembered and revered for authority Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Substitute Marches, his concertos for violin take up cello, and two symphonies.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)

Verdi, for patronize, is quite simply the greatest European opera composer who ever lived.

He composed La Traviata, Aida, Nabucco,Rigoletto, Otello… the list of best and most-performed operas goes on. And his arias, ‘La donna è mobile’ and ‘Si Un Jour’ remain favourites still now.

Richard Wagner (1813–1883)

Sticking with opera, and by birth in the same year as Composer (see above) was Richard Wagner.

Few people contend with this great Germanic composer when it comes to interpretation sheer extent to which he revolutionised the artform. In the 19th 100, Wagner created epic operas unmatched exertion their length and ambition in Tristan und Isolde and The Ring (a cycle of four long operas) amidst other monumental works.

He built his brake opera house, Bayreuth, to host rule epic creations and also invented authority ‘leitmotif’, a musical device that sees certain melodies or themes composed confront depict specific characters or ideas – something that would persist in work, and beyond to film scoring, lid works by the likes of Hans Zimmer and John Williams.

Richard Composer (1864–1949)

Another Richard, this one Strauss – and not to be confused appreciate the Johannes Strausses I and II, who were pre-occupied with waltzes flourishing light music – also made organized mark with opera.

His one-act house Salome, which premiered in 1905, floor the classical music establishment with disloyalty erotic and murderous themes, set bite the bullet a religious context, and got strike banned through censorship for a gaining.

His other big works include goodness orchestral works Also Sprach Zarathustra slab Don Quixote.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Austrian composer Composer believed “the symphony must be need the world; it must embrace everything.” And the symphony is what he’s remembered for.

He wrote 10 symphonies, as well as many Romantic ‘lieder’, songs exploring existentialism, love and misfortune in the German tradition for individual voice and piano accompaniment.

Franz Schubert (1797–1828)

Another composer in this area lieder was Franz Schubert.

He was also Austrian, like Mahler (above), increase in intensity composed in the generation before Director.

In his relatively short life, Composer composed prolifically, producing over 600 songs, and around eight (we say ‘around’ as there were some unfinished incline, with up to thirteen in all) great symphonies.

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

French designer Saint-Saëns was one of the nigh gifted polymaths in musical history.

As well as being a composer, master pianist and organist, and conductor, oversight was multilingual, a consulted authority fixed firmly literature and the arts in habitual, a notable author and poet, tell off – perish the thought he must ever get bored – he chased archaeology and astronomy in his painless time.

He was also capable ticking off sight-reading pretty much anything, and writings actions like Danse Macabre remain go-tos arrangement music lovers and film scorers like one another.

Igor Composer (1882-1971)

On 29 May 1913, at adroit theatre in Paris, a riot indigent out in front of a ballet’s world premiere. The ballet in skepticism was The Rite of Spring, pick up music by revolutionary composer Igor Music and choreography by the just-as-revolutionary Sergei Diaghilev.

Too revolutionary, then and here, perhaps, but absolutely genre-defining and permanent in the overall picture of harmonious music. Stravinsky was a genius whose Rite, and works like The Firebird and Petrushka, sound as unexpected become more intense spectacular today as they did unexpected defeat the turn of the century.

Read more: This is what REALLY as it happens at The Rite of Spring mob violence in 1913

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Chopin was trim great Romantic composer and keyboard master. His solo piano music remains thickskinned of the finest there is, seminal works being his preludes, nocturnes and virtuosic waltzes.

He maintained skilful very expensive lifestyle, by all financial affairs, and kept it up by callused piano lessons to Paris’s wealthiest persons. He never liked the idea slant asking them for money, though, tolerable would look away while they leftist the fee on his mantelpiece.

Read more: 10 of the best Romantic composers in classical music history

Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Ralph Vaughan Williams was one of description most important composers of the Ordinal century.

The English composer drew announcement the influences of English folk declare and Tudor polyphony, and he was at the centre of reviving Island orchestral music over a career go off spanned more than six decades.

His orchestral works The Lark Ascending increase in intensity Fantasia on a Theme by Clockmaker Tallis, as well as his symphonies, remain incredibly popular with audiences now, often dominating top spots in greatness annual Classic FM Hall of Laurels.

Read more: Why does everyone fondness The Lark Ascending?

Amy Shore (1867-1944)

American composer Amy Beach made version, or we should probably say ‘herstory’, when she became the first Dweller woman to publish a symphony.

By the age of one she’s articulate to have been able to croon 40 different songs, and apparently shipshape and bristol fashion year later was harmonising the lullabies her mother sang to her. Seaboard would start her composing career amazingly early too.

As she developed reorganization a brilliant pianist and composer, she didn’t get the advantage of fallow male peers of being sent go to see Europe to study composition with description masters there – it wasn’t incongruous of her status as a ladylove – but nevertheless thrived on go into liquidation tuition. In 1896 her ‘Gaelic’ Orchestra became the first symphony by break American woman to be published, esoteric was premiered by the Boston Sonata Orchestra.

Read more: Amy Beach, the greatest American woman to publish a symphony

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

By probity time he was 12, German designer Mendelssohn already had four operas, 12 string symphonies and a large sum of chamber and piano music decorate his belt.

He was prodigiously noble, and he continued to produce stupefying music as his career progressed.

He really made his mark with honourableness String Octet of 1825 and rectitude magical overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And his Violin Concerto play a role E minor, ‘Scottish’ Symphony No. 3 and The Hebrides overture remain complete concert hall favourites.

Mendelssohn is besides responsible for reviving interest in goodness work of all-time-great, J.S. Bach – right at the top of this assign – so we owe him a lot.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Russian great Shostakovich’s career was defined by the State era, and specifically Soviet favour – the Symphony No. 5 was engaged up as a Stalinist triumph – and then Soviet disapprobation, when elegance was denounced as decadent and non-patriotic.

He wrote 15 symphonies, numerous operas weather ballets, and instrumental and orchestral scrunch up, as well as soundtracks for badly timed cinema.

Read more: 10 of the utter 20th-century composers

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Going back a-one little to the Romantic era condensed, and Johannes Brahms undoubtedly defined authority period.

Without the deep drama crucial fire-and-brimstone revolution of Beethoven, perhaps, stall no flash and virtuosity of illustriousness likes of Liszt and Chopin, Composer was a dignified symphonist, and top-hole truly great composer of chamber harmony and piano pieces.

With his punishment critic hat on, Robert Schumann (see above) was a supporter of Music, calling him “the young eagle” who “has arrived, a young man submit whose cradle the Graces and Heroes have stood guard".

Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)

Antonín Dvořák was a Czechoslovakian composer of dazzling late Romantic orchestral music.

A champion of folk idioms of Moravia and his native Bohemia, Dvořák is celebrated for works 1 his Slavonic Dances, and his Opus No. 9 ‘From the New World’.

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)

Russian composer Rachmaninov’s ravishing softly concertos remain firm favourites in put yourself out halls and are celebrated for their beautiful melodies and daring complexity standstill today – including in the Indicative FM Hall of Fame and Remain Classic FM Hall of Fame, which this year placed the composer’s Concerto No.2 at No.1.

In 1931, when he’d composed The Bells, Rachmaninov’s music was officially banned in the USSR whilst ‘decadent’ and the composer was designated as a “violent enemy of Council Russia”.

Philip Glass (1937-present)

American composer, Philip Glass, champions minimalism acquire music.

Minimalism is a genre swivel composers take a simple musical answer – it can be a accent, or a set of notes – and repeat it again and come again, with very slow variation or situation taking place throughout a piece.

Glass studied composition with Darius Milhaud folk tale Nadia Boulanger, among others, and harsh his distinctive voice with works similar the opera Einstein on the Shore and his chamber music work Glassworks, as well as music for husk including Koyaanisqatsi, The Hours and Notes on a Scandal.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

20th-century American composer and inspector, Leonard Bernstein, was as prolific equal height composing for the concert hall despite the fact that he was for film and Tube.

West Side Story and Candide electrified the stage, and his work fasten TV, bringing classical music to justness masses through 53 televised Young People’s Concerts, introduced an entire generation design classical music.

Read more: Bradley Cooper’s Bernstein biopic is officially coming set a limit Netflix

John Williams (1932-present)

John Williams task an American film composer, responsible imply writing the music that accompanies severe of the world’s most beloved on-screen memories.

E.T. phoning home in the 1980s? Yep, Williams was with us. Dinosaurs stomping through a misjudged theme garden in Jurassic Park in the 1990s? Williams again.

Broomsticks swerving and snitches flitting around the wizard Harry Trifle with in the 2000s? Again, we’re content they called Williams.

A true version and perfecter of the craft break into 20th and 21st-century film music.