Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert Born: Jan. 31,1797, he was the 12th son of Franz Theodor Florian Schubert and Elisabet Katherina Vietz. His father was a schoolmaster. Died: Nov 19, 1828 in Vienna, he was buried at the Wahring cemetery. Also Known As: Franz Peter Schubert, master of song (wrote more than 200 songs) Type of Compositions: Schubert had a very fruitful career as composer. He composed songs, symphonies, masses and quartets. Influence: His father taught him how to play the violin. He studied counterpoint, keyboard playing and singing under Michael Holzen. He also studied under the tutorship of Salieri. Notable Works: Schubert wrote hundreds of musical pieces, some of his well known work are: Serenade, Ave Maria, Who is Sylvia?, C Major symphony, Unfinished Symphony, Die schone Mullerin, Winterreise, Death and the Maiden, Die Forelle and Erlking. Interesting Fact: Schubert lived a very colorful life. He used to be a choirboy but in 1812, his voice cracked thus ending his career in singing. In 1814, he was accepted as a teacher in his father's school. He taught children in the primary level. Also, during Beethoven's funeral, Schubert was one of the torch bearers. Selected "Piano Four Hands" Compositions:  3 Marches Militaires, Op. 51  2 Marches Caracteristiques, Op. 121  Fugue in E Minor, Op. 152  Overture in F Major, Op. 34  Sonata in B-flat, Op. 30

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin

Born: Either February 22, as stated on his certificate of baptism, or March 1,1810 based on his and his family's statements. His parents were Mikolaj (Nicolas) Chopin who was originally from France and Tekla Justyna Krzyzanowska. Birthplace: Zelazowa Wola in the Mazovia region of Poland. Died: October 17, 1849 due to pulmonary tuberculosis. He was buried in Paris. Also Known As: Child prodigy, musical genius, genius of the piano, teacher of Polish and French aristocracy Type of Compositions: He wrote among others polonaises, mazurkas, etudes, nocturne, waltzes, songs, preludes, scherzo and ballades. Influence: Wojciech Zywny gave Chpoin his first piano lessons. He will later on surpass the talent of his teacher. He was also taught by the pianist and Warsaw Conservatory professor Wilhelm Würfel. Notable Works: Among his most famous compositions are: "Polonaises in G minor" and "B flat major 9" which he composed when he was 7 years old, "Sonata in C minor", "Rondo à la Krakowiak, op. 14", "Variations, op. 2 on a theme from Don Juan by Mozart", "Trio in G minor, op. 8", "Fantaisie, op. 13", "Concerto in E minor", "Scherzo in B minor", "Etudes from op. 10" and "Ballade in F major".

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

Born: November 14, 1805 Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany Died: May 14, 1847 in Berlin, Germany Also Known As: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a talented pianist, composer of lieder and chamber music, She was the oldest of 4 children and the sister of composer Felix Mendelssohn Their grandfather was Moses Mendelssohn; a known philosopher. Fanny and Felix remained close throughout their lives; they would often collaborate and perform together. They were so close that when Fanny died in 1847 Felix became so depressed and died 6 months later. Type of Compositions: She composed lieders, music for piano, choral and instrumental ensemble music. Influence: Her mother; Leah, trained her musically and gave her piano lessons. Fanny also studied under Marie Bigot in 1816 while in Paris, then with Ludwig Berger in Berlin. In 1818, she began studying composition under Carl Friedrich Zelter. Although Fanny was a brilliant composer, her father; Abraham, discouraged her to consider composing as a profession. Notable Works: She wrote over 200 lieders including her famous "Swan Song", over 100 piano music including bagatelles, fugues, preludes and sonatas. She wrote choral music including her famous cantata "Oratorium nach den Bildern der Bibel" and she also wrote instrumental music such as those for string and piano

Louis-Hector Berlioz

Born: December 11, 1803, his parents were Louis Berlioz and Marie-Antoinette-Josephine. His father was a doctor. Birthplace: La Côte-Saint-André, Isére Died: March 8, 1869 in Paris Also Known As: One of the most original composers of the 19th century, master of orchestration Type of Compositions: He wrote operas, symphonies, choral music, overtures, songs and cantatas. Influence: His father taught him how to play the flageolet, read music and introduced him to the flute. He also took voice, flute and sight reading lessons from Imbert (second violin of the Théâtre de Lyon). Dorant taught him how to play the guitar. Notable Works: Some of his most known work are: Symphonie Fantastique, The Trojans, Roméo et Juliette, Harold in Italy and Ouverture de la Tempête.

Felix Mendelssohn Portrait Born: February 3, 1809, his parents were Abraham Mendelssohn and Leah Salomon. His father was a banker. Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany

Died:

November 4, 1847 after suffering from a stroke. He was buried in Berlin. Also Known As: Prolific composer of the Romantic period, Mozart of the 19th century, piano and violin virtuoso, maestro, founder of the Leipzig Conservatory, brother of Fanny Mendelssohn and grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Type of Compositions: Aside from his compositions for the piano, he also wrote symphonies, operas, vocal works, choral and organ works. Influence: His piano teacher Ludwig Berger and Karl. F. Zelter who taught him about composition. He also made friends with a German poet named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He was also inspired by the works of William Shakespeare. Notable Works: Some of his most notable work are: Octet for Strings in E flat major, Op. 20, A Midsummer Night's Dream Opus 21, Hebrides Overture, Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us, Italian Symphony and Wedding March.

Robert Schuma Born: June 8,1810, his father was August Schumann who was an author. His mother, Johanna Christiane Schnabel, gave him his earliest music lessons. Birthplace: Zwickau, Germany Died: July 29, 1856, one of the factors believed to have caused his death was the mercury treatments he underwent when he was in an asylum. Also Known As:

Music journalist and critic, he was editor of Neue Zeitschrift ffor Musik. German composer who served as the voice of other Romantic composers. Type of Compositions: He composed a lot of music which revolved around the theme of "childhood". He wrote music for the piano, lieders, instrumental music, orchestral music, chamber music and operas, among others. Influence: Johann Gottfried Kuntzsch taught him on the piano and organ. Friedrich Wieck, the father of his wife, became Schumann's piano teacher when he was 18 years old. Heinrich Dorn taught him about counterpoint. Notable Works: Among his well known work are: Piano Concerto in A minor, Arabesque in C Major Op. 18, Child Falling Asleep, Traumerei, The Happy Peasant, Papillons, Die Davidbundlertanze, Abegg Variations, Fantasiestücke, Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und Leben and Dichterliebe

Franz Liszt Portrait Born: October 22,1811 Birthplace: Raiding in Hungary Died: July 31,1886 in Bayreuth Also Known As: Liszt was a composer of adventurous music, inventor of piano recitals, piano virtuoso, performer, arranger and conductor. As a composer, he was well-received by the masses and adored by ladies. He was also a teacher and considered the figurehead of the New German School. Liszt penned the term "symphonic poem." He was also a priest.

Type of Compositions:

He wrote music for the piano, orchestral music, choral music and opera. Influence : Liszt' first piano teacher was his father. Afterward, Czerny took over his piano lessons. He studied composition and theory with Reicha and Paer. He was also influenced by the works of Paganini (whose works he adapted to the piano). A group of nobles in Hungary helped him pay for his studies. Notable Works: Among his well known compositions are: "Transcendental Etudes," "Hungarian Rhapsodies," "Sonata in B minor," "Les Préludes," "Dante Symphony," "Totentanz" and "Faust Symphony."

Richard Wagner Born: May 22, 1813, his parents were Friedrich (died of typhus after Richard was born) and Johanna (later married Ludwig Meyer). Birthplace: Leipzig, Germany Died: February 13, 1883 in Venice due to a heart attack Also Known As: He was a chorus master at the Würzburg theatre, Dresden court joint Kapellmeister, composer, opera conductor, writer, librettist, critic and skilled debater, In his own words; "I am the most German being, I am the German spirit." Type of Compositions: He is famous for his operas, he also wrote orchestral music, piano music, choral music and music for string quartet. His operas demand vocal strength and endurance from vocalists.

Influence:

He received early exposure to music from his stepfather, Ludwig. His passion for music grew deeper when, as a boy, he met Weber who was then conductor at the Royal Theatre in Dresden. He studied music with the Thomaskantor, C.T. Weinlig. After finishing his studies, Wagner began writing operas. Notable Works: Among his famous operas are: "Die Feen" (The Fairies), "Das Liebesverbot" (Love's Interdict), "Rienzi," "Der fliegende Holländer" (The Flying Dutchman), "Tannhäuser," "Lohengrin," "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (a cycle of 4 operas), "Tristan und Isolde," "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" and "Parsifal."

Giuseppe Verdi Born: Either October 9 or 10, 1813, his parents were Carlo Verdi and Luigia Uttini. His father was an innkeeper. Birthplace: Roncole (La Roncola) in Italy Died: January 27, 1901 in Milan due to a heart attack. Also Known As: Highly-expressive Italian composer of the 19th century, composer of operas, director, librettist, senator, highly-revered musician, rich but charitable artist and in his own words "a peasant from Roncole." Type of Compositions: He is famous for the themes of freedom, heroism, love and liberty which is evident in his works. He wrote mostly Italian grand operas, also marches, symphonies, church music and secular music.

Influence:

Verdi began playing the keyboard at age 3 and at age 7 began playing the spinet that his father bought him. When he was 10 years old, the organist of a church in Busseto taught him how to play the organ. With the help of Antonio Barezzi, Verdi was able to study privately in Milan. He also studied with Ferdinando Provesi, director of the local Philharmonic Society. and with composer Vincenzo Lavigna.

Clara Wieck Schumann Born: September 13, 1819, her parents were Friedrich Wieck, a music teacher and Marianne Tromlitz Wieck, a soprano.

Birthplace: Leipzig

Died: May 20, 1896 in Frankfurt

Also Known As: Clara Josephine Wieck, wife of Robert Schumann, foremost female composer of the 19th century, piano virtuoso, interpreter of Schumann and Brahm's music

Type of Compositions: She mostly wrote pieces for the piano including songs, partsongs, cadenzas and concertos. She also wrote lieders and chamber music.

Influence: She began piano lessons with her father on October 27, 1824.

Notable Works: She wrote, among others, 3 partsongs, 29 songs, 20 compositions for solo piano, 4 compositiona for piano and orchestra, she also wrote cadenzas for Mozart and Beethoven's piano concertos

Bedrich Smetana Born: March 2, 1824 Birthplace: Leitomischl, Bohemia, Austrian Empire which is now Litomyšl, Czech Republic Died: May 12, 1884 in Prague Also Known As: Bohemian nationalist composer, he founded the Czech national school of music Type of Compositions: Smetana was a composer of operas and symphonic poems. Influence: His father was an amateur violinist and was the one who introduced Bedrich to music. He would later on study the piano under a professional teacher.

Johannes Brahms Born: May 7, 1833 - Hamburg Died: April 3, 1897 - Vienna Brahms Quick Facts: During his teenage years, Brahms had long fair hair, stunning blue eyes, slender body, and a high voice; he could easily be mistaken for a girl. Brahms was given an honorable grave site next to Beethoven and Schubert; two composers he greatly admired.

Brahms never married, but loved many women; so much to the point, that he had to deny one woman piano lessons, because he was greatly attracted to her.

Georges Bizet Born: Oct. 25, 1838 Birthplace: Paris, France Died: June 3, 1875 in Bougival near Paris Also Known As: Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet, French composer who influenced the verismo school of opera Type of Compositions: Bizet wrote operas, orchestral works, incidental music, compositions for piano and songs. Influence: He came from a musically-inclined family. His father taught singing and his mother was a pianist. He later on studied with Charles Gounod and Fromental Halévy. Musical Work: Undoubtedly, Bizet's greatest work is his opera Carmen which was based on a story by French author Prosper Mérimée. All in all he published 8 operas, including Pêcheurs de perles, 12 piano duets, 37 published songs and some orchestral and incidental music.

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky Born: May 7, 1840, his parents were Ilya Tchaikovsky and Alexandra Assier. He was the second child of a brood of six. Birthplace: Votkinsk, Russia Died: November 6, 1893 in St. Petersburg due to cholera. Also Known As: Chaikovsky, Chaikovskii, or Tschaikowsky, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, the greatest Russian composer of his time Type of Compositions: He wrote ballets, operas, symphonies, concertos, suites, overtures, string quartet and sextet, cantatas, choral works, songs and pieces for the piano. Influence: Tchaikovsky showed interest in music early in his life. He used to play on a small keyboard, called an orchestrina, in his home. Later on he began piano lessons with a local tutor, then during his teenage years was taught by Rudolph Kündinger, a professional teacher. He was also influenced by a singing teacher named Luigi Piccioli, an Italian. He was also a student at the Russian Musical Society and St. Petersburg Conservatory. Among his teachers there are Nikolay Zaremba and Anton Rubinstein. Notable Works: Among his most famous work are his musical scores for ballet - Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty, his fantasy overture Romeo and Juliet, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Opus 23, and Symphony No. 6 in B Minor.

Antonin Dvorak

Born: September 8, 1841 - Nelahozeves, nr Kralupy

Died: May 1, 1904 – Prague

Dvorak Quick Facts: Johannes Brahms once wrote a letter praising and exulting Dvorak’s music; they later became great friends. After moving to America in 1892, Dvorak spent his summer vacation in the small town of Spillville, Iowa in 1893, because of it’s mainly Czech population. Dvorak’s greatest musical success was achieved by the world premier of his New World Symphony in Carnegie Hall on December 3, 1893.

Ruggero Leoncavallo Born: March 8, 1857/58 Birthplace: Naples Died: Aug. 9, 1919 at Montecatini Terme, near Florence Also Known As: Neapolitan opera composer Type of Compositions: Leoncavallo composed mainly operas but he also wrote piano, vocal and orchestral works. Influence:

He studied at the Naples Conservatory. Musical Work: Among his notable works are: Chatterton, I Medici, Pagliacci which was composed using the verismo (realistic) style and La Bohème

Richard Strauss Born: June 11, 1864 Birthplace: Munich, Germany Died: September 8, 1949 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen Also Known As: German Romantic composer and conductor, considered as Richard Wagner's heir, Type of Compositions: He wrote operas, symphonic poems, instrumental and vocal music. Influence: Strauss learned to play the piano when he was 4 and the violin when he was 8 years old. His father, Franz Strauss, was the principal French-horn player for the Munich Court Orchestra. Through his father, Strauss met and eventually became friends with Hans von Bülow who offered him the position of assistant conductor at Meiningen. He became chief conductor at Berlin's Royal Opera in 1898. Strauss' early works was influenced by Wagner's operas and Liszt's symphonic poems. He was also influenced by Alexander Ritter to shift away from the classical form.

Notable Works:

Among his famous works are: his symphonic poems "Don Juan," "Macbeth," "Don Quixote," "Tod und Verklarung," "Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche," "Also sprach Zarathustra" and "Ein Heldenleben"; his operas "Der Rosenkavalier," Ariadne auf Naxos," "Capriccio,'"Salome" and "Elektra"; the latter he created with Austrian dramatist and poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal.

Claude DeBussy Born: Aug. 22, 1862 Birthplace: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France Died: March 25, 1918 in Paris due to colon cancer. Also Known As: His full name was Achille-claude Debussy, he was an influential French composer of the 19th century. DeBussy formulated the 21-note scale and he changed how instruments were used for orchestration. Type of Compositions: He wrote songs, instrumental, piano, vocal and choral works. Influence: DeBussy showed his musical ability on the piano at a young age. He had a wealthy patroness named Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck. Also, Madame Mauté de Fleurville, a friend of Frederic Chopin, encouraged DeBussy to continue his studies. He entered the Paris Conservatory at age 10 where he studied studied composition and piano. In 1884, his cantata "L'enfant prodigue" won him the prestigious Prix de Rome. DeBussy was also influenced by the works of Symbolist writers and the music of Richad Wagner.

Notable Works: Some of his known works are: "Clair de lune," "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune," "La Mer," "Pelléas et Mélisande," "Nocturnes," "Images," Jeux," he also wrote a piano suite for his daughter (nicknamed ChouChou) called "Children's Corner."

Amy Beach Born: September 5, 1867 Birthplace: Henniker, New Hampshire Died: December 27, 1944 in New York City Also Known As: Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, Mrs. H.H.A. Beach, piano virtuoso, first major American female composer and one of the leading composers of the New England School. Type of Compositions: Beach was famous for her songs but she also wrote orchestral, chamber and choral music, both sacred and secular. She wrote pieces for the piano and keyboard as well as songs for voice. Amy Beach also wrote an opera called "Cabildo". Influence: Her mother, Clara Imogene Marcy Cheney, started teaching her how to play the piano at age six. Also, she studied under fine teachers like Ernest Perabo, Carl Baermann, and Junius W. Hill but Beach was primarily self-taught. Amy Beach had perfect pitch and showed great musical talent even as a child. At the young age of four, she can read four-part hymns and could compose music in her head and later on translate it on the piano. Notable Works: Some of her celebrated compositions are: "Gaelic Symphony," "Cabildo," "Mass in Eflat," "The Song of Welcome," "The Chambered Nautilus," "Eilende Wolken," "The

Hermit Thrush at Morn," "The Hermit Thrush at Eve," "Dreaming," "Ah, Love, But a Day" and "The Year's at the Spring" (the laat two are set to the poems of Browning)

Beethoven, Ludwig van Born: Bonn, 16 December 1770 Died: Vienna, 26 March 1827 Without doubt, one of the true greats. Just awesome, man. Beethoven didn’t write as much as Mozart or Schubert, but what he produced is all worth listening to. (The stereotype has it that he sweated over every note in a way that Mozart didn’t. This makes light of Mozart unduly however; letters of his describe how he found the composition of works such as his later quartets very hard.) Apart from the triple concerto mentioned above, a wonderful violin concerto, and a Choral Fantasy for piano, orchestra and choir, I believe that Beethoven didn’t write any other concerti for orchestral instruments. Though this seems a shame, I suspect it was probably because he had little experience of other instruments. (Beethoven was primarily a pianist, having earned his living for a while in Vienna from performing, but did also play the viola). My own theory is that perhaps this came about because concerti for instruments for other instruments seemed unduly “light”. Of course, one of the most famous things about Beethoven as a person was his deafness. I find it hard to imagine being able to compose music as wonderful as the Choral symphony whilst being unable to hear the music except in one’s head. There is an impressive, but rather sad, story about how Beethoven was encouraged to help conduct at a rehearsal for the Choral symphony. Even as the rehearsal finished, Beethoven was still conducting to the orchestra, and he had to be made aware that the musicians had finished playing.

Brahms, Johannes Born: Hamburg, 7 May 1833 Died: Vienna, 3 April 1897 A prominent Romantic composer, (in)famous in his day for looking back to earlier musical styles (such as those of Beethoven, Mozart and Bach) rather than following the trend towards the styles of Wagner and Liszt. This is not a criticism in my eyes, but then I am a Brahms fan. I definitely approve of the fact that Cambridge University gave Brahms an honorary degree. It has long been an accepted myth that Brahms’s childhood was spent in what was a fairly seedy part of Hamburg, and that at the age of twelve, he was playing the piano in

a bar, consorting with the good folk of that area, and generally getting what was probably a fairly untypical education for a composer. However, I believe that this myth has now been thoroughly debunked, and that while Brahms had a relatively poor upbringing he wasn’t quite the piano player in the brothel that legend would like him to have been. Brahms was good friends with Robert Schumann and his wife Clara. Clara survived her husband by many years, and she and Brahms were very close. I believe most authorities consider this to have been a solely Platonic relationship. In any case, Brahms was apparently a pretty difficult character to get on with. He never married, but managed lots of tiffs with his friends (the Schumanns and the violinist Joachim for whom, and with whose help, he wrote the violin concerto). Brahms’s major works include all four of his symphonies, Ein Deutsches Requiem, the two piano concerti, the violin concerto and the clarinet quintet. (This latter apparently so impressed Clara Schumann that she became reconciled with Brahms after them having drifted apart over some misunderstanding.)

Chopin, Frederic (Fryderyk) Born: Zelazowa Wola (Poland), 1 March 1810 Died: Paris, 17 October 1849 A composer famed for his ability at the piano, who in turn wrote the vast majority of his music for that instrument. Many of his pieces are quite short (being Rondos, Mazurkas and the like) but they are all beautiful. Not being a piano player myself, it is difficult to appreciate their comparative difficulty, but I am assured that most of Chopin’s music is very difficult to play. Though born in Poland, Chopin spent the last half of his life in Paris, arriving there in 1831. In Paris, he came to know the novelist George Sand, and was her lover for a time. The Vancouver Chopin Society have an interesting web-site with more information on Chopin and his works

Elgar, Sir Edward William Born: Worcester (England), 2 June 1857 Died: Worcester, 23 February 1934 Probably the most famous English composer (although Purcell and Vaughan-Williams are well up there as well). Elgar’s most famous pieces are the Pomp and Circumstance

marches (one of which became the hymn, Land of Hope and Glory), and the Enigma Variations, a set of variations that depict a circle of his friends in a sympathetic and very listener-friendly way. While still in New Zealand, I also had access to a recording of his second symphony, which was a far harder nut to crack. I should probably try and listen to it again. Elgar wrote just two complete symphonies, but left enough of his plans for a third when he died that Payne, a contemporary English composer has recently been able to reconstruct an approximation of what Elgar intended for his third symphony. In the short time since this was done, this new work has received quite a favourable reception (in Britain at least). Another famous work of Elgar’s is his cello concerto. Jacqueline du Pré made a famous recording of this, which I can recommend. No doubt said recording features in the recent film Hillary and Jackie. Readers interested in Elgar will surely enjoy Anthony Anderson’s account of the 1995 Elgar weekend.

Handel, George Frederic Born: Halle (Germany), 23 February 1685 Died: London, 14 April 1759 Handel, though born in Germany, probably made most of his name for himself in London, England where he came to dominate the English music-making “scene”. He composed a large number of operas (including Xerxes, which I only mention because I’ve seen and enjoyed it), but these did not tend to do so well, prompting a shift to the oratorio form. Pieces of his that are particular favourites of mine are his organ concerti, his Watermusic and Fireworks-music, and the Messiah. The latter is probably his most famous work. It is a huge choral piece that includes the well-known Hallelujah Chorus. I recently went to my first performance of this, and I will attempt to include a description of it in these pages soon.

Haydn, (Franz) Joseph Born: Rohrau, Austria, 31 March 1732 Died: 31 May 1809

Contemporary and friend of Mozart. He wrote 104 symphonies, arguably creating the form as we understand it today. The last 12 of these are known as the London symphonies, being written on the occasion of two visits to London in the 1790s, and are very good. Haydn is also credited with the development of the string quartet into a form capable of real feeling and subtlety. One shouldn’t assume that Haydn’s pioneering rôle in the development of the symphony and the string quartet means that his pieces have been superseded by subsequent composers’ works. Indeed, one of the many ways in which his music seems impressive is the self-assurance with which a relatively limited palette is explored.

Holst, Gustav (Theodore) Born: Cheltenham (England), 21 September 1874 Died: London, 25 May 1934 Gustav Holst was an English composer of the same era as Elgar, but, like Pachelbel, is really only famous for one piece, his Planets’ Suite. This is a series of seven "movements", one for each of the non-Earth planets known in Holst’s day (i.e., all of the planets but Earth and Pluto). The basic inspiration for the characterisation of the planets is their astrological nature, not necessarily the Graeco-Roman gods. For example, Neptune is Neptune, the Mystic, nothing to do with Neptune/Poseidon, god of the sea. One of the themes to Jupiter was subsequently used as the basis for rather a patriotic hymn (I vow to thee my country), in much the same way as one of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance marches was turned into Land of Hope and Glory.

Mahler, Gustav Born: Kaliste (Bohemia), 7 July 1860 Died: Vienna, 18 May 1911 Much of Mahler’s early career was dominated by his job as conductor of the Vienna Opera. He wrote much of his music while on summer holiday. I’ve recently started to know some of his work. The second and fifth symphonies are brilliant, and the fourth symphony is also pretty good. The first symphony seems a little light, though the third movement sounds surprisingly like the theme from the Godfather movies, and thus rather menacing.

The sixth symphony is also one that I have come to know, and I can also thoroughly recommend it. The Naxos label have a cheap recording of this with Antoni Wit and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, which is very good. The Penguin guide also recommends this recording. It’s a double CD. The fourth symphony I listened to first was again on DG, but with Karajan conducting. I can’t remember the orchestras. This I also liked almost instantly. Deryk Barker has written a very extensive Mahler page of reviews and information about the man and his work

Mendelssohn, (Jacob Ludwig) Felix Born: Hamburg, 3 February 1809 Died: Leipzig, 4 November 1847 Another composer who was famous as something of a child prodigy, Mendelssohn didn’t manage to achieve the fame of composers such as Mozart or Beethoven. He wrote five symphonies (the last of which, the Reformation symphony, I particularly recommend), a famous violin concerto and some famous theme music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the Wedding March from this is often used at real weddings). Mendelssohn also wrote a number of religious works, including the St. Paul oratorio.

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Born: Salzburg, 27 January 1756 Died: Vienna, 5 December 1791 Along with Haydn, one of the first classical composers. Wrote music of many different genres. Major works would include his Requiem, the operas Nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberflöte, the clarinet concerto, the string quartets, the later piano concerti (nos. 20 onwards) and the later symphonies (numbers 36, 38, 39, 40 and 41). There does seem to be a tendency among some people to label Mozart as nothing more than the composer of “pretty tunes” or little twiddles. I couldn’t disagree more. In particular, I think his religious music exhibits a great deal of feeling, and transcends mere “twiddles”. In my opinion, the problem is probably that people tend to know things like Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and because this particular piece is eminently hummable, not particularly “deep”, and played to death in Muzak-like environments, people assume that all of Mozart’s music is like that.

The best Mozart site on the web is probably The Mozart Project. But you may also find the online site for the fascinating. This is an online presentation of authoritative editions of all of Mozart’s music, freely available for personal use. For more information on Mozart’s home-town, and some biographical details about Mozart, see the Visit Salzburg site.

Scarlatti, (Giuseppe) Domenico Born: Naples, 26 October 1685 Died: Madrid, 23 July 1757 A Baroque composer most famous for his harpsichord sonatas. The majority of these were composed in Spain where Scarlatti had employment with a royal Spanish woman (a princess who later became queen I believe). His sonatas don’t seem to have the purity of development that one finds in Bach, but they do conjure up images of beautiful, elegant dance in a way that Bach does not. I find it very easy to imagine the rhythms and gracefulness of the music in some Baroque court. Bach, Handel and Scarlatti were all born in the same year, but though Bach and Handel knew of each other, it was only Handel and Scarlatti that managed to meet. On the occasion, it is said that they held an informal competition, and while Handel was held to be the better organist, Scarlatti was judged the better harpsichordist .

Schubert, Franz Peter Born: Vienna, 31 January 1797 Died: Vienna, 19 November 1828 Famous song composer. :-) But seriously, Schubert also wrote a number of symphonies (the so-called Great is in fact very good, if not great), piano sonatas, chamber music in general, including the famous Trout Quintet, operas (26 of them!), masses and much else. He was probably even more prolific than Mozart. Schubert died just a year after Beethoven, and it was thought quite tragic that Vienna should lose two great composers so close upon each other’s heels. Tomoko Yamamoto has a published a page celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schubert’s birth. Bart Berman has some notes on Schubert, with particular reference to some of his piano music.