30 Famous Music Composers and Their Stories
The art of musical composition has a long, rich history spanning centuries and continents.
From the medieval chants of Hildegard von Bingen to the operas of Verdi in Italy, composers have created iconic works of art. Johann Bach mastered counterpoint, while Beethoven created symphonies even as he went deaf.
Other prodigies like Mozart wrote enduring masterpieces in short lives, while Tchaikovsky battled depression to produce classics like Swan Lake.
Each famous composer, whether romantic virtuosos or 20th-century trailblazers, has a powerful story behind their inspiring creations.
Explore the personal and artistic journeys of these maestros, understanding the cultural and historical contexts that influenced their work.
Here are 30 famous music composers and their stories:
1. Johann Sebastian Bach
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Johann Sebastian Bach, a German Baroque composer, stands as a luminary in musical history.
Renowned for his intricate compositions and profound mastery of counterpoint, Bach&#;s legacy endures through a vast body of work.
His compositions span a diverse range, encompassing sublime ca
Baroque Music (ca. ): A Guide to Research and Resources
Oxford Online Bibliographies compile authoritatively selected and annotated citations for key reference works, collected correspondence, biographies, monographs, and articles relating to prominent composers.
Research guides provide detailed listings for a composer's known musical and literary works followed by annotated bibliographies of the secondary literature on the composer's œuvre arranged by genre and important topics in the composer's life, career, and reception history—plus other features such as a genealogies, chronologies, and indexes.
Companions collate major essays by established experts that address key aspects of the composer's career, creative work, style, and critical reception.
- G. F. Handel: A Guide to Research (Online) by Mary Ann ParkerCall Number: Reference (SV) ML .H16 P37 (print version)Sections include: background, Handel's life and his works in general, sources and compositional methods, studies of Handel's music, performance practices and the Handel tradition, and indexes.
- The Cambridge companion to Bach (Online) by John Butt (editor)Call Numbe
Renaissance Music (ca. –): A Guide to Research and Resources
Oxford Online Bibliographies compile authoritatively selected and annotated citations for key reference works, collected correspondence, biographies, monographs, and articles relating to prominent composers.
Research guides provide detailed listings for a composer's known musical and literary works followed by annotated bibliographies of the secondary literature on the composer's œuvre arranged by genre and important topics in the composer's life, career, and reception history—plus other features such as a genealogies, chronologies, and indexes.
Companions collate major essays by established experts that address key aspects of the composer's career, creative work, style, and critical reception.
- Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina: a guide to research (Online) by Clara MarvinCall Number: Reference (SV) ML .P2 M37 (print version)Introduction to the literature on Palestrina as well as the complicated history of the publication of his works. This bibliography is divided into four primary sections: historical background on musical, social, and cultural life; biographical literature
The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time
Johann Sebastian Bach ()
Bach is the definitive Baroque composer. If you have sublime Bach you don’t need the others (and we’re only half kidding).
Born in in Eisenach in Germany, Bach was a prolific composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist.
The music he wrote spanned forces – from solo instrumental works, such as the Cello Suites (below), to huge sacred choral pieces, instrumental concertos like the Brandenburg Concertos, and collections of keyboard music, including The Well-Tempered Clavier, that pushed contemporaneous instruments to their limits.
Read more: 10 of Bach’s all-time best pieces of music
See Me- A Global Concert - World Economic Forum
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ()
Continuing the tradition of names with three words and four well-formed syllables in the middle one, is the child prodigy and all-round genius, Mozart.
Composing in, and defining, the Classical era, Mozart wrote 41 symphonies, numerous concertos, revolutionary Italian operas including The Marriage of Figaro and Cosí fan tutte, and chamber works that are loved as much by audiences today as when they were
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