Aaron Copland United States, Contemporary Period Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn, New York on 1900, and died in 1990. He was a talented composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.
Aaron Copland United States, Contemporary Period Copland s family were not musical at all. His parents had never even been to a concert. After several attempts at learning music, including a correspondence course, Copland eventually went to Europe to study music.
Aaron Copland United States, Contemporary Period Copland borrowed from American legends and folk music and incorporated them into his music. He was one of the first composers to successfully incorporate jazz rhythms into symphonic music.
Aaron Copland United States, Contemporary Period He was very helpful to other young composers, often promoting their music along with his own. Because Copland had a habit of composing at night with the help of his noisy piano, he had to move several times.
Giovanni Palestrina Italy, Renaissance Palestrina was one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance. This is the same time period that Columbus, Shakespeare, and Leonardo da Vinci lived in. The printing press was newly invented as well.
Giovanni Palestrina Italy, Renaissance Palestrina wrote most of his music for the church, and is very well-known for his masses. Palestrina was also a master of polyphony, in which two or more melodic lines are played at the same time.
Giovanni Palestrina Italy, Renaissance The decade of the 1570s was difficult for him personally; he lost his brother, two of his sons, and his wife in three separate outbreaks of the plague. He considered becoming a priest at this time, but didn t.
Giovanni Palestrina Italy, Renaissance Palestrina married again later in his life to a wealthy widow. He was financially independent for the first time in his life, and concentrated on composing music until his death in 1594.
Antonio Vivaldi Italy, Baroque Vivaldi lived from 1678-1741. His nickname was the "Red Priest" because of his red hair. Vivaldi was trained for music and became a Priest, until he had to leave the priesthood due to ill health.
Antonio Vivaldi Italy, Baroque Vivaldi taught music at an orphanage for girls. It was not appropriate for the audience to clap when the orphanage s orchestra played, so they shuffled their feet on the ground to show appreciation.
Antonio Vivaldi Italy, Baroque One of his most famous works is The Four Seasons. His music is often played on TV commercials and movies, including Superman Returns, The Shaggy Dog, Flubber, and 85 other movies!
Antonio Vivaldi Italy, Baroque His personality was one of contrasts - quickly changing from irritated to very calm. His music reflected this trait. It also showed contrasts in dynamics, harmony and varied rhythms.
Friedrich Kuhlau Germany, Classical Period Kuhlau was born 1786 and died in 1832. His father, grandfather, and uncle all played the oboe in military bands. He had two brothers and two sisters. His family was quite poor and moved often.
Friedrich Kuhlau Germany, Classical Period When he was seven, Friedrich slipped on ice in the street and injured his right eye, causing him to loose that eye. During his long recovery indoors, he spent much of his time at the piano, learning to master it.
Friedrich Kuhlau Germany, Classical Period When asked if the accident that caused him to loose his eye was not a great misfortune, he answered: "No, that was good, otherwise I would not have been a musician."
Friedrich Kuhlau Germany, Classical Period He wrote many sonatinas and sonatas for the piano, and are still very popular for piano students to learn. He was good friends with Beethoven, and they admired each others work.
Felix Mendelssohn Germany, Romantic Period Mendelssohn was born in 1809 and died in 1847. He is said to be the greatest child prodigy since Mozart, playing both the piano and the violin, painting, and able to speak four different languages.
Felix Mendelssohn Germany, Romantic Period Mendelssohn started playing the piano at the age of four and was composing at eight, by which time he had memorized all the Beethoven symphonies and could play them on the piano.
Felix Mendelssohn Germany, Romantic Period Mendelssohn formed the Bach Admiration Society, and performed music by Bach as much as possible. It is because of him that Bach s music was brought out of obscurity and became the well-known music it is today.
Felix Mendelssohn Germany, Romantic Period One of Mendelssohn s most famous pieces is the Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was written when he was only 17 years old! It has been played at many wedding the world over.
Antonin Dvorak Bohemia, Romantic Period Dvorak lived from 1841-1904. His father was a butcher, and he wanted Antonin to become a butcher, too. Fortunately, an uncle noticed how musical Antonin was, and paid for him to take organ lessons
Antonin Dvorak Bohemia, Romantic Period Dvorak found a job as a church organist, but what he really wanted to do was compose; so he entered his compositions in a government-sponsored contest and won!
Antonin Dvorak Bohemia, Romantic Period Dvorak was a Nationalistic composer. This means he used folk tunes and dance rhythms from his native country in his music, and wrote about local legends, history, and landscapes
Antonin Dvorak Bohemia, Romantic Period Dvorak taught composition at the Prague Conservatory and in New York City. The last of Dvorak s nine symphonies was written in the United States, and is nicknamed From the New World.
Maurice Ravel France, Impressionistic Period Ravel lived from 1875 1937. He is probably best known for his orchestral work, Boléro, which he considered trivial and once described as "a piece for orchestra without music."
Maurice Ravel France, Impressionistic Period Ravel studied music at the Paris Conservatory. In addition to his studies, he went to lots of parties with a group of friends nicknamed the hooligans. He also prided himself on having the best collection of neckties in Paris.
Maurice Ravel France, Impressionistic Period Ravel wanted to be a pilot in the French Army during WWI. He thought his small size and light weight would be an advantage, but he was rejected because of his frail health. He instead drove a truck for the Army.
Maurice Ravel France, Impressionistic Period Ravel wrote an opera called L'enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Enchantments), in which the naughty child is punished when furniture and animals assume personalities of their own.
Franz Liszt Hungary, Romantic Period Franz lived from 1811-1886. He received his first music lessons from his father when he was six years old. He quickly displayed incredible talent, easily sight-reading the most difficult music he could find.
Franz Liszt Hungary, Romantic Period He attended a concert by the virtuoso violinist Paganini and became suddenly determined to become as great a virtuoso on the piano as Paganini was on the violin. He was often heard practicing for over 5 hours a day.
Franz Liszt Hungary, Romantic Period Liszt was a great showman and very dramatic. When he came on the stage, he slowly peeled off his white gloves, and threw them to the audience. Women used to fight the gloves, often ripping them to pieces.
Franz Liszt Hungary, Romantic Period The composer Chopin influenced Liszt, and encouraged him to be a serious composer. Liszt eventually composed over 1000 works for the piano. Chopin and Liszt started out as friends, but became serious competitors.
Georg Phillip Telemann Germany, Baroque Telleman lived from 1681-1767. He came from a long line of ministers, so everyone expected him to become one too. As a child, however, he showed enormous musical talent, mastering the violin, recorder, and keyboard.
Georg Phillip Telemann Germany, Baroque Telemann went to the university, to study law. His roommate found out that Telemann was a composer, and arranged to have one of his pieces performed. Telemann was soon writing music for the biggest church in town.
Georg Phillip Telemann Germany, Baroque During his life, Telemann was famous. He was considered Germany s greatest living composer. He was friends with most of his fellow composers, and was godfather to one of Johann Sebastian Bach s sons; Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach.
Georg Phillip Telemann Germany, Baroque Much of Telemann s music was written for church use. However, he also wrote for public concerts. He helped popularize the French style orchestral suite, which included dance music.
Muzio Clementi Italy, Classical Period Clementi lived from 1752 1832. When he was 9 years old he was appointed as the organist at his church. He was composing music by the time he was 12 years old.
Muzio Clementi Italy, Classical Period Clementi was in a famous piano duel with Mozart that was arranged with the Emperor. Both men played their own compositions, improvised, and sight read. There was no clear winner of the duel - in ended being a draw.
Muzio Clementi Italy, Classical Period Clementi had a great influence in how piano was taught. The pieces and technical studies he wrote are still used today by teachers all over the world. Beethoven used much of Clementi s music with his own students.
Muzio Clementi Italy, Classical Period Clementi was a successful businessman. He established a firm to publish music and build pianos. He traveled all over Europe selling his pianos, and convinced Beethoven to let him publish his music.
Richard and Roger Sherman United States, Contemporary Period Richard and Roger s father bet them that they couldn t write a song that kids would be willing to spend their lunch money on. Out of this challenge came one of the greatest team of song-writers in history.
Richard and Roger Sherman United States, Contemporary Period The Sherman Brothers composed It s a Small World in 1964. Since then, "Small World" has become the most translated and performed song on earth.
Richard and Roger Sherman United States, Contemporary Period The Sherman Brothers have composed the music for The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, The Parent Trap, Charlotte's Web, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Mary Poppins, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Richard and Roger Sherman United States, Contemporary Period Feed the Birds, which the Sherman Brothers wrote for Mary Poppins, was Walt Disney s favorite song. He would often ask them to play it and they knew he was referring to that song.
Jeff Moss United States, Contemporary Period Jeff Moss, one of the creators of Sesamie Street, lived from 1942 1998. He helped create such beloved Muppet characters as Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley.
Jeff Moss United States, Contemporary Period Moss also wrote many of Sesame Street's hit songs, such as "I Love Trash," "Skin," and "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon." Johnny Cash, Julie Andrews, The Boston Pops, and many other stars have performed his music.
Jeff Moss United States, Contemporary Period His first single, "Rubber Duckie," sold more than a million copies. The Original Rubber Duckie is still used today when recordings are make of the song because of it s unique and distinctive squeak.
Jeff Moss United States, Contemporary Period Moss started composing as a youngster. He studied Western classical music at New York's Browning High School and went on to Princeton University, where he studied and composed music and wrote books.