Music

Great classical music composers

Classical music is the genre that laid the foundations so that all styles that are enjoyed today could exist. Therefore, it could be said that without the prodigious minds of the composers who left their mark on centuries past, music as we know it would not exist today. Hence lies the importance of these great geniuses.

Long before the advent of digital pianos or tech apps that allow you to play beautiful songs from an electronic tablet, some musical geniuses managed to forge the path with great instruments and a lot of effort.

Due to their importance, and the contributions they gave to the world, it is necessary to talk about classical music composers, since they were the ones who laid the foundations for all musical advances today. These are the most important famous composers in history.

Renaissance Composers

1) Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643)

The Renaissance, as its name may indicate, was a time of enlightenment across the board. At this time the first systems for tuning instruments were born, composers were able to print their works for the first time and, in addition, they began to experiment with the alterations of musical notes with sharps, naturals and flats.

In this time of unprecedented changes, this great composer of the Italian school stood out, who also marked the transitional path between the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Monteverdi was the creator of L’Orfeo, considered the first opera in history, and also gained recognition thanks to his madrigals.

 

Baroque Composers

2) Antonio Lucius Vivaldi (1678-1741) 

Being born into a family of musicians does not always mean that everyone will follow the same path, however, in the case of Vivaldi it did, as he managed to become one of the most successful composers in history. In his repertoire there are more than 400 concerts, about 46 operas and a total of 700 musical works.

His most famous composition is probably “The Four Seasons”, since these four concerts are works that have managed to permeate popular culture so deeply that even people who do not know classical music have heard “Spring” or “Summer” at some point. time.

3) George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759) 

In the baroque period a very significant change in music occurred: the beginning of the orchestra. Thanks to this, composers were able to expand their works exponentially, adding other nuances and contrasts that increased the expressiveness of the music.

This combination is quite noticeable in Handel, who had to experiment, fail and repeat to achieve success. Although he was a German, his operas started out being written in Italian; however, after not having the reception he expected, he began to compose in English where he got the appreciation he deserved.

His best-known work is also a key composition of sacred music: “El Mesías”.

4) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) 

With Bach the musical Baroque era ended; This is how historians say, and it is that this composer really marked a before and after in music.

Despite being known for being excellent at improvising, his compositions stand out for their excellent technicality. This made him worthy of the title of the great master of counterpoint, since he managed to find harmonic stability in improvisation.

His musical history is divided into 5. Each stage refers to a place where he lived at that time: Arnstadt (1703-1707), Mülhausen (1707-1708), Weimar (1708-1717), Köthen (1717-1723) and, lastly, Leipzig (1723-1750).

Classical Composers

5) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) 

It will never be possible to talk about classical composers without mentioning Mozart and his work, because this musician was truly a genius.

This musical prodigy, who became a professional violinist at the age of 6, was one of the few who managed to compose works in all genres of the time. He made church music, sonatas, symphonies, concertos, operas, divertissements and even chamber music, accumulating more than 600 compositions until his death at the age of 35.

6) Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) 

Although Hadyn himself acknowledged that Mozart was a more prominent composer, he is credited with much of the musical advancement of classicism.

This musician, at the age of 27, composed the string quartets that catapulted him to stardom and, thanks to the contributions he made to the symphony, it began with a new structure, organized in four movements.

The music of this composer, like that of the time, is characterized by being pleasant and easy to assimilate, which is why it is considered universal.

Composers of Romanticism

7) Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) 

At the moment in which Beethoven’s 1st Symphony saw the light, it is considered that the period of romanticism officially begins, an era characterized by the creative freedom of musicians, who created music full of feeling.

As many know, Beethoven became deaf at the most important point of his career, however, even after that he managed to compose great works such as the Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9. Due to this situation, it is considered that the first musical stage Beethoven’s is the most significant, called the “heroic decade”, because during this time his greatest creations were produced.

8) Frederic Francois Chopin (1810 – 1849) 

At the height of romanticism, it is Chopin who stands out among the other composers, since it was a moment in which the piano became the leading instrument and this musical prodigy was already an excellent pianist when he was just seven years old. In fact, at this age he composed his first work.

Today, he is one of the best-known composers and many musicians prefer him when choosing works to perform.

9) Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883) 

This composer was characterized by defending free sonority, which is why his works were full of expressiveness, chromatism and a lot of feeling. In fact, his operas were called “musical dramas.”

In order for his operas to be unique and express feeling, Wagner wrote librettos, designed sets and was involved in every little detail regarding his performances. Because of this, Wagner not only meant the end of the musical era of romanticism, but also defined the beginning of contemporary theater.

20th century composers

10) Debussy and Stravinsky 

With the arrival of the 20th century, music began to divide into different movements or currents that had very marked characteristics. Therefore, choosing a single composer in this position is almost impossible.

Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky are considered to be two of the greatest artists of their time. The first, although he rejected his title, is considered the first composer of the Impressionist current; meanwhile, the latter stood out for experimenting with almost all the styles of the time.

Although the music of each of these composers was different in sound, styles, and even in the instruments used, all of them managed to shape the history of music and their legacy is still important today.

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