Listen to something from the classics - what could be better?! Especially on weekends, when you want to relax, forget about the worries of the day, the worries of the work week, dream about beautiful things, and just lift your spirits. Just think classical works were created by brilliant authors so long ago that it’s hard to believe that something can survive so many years. And these works are still loved and listened to, arrangements and modern interpretations are created. Even in modern processing, works brilliant composers remain classical music. As he admits Vanessa Mae, classical works are ingenious, and everything ingenious cannot be boring. Probably all great composers have a special ear, a special sensitivity to tone and melody, which allowed them to create music that is enjoyed by dozens of generations not only of their compatriots, but also of classical music fans around the world. If you still doubt whether you love classical music, then you need to meet Benjamin Zander and you will see that in fact, you are already a long-time fan of beautiful music.
And today we will talk about the 10 most famous composers in the world.
Johann Sebastian Bach
First place deservedly belongs Johann Sebastian Bach. A genius was born in Germany. The most talented composer wrote music for harpsichord and organ. The composer did not create a new style in music. But he was able to create perfection in all the styles of his time. He is the author of more than 1000 essays. In his works Bach connected different musical styles, with whom he became acquainted throughout his life. Often musical romanticism combined with the Baroque style. During life Johann Bach As a composer he did not receive the recognition he deserved, interest in his music arose almost 100 years after his death. Today he is called one of the greatest composers who ever lived on earth. His uniqueness as a person, teacher and musician was reflected in his music. Bach laid the foundations of the music of New and Contemporary times, dividing the history of music into pre-Bach and post-Bach. There is an opinion that music Bach gloomy and gloomy. His music is rather fundamental and thorough, restrained and focused. Like the reflections of a mature, world-wise person. Creation Bach influenced many composers. Some of them took cues from his works or used themes from them. And musicians all over the world play music Bach, admiring her beauty and perfection. One of the most sensational works - "Brandenburg Concerts"- excellent proof that music Bach can't be considered too gloomy:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is rightfully considered a genius. At the age of 4 he was already fluent in playing the violin and harpsichord, at the age of 6 he began composing music, and at 7 he was already skillfully improvising on the harpsichord, violin and organ, competing with famous musicians. Already at 14 years old Mozart- a recognized composer, and at the age of 15 - a member of the music academies of Bologna and Verona. By nature he had a phenomenal musical ear, memory and ability to improvise. He created an astonishing number of works - 23 operas, 18 sonatas, 23 piano concertos, 41 symphonies and much more. The composer did not want to imitate, he tried to create a new model that reflected the new individuality of the music. It is no coincidence that in Germany music Mozart called “music of the soul”, in his works the composer showed traits of his sincere, loving nature. The greatest melodist attached special importance to opera. Operas Mozart- era in the development of this species musical art. Mozart widely recognized as one of the greatest composers: his uniqueness lies in the fact that he worked in all musical forms of his time and achieved the highest success in all. One of the most recognizable works - "Turkish March":
Ludwig van Beethoven
Another great German Ludwig van Beethoven was an important figure of the Romantic-Classical period. Even those who know nothing about it know about it classical music. Beethoven is one of the most performed and respected composers in the world. The great composer witnessed the tremendous upheavals that occurred in Europe and redrew its map. These great upheavals, revolutions and military confrontations are reflected in the composer’s work, especially symphonic works. He embodied pictures of heroic struggle in music. IN immortal works Beethoven you will hear the struggle for freedom and brotherhood of people, the unshakable faith in the victory of light over darkness, as well as dreams of freedom and happiness for mankind. One of the most famous and amazing facts his life - the ear disease developed into complete deafness, but despite this, the composer continued to write music. He was also considered one of the the best pianists. Music Beethoven surprisingly simple and easy to understand wide circles listeners. Generations and even eras change, and music Beethoven still excites and delights the hearts of people. One of his best works - "Moonlight Sonata":
Richard Wagner
With the name of the great Richard Wagner most often associated with his masterpieces "Wedding Choir" or "Ride of the Valkyries". But he is known not only as a composer, but also as a philosopher. Wagner looked at his musical works as a way of expressing a certain philosophical concept. WITH Wagner a new one has begun musical era oper. The composer tried to bring opera closer to life; music for him is only a means. Richard Wagner- creator of musical drama, reformer of operas and the art of conducting, innovator of the harmonic and melodic language of music, creator of new forms musical expressiveness. Wagner- author of the world's longest solo aria (14 minutes 46 seconds) and the world's longest classical opera (5 hours and 15 minutes). During life Richard Wagner was considered a controversial person, who was either adored or hated. And often both together. Mystical symbolism and anti-Semitism made him Hitler's favorite composer, but closed the way for his music to Israel. However, neither the composer's supporters nor opponents deny his greatness as a composer. Wonderful music from the very first notes Richard Wagner absorbs you completely, leaving no room for disputes and disagreements:
Franz Schubert
Austrian composer Franz Schubert - musical genius, one of the best song composers. He was only 17 when he wrote his first song. In one day he could write 8 songs. For my creative life he created more than 600 compositions, based on poems by more than 100 great poets, including Goethe, Schiller and Shakespeare. That's why Franz Schubert in the top 10. Although creativity Schubert very diverse in the use of genres, ideas and reincarnations, the predominant and defining thing in his music is vocal and song lyrics. To Schubert the song was considered an insignificant genre, and it was he who elevated it to the level of artistic perfection. Moreover, he combined the seemingly incompatible song and chamber symphonic music, which gave rise to a new direction of lyrical-romantic symphony. Vocal and song lyrics are a world of simple and deep, subtle and even intimate human experiences, expressed not in words, but in sound. Franz Schubert lived very short life, only 31 years old. The fate of the composer's works is no less tragic than his life. After death Schubert many unpublished manuscripts remained, stored in bookcases and drawers of relatives and friends. Even those closest to him did not know everything he wrote, and throughout many years he was recognized mainly only as the king of song. Some of the composer's works were published only half a century after his death. One of the most beloved and famous works Franz Schubert - "Evening Serenade":
Robert Schumann
With no less tragic fate German composer Robert Schumann- one of best composers romantic era. He created music of amazing beauty. To get an idea about German romanticism XIX century, just listen "Carnival" Robert Schumann. He was able to break free from the musical traditions of the classical era, creating his own interpretation of the romantic style. Robert Schumann was gifted with many talents, and even for a long time he could not decide between music, poetry, journalism and philology (he was a polyglot and translated fluently from English, French and Italian). He was also an amazing pianist. And yet the main calling and passion Schumann there was music. His poetic and deeply psychological music largely reflects the duality of the composer’s nature, a rush of passion and escape into the world of dreams, awareness of vulgar reality and the desire for the ideal. One of the masterpieces Robert Schumann, which everyone simply must hear:
Frederic Chopin
Frederic Chopin is perhaps the most famous Pole in the world of music. Neither before nor after the composer was a musical genius of this level born in Poland. The Poles are incredibly proud of their great compatriot, and in their creativity Chopin more than once he glorifies his homeland, admires the beauty of the landscapes, laments the tragic past, dreams of a great future. Frederic Chopin- one of the few composers who wrote music exclusively for piano. His creative heritage includes neither operas nor symphonies, but piano pieces are presented in all their diversity. Works Chopin- the basis of the repertoire of many famous pianists. Frederic Chopin is a Polish composer who is also known as a talented pianist. He lived only 39 years, but managed to create many masterpieces: ballads, preludes, waltzes, mazurkas, nocturnes, polonaises, etudes, sonatas and much, much more. One of them is "Ballad No. 1, G minor".
Any of the composers discussed in this article can easily be called the greatest composer of classical music that has ever existed.
Although it is impossible to compare music created over several centuries, all these composers stand out very clearly against the background of their contemporaries. In their works they sought to expand the boundaries of classical music, to reach new heights in it that were previously unattainable.
All of the great classical music composers listed below are worthy of first place, so the list is not presented by the importance of the composer, but as information for reference.
For world classics, Beethoven is a very significant figure. One of the most performed composers in the world. He composed his works in absolutely all existing genres of his time. It is a harbinger of the period of romanticism in music. Instrumental works are recognized as the most significant of the entire legacy left by Ludwig van Beethoven.
The greatest composer and organist in the history of world music. is a representative of the Baroque era. Throughout his life he wrote over a thousand works, however, only about a dozen were published during his lifetime. He worked in all genres of his time with the exception of opera. He is the founder of the Bach dynasty, the most famous in music.
The composer and conductor, a virtuoso violinist and organist from Austria, had an incredible musical memory and amazing hearing. Started creating with early years and excelled in all genres of music, for which he is rightfully recognized as one of the great composers of classical music in history.
Mozart’s most enigmatic and mysterious work, “Requiem,” was never completed by the author. The reason for this was sudden death at the age of thirty-five. His student Franz Süssmayer completed work on the Requiem.
Great German composer, playwright, conductor and philosopher. Had a huge influence on modernism and the whole European culture at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
By order of Ludwig II of Bavaria, a opera house according to Wagner's ideas. It was intended exclusively for the composer's works. Wagner's musical dramas are shown there to this day.
Russian composer, conductor and music critic is one of the best melodists in the world. His work made a huge contribution to the development of world classics. He is a very popular composer among classical music lovers. In his works, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky successfully combined the style of Western symphonies with Russian traditions.
A great composer from Austria, and a conductor, and a violinist, and recognized by all the peoples of the world as the “king of the waltz.” His work was devoted to light dance music and operetta. His heritage includes over five hundred waltzes, quadrilles, polkas, and also several operettas and ballets. In the nineteenth century, thanks to Strauss, the waltz gained incredible popularity in Vienna.
Italian composer, virtuoso guitarist and violinist. A very bright and unusual personality musical history, is a recognized genius in the world art of music. The entire work of this great man was shrouded in a certain mystery, thanks to Paganini himself. He discovered new things in his works that no one had previously known species violin technique. He is also one of the founders of romanticism in music.
All these great composers of classical music had a very great influence on its development and advancement. Their music, tested by time and entire generations, is in demand today, maybe even in much greater times. to a greater extent than during their lifetime. They created immortal works that continue to live and pass on to the next generations, carrying emotions and feelings that make them think about the eternal.
So, Ludwig van Beethoven has been recognized as one of the greatest composers for the third century. His works leave a deep imprint on the souls and minds of the most sophisticated listeners. A real success in its time was the premiere of the composer’s 9th symphony in D minor, in the finale of which the famous choral “Ode to Joy” sounds to a text by Schiller. In one of modern films a good montage of the entire symphony is presented. Be sure to check it out!
L. van Beethoven Symphony No. 9, D minor (video editing)
The World's Greatest Composers of All Time: Lists in Chronological and Alphabetical Order, Reference Books and Works
100 Great Composers of the World
List of composers in chronological order
1. Josquin Despres (1450 –1521)
2. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 –1594)
3. Claudio Monteverdi (1567 –1643)
4. Heinrich Schütz (1585 –1672)
5. Jean Baptiste Lully (1632 –1687)
6. Henry Purcell (1658 –1695)
7. Arcangelo Corelli (1653 –1713)
8. Antonio Vivaldi (1678 –1741)
9. Jean Philippe Rameau (1683 –1764)
10. George Handel (1685 –1759)
11. Domenico Scarlatti (1685 –1757)
12. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 –1750)
13. Christoph Willibald Gluck (1713 –1787)
14. Joseph Haydn (1732 –1809)
15. Antonio Salieri (1750 –1825)
16. Dmitry Stepanovich Bortnyansky (1751 –1825)
17. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 –1791)
18. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 –1826)
19. Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 –1837)
20. Nicollo Paganini (1782 –1840)
21. Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 –1864)
22. Carl Maria von Weber (1786 –1826)
23. Gioachino Rossini (1792 –1868)
24. Franz Schubert (1797 –1828)
25. Gaetano Donizetti (1797 –1848)
26. Vincenzo Bellini (1801 –1835)
27. Hector Berlioz (1803 –1869)
28. Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804 –1857)
29. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 –1847)
30. Fryderyk Chopin (1810 –1849)
31. Robert Schumann (1810 –1856)
32. Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky (1813 –1869)
33. Franz Liszt (1811 –1886)
34. Richard Wagner (1813 –1883)
35. Giuseppe Verdi (1813 –1901)
36. Charles Gounod (1818 –1893)
37. Stanislav Moniuszko (1819 –1872)
38. Jacques Offenbach (1819 –1880)
39. Alexander Nikolaevich Serov (1820 –1871)
40. Cesar Frank (1822 –1890)
41. Bedřich Smetana (1824 –1884)
42. Anton Bruckner (1824 –1896)
43. Johann Strauss (1825 –1899)
44. Anton Grigorievich Rubinstein (1829 –1894)
45. Johannes Brahms (1833 –1897)
46. Alexander Porfirievich Borodin (1833 –1887)
47. Camille Saint-Saens (1835 –1921)
48. Leo Delibes (1836 –1891)
49. Mily Alekseevich Balakirev (1837 –1910)
50. Georges Bizet (1838 –1875)
51. Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 –1881)
52. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 –1893)
53. Antonin Dvorak (1841 –1904)
54. Jules Massenet (1842 –1912)
55. Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907)
56. Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 –1908)
57. Gabriel Fauré (1845 –1924)
58. Leos Janacek (1854 –1928)
59. Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov (1855 –1914)
60. Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (1856 –1915)
61. Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857 –1919)
62. Giacomo Puccini (1858 –1924)
63. Hugo Wolf (1860 –1903)
64. Gustav Mahler (1860 –1911)
65. Claude Debussy (1862 –1918)
66. Richard Strauss (1864 –1949)
67. Alexander Tikhonovich Grechaninov (1864 –1956)
68. Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (1865 –1936)
69. Jean Sibelius (1865 –1957)
70. Franz Lehár (1870 –1945)
71. Alexander Nikolaevich Scriabin (1872 –1915)
72. Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov (1873 –1943)
73. Arnold Schoenberg (1874 –1951)
74. Maurice Ravel (1875 –1937)
75. Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (1880 –1951)
76. Bela Bartok (1881 –1945)
77. Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky (1881 –1950)
78. Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky (1882 –1971)
79. Anton Webern (1883 –1945)
80. Imre Kalman (1882 –1953)
81. Alban Berg (1885 –1935)
82. Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev (1891 –1953)
83. Arthur Honegger (1892 –1955)
84. Darius Milhaud (1892 –1974)
85. Carl Orff (1895 –1982)
86. Paul Hindemith (1895 –1963)
87. George Gershwin (1898 –1937)
88. Isaac Osipovich Dunaevsky (1900 –1955)
89. Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (1903 –1978)
90. Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich (1906 –1975)
91. Tikhon Nikolaevich Khrennikov (born in 1913)
92. Benjamin Britten (1913 –1976)
93. Georgy Vasilievich Sviridov (1915 –1998)
94. Leonard Bernstein (1918 –1990)
95. Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin (born in 1932)
96. Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933)
97. Alfred Garievich Schnittke (1934 –1998)
98. Bob Dylan (b. 1941)
99. John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (b. 1942)
100. Sting (born 1951)
MASTERPIECES OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
The most famous composers in the world
List of composers in alphabetical order
N | Composer | Nationality | Direction | Year |
1 | Albinoni Tomaso | Italian | Baroque | 1671-1751 |
2 | Arensky Anton (Antony) Stepanovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1861-1906 |
3 | Baini Giuseppe | Italian | Church music - Renaissance | 1775-1844 |
4 | Balakirev Miliy Alekseevich | Russian | "Mighty Handful" - nationally oriented Russian music school | 1836/37-1910 |
5 | Bach Johann Sebastian | German | Baroque | 1685-1750 |
6 | Bellini Vincenzo | Italian | Romanticism | 1801-1835 |
7 | Berezovsky Maxim Sozontovich | Russian-Ukrainian | Classicism | 1745-1777 |
8 | Beethoven Ludwig van | German | between classicism and romanticism | 1770-1827 |
9 | Bizet (Bizet) Georges | French | Romanticism | 1838-1875 |
10 | Boito Arrigo | Italian | Romanticism | 1842-1918 |
11 | Boccherini Luigi | Italian | Classicism | 1743-1805 |
12 | Borodin Alexander Porfirievich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1833-1887 |
13 | Bortnyansky Dmitry Stepanovich | Russian-Ukrainian | Classicism - Church music | 1751-1825 |
14 | Brahms Johannes | German | Romanticism | 1833-1897 |
15 | Wagner Wilhelm Richard | German | Romanticism | 1813-1883 |
16 | Varlamov Alexander Egorovich | Russian | Russian folk music | 1801-1848 |
17 | Weber Carl Maria von | German | Romanticism | 1786-1826 |
18 | Verdi Giuseppe Fortunio Francesco | Italian | Romanticism | 1813-1901 |
19 | Verstovsky Alexey Nikolaevich | Russian | Romanticism | 1799-1862 |
20 | Vivaldi Antonio | Italian | Baroque | 1678-1741 |
21 | Villa-Lobos Heitor | Brazilian | Neoclassicism | 1887-1959 |
22 | Wolf-Ferrari Ermanno | Italian | Romanticism | 1876-1948 |
23 | Haydn Franz Joseph | Austrian | Classicism | 1732-1809 |
24 | Handel George Frideric | German | Baroque | 1685-1759 |
25 | Gershwin George | American | - | 1898-1937 |
26 | Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1865-1936 |
27 | Glinka Mikhail Ivanovich | Russian | Classicism | 1804-1857 |
28 | Glier Reingold Moritsevich | Russian and Soviet | - | 1874/75-1956 |
29 | Gluk (Gluk) Christoph Willibald | German | Classicism | 1714-1787 |
30 | Granados, Granados y Campina Enrique | Spanish | Romanticism | 1867-1916 |
31 | Grechaninov Alexander Tikhonovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1864-1956 |
32 | Grieg Edward Haberup | Norwegian | Romanticism | 1843-1907 |
33 | Hummel, Hummel (Hummel) Johann (Jan) Nepomuk | Austrian - Czech nationality | Classicism-Romanticism | 1778-1837 |
34 | Gounod Charles Francois | French | Romanticism | 1818-1893 |
35 | Gurilev Alexander Lvovich | Russian | - | 1803-1858 |
36 | Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeevich | Russian | Romanticism | 1813-1869 |
37 | Dvorjak Antonin | Czech | Romanticism | 1841-1904 |
38 | Debussy Claude Achille | French | Romanticism | 1862-1918 |
39 | Delibes Clément Philibert Leo | French | Romanticism | 1836-1891 |
40 | Destouches Andre Cardinal | French | Baroque | 1672-1749 |
41 | Degtyarev Stepan Anikievich | Russian | Church music | 1776-1813 |
42 | Giuliani Mauro | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1781-1829 |
43 | Dinicu Grigorash | Romanian | 1889-1949 | |
44 | Donizetti Gaetano | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1797-1848 |
45 | Ippolitov-Ivanov Mikhail Mikhailovich | Russian-Soviet composer | 20th-century classical composers | 1859-1935 |
46 | Kabalevsky Dmitry Borisovich | Russian-Soviet composer | 20th-century classical composers | 1904-1987 |
47 | Kalinnikov Vasily Sergeevich | Russian | Russian musical classics | 1866-1900/01 |
48 | Kalman Imre (Emmerich) | Hungarian | 20th-century classical composers | 1882-1953 |
49 | Cui Caesar Antonovich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1835-1918 |
50 | Leoncovallo Ruggiero | Italian | Romanticism | 1857-1919 |
51 | Liszt (Liszt) Ferenc (Franz) | Hungarian | Romanticism | 1811-1886 |
52 | Lyadov Anatoly Konstantinovich | Russian | 20th-century classical composers | 1855-1914 |
53 | Lyapunov Sergey Mikhailovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1850-1924 |
54 | Mahler Gustav | Austrian | Romanticism | 1860-1911 |
55 | Mascagni Pietro | Italian | Romanticism | 1863-1945 |
56 | Massenet Jules Emile Frederic | French | Romanticism | 1842-1912 |
57 | Marcello Benedetto | Italian | Baroque | 1686-1739 |
58 | Meyerbeer Giacomo | French | Classicism-Romanticism | 1791-1864 |
59 | Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Jacob Ludwig Felix | German | Romanticism | 1809-1847 |
60 | Mignone to Francis | Brazilian | 20th-century classical composers | 1897 |
61 | Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio | Italian | Renaissance-Baroque | 1567-1643 |
62 | Moniuszko Stanislav | Polish | Romanticism | 1819-1872 |
63 | Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus | Austrian | Classicism | 1756-1791 |
64 | Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1839-1881 |
65 | Napravnik Eduard Frantsevich | Russian - Czech nationality | Romanticism? | 1839-1916 |
66 | Oginski Michal Kleofas | Polish | - | 1765-1833 |
67 | Offenbach Jacques (Jacob) | French | Romanticism | 1819-1880 |
68 | Paganini Nicolo | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1782-1840 |
69 | Pachelbel Johann | German | Baroque | 1653-1706 |
70 | Planquette, Planquette (Planquette) Jean Robert Julien | French | - | 1848-1903 |
71 | Ponce Cuellar Manuel Maria | Mexican | 20th-century classical composers | 1882-1948 |
72 | Prokofiev Sergey Sergeevich | Russian-Soviet composer | Neoclassicism | 1891-1953 |
73 | Francis Poulenc | French | Neoclassicism | 1899-1963 |
74 | Puccini Giacomo | Italian | Romanticism | 1858-1924 |
75 | Ravel Maurice Joseph | French | Neoclassicism-Impressionism | 1875-1937 |
76 | Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilievich | Russian | Romanticism | 1873-1943 |
77 | Rimsky - Korsakov Nikolai Andreevich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1844-1908 |
78 | Rossini Gioachino Antonio | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1792-1868 |
79 | Rota Nino | Italian | 20th-century classical composers | 1911-1979 |
80 | Rubinstein Anton Grigorievich | Russian | Romanticism | 1829-1894 |
81 | Sarasate, Sarasate y Navascuez (Sarasate y Navascuez) Pablo de | Spanish | Romanticism | 1844-1908 |
82 | Sviridov Georgy Vasilievich (Yuri) | Russian-Soviet composer | NeoRomanticism | 1915-1998 |
83 | Saint-Saëns Charles Camille | French | Romanticism | 1835-1921 |
84 | Sibelius Jan (Johan) | Finnish | Romanticism | 1865-1957 |
85 | Scarlatti by Giuseppe Domenico | Italian | Baroque-Classicism | 1685-1757 |
86 | Skryabin Alexander Nikolaevich | Russian | Romanticism | 1871/72-1915 |
87 | Smetana Bridzhikh | Czech | Romanticism | 1824-1884 |
88 | Stravinsky Igor Fedorovich | Russian | Neo-Romanticism-Neo-Baroque-Serialism | 1882-1971 |
89 | Taneyev Sergey Ivanovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1856-1915 |
90 | Telemann Georg Philipp | German | Baroque | 1681-1767 |
91 | Torelli Giuseppe | Italian | Baroque | 1658-1709 |
92 | Tosti Francesco Paolo | Italian | - | 1846-1916 |
93 | Fibich Zdenek | Czech | Romanticism | 1850-1900 |
94 | Flotow Friedrich von | German | Romanticism | 1812-1883 |
95 | Khachaturyan Aram | Armenian-Soviet composer | 20th-century classical composers | 1903-1978 |
96 | Holst Gustav | English | - | 1874-1934 |
97 | Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich | Russian | Romanticism | 1840-1893 |
98 | Chesnokov Pavel Grigorievich | Russian-Soviet composer | - | 1877-1944 |
99 | Cilea Francesco | Italian | - | 1866-1950 |
100 | Cimarosa Domenico | Italian | Classicism | 1749-1801 |
101 | Schnittke Alfred Garrievich | Soviet composer | polystylistics | 1934-1998 |
102 | Chopin Fryderyk | Polish | Romanticism | 1810-1849 |
103 | Shostakovich Dmitry Dmitrievich | Russian-Soviet composer | Neoclassicism-NeoRomanticism | 1906-1975 |
104 | Strauss Johann (father) | Austrian | Romanticism | 1804-1849 |
105 | Strauss Johann (son) | Austrian | Romanticism | 1825-1899 |
106 | Strauss Richard | German | Romanticism | 1864-1949 |
107 | Schubert Franz | Austrian | Romanticism-Classicism | 1797-1828 |
108 | Schumann Robert | German | Romanticism | 1810-1 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Composer's Guide
Information about composers, incl. publications, works, recordings of works for listening
Composer's Guide
Brief information about the majority famous composers
Directory of 20th Century Composers
A comprehensive guide to 20th century composers (in French)
Directory of Musical Works
Brief information about famous works of classical music
MUSIC
Recordings of classical music works sorted by composer
Listen to something from the classics - what could be better?! Especially on weekends, when you want to relax, forget about the worries of the day, the worries of the work week, dream about beautiful things, and just lift your spirits. Just think, classic works were created by brilliant authors so long ago that it’s hard to believe that something can survive so many years. And these works are still loved and listened to, arrangements and modern interpretations are created. Even in modern adaptation, the works of brilliant composers remain classical music. As he admits, classical works are ingenious, and everything ingenious cannot be boring.
Probably all great composers have a special ear, a special sensitivity to tone and melody, which allowed them to create music that is enjoyed by dozens of generations not only of their compatriots, but also of classical music fans around the world. If you still doubt whether you love classical music, then you need to meet with, and you will see that in fact, you are already a long-time fan of beautiful music.
And today we will talk about the 10 most famous composers in the world.
Johann Sebastian Bach
The first place deservedly belongs. A genius was born in Germany. The most talented composer wrote music for harpsichord and organ. The composer did not create a new style in music. But he was able to create perfection in all the styles of his time. He is the author of more than 1000 essays. In his works Bach combined different musical styles with which he became acquainted throughout his life. Often musical romanticism was combined with the Baroque style. During life Johann Bach As a composer he did not receive the recognition he deserved, interest in his music arose almost 100 years after his death. Today he is called one of the greatest composers who ever lived on earth. His uniqueness as a person, teacher and musician was reflected in his music. Bach laid the foundations of the music of New and Contemporary times, dividing the history of music into pre-Bach and post-Bach. There is an opinion that music Bach gloomy and gloomy. His music is rather fundamental and thorough, restrained and focused. Like the reflections of a mature, world-wise person. Creation Bach influenced many composers. Some of them took cues from his works or used themes from them. And musicians all over the world play music Bach, admiring her beauty and perfection. One of the most sensational works - "Brandenburg Concerts"- excellent proof that music Bach can't be considered too gloomy:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
He is rightfully considered a genius. At the age of 4 he was already fluent in playing the violin and harpsichord, at the age of 6 he began composing music, and at 7 he was already skillfully improvising on the harpsichord, violin and organ, competing with famous musicians. Already at 14 years old Mozart- a recognized composer, and at the age of 15 - a member of the music academies of Bologna and Verona. By nature, he had a phenomenal ear for music, memory and the ability to improvise. He created an astonishing number of works - 23 operas, 18 sonatas, 23 piano concertos, 41 symphonies and much more. The composer did not want to imitate, he tried to create a new model that reflected the new individuality of the music. It is no coincidence that in Germany music Mozart called “music of the soul”, in his works the composer showed traits of his sincere, loving nature. The greatest melodist attached special importance to opera. Operas Mozart- an era in the development of this type of musical art. Mozart widely recognized as one of the greatest composers: his uniqueness lies in the fact that he worked in all musical forms of his time and achieved the highest success in all of them. One of the most recognizable works - "Turkish March":
Ludwig van Beethoven
Another great German was an important figure of the Romantic-Classical period. Even those who know nothing at all about classical music know about it. Beethoven is one of the most performed and respected composers in the world. The great composer witnessed the tremendous upheavals that occurred in Europe and redrew its map. These great upheavals, revolutions and military confrontations are reflected in the composer’s work, especially symphonic works. He embodied pictures of heroic struggle in music. In immortal works Beethoven you will hear the struggle for freedom and brotherhood of people, the unshakable faith in the victory of light over darkness, as well as dreams of freedom and happiness for mankind. One of the most famous and surprising facts of his life is that his ear disease developed into complete deafness, but despite this, the composer continued to write music. He was also considered one of the best pianists. Music Beethoven Surprisingly simple and understandable to the widest circles of listeners. Generations and even eras change, and music Beethoven still excites and delights the hearts of people. One of his best works - "Moonlight Sonata":
Richard Wagner
With the name of the great Richard Wagner most often associated with his masterpieces "Wedding Choir" or "Ride of the Valkyries". But he is known not only as a composer, but also as a philosopher. Wagner considered his musical works as a way of expressing a certain philosophical concept. WITH Wagner a new musical era of operas began. The composer tried to bring opera closer to life; music for him is only a means. Richard Wagner- creator of musical drama, reformer of operas and the art of conducting, innovator of the harmonic and melodic language of music, creator of new forms of musical expressiveness. Wagner- author of the world's longest solo aria (14 minutes 46 seconds) and the world's longest classical opera (5 hours and 15 minutes). During life Richard Wagner was considered a controversial person, who was either adored or hated. And often both together. Mystical symbolism and anti-Semitism made him Hitler's favorite composer, but closed the way for his music to Israel. However, neither the composer's supporters nor opponents deny his greatness as a composer. Wonderful music from the very first notes Richard Wagner absorbs you completely, leaving no room for disputes and disagreements:
Franz Schubert
The Austrian composer is a musical genius, one of the best song composers. He was only 17 when he wrote his first song. In one day he could write 8 songs. During his creative life, he created more than 600 compositions, based on poems by more than 100 great poets, including Goethe, Schiller and Shakespeare. That's why Franz Schubert in the top 10. Although creativity Schubert very diverse in the use of genres, ideas and reincarnations, the predominant and defining thing in his music is vocal and song lyrics. To Schubert the song was considered an insignificant genre, and it was he who elevated it to the level of artistic perfection. Moreover, he combined the seemingly incompatible song and chamber symphonic music, which gave rise to a new direction of lyrical-romantic symphony. Vocal and song lyrics are a world of simple and deep, subtle and even intimate human experiences, expressed not in words, but in sound. Franz Schubert lived a very short life, only 31 years old. The fate of the composer's works is no less tragic than his life. After death Schubert many unpublished manuscripts remained, stored in bookcases and drawers of relatives and friends. Even those closest to him did not know everything he wrote, and for many years he was recognized mainly only as the king of song. Some of the composer's works were published only half a century after his death. One of the most beloved and famous works Franz Schubert – "Evening Serenade":
Robert Schumann
With an equally tragic fate, the German composer is one of the best composers of the romantic era. He created music of amazing beauty. To get an idea of German romanticism of the 19th century, just listen to "Carnival" Robert Schumann. He was able to break free from the musical traditions of the classical era, creating his own interpretation of the romantic style. Robert Schumann was gifted with many talents, and even for a long time he could not decide between music, poetry, journalism and philology (he was a polyglot and translated fluently from English, French and Italian). He was also an amazing pianist. And yet the main calling and passion Schumann there was music. His poetic and deeply psychological music largely reflects the duality of the composer’s nature, a rush of passion and escape into the world of dreams, awareness of vulgar reality and the desire for the ideal. One of the masterpieces Robert Schumann, which everyone simply must hear:
Frederic Chopin
Perhaps the most famous Pole in the world of music. Neither before nor after the composer was a musical genius of this level born in Poland. The Poles are incredibly proud of their great compatriot, and in his work the composer more than once glorifies his homeland, admires the beauty of the landscapes, laments the tragic past, and dreams of a great future. Frederic Chopin- one of the few composers who wrote music exclusively for piano. His creative heritage includes neither operas nor symphonies, but piano pieces are presented in all their diversity. His works form the basis of the repertoire of many famous pianists. Frederic Chopin is a Polish composer who is also known as a talented pianist. He lived only 39 years, but managed to create many masterpieces: ballads, preludes, waltzes, mazurkas, nocturnes, polonaises, etudes, sonatas and much, much more. One of them is "Ballad No. 1, G minor".
Franz Liszt
He is one of the world's greatest composers. He lived a relatively long and surprisingly rich life, experienced poverty and wealth, met love and faced contempt. In addition to his natural talent, he had a fantastic ability to work. Franz Liszt earned not only the admiration of music connoisseurs and fans. Both as a composer and as a pianist he received universal praise from European critics XIX century. He created more than 1300 works and similar Frederic Chopin gave preference to works for piano. Brilliant pianist Franz Liszt he knew how to reproduce the sound of an entire orchestra on the piano, he improvised masterfully, he had a fantastic memory of musical compositions, and he had no equal in reading notes from sight. He had a pathetic style of performance, which was also reflected in his music, emotionally passionate and heroically elated, creating colorful musical paintings and making a lasting impression on the listeners. Business card The composer's concertos are for piano. One of these works. And one of the most famous works Liszt – "Dreams of Love":
Johannes Brahms
A significant figure of the romantic period in music is Johannes Brahms. Listen and love music Brahms considered good taste and a characteristic sign of a romantic nature. Brahms did not write a single opera, but he created works in all other genres. Special glory Brahms brought his symphonies. Already in the first works the composer’s originality is manifested, which over time transformed into own style. If we consider all the works Brahms, it cannot be said that the composer was greatly influenced by the work of his predecessors or contemporaries. And in terms of the scale of creativity Brahms often compared to Bach And Beethoven. Perhaps this comparison is justified in the sense that the work of the three great Germans represents the culmination of an entire era in the history of music. Unlike Franz Liszt life Johannes Brahms was devoid of turbulent events. He preferred quiet creativity, during his lifetime he earned recognition of his talent and universal respect, and was also awarded considerable honors. The most outstanding music in which the creative force Brahms had a particularly bright and original effect, is his "German Requiem", a work that the author created for 10 years and dedicated to his mother. In your music Brahms sings praises eternal values human life which lie in the beauty of nature, the art of great talents of the past, and the culture of their homeland.
Giuseppe Verdi
What are the top ten composers without?! The Italian composer is best known for his operas. He became the national glory of Italy, his work is the culmination of the development of Italian opera. His achievements and merits as a composer cannot be overestimated. His works still, a century after the death of the author, remain the most popular, widely performed, known to both connoisseurs and lovers of classical music.
For Verdi The most important thing in opera was drama. The musical images of Rigoletto, Aida, Violetta, and Desdemona created by the composer organically combine bright melody and depth of characters, democracy and sophistication musical characteristics, violent passions and bright dreams. Verdi was a real psychologist in understanding human passions. His music is nobility and power, amazing beauty and harmony, inexpressibly beautiful melodies, wonderful arias and duets. Passions run high, comedy and tragedy intertwine and merge together. The plots of operas, by his own admission Verdi, must be “original, interesting and... passionate, with passion above all else.” And most of his works are serious and tragic, demonstrating emotional dramatic situations, and the music of the great Verdi gives expressiveness to what is happening and emphasizes the accents of the situation. Having absorbed all the best that had been achieved by the Italian opera school, he did not deny operatic traditions, but reformed Italian opera, filled it with realism, gave it the unity of the whole. At the same time, he did not announce his reform, did not write articles about it, but simply wrote operas in a new way. Triumphant procession of one of the masterpieces Verdi- operas - swept across Italian stages and continued in Europe, as well as in Russia and America, forcing even skeptics to recognize the talent of the great composer.
10 most famous composers in the world updated: November 25, 2017 by: Elena
The melodies and songs of the Russian people inspired the work of famous composers of the second half of the 19th century century. Among them were P.I. Tchaikovsky, M.P. Mussorgsky, M.I. Glinka and A.P. Borodin. Their traditions were continued by a whole galaxy of outstanding musical figures. Russian composers of the 20th century are still popular.
Alexander Nikolaevich Scriabin
Creativity of A.N. Scriabin (1872 - 1915), a Russian composer and talented pianist, teacher, and innovator, cannot leave anyone indifferent. In his original and impulsive music, mystical moments are sometimes heard. The composer is attracted and attracted by the image of fire. Even in the titles of his works, Scriabin often repeats words such as fire and light. He tried to find the possibility of combining sound and light in his works.
The composer's father, Nikolai Alexandrovich Scriabin, was a famous Russian diplomat and active state councilor. Mother - Lyubov Petrovna Skryabina (nee Shchetinina), was known as a very talented pianist. She graduated with honors from the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Her professional activity began successfully, but soon after the birth of her son she died of consumption. In 1878, Nikolai Alexandrovich completed his studies and received an appointment to the Russian embassy in Constantinople. The future composer's upbringing was continued by his close relatives - his grandmother Elizaveta Ivanovna, her sister Maria Ivanovna and his father's sister Lyubov Alexandrovna.
Despite the fact that at the age of five Scriabin mastered playing the piano, and a little later began to study musical compositions, according to family tradition, received a military education. He graduated from the 2nd Moscow Cadet Corps. At the same time, he took private lessons in piano and music theory. Later he entered the Moscow Conservatory and graduated with a small gold medal.
At the beginning of its creative activity Scriabin consciously followed Chopin and chose the same genres. However, even at that time his own talent had already emerged. At the beginning of the 20th century, he wrote three symphonies, then “Poem of Ecstasy” (1907) and “Prometheus” (1910). It is interesting that the composer supplemented the score of “Prometheus” with a light keyboard part. He was the first to use light music, the purpose of which is characterized by revealing music by the method of visual perception.
The composer's accidental death interrupted his work. He never realized his plan to create “Mystery” - a symphony of sounds, colors, movements, smells. In this work, Scriabin wanted to tell all of humanity his innermost thoughts and inspire them to create a new world, marked by the union of the Universal Spirit and Matter. His most significant works were only the preface to this grandiose project.
Famous Russian composer, pianist, conductor S.V. Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943) was born into a wealthy noble family. Rachmaninov's grandfather was a professional musician. His mother gave him his first piano lessons, and later they invited music teacher A.D. Ornatskaya. In 1885, his parents sent him to a private boarding school with the professor of the Moscow Conservatory N.S. Zverev. Order and discipline in educational institution provided significant influence on the formation of the future character of the composer. He later graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with a gold medal. While still a student, Rachmaninov was very popular among the Moscow public. He has already created his “First Piano Concerto”, as well as some other romances and plays. And his “Prelude in C sharp minor” became a very popular composition. Great P.I. Tchaikovsky drew attention to Sergei Rachmaninov’s graduation work - the opera “Oleko”, which he wrote under the impression of the poem by A.S. Pushkin "Gypsies". Pyotr Ilyich achieved its production in Bolshoi Theater, tried to help with the inclusion of this work in the theater’s repertoire, but unexpectedly died.
From the age of twenty, Rachmaninov taught at several institutes and gave private lessons. By invitation famous philanthropist, theatrical and musical figure Savva Mamontov, at the age of 24 the composer became the second conductor of the Moscow Russian Private Opera. There he became friends with F.I. Chaliapin.
Rachmaninov's career was interrupted on March 15, 1897 due to the non-acceptance of his innovative First Symphony by the St. Petersburg public. Reviews of this work were truly devastating. But the composer’s biggest disappointment was the negative review left by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, whose opinion Rachmaninov greatly valued. After this, he fell into a prolonged depression, which he managed to get out of with the help of hypnotist N.V. Dalia.
In 1901, Rachmaninov completed work on the Second Piano Concerto. And from this moment his active creative activity as a composer and pianist began. Rachmaninov's unique style combined Russian church chants, romanticism and impressionism. He considered melody to be the main leading principle in music. This found its greatest expression in the author’s favorite work, the poem “Bells,” which he wrote for orchestra, choir and soloists.
At the end of 1917, Rachmaninov and his family left Russia, worked in Europe, and then went to America. The composer had a hard time experiencing the break with his homeland. During the Great Patriotic War he gave charity concerts, the proceeds of which he sent to the Red Army Fund.
Stravinsky's music is distinguished by its stylistic diversity. At the very beginning of his creative activity, it was based on Russian musical traditions. And then in the works one can hear the influence of neoclassicism, characteristic of the music of France of that period and dodecaphony.
Igor Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov), in 1882. The father of the future composer Fyodor Ignatievich is a famous opera singer, one of the soloists Mariinsky Theater. His mother was pianist and singer Anna Kirillovna Kholodovskaya. From the age of nine, teachers taught him piano lessons. After graduating from high school, at the request of his parents, he entered the law faculty of the university. For two years, from 1904 to 1906, he took lessons from N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, under whose guidance he wrote his first works - a scherzo, a piano sonata, and the suite “Faun and Shepherdess”. Sergei Diaghilev highly appreciated the composer's talent and offered him cooperation. The result collaboration There were three ballets (staged by S. Diaghilev) - “The Firebird”, “Petrushka”, “The Rite of Spring”.
Shortly before the First World War, the composer left for Switzerland, then to France. A new period begins in his work. He studies music XVIII styles century, writes the opera “Oedipus the King” and music for the ballet “Apollo Musagete”. His author's handwriting changed several times over time. The composer lived in the USA for many years. His last famous work"Requiem". A special feature of the composer Stravinsky is the ability to constantly change styles, genres and musical directions.
Composer Prokofiev was born in 1891 in a small village in the Yekaterinoslav province. The world of music was opened to him by his mother, a good pianist who often performed works by Chopin and Beethoven. She became a real musical mentor for her son and, in addition, taught him German and French.
At the beginning of 1900, young Prokofiev managed to attend the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” and listen to the operas “Faust” and “Prince Igor”. The impression received from the performances of Moscow theaters was expressed in his own creativity. He writes the opera "The Giant" and then the overture to "Desert Shores". The parents soon realize that they cannot continue teaching their son music. Soon the aspiring composer, at the age of eleven, was introduced to the famous Russian composer and teacher S.I. Taneyev, who personally asked R.M. Gliera to study musical composition with Sergei. S. Prokofiev passed the entrance exams to the St. Petersburg Conservatory at the age of 13. At the beginning of his career, the composer toured and performed a lot. However, his work caused misunderstanding among the public. This was due to the features of the works, which were expressed in the following:
- modernist style;
- destruction of established musical canons;
- extravagance and ingenuity of compositional techniques
In 1918, S. Prokofiev left and returned only in 1936. Already in the USSR, he wrote music for films, operas, and ballets. But after he was accused, along with a number of other composers, of “formalism”, he practically moved to live in the country, but continued to write musical works. His opera “War and Peace”, ballets “Romeo and Juliet”, “Cinderella” have become the property of world culture.
Russian composers of the 20th century, who lived at the turn of the century, not only preserved the traditions of the previous generation of creative intelligentsia, but also created their own, unique art, for which the works of P.I. remained as models. Tchaikovsky, M.I. Glinka, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.