Moonlight Sonata

(Compilation of biography of the finest composer of the three

periods of music)

Project in Mapeh IV

Submitted by:

Francis Rojas

Submitted to:

Ms. Michelle Jane Labis

Johann Sebastian Bach

Born: March 21, 1685 - Eisenach

Died: July 28, 1750 - Leipzig

Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius, married

Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt on April 8, 1668.
They had eight children, five of which
survived; Johann Sebastian (the youngest), his
three brothers and his sister. Bach's father
worked as a houseman and a musician in the
ducal court of Saxe-Eisenach. Bach's mother
died in 1694 and a few months later, Bach's
father married Barbara Margaretha.
Unfortunately, three months into his second
marriage, he died of a serious illness.

When Bach was 9 years old, he attended his oldest brother's (Johann Christoph)
wedding where he met Johann Pachelbel, composer of the famous Pachelbel
Canon. When Bach's father died, he and his brother were adopted by Christoph.
Christoph was an organist at St. Michaels church in Ohrdruf. Bach received his
first lessons in organ from Christoph, but became "a pure and strong fuguist" by
himself.

Bach attended Lyceum until 1700. While at Lyceum, he learned reading, writing,
arithmetic, singing, history, natural science, and religion. He was forth in his
class when he finished his schooling. He then left school and went to Lüneburg.
Bach learned a bit about organ building while staying with his brother in
Ohrdruf; due entirely to the frequent repairs of the church organs.

In 1707, Bach was hired to play for special services at a church in Mühlhausen;
Bach composed the music in which he was to play. Shortly thereafter, his uncle
died and left him 50 gulden. This provided him with enough money to marry
Maria Barbara. In 1708, Bach received and accepted a job offering with a higher
salary from the Duke of Weimar, Wilhelm Ernst, to play in his court.

While in Weimar, Bach was appointed court organist, and it is supposed that he
wrote much of his organ music there. Much to the Dukes liking, along with
Bach's salary increases, he earned the title of Konzertmeister (concert master). Six
of Bach's children were born in Weimar. After seeking the more prestigious title
of Kappelmeister (chapel master), he accepted an offer from Prince Leopold of
Cöthen in 1717.
After his days in Cöthen, Bach accepted the job as Kantor at the Thomasschule.
He was in charge of arranging the music of the four main churches in the town.
Bach became extremely involved and composed much of his music in Leipzig.
Bach spent the rest of his days there and in 1750, he died of a stroke.

Selected works by Bachs:

Passions

 St. Matthew Passion, BWV. 244 -

perf. 1729
 St. John Passion, BWV. 245 - perf.
1724
 St. Mark Passion, BWV. 247 - perf.
1731

Brandenburg Concertos - 1731

 No. 1, BWV. 1046 - F Major

 No. 2, BWV. 1047 - F Major
 No. 3, BWV. 1048 - G Major
 No. 4, BWV. 1049 - G Major
 No. 5, BWV. 1050 - D Major
 No. 6, BWV. 1051 - B flat Major

Orchestral Suites

 BWV. 1066, C Major - 1725

 BWV. 1067, b minor - 1739
 BWV. 1068, D Major - 1731 Violen Sonata No. 1 in G minor
 BWV. 1069, D Major - 1725
George Frideric Handel

Born: February 23, 1685 – Halle

Died: April 14, 1759 – London

Handel was born to Georg Handel (1622-97)

and Dorothea Taust (1651-1730). Handel’s
father, Georg, was a barber-surgeon for the
Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels; his mother was the
daughter of a pastor.

Because Handel’s father wanted him to become a lawyer, Georg prevented

Handel from playing any musical instruments. However, Handel managed to
sneak past his father’s command by playing the hidden clavichord in the attic. At
the age of 9, the Duke heard Handel playing the organ and convinced Georg to
let Handel study music under Friedrich Zachow. When Handel was just 12, his
father died leaving Handel as the “man of the household.”

Perhaps just in case Handel’s musical career was not as successful as he hoped it
would be, records show that Handel had, in fact, enrolled into Halle University
in 1702. A month later, Handel was appointed organist at the Calvinist
Cathedral, but after one year, his contract was not renewed. Handel decided that
he would follow his musical dreams and shortly thereafter, he left Halle for
Hamburg.

In Hamburg, Handel played violin and harpsichord for the only opera company
in Germany that existed outside the royal courts, and also taught private lessons.
Handel wrote his first opera, Almira in 1704. In 1706, Handel moved to Italy,
where he gained a wealth of knowledge on setting Italian lyrics to voice. In 1710,
he was appointed Kapellmeister at Hanover, but soon took leave to London.
Then, in 1719, he became musical director of the Royal Academy of Music

Much of Handel’s time during the 1720’s and 30’s was spent composing operas.
However, he still found time to compose many other works. During the last few
years of the 1730’s, Handels operas were not as successful. Afraid of his future
success, he responded by focusing more on oratorio. In 1741, Handel composed
the wildly successful Messiah which was originally sung by a choir of 16 and an
orchestra of 40. He left to Dublin for the premiere of the piece.
During the last ten years of Handel’s life, he regularly performed his Messiah.
Because of its success, he returned to London and with a new found confidence
he composed Samson along with many others. Before his death, Handel had lost
his vision due to cataracts. He died on April 14, 1759. He was buried at
Westminster Ab bey, and it was said that over 3,000 people attended his funeral.

Selected works by Handel:

Oratorios

 Messiah - HWV 56 - 1741

 Samson - HWV 57 - 1741
 Semele - HWV 58 - 1743
 Joseph and his Brethren - HWV 59 - 1743
 Hercules - HWV 60 - 1744
 Belshazzar - HWV 61 - 1744
 Judas Maccabaeus - HWV 63 - 1746
 Joshua - HWV 64 - 1747
 Alexander Balus - HWV 65 - 1747
 Susanna - HWV 66 - 1748
 Solomon - HWV 67 - 1748
 Theodora - HWV 68 - 1749
 The Choice of Hercules -HWV 69 - 1750
 Jeptha - HWV 70 - 1751
 The Triumph of Time and Truth - HWV 71 - 1752

Opera

 Almira - HWV 1 - 1704

 Nero - HWV 2 - 1705
 Rodrigo - HWV 5 - 1707
 Agrippina - HWV 6 - 1709
 Tolomeo, re di Egitto - HWV 25 - 1728
 Orlando - HWV 31 – 1732
Antonio Vivaldi

Born: March 4, 1678 - Venice

Died: July 28, 1741 – Vienna

Vivaldi's father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, was

born in 1655. Eleven years later, after the death
of his father, he moved to Venice with his
mother. He worked as a barber before
becoming a professional violinist. In 1676, he
married Camilla Calicchio. Vivaldi was born in
two years later. He was the oldest of nine
children.

Vivaldi was taught how to play violin at a young age by his father.
Together, they toured Venice playing the violin; similar to Mozart and
his father. In 1693, Vivaldi entered into priesthood at the local churches
of S Geminiano and S Giovanni in Oleo, while living with his parents in
the parish of S Martino. In late 1706, Vivaldi withdrew from the
priesthood, claiming that it was because of his asthma. Others suspect
that his musical aspirations and interests lead him to withdrawal.

In 1703, Vivaldi became maestro di violino at the Pio Ospedale della

Pietà, a home for orphaned, abandoned, and indigent children. The Pietà
specialized in the teaching of music to girls who showed aptitude;
comparable to modern day musical therapy. Many concerts were held
and many nobles attended them. Vivaldi was in charge of teaching the
music, the upkeep of instruments, and acquiring new ones. In 1709, he
was let go for economic reasons, but in 1711, he was offered the job
again.

Vivaldi was promoted to maestro de’ concertiin 1716. It was during these
years that Vivaldi wrote much of his music, including many operas and
concertos. In 1718, Vivaldi began to travel. Despite his frequent travels,
the Pietà paid him to write two concerto's a month for the orchestra and
to rehearse with the at least four times when in Venice. The Pietà's
records show that he was paid for 140 concertos between 1723 and 1729.

Vivaldi continued to lead a busy life. He traveled extensively, worked on

again off again for the Pietà, and composed for many different people.
Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741, while on a trip Vienna, and was given a
pauper's burial.
Selected Works of Vivaldi:

Oratorio

 Moyses Deus Pharaonis, RV 643 - 1714

 Juditha triumphans devicta
Holofernes barbarie, RV 644 - 1716
 L'adorazione delli tre re magi al
bambino Gesù nella capanna di
Betlemme, RV 645 - 1722
 La vittoria navale predetta dal S
Pontefice Pio V Ghisilieri, RV 782 -
1713

Opera

 Ottone in villa, RV 729 - 1713

 Orlando finto pazzo, RV 727 - 1714
 La verità in cimento, RV 739 - 1720
 Siroe, re di Persia, RV 735 - 1727
 Rosilena ed Oronta, RV 720 - 1728
 La fida ninfa, RV 714 - 1732

Solo Concerto

 "La Primavera" (The Four Seasons), op. 8 no. 1, RV 269 - E Major

 "Il favorito", op. 11 no. 2, RV 277 - e minor
 "Il corneto da posta", RV 363 - B flat Major
 "L'autunno", op. 8 no. 3, RV 293 - F Major
Georg Philipp Telemann

Born: March 14, 1681 - Magdeburg,

Germany

Died: June 25, 1767 - Hamburg,

Germany

Telemann was born in Magdeburg, the

capital of the Duchy of Magdeburg,
Brandenburg-Prussia, into an upper
middle class family. His parents were
Heinrich Telemann, deacon at the
Church of the Holy Spirit (Helig-Geist-
Kirche) in Magdeburg, and Maria Haltmeier, daughter a clergyman from
Regensburg. Many of the family members worked for the church and
only a few distant relatives were musicians. The composer himself
claimed that he inherited the talent for music from his mother, whose
nephew Joachim Friedrich was Kantor at Verden (Telemann would later
publish a treatise by Joachim Friedrich's son, who became an organist).
On his father's side, only a single relative is known to have been a
professional musician: Heinrich Thering, Telemann's great-grandfather,
served as Kantor at Halberstadt in the late 16th century. Telemann's
brother Heinrich Matthias (1672–1746) eventually became a clergyman.

Once he established himself as a professional musician in Leipzig,

Telemann became increasingly active in organizing the city's musical life.
From the start, he relied heavily on employing students: the very first
ensemble he founded was a student collegium musicum that had some
40 members. They gave public concerts and also provided music for the
Neukirche. In 1702 Telemann became director of the opera house
Opernhaus auf dem Brühl, where too he employed student performers.

In late September or early October 1737 Telemann took an extended

leave from Hamburg and went to Paris. There he countered various
unauthorized publications of his music by obtaining his own publishing
privilege. He immediately published several works, most importantly
the Nouveaux quatuors which were enthusiastically received by the court
and the city musicians.

After Telemann's eldest son Andreas died in 1755, he assumed the

responsibility of raising Andreas' son Georg Michael Telemann, who
eventually became a composer. In his later years, Telemann's eyesight
began to deteriorate, and he was increasingly troubled by health
problems. This led to a further decline in his output around 1762,
however, he was still capable of composing music of highest quality, and
continued to write until his death on the evening of 25 June 1767. The
cause of death was a "chest ailment"; he was buried on 29 June in the
Johannisfriedhof.

Selected Works of Telemann:

Cantatas

 Cantata Cycle 1716-1717

 Die Donner-Ode ("The Ode of Thunder") TWV 6:3a-b
 Du bleibest dennoch unser Gott (Erstausgabe 1730)
 Ihr Völker, hört
 Ino (1765)
 Der Schulmeister ("The Schoolmaster"), probably spurious
 Sei tausendmal willkommen (Erstausgabe 1730)
 Die Tageszeiten ("The Times of the Day") (1764)

Oratorios

 Hamburger Admiralitätsmusik TWV 24:1

 Der Tag des Gerichts ("The Day of Judgement")Hamburgische
Kapitänsmusik (various)
 Der Tod Jesu ("The Death of Jesus") TWV 5:5-6

Horn

 "Concerto for Two Horns in D Major TWV 52:D1"

 "Concerto for Two Horns in D Major TWV 52:D2"
 "Horn Concerto in B"
 "Concerto in D for Horn and Orchestra"
Arcangelo Corelli
Born: February 17, 1653 - Fusignano, near
Bolgna, Romagna (in the current-day
province of Ravenna), Italy

Died: January 8, 1713 - Rome, Italy

Arcangelo Corelli was born at Fusignano in

1653 into a family that had enjoyed
considerable prosperity since the fifteenth
century. Legend even suggested descent
from the Roman general Coriolanus and
further improbable anecdotes surround a
childhood during which he seems to have
taken music lessons from a priest at Faenza, continued at Lugo, before, in
1666, moving to the famous musical centre of Bologna, where he was
able to study the violin under teachers of the greatest distinction, their
precise identity subject to various conjectures.

By 1675 Corelli was in Rome, his presence recorded in various lists of

violinists employed in the performance of oratorios and in the annual
celebrations of the feast of St. Louis of France. Stories of a visit by Corelli
to France before this, and of the jealousy of Lully, are generally
considered apocryphal. In Rome, however, Corelli's career is well
enough documented. He served as a chamber musician to Queen
Christina of Sweden, at least intermittently, until her death in 1689, and
in 1687 directed a large body of musicians, with 150 string players and
100 singers, in a concert in honour of the ambassador of King James II,
Lord Castlemaine, entrusted with negotiations for the return of England
to the Catholic faith. At the same time he received even more significant
patronage from Benedetto Pamphili, great-nephew of Pope Innocent X,
created Cardinal in 1681 and an exact contemporary of the composer. In
1687 Corelli became maestro di musica to the Cardinal and took up
residence in his Palazzo on the Curso, with his pupil, the violinist Matteo
Fornari and the Spanish cellist Lulier, his colleagues in many
performances. While normally responsible for an orchestra of some ten
players, there were occasions when very large groups of musicians were
assembled.

In 1690 Cardinal Pamphili was appointed papal legate to Bologna and

Corelli moved to the Palazzo della Cancelleria, of the newly created
Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, the gifted young great-nephew of Pope
Alexander VIII, who had acceded to the papacy in 1689. Cardinal
Ottoboni remained Corelli's patron until the latter's death in 1713,
thereafter behaving with generosity to his heirs. In Rome Corelli was
held in great respect as a violinist and as a composer, although stories of
less satisfactory performances during a visit to Naples, where he was
defeated by the violin-writing of his colleague Alessandro Scarlatti, and
of his inability to cope with the allegedly French style of the young
Handel, suggest, at least, some technical limitations.

At his death Corelli left a large collection of pictures, bequeathing a

painting of his own choice to Cardinal Ottoboni and a Brueghel to
Cardinal Pamphili, with his musical instruments and manuscripts going
to Matteo Fornad. By special papal indulgence he was buried in the
Pantheon in Rome in a part of the church holding the remains of artists,
sculptors and architects, his epitaph the work of his patron.

Selected Works of Corelli:

Six opuses are authentically ascribed to Corelli, together with a few other
works.

 Opus 1: 12 sonatas da chiesa (trio sonatas for 2 violins and

continuo) (Rome 1681)
 Opus 2: 12 sonatas da camera (trio sonatas for 2 violins and
continuo) (Rome 1685)
 Opus 3: 12 sonatas da chiesa (trio sonatas for 2 violins and
continuo) (Rome 1689)
 Opus 4: 12 sonatas da camera (trio sonatas for 2 violins and
continuo) (Rome 1694)
 Opus 5: 12 Suonati a violino e violone o cimbalo (6 sonatas da chiesa
and 6 sonatas da camera for violin and continuo) (Rome 1700)
The last sonata is a set of variations on La Folia.
 Opus 6: 12 concerti grossi (8 concerti da chiesa and 4 concerti da
camera for concertino of 2 violins and cello, string ripieno, and
continuo) (Amsterdam 1714)
 op. post.: Sinfonia in D minor, WoO 1
 op. post.: Sonata a Quattro, WoO 2
 op. post.: Sonata a Quattro for Trumpet, 2 Violins & B.C, WoO 4
 op. post.: 6 Sonate a tre, WoO 5–10 (Amsterdam 1714)
Franz Joseph Haydn

Born: March 31, 1732 – Rohrau, Austria

Died: May 31, 1809 – Vienna

Haydn was one of three boys born to

Mathias Haydn and Anna Maria
Koller. His father was a master
wheelwright who loved music. He
played the harp, while Haydn’s mother
sang the melodies. Anna Maria was a
cook for Count Karl Anton Harrach before she married Mathias.
Haydn’s brother, Michael, also composed music and became relatively
famous. His youngest brother, Johann Evangelist, sang tenor in the
church choir of the Esterhazy Court.

Haydn had a spectacular voice and his musicality was precise. Johann
Franc, impressed by Haydn’s voice, insisted that Haydn’s parents allow
Haydn to live with him to study music. Franc was a school principal and
the choir director of a church in Hainburg. Haydn’s parents allowed him
to go in hopes that he would amount to something very special. Haydn
studied mostly music, but also Latin, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Haydn spent most of his childhood singing in church choirs.

Haydn trained his younger brother Michael when he joined the choir
school three years later; it was customary for the older choirboys to
instruct the younger ones. Although great Haydn's voice was, he lost it
when he went through puberty. Michael, who also had a beautiful voice,
received the attention Haydn was used to getting. Haydn was dismissed
from the school when he was 18.

Haydn earned a living by becoming a freelance musician, teaching

music, and composing. His first steady job came in 1757, when he was
hired as music director for Count Morzin. His name and compositions
steadily became recognizable. During his time with Count Morzin,
Haydn wrote 15 symphonies, concertos, piano sonatas, and possibly
string quartets op.2, nos. 1-2. He married Maria Anna Keller on
November 26, 1760.
Selected works of Haydn:

Symphony

 Symphony No. 34,

d minor - 1765
 Symphony No. 35,
B flat Major - 1767
 Symphony No. 36, E flat Major - 1769
 Symphony No. 37, C Major - 1758
 Symphony No. 38, C Major - 1769
 Symphony No. 39, G Major - 1770
 Symphony No. 40, F Major - 1763
 Symphony No. 94, "Surprise Symphony", G Major - 1791
 Symphony No. 95, c minor - 1791
 Symphony No. 96, D Major - 1791
 Symphony No. 97, C Major - 1792
 Symphony No. 98, B flat Major - 1792
 Symphony No. 99, E flat Major - 1793
 Symphony No. 100, "Military", G Major - 1793/4

Mass

 Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida (Heiligmesse), B flat Major -

1796
 Missa in tempore belli (Kriegsmesse; Paukenmesse), C Major
-1796
 Missa (Nelsonmesse; Imperial Mass; Coronation Mass), d minor
- 1798

Oratorio

 Die Schöpfung (The Creation) - 1796-8

 Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons) - 1799-1801
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Born: January 27, 1756 - Salzburg

Died: December 5, 1791 - Vienna

On November 14, 1719, Mozart's

father, Leopold, was born. Leopold
attended Salzburg Benedictine
University and studied philosophy,
but later he was expelled due to poor
attendance. Leopold, however,
became proficient in violin and organ.
He married Anna Maria Pertl on
November 21, 1747. Of the seven
children they had, only two survived,
Maria Anna (1751) and Wolfgang
Amadeus (1756).

When Wolfgang was four (as noted by his father in his sister's music
book), he was playing the same pieces as his
sister. At the age of five, he wrote a miniature
andante and allegro (K. 1a and 1b). In 1762,
Leopold took the young Mozart and Maria
Anna on tour throughout Vienna performing
for nobles and ambassadors. Later in 1763, they
began a three-and-a-half year tour throughout
Germany, France, England, Switzerland, and
other countries.

Amid the many tours, Mozart wrote music for a

number of occasions. In 1770, Mozart (only 14)
was commissioned to write an opera (Mitridate,
re di Ponto) by that December. He began work
on the opera in October, and by December 26,
after eight rehearsals, the show was performed.
The show, which included several ballets from
other composers, lasted six hours. To much of
Leopold's surprise, the opera was a huge
success and was performed 22 more times.

In 1777, Mozart left Salzburg with his mother to search for a higher
paying job. His travels lead him to Paris, where unfortunately, his
mother became deathly ill. Mozart's efforts to find a better job were
unfruitful. He returned home two years later and continued working in
the court as an organist with accompanying duties rather than a violinist.
Mozart was offered an increase in salary and generous leave.

After the successful premier of the opera Idomenée in Munich in 1781,

Mozart returned to Salzburg. Wanting to be released from his job as
court organist, Mozart met with the archbishop. In March of 1781,
Mozart was finally released from his duties and began working
freelance. A year later, Mozart gave his first public concert consisting
entirely of his own compositions.

Mozart married Constanze Weber in July of 1782, despite his father's

constant disapproval. As Mozart's compositions flourished, his debts did
too; money always seemed a bit tight for him. In 1787, Mozart's father
died. Mozart was deeply affected by the passing of his father, which can
be seen in a lull in new compositions. Less than four years later, Mozart
died of miliary fever in 1791.

Selected works of Mozart:

Symphonic Works

 Symphony No. 25, K. 183 - g minor - 1773

 Symphony No. 35 Haffner, K. 385 - D Major - 1782
 Symphony No. 36 Linz, K. 425 - C Major - 1783
 Symphony No. 38 Prague, K. 504 - D Major - 1786
 Symphony No. 39, K. 543 - E flat Major - 1788
 Symphony No. 40, K. 550 - g minor - 1788
 Symphony No. 41 Jupiter, K. 551 - C Major - 1788

Opera

 La finta semplice, K. 51 - 1768

 Mitridate, re di Ponto , K. 87 - 1770
 Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K. 384 - 1782
 Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492 - 1786
 Così fan tutte, K. 588 - 1790
 Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 – 1791
Ludwig van Beethoven

Born : December 17, 1770 - Bonn

Died: March 26, 1827 – Vienna

In 1740, Beethoven's father, Johann was born.

Johann sang soprano in the electoral chapel
where his father was Kapellmeister (chapel
master). Johann grew up proficient enough
to teach violin, piano, and voice to earn a living. Johann married Maria
Magdalena in 1767 and gave birth to Ludwig Maria in 1769, who died 6
days later. On December 17, 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born.
Maria later gave birth to five other children, but only two survived,
Caspar Anton Carl and Nikolaus Johann.

At a very early age, Beethoven received violin and piano lessons from his
father. At the age of 8, he studied theory and keyboard with van den
Eeden (former chapel organist). He also studied with several local
organists, received piano lessons from Tobias
Friedrich Pfeiffer, and Franz Rovantini gave
him violin and viola lessons. Although
Beethoven’s musical genius was compared to
that of Mozart’s, his education never
exceeded elementary level.

Beethoven was the assistant (and formal

student) of Christian Gottlob Neefe. As a teen,
he performed more than he composed. In
1787, Neefe sent him to Vienna for reasons
unknown, but many agree that he met and
briefly studied with Mozart. Two weeks later,
he returned home because his mother had
tuberculosis. She died in July. His father took to drink, and Beethoven,
only 19, petitioned to be recognized as the head of the house; he received
half of his father's salary to support his family.

In 1792, Beethoven moved to Vienna. His father died in December that

same year. He studied with Haydn for less than a year; their
personalities did not mix well. Beethoven then studied with Johann
Once establishing himself, he began composing more. In 1800, he
performed his first symphony and a septet (op. 20). Publishers soon
began to compete for his newest works. While still in his 20's, Beethoven
became deaf. His attitude and social life changed dramatically - he
wanted to hide his impairment from the world. How could a great
composer be deaf? Determined to overcome his disability, he wrote
symphonies 2, 3, and 4 before 1806. Symphony 3, Eroica, was originally
titled Bonaparte as a tribute to Napoleon.

Beethoven’s fame began to pay off; he soon found himself prosperous.

His symphonic works proved to be master pieces (evident in the test of
time) along with his other works. Beethoven loved a woman named
Fanny, but never married. He spoke of her in a letter saying, "I found
only one whom I shall doubtless never possess." In 1827, he died of
dropsy. In a will wrote several days before his death, he left his estate to
his nephew Karl, of whom he was legal guardian after Caspar Carl's
death.

Selected Works of Beethoven:

Symphonic Works

 Symphony No. 1, op. 21 - C Major - 1799

 Symphony No. 2, op. 36 - D Major - 1801
 Symphony No. 3 Eroica, op. 55 - E flat Major - 1803
 Symphony No. 4, op. 60 - B flat Major - 1806
 Symphony No. 5, op. 67 - c minor - 1807
 Symphony No. 6 Pastoral, op. 68 - F Major - 1808
 Symphony No. 7, op. 92 - A Major - 1811
 Symphony No. 8, op. 93 - F Major - 1812
 Symphony No. 9, op. 125 - d minor - 1824

Choral Works with Orchestra

 Mass in D Missa solemnis, op. 123 - 1819 to 1823

Piano Concertos

 Piano Concerto No. 1, op. 15 - C Major - 1795

 Piano Concerto No. 2, op. 19 - B flat Major - c.1788 to 1795
 Piano Concerto No. 3, op. 37 - c minor - ?1800
 Piano Concerto No. 4, op. 58 - G Major - 1804
Johannes Brahms

Born: May 7, 1833 - Hamburg

Died: April 3, 1897 - Vienna

Johannes was the second child born to Johanna

Henrika Christiane Nissen and Johann Jakob
Brahms. His father learned to play several
instruments, and earned a living playing in local
dance halls. His mother was a skilled seamstress.
Brahms’ parents married in 1830. His father was 24
and his mother was 41. Besides the fact that their
finances were extremely tight, their age difference
greatly influenced Johannes’ father to leave his
wife in 1864. Brahms had an older sister and a
younger brother.

Much of Brahms’ time was devoted to reading, learning, and composing

music. He developed a love for folklore including poems, tales, and
music. In his early teens he started to compile a notebook of English folk
songs. In 1852, Brahms, inspired by a genuine Minnelied poem by Count
Kraft von Toggenburg, wrote the F sharp Piano Sonata op. 2. In 1848,
Brahms became familiar with the mixing of Hungarian style and Gypsy
style of music, hongrios; later apparent in his Hungarian dances.

Brahms, along with his friend Reményi, toured northern Germany from
April to June in 1853. While touring he met Joseph Joachim, who later
became his lifelong friend, in Göttingen. He also met Liszt and other
prominent musicians. After the tour, Brahms went back to Göttingen to
stay with Joseph. Joseph encouraged him to go meet more prominent
musicians, especially the Schumanns. Brahms met the Schumanns on
September 30, and became very much a part of their family.

In the 1860’s, Brahms’ style of music, apparent throughout the rest of his
career, became more mature and refined. While in Vienna, Brahms met
with Wagner. They listened to each others music, and afterward Wagner
was known to criticize Brahms’ works; although Brahms’ claimed to be a
Wagner supporter. Brahms spent the latter portion of the 1860’s touring
much of Europe to earn money. In 1865, after the death of his mother, he
began writing the German Requiem and finished a year later.

As a result of his travels, Brahms was able to collect an abundance of

music scores autographed by the composers that wrote them. Because of
his large circle of musical friends, he was able to give concerts all over
Europe. His music and fame spread from Europe to America. After the
death of Clara Schumann, he wrote his final pieces. A year later, Brahms
was diagnosed with liver cancer. A month before his death, he was able
to attend a performance of his 4th Symphony by the Vienna
Philharmonic.

Selected Works by Brahms:

Hungarian Dances

 No. 1 - g minor - 1873

 No. 3 - F Major - 1873
 No. 10 - F Major - 1873

Symphonic Works

 Symphony No. 1 - c minor - 1862-76

 Symphony No. 2 - D Major - 1877
 Symphony No. 3 - F Major - 1883
 Symphony No. 4 - e minor - 1884-5

Solo Piano

 Sonata No. 1 - C Major - 1852-3

 Sonata No. 2 - f sharp mionr - 1852
 Sonata No. 3 - f minor - 1853
 Scherzo - e flat minor - 1851
 Variations on a Theme by R. Schumann - f minor - 1854
 Variations on a Theme by Paganini - a minor - 1862-3

Choral Works

 Ein Deutches Requiem - 1865-8

 Ave Maria - 1858
Gustav Mahler

Born: May 7, 1860 – Kaliste, Bohemia

Died: May 18, 1911 – Vienna

Mahler was the oldest of six out of fourteen

surviving children. His father, Bernhard, was
a tavern proprietor and his mother, Marie,
was the daughter of a soap maker. Shortly
after Mahler was born, he and his parents
moved to Iglau, Moravia. His father was able
to open a successful tavern and brewery
which allowed him to support Mahler’s musical ambitions.

Because Mahler lived close to the town square where frequent concerts
were given by the military band, he developed a taste for music at a very
early age. He learned various songs from Catholic school friends and
received lessons from local musicians. It wasn't long after his father's
purchase of the piano when Mahler became proficient at playing it.

As a result of Mahler's "not-so-good" grades in school, his father sent

him to audition at the Vienna Conservatory. Mahler was accepted in
1875 under Julius Epstein with whom he studied piano. While in music
school, Mahler quickly turned to composition as his primary study. In
1877, Mahler enrolled in Vienna University where he became interested
in great literary works and philosophy.

At the young age of 21, Mahler received a conduction job in the

Landestheater in Liabach. He conducted over 50 pieces including his first
opera Il Trovatore. In 1883, Mahler moved to Kassel, signed a contract
and worked several years as 'Royal Musical and Choral Director' - it may
have been a fancy title, but he still had to report to the resident
Kapellmeister. From 1885-91, Mahler worked in Liepzig, Prague, and
Budapest.

In March of 1891, Mahler became chief conductor at the Hamburg

Stadttheater. While in Hamburg, Mahler finally finished his second
symphony in 1895. Also, in the same year, Mahler's younger brother shot
himself. Since his parents had died several years before, Mahler became
the head of the household. To protect his younger sisters, he moved
them to Hamburg to live with him.
Mahler moved to Vienna and became the Kapellmeister to the acclaimed
Vienna Philharmonic. Several months later he was promoted to director.
As the new director at the Hofoper Theater, his daring, provocative, and
controversial performances attracted great numbers to the theater and
many press reviews. In 1907 and 1910, Mahler conducted the New York
Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra. A year later, after returning to
Vienna, Mahler died from bacterial endocarditis.

Selected Works by Gustav Mahler:

Symphonic Works

 Symphony no. 1 - D Major - 1884

 Symphony no. 2 - c minor - 1885
 Symphony no. 3 - d minor - 1893
 Symphony no. 4 - G Major - 1899
 Symphony no. 5 - c sharp minor - 1901
 Symphony no. 6 - a minor - 1903
 Symphony no. 7 - b minor - 1904
 Symphony no. 8 - E flat Major - 1906
 Symphony no. 9 - D Major - 1908
 Symphony no. 10 (unfinished) - f sharp minor - 1910
Richard Wagner

Born: May 22, 1813 - Leipzig

Death: February 13, 1883 - Venice

Wagner's real father is somewhat a

mystery. Some believe that his real father
was a police actuary named Carl Friedrich
Wagner. Six months after Wagner was
born, his legal father died. Later his mother,
Johanna, married actor Ludwig Geyer, who
also may have been his biological father.

Wagner's parents moved to Dresden, where Ludwig could begin work at

the Hoftheater. On December 22, 1822 Wagner began schooling at the
Kreuzschule. In 1828, Wagner moved back to Leipzig with his family
and attended Nicolaischule. His interest in music was made evident by
the low grades in his other studies. He studied harmony with a local
musician, and in 1831 he studied music at Leipzig University. That
October, he briefly studied with the Kantor of the Thomaskirche,
Christian Theodor Weinlig.

Many of Wagner's talents were self-taught. At the age of 15 he decided to

become a composer. Wagner's passion for Beethoven was made clear in
his first compositions. Between 1830 and 1831, he transcribed
Beethoven's 9th Symphony for the piano. Afterwards, he wrote keyboard
and orchestral works in a Beethovenian style. Before turing 20, Wagner
started to write Die Hochziet, but never finished it.

In 1834, Wagner became a musical director in a company in Magdeburg.

There he met actress, Minna Planer, and in November of 1836, they
married. During his time in Magdeburg, Wagner built up great debts. He
relied on his opera Das Liebesverbot to bring him huge success and a large
paycheck. The opera was a failure. Wagner and Minna moved to
Königsberg. Wagner, again, built up his debts, and in a similar pattern,
they moved to Riga, and then Paris to escape their creditors.

While in Paris, Wagner gave Meyerbeer his opera, Rienzi. One year later
in 1840, Wagner recieved the good news that his opera was accepted by
the Dresden Opera. On October 20, 1842, his opera was performed. It
was a huge success. Wagner had skyrocketed into musical fame. The
Dresden Opera secured the rights to his other opera Der fliegende
Holländer, which wasn't as successful. However, they appointed Wagner
as second Kapellmeister. He was very musically active while in Dresden
until 1849.

Finally in 1854, Wagner reconciled his debts (10,000F). Wagner's later

years house the creations of such masterful works such as the Ring Cycle
and Tristan und Isolde. His musicality blossomed along with his fame and
a steady cash flow (although he never managed to stay out of debt). In
1883, Wagner died of a heart attack in Venice. A private burial was held
in the grounds of Wahnfrie in the city of Bayreuth.

Selected Works by Wagner:

Operatic Works

 Rienzi - 1838-40
 Der fliegende Holländer - 1841
 Tannhäuser - 1845
 Lohengrin - 1848
 Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) - 1854-78
o Das Rheingold - 1854
o Die Walküre - 1856
o Siegfried - 1869
o Götterdämmerung - 1878
 Tristan und Isolde - 1859
 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - 1868
 Parsifal - 1882

Antonin Dvorak
Born: September 8, 1841 - Nelahozeves, nr
Kralupy

Died: May 1, 1904 – Prague

Dvorak’s father, Frantisek was a butcher and

an innkeeper. He played the zither for fun
and entertainment, but later played it
professionally. His mother, Anna, came from
Uhy. Antonin Dvorak was the oldest of eight
children.

In 1847, Dvorak began taking voice and

violin lessons from Joseph Spitz. Dvorak
took to the violin quickly and soon began
playing in church and village bands. In 1853, Dvorak’s parents sent him
to Zlonice to continue his education in learning German as well as music.
Joseph Toman and Antonin Leihmann continued to teach Dvorak violin,
voice, organ, piano, and music theory.

In 1857, Dvorak moved to the Prague Organ School where he continued

to study music theory, harmonization, modulation, improvisation, and
counterpoint and fugue. During this time, Dvorak played the viola in the
Cecilia Society. He played works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn,
Schumann, and Wagner. While in Prague, Dvorak was able to attend
concerts playing works by Liszt conducted by Liszt himself. Dvorak left
the school in 1859. He was second in his class.

In the later summer months of 1859, Dvorak was hired to play viola in a
small band, which later became the building blocks of the Provisional
Theater Orchestra. When the orchestra formed, Dvorak became the
principal violinist. In 1865, Dvorak taught piano to the daughters of a
goldsmith; one of whom later became his wife (Anna Cermakova). It
wasn’t until 1871 when Dvorak left the theater. During these years,
Dvorak was privately composing.

Mid Adult Years:

Because his early works were too demanding on the artists who
performed them, Dvorak evaluated and revamped his work. He turned
away from his heavy Germanic style to a more classic Slavonic, stream-
line form. Besides teaching piano, Dvorak applied to the Austrian State
Stipendium as a mean for income. In 1877, Brahms, very much
impressed by Dvorak’s works, was on the panel of judges who awarded
him 400 guldens. A letter written by
Brahms about Dvorak’s music brought
Dvorak much fame.

During the last 20 years of Dvorak’s life,

his music and name became
internationally known. Dvorak earned
many honors, awards, and honorary
doctorates. In 1892, Dvorak moved to
America to work as the artistic director
for the National Conservatory of Music
in New York for $15,000 (nearly 25 times
what he was earning in Prague). His first
performance was given in Carnegie Hall
(the premiere of Te Deum). Dvorak’s New
World Symphony was written in America.
On May 1, 1904, Dvorak died of illness.

Selected Works by Dvorak:

Symphony

 Symphony No. 1, c minor - 1865

 Symphony No. 2, B flat Major - 1865
 Symphony No. 3, E flat Major - 1873
 Symphony No. 4, d minor - 1874
 Symphony No. 5, F Major - 1875
 Symphony No. 6, D Major - 1880
 Symphony No. 7, d minor - 1885
 Symphony No. 8, G Major - 1889
 Symphony No. 9, New World Symphony, e minor - 1893

Choral Works

 Mass in D Major - 1887

 Te Deum - 1892
 Requiem - 1890

Claude Debussy

Born: August 22, 1862 - St. Germain-en-Laye

Death: March 25, 1918 - Paris

Debussy grew up near Paris in a modest household in the town of St.

Germain-en-Laye. His parents made a living by owning and running a
china shop. His father also worked as a traveling salesman, a clerk, and a
printer's assistant.

Because Debussy didn't enjoy his childhood, he rarely talked about it.
Unfortunately, his tight lips left historiographers little details into his
early life. However, it is clear that he was quite the pianist during his
childhood. He was admitted into the Paris Conservatory of Music at the
age of eleven where he studied with Ernest Guiraud, César Franck, and
others for the next twelve years. Although he entered the conservatory to
"major" in piano, after several failed attempts at a piano "final" he
switched his interests to composing.

In 1884, Debussy won the Grand Prix de Rome, a highly coveted prize
upon which the receiver is required to study at Académie de France à
Rome (The French Academy in Rome) for the following two years, for
his work L'enfant prodigue (The Prodigal Son). His later submissions to
the Grand Prix committee proved unsuccessful. In 1888, after his two
year stint at the Academy, Debussy traveled to Bayreuth where he heard
the music of Wagner. Wagner's influence on Debussy is apparent in
Debussy's works La damoiselle élue and the Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire.

During the 1890's, all of Debussy's acquired knowledge and experiences

culminated into the most musically productive period of Debussy's life.
Although Debussy very much liked Wagner, Debussy's style of
composition had taken its - for lack of a better term - impressionistic
course. In 1894, Debussy finished his first important orchestral work
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun).
Largely composed from 1893-1895, Debussy's only opera, Pelléas et
Mélisande, wasn't finished until 1902. Its modern, ethereal harmonies
were met with harsh criticism and great joy.

During the latter years of Debussy's life, some of his most famous piano
works were created. Debussy's piano preludes which include La
Cathédrale Engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) are often compared to those
of Chopin. In 1910, Debussy developed rectal cancer, slowly weakening
him one day at a time. It wasn't until 1918, while Paris was under
German attack that the cancer finally claimed his life.

Selected Works by Claude Debussy:

Piano Works

 Suite Bergamasque - 1890

 First Book of Preludes - 1910
 Second Book of Preludes - 1913
 Etudes - 1915

Ochestral Works

 Nocturnes - 1899
 La Mer - 1905
 Images - 1912
 Jeux (a ballet) - 1913

Frederic Chopin

Born: March 1, 1810 - Zelazowa Wola (near Warsaw)

Died: October 17, 1849 - Paris

Chopin's father, Mikolaj, tutored the son of Countess Justyna Skarbek at

the Countess's estate in Zelazowa Wola. Chopin's mother, Tekla Justyna
Kryzanowska, had also been employed there, but at a much younger
age. She was the Countess's companion and housekeeper. In 1806,
Chopin's parents married. Frederic Chopin was only seven months old
when they moved out of the estate to Warsaw. Mikolaj secured a post at
the Lyceum and lived in the right wing of the Saxon Palace. Chopin had
three siblings.

Given the current living circumstances, Chopin met and associated with
three different classes of people: professors of academia, middle gentry
(most of the students attending Lyceum), and the wealthy aristocrats. In
1817, the Lyceum, along with the Chopins, moved to the Kazimierzowski
Palace next to the University of Warsaw. Chopin quickly gained several
lasting friendships with the boys attending the school long before he
enrolled in the university. He was home-schooled until 4th grade.

Chopin received several years of private lessons from Józef Elsner before
attending the High School of Music in 1826. He also took organ lessons
in 1823 from Wilhelm Würfel. However, these lessons did not contibute
to Chopin's extradordinary keyboard ability; he taught himself. Chopin
did learn rules of composition, though, while attending high school.
After graduation, he traveled and performed. Back in Warsaw at the age
of 20, he performed the F minor Concerto to a crowd of 900.

Chopin, depressed by the uncertainty of his future (should he be a public

performer or not)and by his secret love of Konstancja Gadkowska, set off
to Vienna in November of 1830. During his short stay in Vienna, Chopin
managed to compose his first nine mazurkas. Chopin departed Vienna in
1831, and headed toward Paris. While in Paris, Chopin gave a concerts
and earned the friendships of other great pianists such as Liszt and
Berlioz. He became the "premiere" piano instructor.

In 1837, Chopin met a novelist by the name of George Sand. She came
from a social class Chopin would consider "bohemian." He once said,
"What an unattractive person La Sand is. Is she really a woman?"
Nevertheless, a year later they met again and instantly fell in love.
Chopin became very ill while staying in Majorca with Sand. However, he
was still able to write. He mailed several preludes to his friend, Pleyel.
Upon his recovery, Chopin moved to Sand's manor in Nohant.

Many of Chopin's greatest works were composed during his summer

stays in Nohant. Although Chopin's works were blossoming, his
relationship with Sand was slowly deteriorating. Many family feuds
broke out between Sand's children and Chopin. Tensions between Sand
and Chopin also increased; apparent in her later writings, "...a strange
conclusion to nine years of exclusive
friendship." Chopin never fully
recovered from the break up. Chopin
died of consumption in 1849.

Selected Works by Chopin:

Piano

Mazurka

 Op. 68/2 - a minor - 1827

 Op. 68/3 - F Major - 1830
 Op. 68/1 - C Major - 1830
 Op. 67/1 - G Major - 1835
 Op. 67/3 - C Major - 1835

Nocturne

 Op. 72/1 - e minor - 1829

 Op. 15/3 - g minor - 1832
 Op. 27/1 - c sharp minor - 1835
 Op. 27/2 - D Major - 1835

Polonaise

 Op. 71/1 - d minor - 1828

 Op. 71/2 - B flat Major - 1828
 Op. 71/3 - f minor - 1828

Joseph Ermend Bonnal

Born: 1 July 1880 — Bordeaux — France

Died: 14 August 1944 — Bordeaux — France

A cultivated artist, a first class performer, a composer imbued with

the love of poetry, Joseph Ermend-Bonnal created an abundant body of
work in which he tackled all genres, from children’s piano pieces to the
symphony. It is his music for the organ, however, which is most often
played today, with such pieces as the Paysages Euskariens (1930) and his
Symphony “Media Vita” in C-sharp minor (1932). His chamber music,
less well known, is also worthy of esteem, including two string quartets,
a string trio (1934) which the Pasquier Trio perfomed widely on tour and
which brought them a Grand Prix du Disque, a Menuet Triste for flute
and string quintet, Trois Portraits de Musiciens for three violins, and
several works for two instruments (oboe and piano, cello and piano,
violin and piano, violin and cello). His richly expressive music prompted
Vierne to say: “Here is a highly personal composer, a poet inspired by
nature, a being with a deep and moving sensibility.”
Born on July 1, 1880, in Bordeaux, where he died on August 14, 1944,
Bonnal received his first lessons from his father, a violinist. He then
entered the Paris Conservatory where he studied with Bériot (piano),
Taudou (harmony),Guilmant and Vierne (organ)
and Fauré (composition) and received first prizes in organ, composition,
and fugue. A disciple also of Charles Tournemire, a “marvelous
professor of improvisation” whom he would esteem highly his whole
life, Ermend-Bonnal filled in for him at the organ of Sainte-Clotilde for
many years before succeeding him in 1941. In the meantime he served as
organist at Saint-Médard, Notre-Dame of Boulogne-sur-Seine (of the
Dominicans), and substituted for Périlhou at Saint-Séverin as well as
for Widor at Saint-Sulpice. His career as an organist, which had begun at
Saint-Pierre in Bordeaux, would also lead him to Saint-André in Bayonne
where he resided from 1920 until 1941, directing the Ecole Nationale de
Musique and founding the Concerts Rameau. The Basque country, so
near to his heart, inspired several of his compositions. A member of the
jury at the Paris Conservatory, Inspector General of musical instruction
(1941), he was also active as a teacher from 1892. Maurice Ohana figures
among his piano students. At Bonnal’s death, Norbert Dufourcq wrote:
“In him French music has lost one of its most representative members
and one of its greatest servants.” Joseph Ermend-Bonnal had that quality
rarely encountered in a musician: to be at once a virtuoso, a composer,
and an improviser. He was, in a word, an exceptionally gifted artist.

Selected Works of Bonnal:

> Soir Aux Abatilles - Menuet >Triste Noel Desuet (Pour Bercer
Nicole 

>A La Manire De Noel Pyreneen 

>Monsieur Le Senechal -

>Complainte Pour L'enfant Reveur 

>Bonnal: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2