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TEMA 4/ THEME 4
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Classicism
Style of Western art music that emerged in the mid-18th century and lasted until the early 19th century. It is characterized by clarity, balance, and simplicity, and is often associated with composers such as Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. The classical style is typically characterized by its use of balanced phrases, clearly defined harmonies, and a sense of formal structure, with an emphasis on melody and a rejection of excessive ornamentation. -
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Gluck
Austrian composer of Italian and German origin who is widely considered one of the most important composers of opera in the 18th century. Gluck was born in Erasbach, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, and began his musical studies in Prague before moving to Italy in 1737. -
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J. Haydn
Austrian composer who was known for composing over 100 symphonies, dozens of string quartets and other works like operas. He got famous due to his classical style of music dominating western classical music during the 18th and 19 centuries. -
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Nannerl Mozart
Was the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Like Mozart, he showed early signs of musical talent and got taught by his father, Leopold Mozart. She also traveled around and learnt about music in Europe, although she was heavily restricted by the rules of the era against women and couldn't have many opportunities to compose music. -
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Austrian composer and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential composers in the history of Western classical music. Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, and began his musical education at an early age under the tutelage of his father, Leopold Mozart, who was a composer and music teacher. He was a prodigy which could start making music at a young age. -
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Maria Theresia Von Paradis
Austrian musician and composer who overcame blindness to become a celebrated performer and composer during the late 18th century. Born in Vienna, Austria, von Paradis lost her sight at an early age, but she showed a remarkable talent for music and was trained as a singer, pianist, and composer. Von Paradis became famous throughout Europe for her performances on the piano and harpsichord, as well as for her beautiful singing voice. -
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Beethoven
German composer and pianist who is widely considered one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music. Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, and began his musical education at an early age under the tutelage of his father, who was also a musician. Also his music was known because of his emotional, dramatic and technical value. -
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Gioachino Rossini
Italian composer known for his contributions to opera. Rossini's operas are known for their lively and tuneful melodies, as well as their comedic and often farcical plotlines. He composed more than 30 operas in his lifetime. -
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Schubert
Austrian composer who is widely regarded as one of the most important composers of the Romantic period in music. Born in Vienna, Schubert showed an early talent for music and was trained as a choirboy at the Imperial Chapel. He began composing music at an early age, and he did over 600 songs, as well as chamber music, symphonies, and operas. -
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Romanticism
The Romanticism was an artistic and cultural period which surged as a reaction to Ilustrism and was caracterized by freedom and feelings. -
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Berlioz
French composer, conductor, and music critic known for his innovative contributions to the development of Romantic music. He was born in La Côte-Saint-André, France, and began studying music at a young age.
Berlioz's music is known for its emotional intensity, vivid orchestration, and innovative use of musical forms. He composed a wide variety of works, including symphonies, operas, cantatas, and choral music. -
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Mendelssohn
German composer, pianist, and conductor known for his contributions to the development of Romantic music. Born into a prominent Jewish family in Hamburg, Mendelssohn demonstrated exceptional talent as a musician from a young age and was recognized as a child prodigy.
Mendelssohn's music is known for its lyrical beauty, classical formal structures, and innovative use of harmony and orchestration. -
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Chopin
Polish-French composer and pianist known for his contributions to the genre of piano music. Born in Żelazowa Wola, Poland, Chopin began studying music at a young age and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent as a pianist and composer. Chopin's works for the piano are known for their emotional depth, technical virtuosity, and unique blend of Polish folk music and Western classical music. -
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Schumann
German composer, pianist, and music critic who played a key role in the development of Romantic music in the 19th century. Born in Zwickau, Germany, Schumann showed an early talent for music and began composing as a young boy. He abandoned his career to show his love for music. Schumann's music is known for its emotional depth and expressive power. -
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Liszt
Hungarian composer, pianist, and conductor known for his virtuosic keyboard playing, innovative compositions, and charismatic stage presence. Born in Raiding, Hungary, Liszt began studying music at a young age and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent as a pianist.
Liszt's music is known for its technical difficulty, emotional intensity, and imaginative use of thematic transformation and virtuosic figuration. -
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Verdi
Italian composer who was also known for his contributions for opera. Born in Le Roncole, Italy, Verdi began studying music at a young age and composed his first opera, "Oberto," in 1839. Verdi's operas are known for their powerful emotions, memorable melodies, and dramatic plots. He composed over 20 operas in his lifetime. -
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Wagner
German composer known for his contributions to opera. Born in Leipzig, Germany, Wagner began studying music at a young age and composed his first opera, "Die Feen," in 1833. Wagner's operas are known for their dramatic power, innovative orchestration, and integration of music, drama, and poetry. -
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Clara Schumann
German pianist and composer who is best known for her virtuosic piano playing and her contributions to the development of Romantic music. She was born in Leipzig, Germany and began studying piano with his father, which was a respected teacher and composer. Clara's music is known for its lyricism, emotional intensity, and technical brilliance. -
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Smetana
Czech composer and pianist known for his role in developing a distinct Czech national style of classical music. He was born in Litomyšl, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), and began studying music at a young age. Smetana's music is characterized by its use of Czech folk melodies, rhythms, and harmonies, and its vivid programmatic content. -
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Brahms
German composer and pianist who is considered one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Born in Hamburg, Brahms showed an early talent for music and began playing piano in taverns and dance halls as a teenager. He later studied music with some of the leading composers of his day, like Robert Schumann. Brahms' music is known for its intricate counterpoint, rich harmonies, and emotional depth. -
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Musorgski
Russian composer and member of the "Mighty Handful," a group of five Russian composers who sought to create a distinctive national style of classical music. Mussorgsky was born in Karevo, Russia, and began studying music at a young age. Mussorgsky's music is known for its dramatic power, vivid imagery, and use of Russian folk melodies. -
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Chaikovski
Russian composer of the Romantic era. He was born in Votkinsk, Russia, and began studying music at a young age. Tchaikovsky's music is known for its emotional intensity, lush melodies, and brilliant orchestration. He composed a wide variety of works, including symphonies, concertos, ballets, operas, and chamber music. -
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Dvorak
Czech composer who is known for his contributions to classical music and his development of a distinct national style of music. Dvořák was born in Nelahozeves, near Prague, and began studying music at a young age. His music is characterized by its use of Czech folk melodies, rhythms, and harmonies, as well as his innovative use of symphonic form and orchestration. -
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Grieg
Norwegian composer and pianist known for his contributions to the Romantic era of classical music. He was born in Bergen, Norway, and began studying music at a young age. Grieg's music is characterized by its use of Norwegian folk melodies and harmonies, and his innovative approach to classical forms. He composed a wide variety of works, including piano pieces, songs, chamber music, and orchestral works. -
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Rimski Korsakov
Russian composer, conductor, and music educator of the Romantic era. He was born in Tikhvin, Russia, and began studying music at a young age. Rimsky-Korsakov's music is known for its lush harmonies, colorful orchestration, and use of Russian folk melodies. He composed a wide variety of works, including operas, symphonies, chamber music, and works for solo instruments. -
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Puccini
Italian composer once again, known for his contributions to opera. Born in Lucca, Italy, Puccini began studying music at a young age and composed his first opera, "Le Villi," in 1884. These operas were known for their dramatic intensity, lusc orchestrations and powerful melodies. -
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Hugo Wolf
Austrian composer known for his contributions to Lieders. Born in Slovenia, he showed an early talent for music and studied at the Vienna Conservatory. He struggled with mental illness throughout his life and spent several years in an asylum before his death at the age of 42. Principally known for the emotions in his music. -
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Gustav Mahler
Austrian composer and conductor known for his symphonies and songs. Born in what is now the Czech Republic, Mahler was a prominent conductor during his lifetime, serving as the music director of the Vienna Court Opera and later the New York Philharmonic.
Mahler's music is known for its emotional intensity, complexity, and blending of traditional tonality with innovative harmonies and orchestration. He composed nine symphonies and several song cycles. -
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Debussy
French composer known for his contributions to the development of impressionist music. He was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, and began studying music at a young age. His music was characterized by its use of impressionist techniques, which focus on creating musical impressions and atmospheres rather than telling a specific narrative or story. -
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Sibelius
Finnish composer and violinist known for his contributions to the late Romantic era and early modern era of classical music. He was born in Hämeenlinna, Finland, and began studying music at a young age. His music s characterized by its use of Finnish folk melodies and themes, and his innovative approach to classical forms. He composed a wide variety of works, including symphonies, tone poems, chamber music, and choral works. -
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Schonberg
Austrian composer, music theorist, and painter, known for his pioneering work in atonal and twelve-tone music. Schoenberg began his career as a late Romantic composer, heavily influenced by composers such as Wagner, Brahms, and Mahler. However, he became dissatisfied with the limitations of tonality and began to explore new harmonic and melodic possibilities. -
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Ravel
French composer known for his contributions to impressionist and neoclassical music. He was born in Ciboure, France, and began studying music at a young age. Ravel's music is characterized by its use of intricate harmonies, unconventional rhythms, and delicate textures. -
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Manuel de Falla
Spanish composer and pianist who is known for his distinctive style that combined traditional Spanish music with modernist techniques. Spanish composer and pianist who is known for his distinctive style that combined traditional Spanish music with modernist techniques. -
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Bartok
Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist who is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Bartók was born in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary (now Sânnicolau Mare, Romania), and began studying music at a young age. Bartók's music is known for its distinctive style, which incorporates elements of Hungarian folk music, as well as other Eastern European and Middle Eastern folk traditions. -
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Kódaly
Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, and music theorist who is known for his contributions to music education, particularly in the development of the Kodály Method. Kodály's music is known for its use of folk melodies and traditional Hungarian music. -
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Joaquín Turina
Spanish composer and pianist who is known for his unique blend of traditional Spanish music and modernist techniques. Born in Seville, Spain, Turina began studying music at an early age and went on to study at the Madrid Conservatory. -
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Stravinsky
Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, widely considered to be one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Stravinsky's early works were heavily influenced by Russian folk music and the music of his teacher, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. However, he soon began to develop a style of his own, characterized by complex rhythms, unconventional harmonies, and a focus on rhythm and timbre over melody. -
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Heitor Villa-Lobos
Brazilian composer, conductor, and guitarist known for his contributions to the development of Brazilian classical music. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began studying music at a young age. His music is characterized by its use of Brazilian folk melodies and rhythms, and his innovative approach to classical forms. He composed a wide variety of works, including symphonies, operas, chamber music, and choral works. -
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Gershwin
American composer and pianist known for his contributions to the development of American popular and classical music. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and began studying music at a young age. Gershwin's music is characterized by its fusion of classical music elements with jazz and popular music styles, which he called "American music". -
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Messiaen
French composer, organist, and ornithologist, known for his unique musical style, which combined traditional Western classical music with elements of Indian classical music, birdsong, and his own deeply held Catholic faith. Messiaen's music is characterized by its complex rhythms, rich harmonies, and vivid use of color and texture. He often used unusual scales and modes in his compositions. -
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Pierre Schaeffer
French composer, musicologist, and pioneer of experimental music. He is often credited as the founder of musique concrète, a type of electronic music that uses recorded sounds (concrete sounds) as its primary material. Schaeffer's work in musique concrète was influential not only in electronic music but also in the broader field of contemporary art. -
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John Cage
American composer, philosopher, writer, and visual artist, known for his pioneering work in the field of experimental music. Cage's music is characterized by its use of chance operations, non-musical sounds, and unconventional methods of notation.Cage's most famous work is 4 min and 33 sec, a composition in which performers sit in silence for the duration of the piece, while the ambient sounds of the concert hall or other surroundings become the "music" of the performance. -
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Pierre Henry
French composer and one of the pioneers of musique concrète, a type of electronic music that uses recorded sounds (concrete sounds) as its primary material. He was a student of Pierre Schaeffer, the founder of musique concrète, and worked with him at the Studio d'Essai, a laboratory for experimental music. Henry's early works focused on the manipulation of natural and everyday sounds, but he later turned to creating entirely electronic compositions.