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January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791
Classical Period
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg,
Austria, where his father Leopold was a violinist and composer.
Wolfgang (or Wolferl, as his family called him) was a child prodigy. He
composed his first piece of music at age five; he had his first piece
published when he was seven; and he wrote his first opera when he was
twelve. By the time Wolfgang was 6, he was an excellent pianist and
violinist. He and his sister Maria Anna (known as Nannerl) traveled all
over Europe performing for royalty.
Classical Period
When he grew up, Mozart moved to Vienna, and tried to earn a living as a pianist and composer. But he had a lot of trouble handling the fact that he was no longer a child prodigy. Mozart was still a musical genius, but after he stopped being a cute kid, people stopped making a big fuss over him. Back then, musicians were treated like servants, but Mozart did not, and could not think of himself as a servant.
Mozart was only 35 when he died. During his short life, he composed in all different musical forms, including operas, symphonies, concertos, masses, and chamber music. Today, he is still considered a genius!
Mozart Concerto #23 La-Major, 2nd movement
Mozart Fantasia in D Minor
Mozart Rondo Alla Turca
Requiem. Herbert von Karajan; wiener philharmoniker
symphony #40 g minor
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December 16, 1770 - March 26, 1827
Classic/Romantic Period
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn,
Germany. His father, who was a singer, was his first teacher. After a
while, even though he was still only a boy, Ludwig became a traveling
performer, and soon, he was supporting his family.
Classic/Romantic Period
In his early twenties, Beethoven moved to Vienna, where he spent the rest of his life. Beethoven was one of the first composers to make a living without being employed by the church or a member of the nobility. At first, he was known as a brilliant pianist. But when he was around 30 years old, Beethoven started going deaf. Even though he could no longer hear well enough to play the piano, Beethoven composed some of his best music after he was deaf!
Beethoven is considered one of the greatest musical geniuses who ever lived. He may be most famous for his nine symphonies, but he also wrote many other kinds of music: chamber and choral music, piano music and string quartets, and an opera.
For Elise
concerto # 3.Zimerman Beirnstein
Symphony no.5
Ode to Joy (Symphony No.9)
sonata pathetique # 8.Sviatoslav Richter
Sonata 17.Glenn Gould
Sonata No.23 Appossionata Aimi Kobayashi
Sonata # 21 Claudio Arrau
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Franz Joseph Haydn
(1732–1809)
Synopsis
Franz Joseph Haydn was among the creators of the fundamental genres of classical music, and his influence upon later composers is immense. Haydn’s most celebrated pupil was Ludwig van Beethoven, and his musical form casts a huge shadow over the music of subsequent composers such as Schubert, Mendelssohn and Brahms.Early Life
Franz Joseph Haydn was recruited at age 8 to the sing in the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where he went on to learn to play violin and keyboard. After he left the choir, he supported himself by teaching and playing violin, while studying counterpoint and harmony.Haydn soon became an assistant to composer Nicola Porpora in exchange for lessons, and in 1761 he was named Kapellmeister, or "court musician," at the palace of the influential Esterházy family, a position that would financially support him for nearly 30 years. Isolated at the palace from other composers and musical trends, he was, as he put it, "forced to become original."
The Mature Artist
While Haydn rose in the Esterházy family's esteem, his popularity outside the palace walls also increased, and he eventually wrote as much music for publication as for the family. Several important works of this period were commissions from abroad, such as the Paris symphonies (1785-1786) and the original orchestral version of "The Seven Last Words of Christ" (1786). Haydn came to feel sequestered and lonely, however, missing friends back in Vienna, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, so in 1791, when a new Esterházy prince let Haydn go, he quickly accepted an invitation to go to England to conduct new symphonies.Audiences flocked to Haydn's concerts, and during his time in England he generated some of his best-known work, including the "Rider" quartet and the Surprise, Military, Drumroll and London symphonies.
Later Years
Haydn returned to Vienna in 1795 and took up his former position with the Esterházys, although only part-time. At this point, he was a public figure in Vienna, and when he wasn't at home composing, he was making frequent public appearances. With his health failing, his creative spirit outlasted his ability to harness it, and he died at age 77.Haydn is remembered as the first great symphonist and the composer who essentially invented the string quartet. The principal engineer of the classical style, Haydn exerted influence on the likes of Mozart, his student Ludwig van Beethoven and scores of others.
Not a fan of Zimerman in 3rd concerto... but Beirnstein is awesome!
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