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Ludwig van Beethoven
Instrumental in moving music towards Romanticism; he is an icon in our present culture; he established the heroic topic in orchestral music and was the transitional composer between classicism and romanticism. -
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E.T.A Hoffimann
German writer and composer; writer of "The Nutcracker" fable; his writings epitomize Romanticism; also an artist -
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Gioachino Rossini
The most famous composer in the early 19th century in Vienna; composed mostly choral music and operas; Italian Wrote: 39 operas, choral music, vocal works, 2 sinfonia -
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Carl Maria von Weber
Founder of German Romantic Opera; studied with Michael Haydn; important conductor. Wrote: German opera, other dramatic works, 2 symphonies -
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Gaetano Donizetti
Student of Mayr; Verdi's immediate forerunner in serious Italian opera; prolific composer of all genres. Wrote: 70 operas, 100 songs, choral music -
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Franz Schubert
Austrian composer who created a genre of artistic and dramatic Lieder; expansive melodies; frequent modulations; many unfinished works; romanticized after his early death. -
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Vincenzo Bellini
Italian opera composer; created dramas with extreme passion, action, and emotion. Wrote: 10 serious operas -
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Hector Berlioz
French composer, conductor, writer, and innovator; he was the leading French musician in his day; his works embody the notions of Romanticism. -
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Mikhail Glinka
The father of Russian music; European trained; prolific. Wrote: stage works, chamber music, orchestral works, piano works, vocal works -
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Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Had the same training as Felix; she was discouraged from composing; married, then published more; her house was a center for intellectuals and culture. -
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Felix Mendelssohn
Early romantic; conservative style; important as a conductor; revived Bach's music; German composer Jewish heritage. Wrote: symphonies, concertos, chamber music, Lieder. Piano and organ work -
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Robert Schumann
Important as critic, editor, and composer; center of musical life; lost his sanity at a young age. Wrote: 4 symphonies, Lieder, chamber music, piano works, concertos, 1 not-so-great opera -
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Frederic Francois Chopin
Polish/French composer and pianist; he innovated new piano techniques; he is more famous today than during his lifetime; known for his character pieces. -
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Franz Liszt
Virtuoso pianist; conductor; author; supporter of Wagner; innovator in musical form, aesthetics, and harmonies; inventor of the orchestral tone poem. -
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Giuseppe Verdi
The leading Italian opera composer of the 19th century; became a national hero of Italy. Wrote: 26 operas, choral music -
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Richard Wagner
Creator of German Music Drama; conductor, writer, musical innovator; wrote about music of the future; Anti-Semite; profoundly influenced Western harmony; strove for endless melodies. Wrote: 2 poor symphonies -
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Charles Gounod
French prolific composer; wrote in most genres of that day. Wrote: 12 operas, oratorios, masses, much choral music, piano works. -
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Clara Wieck Shumann
Virtuoso pianist; wife of Robert Schumann; close friend of Brahms. Wrote: Lieder, piano concerto -
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Cesar Franck
French nationalist composer, teacher, and organist. Wrote: stage works, choral music, orchestral works, songs, chamber music, piano and organ works. -
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Anton Bruckner
Austrian composer and organist; follower of Wagner; known for his large orchestrations; incredibly conscientious approach to composition. Wrote: symphonies, organ works, choral music. -
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Bedrich Smetana
Czech composer, established Czech opera in the 19th century; nationalist. Wrote: tone poems, operas -
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Johann Strauss
Viennese composer, conductor, and violinist; called the "Waltz-King" Wrote: Viennese operettas. -
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Johannes Brahms
Austrian composer; known as a classic romantic; strong knowledge of the musical past; one of the first editors of Bach's music; conductor, pianist; friends with the Schumann; never wrote an opera. -
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Georges Bizet
French composer who created a new type of serious French opera. Wrote: dramatic works, piano works, songs -
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Modest Musorgsky
One of the Russian Mighty Five; most famous of the 5 today; his music is rooted in Russian folksong and lore -
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John Knowles Paine
American; organist, composer; teacher of the new generation of American composers; Harvard's first professor of music. Wrote: stage works, choral music, songs, orchestral works, piano and chamber works, writings. -
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Pioyr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Russian composer, conductor, and teacher; Western-trained; emotional; conservative harmonic language. -
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Antonin Dvorak
The most famous of the Czech composers; lived in USA; influenced by African- American and Native American music and culture. -
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Gabriel Faure
French composer, teacher, and keyboardist; he foreshadowed modern tonality and style; extremely important as a teacher; head of the Paris Conservatory. -
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Leos Janacek
Czech composer; ethnomusicologist; influenced by folk music. Wrote: stage works, orchestral work, chamber music, keyboard works, folksong arrangements, and editions -
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John Philip Sousa
American; leader of the U.S. Marine Band in 1880 Wrote: over 100 marches, vocal works. -
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Edward Elgar
English composer; received international acclaim; not folksong oriented. Wrote: 9 stage works, choral music, chamber music -
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Giacomo Puccini
Italian opera composer; gift for delicate melodies; strove for realism; the most successful Italian opera composer after Verdi.