Composers' and
Facts Study Guide
2) Vivaldi: The Red Priest, "Four Seasons"
3) Bach: "Toccata and Fugue, wore big wig, 20
children, greatest composer?
4) Handel: Beethoven consisered him greatest composer,
sword fight, button saved him., "Messiah".
5) Haydn: "Surprise Symphony"; major
developer of symphony and string quartet; Napoleon protected house,
6) Boccherini: "The Minuet", wrote for Napoleon's
brother, Lucien
7) Mozart: One of the three "greatest"
composers, rheumatic fever, pig squeal.."G sharp"; "Eine Kliene
Nachtmusic". Considered by some as equal to Wagner and Verdi in ability ot
write opera.
8) Beethoven: Composer of most famous sounds in Western
World "da, daa, da daa" ("5th Symphony"); became deaf, cut
off legs of piano to hear vibrations.
9) Rossini: Very successful...stopped composing at age
38, visited Beethoven, cried upon seeing how poor he was; "Barber of
Seville", "William Tell".
10) Schubert: Shortest of famous composers; youngest to
die...31; "Lost" Symphony
11) Mendelssohn: Added Bartholdi to name to show had converted
to Christianity; "Wedding March"
12) Chopin: Greatest composer for piano...heart on
display in church in Poland; "Funeral March", "Minute
Waltz", "Raindrops".
13) Schumann: Chiroplast; Tramerei; "Merry
Peasant" ("Happy Farmer")
14) Liszt: Great piano showman; "Love Dream"
15) Wagner: Great German Operatic Composer; "Bridal
Chorus; Lohengrin"; "Meistersinger".
1) Verdi: Greatest Italian Operatic composer; mother
saved his life as baby; "Aida", "Rigoletto", "Il
Trovatore". He and Wagner
considerred greatest composers of opera.
2) Gounod: "Ave Maria"(used Bach music);
opera, "Faust"
3) Offenbach: Didn't think much of USA; "Barcarolle
Night of Stars"
4) Smetana: Went deaf in last years, "Moldau".
5) Johann
Strauss Jr: Waltz King,
"Blue Danube"
6) Brahms: One of great "B's" with Bach and
Beethoven, "Lullaby", famous horn of "First Symphony"
7) Borodin: Doctor, Chemist, member of Mighty Five in
Russia, "Polovetsian Dances".
8) Ponchielli: Taught Puccini, "La Gioconda".
9) Saint
Saens: "Swan", part of
"Carnival of Animals".
10) Bizet: Composing came easy for him,
"Carmen", "L'Arlesienne"
11) Mussorgsky: Most famous work inspired by art exhibit in
honor of his best friend: "Pictures at an Exhibition".
12) Tchaikovsky: Madame Van Meck supported him financially,
though never met, "Nutcracker", "1812"
13) Dvorak: "New World Symphony", train and
boat fanatic
14) Massenet: Arouse vevery day at 4 a.m and composed till
noon, "Thais"...Egyptian Desert
15) Greig: Poor health, use of one lung, "Peer
Gynt".
16) Rimsky-Korsakov: "Bumble Bee", professor of music,
formerly navy man.
17) Elgar: "Pomp and Circumstance March",
knighted for it
18) Puccini: Father put gold coins on piano to guide son,
"Madame Butterfly", "La Boheme", "Tosca"
19) Mahler: "Symphony #1", vegetarian, no
alcohol
20) Debussy: Impressionist composer, "Claire de
Lune", "Afternoon of Faun"
21) Mascagni: Was instant hit with public, and proclaomed
next Verdi, but never had another success besides: "Cavalleria
Rusticana", Godfather and Raging Bull movie music
22) Richard
Strauss: "Thus Spake
Zarathustra"...great fanfare in classical music?
23) Sibelius: Adapted name Jean form name on bussiness
cards of uncle of same name, "Finlandia".
24) Rachmaninoff: Nervous breakdown, cured by hynosis of Doctor
Dahl, "Piano Concerto 2"...referred to by some as "Rocky 2"
25) Ravel: Ambulance driver during WWI but part of
"Apaches" in college, "Pavane for Dead Princess"