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1-31 of 31
- Music Department
- Composer
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart grew up in Salzburg under the regulation of his strict father Leopold who also was a famous composer of his time. His abilities in music were obvious even when Mozart was still young so that in 1762 at the age of six, his father took him with his elder sister on a concert tour to Munich and Vienna and a second one from 1763-66 through the south of Germany, Paris and London. Mozart was celebrated as a wonder child everywhere because of his excellent piano playing and his improvisations.
In 1769 he became the concertmaster of the Archbishop and was knighted by the Pope in Rome. Working in Salzburg he nevertheless travelled around Europe to meet other composers and orchestras. But in 1781 after a dispute with the Archbishop he left Salzburg and went to Vienna where he married Constanze Weber from Mannheim. In Vienna he also started his friendship with Joseph Haydn and a time of many work pieces. In the last year of his life, for example, he wrote one of his masterpieces, "Die Zauberflöte". Although some of his operas were successful he could not make money from this and died in poverty at the age of 36, having even on his last day worked on a "Requiem". He was buried in a communal grave which could not be precisely identified years later.- Music Department
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Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685, in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, into a large and distinguished family of professional musicians. His father, named Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a violinist and trumpeter, employed by the city of Eisenach. His uncles were church organists, court musicians and composers. His mother and father died before Bach was 10. As an orphan, he moved in with his eldest brother, J. C. Bach, an organist and composer, under whose tutelage Bach studied organ music as well as the construction and maintenance of the organ.
Education: At the age of 14, Bach received a scholarship and walked on foot 300 kilometers to the famous St. Michael's school in Luneburg, near Hamburg. There he lived and studied for 2 years from 1699-1701. It was there that he sang a Capella at the boys chorale. Bach's studies included organ, harpsichord, and singing. In addition he took the academic studies in theology, history and geography, and lessons of Latin, Italian, and French. Besides his studies of music by the local Nothern German composers, Bach had important exposure to the music of composers from other European nations; such as the French composers Jean-Baptiste Lully, Marais, and Marchand, the South German composers Johann Pachelbel and Froberger, and the Italians Arcangelo Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi.
Personality and character: Bach was 17 when he made a 4-month pilgrimage, walking on foot about 400 kilometers from Arnstadt to the Northern city of Lubeck. There he studied with 'Dietrich Buxtehude' and became so involved that he overstayed his leave by three months. Buxtehude being probably the best organist of his time became the living link between the founder of Baroque music Heinrich Schütz and the biggest Baroque genius, Bach. Back in Arnstadt, Bach wrote 'Toccata and Fugue in D Minor' (1702), his first masterpiece; which stemmed from his bold organ improvisations. At that time he was in love with his second cousin Maria Barbara; whom he was taking upstairs to the church organ, where her presence was inspirational for his creativity. Bach was punished for the violation of the restrictions on women's presence in the church and he was fired. However, he eventually married Maria Barbara.
Cross-cultural studies: Bach studied the orchestral music of Antonio Vivaldi and gained insight into his compositional language by arranging Vivaldi's concertos for organ. Six French suites were written for keyboard; each suite opens with 'Allemande' and consists of several pieces, including 'Courante', 'Sarabande', 'Menuet', 'Gavotte', 'Air', 'Anglaise', 'Polonaise', 'Bourree', and 'Gigue'. As suggested by their titles, the pieces were representing songs and dances from various cultures. From the music of the Italians Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, and 'Giuseppe Torelli'; Bach adopted dramatic introductions and endings as well as vivacious rhythmical dynamism and elaborate harmonization. Bach also performed the music of English, French, and Italian composers; motets of the Venetian school, and incorporated their rhythmical patterns and textural structures in the development of his own style.
Teaching: Bach selected and instructed musicians for orchestras and choirs in Weimar and Leipzig. His work as a Cantor included teaching instrumental and vocal lessons to the church musicians and later to the musicians of the court orchestra. Bach was also a teacher of his own children and of his second wife. In 1730, Bach presented his second wife with a musical notebook for studies, known as the 'Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach'. Compositions in the notebook were written in a form of minuete, polonaise, gavotte, march, rondeau, chorale, sonata, prelude, song, and aria; written mainly by Bach, as well as by his sons 'Carl Philip Emanuel Bach', Johann Christoph Bach, and composers 'Francois Couperin', Georg Bohm, and others.
Family: Bach married his second cousin, named Maria Barbara, who was the inspirational force for his early compositions. They had seven children, 4 of whom survived to adulthood. W. F. Bach, J. C. Bach, and C. P. E. Bach became composers. Maria Barbara died in 1720. On December 3, 1721, Bach married Anna Magdalena (bee Wilcke), a talented soprano, who was 17 years his junior. They had thirteen children. Bach fathered a total of 20 children with his two wives. His sons 'Friedemann Bach', Johann Christoph Bach, and 'Carl Philip Emanuel Bach' became important composers in the Rococo style. The descendants of Bach are living in many countries across the world.
Social activity: Bach replaced his friend Georg Philipp Telemann as the director of the popular orchestra known as Collegium Musicum, which he led from 1729-1750. It was a private secular music society that gave concert performances twice a week at the Zimmerman's Coffeehouse near the Leipzig market square. Bach's exposure to such a secular public environment inspired him to compose numerous purely entertainment pieces for solo keyboard and several violin and harpsichord concertos.
Politics: Being the undisputed musical genius, Bach still suffered from ugly political machinations. Although the Leipzig Council had enough money, they never honored the promised salary of 1000 talers a year; promised to Bach by the Mayor of Leipzig, Gottlieb Lange, at the hiring interview. Bach worked diligently, in spite of being underpaid for 27 years until his death. On top of that local political factions in the Leipzig Council manipulated Bach's educational work as well as his compositions and public performances. They were pressuring him as the Cantor and Composer and interfering his creative efforts by imposing restrictions on his performances because of their ugly political games. Bach prevailed as he composed and played his "Mass in B Minor" to the monarch of Saxony and was appointed the Royal Court Composer of Saxony.
King Frederick the Great invited Bach to Potsdam in 1747. There the king played his own theme for Bach and challenged the composer to improvise on it. Bach used the 'royal theme' and improvised a three-part fugue on the king's piano. Later Bach upgraded the king's theme to a more sophisticated melody, and composed an array of pieces based on the improved 'royal theme', which he titled "Musical Offering" and later presented this composition to the king.
Legacy: Bach wrote over eleven hundred music compositions in all genres. In Leipzig alone he wrote a cantata for every Sunday and feast day of the year, of which 224 cantatas survive. Some of his compositions were written on the same theme at different times in his life, like choral cantatas and organ works on similar themes with significantly reworked arrangements. The complete list of Bach's works, BWV, has 1127 compositions for voice, organ, harpsichord, violin, cello, flute, chamber music for small ensembles, orchestral music, concertos for violin and orchestra, and for keyboard and orchestra. His music became the essential part of the education for every musician. Bach influenced such great composers as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev and many other prominent musicians.
Bach is by far the most performed and recorded composer in history. His 'Das Wohltemperierte Clavier' (The well-tempered keyboard, or The well-tuned piano, in modern terminology) is the definitive work for all students as well as concert musicians. Bach's 'Orgebuchlein' (The little organ book) is a staple in the repertoire of organists and pianists, and some pieces from it were arranged for ensembles. Bach's many chorales, especially the "Mass in B Minor" are considered the best works in the genre. His last work 'The Art of Fugue' is best known for it's acclaimed performance by Glenn Gould. Bach's music was used in hundreds of films, thousands of stage productions, and continues being played all over the world.
The definitive biography of J. S. Bach was written by the Nobel Prize Laureate Albert Schweitzer.- Music Department
- Composer
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Being the son of a violinist Vivaldi started playing the violin himself early in his life. In 1703 he became priest and in 1716 the director of a conservatory of the church in Venice. Being a famous violinist he gave concerts all over Europe also composing a lot of violin concerts and other string works. There is not much information about his life only that he died in poverty in Vienna.- Composer
- Soundtrack
Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 in Eisleben, Mansfeld, Holy Roman Empire [now Saxony-Anhalt, Germany]. He was a composer, known for Gangs of New York (2002), Alias Nick Beal (1949) and Mitt folk är icke ditt (1944). He was married to Katherine Von Bora. He died on 18 February 1546 in Eisleben, Mansfeld, Holy Roman Empire [now Saxony-Anhalt, Germany].- Music Department
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Johann Pachelbel was born on 1 September 1653 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany]. Johann was a composer, known for Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), Asteroid City (2023) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Johann died on 3 March 1706 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany].- Writer
- Soundtrack
Friedrich Schiller was born on Nov. 10, 1759, in Marbach, Germany. His father was an army doctor. Growing up in a very poor environment, Schiller eventually managed to get the support of a wealthy duke that enabled him to study medicine. He served as a military doctor first, but through the efforts of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe he finally went to Jena and Weimar, where he died on the May 9, 1805.
Schiller is an important German author of his time, most famous for his stage plays. They were highly acclaimed--and mostly forbidden, because of their contents. His first big work, "Die Räuber", dealt with the revolt of sons against their parents and environment, a very modern topic for the time and one that was not accepted in many regions of Germany. Overall, though, he is underrated as an author due to the fact that he lived and wrote in the same time as Goethe: Schiller is considered to be a good writer, but not as brilliant as Goethe.- Gaio Giulio Cesare was born on 13 July 100 in Rome, Roman Republic. He was a writer, known for La conquête des Gaules (1923) and Caesar the Conqueror (1962). He died on 15 March 44 in Rome, Roman Republic.
- Born to acting parents, Casanova was a sickly child and was raised almost entirely by his grandmother. As a young man, he went to Padua to board with a Doctor Gozzi, and fell in love with Gozzi's younger sister, Bettina. After learning his first lessons about women, Casanova set out as an adventurer across Europe, falling in love often along the way. One of his first great loves was Angiola Calori, a supposed castrato whom Casanova unmasked; they planned to marry, but Casanova decided he could not bear the indignity of being the unemployed husband of a woman of the theatre. After he and Angiola broke up, he met the mysterious Henriette in Cesena, who becomes his next great love. However, Henriette reluctantly left him to return to her family, and Casanova journeyed on to France, where he became a Freemason. In his long, wild, and scandalous life, he made the acquaintance of such figures as Frederick the Great of Prussia, Voltaire, the Chevalier d'Eon, Benjamin Franklin, and Catherine the Great of Russia. In 1784, he accepted the offer of Count Josef Karl Emmanuel von Waldstein to work as a librarian at the Count's castle in Dux, where Casanova lived out the rest of his days. According to his friend, the Prince de Ligne, Casanova's last words were: "I have lived as a philosopher, and die as a Christian."
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Gregorio Allegri was born in 1582 in Rome, Papal State [now Lazio, Italy]. He is known for Face/Off (1997), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) and The Two Popes (2019). He died on 17 February 1652 in Rome, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire [now Lazio, Italy].- Gottfried August Bürger was born on 31 December 1747 in Molmerswende, Halberstadt, Prussia, Holy Roman Empire [now Saxony-Anhalt, Germany]. He was a writer, known for The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Monsieur de Crac (1912) and The Hallucinations of Baron Munchausen (1911). He died on 8 June 1794 in Göttingen, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Lower Saxony, Germany].
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Young Gluck was a singer in a church choir and thus decided to study music in Prague although his parents wanted him to work in the forest. Having to earn his own money he worked as a part-time musician and finished his studies in Milan where he wrote his first Italian style opera. Impressing the audience he was invited to London where he had first contact with the music of George Frideric Handel. In 1752, he finally accepted a job at a theatre in Vienna, but continued composing operas and ballets for clients in Paris.- Music Department
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Georg Philipp Telemann was born on 14 March 1681 in Magdeburg, Duchy of Magdeburg, Brandenburg-Prussia, Holy Roman Empire [now Saxony-Anhalt, Germany]. He was a composer, known for Hereditary (2018), Casanova (2005) and Equals (2015). He was married to Maria Textor and Amalie Eberlin. He died on 25 June 1767 in Hamburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany].- Writer
- Art Department
Albrecht Dürer was born on 21 May 1471 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire [now Bavaria, Germany]. He was a writer, known for Knight, Death and the Devil (2023) and Unser Sandmännchen (1959). He died on 6 April 1528 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire [now Bavaria, Germany].- Greek biographer and philosopher who was born c. 46 AD in Chaeronea, Boeotia, central Greece. Son of Aristobulus. In A.D. 66 he was in Athens, studying physics, mathematics natural science, and rhetoric - though the subject which held the greatest interest for him was ethics. He lectured in Rome on philosophical and rhetorical subjects. Plutarch went on fairly extensive travels to Egypt, Asia Minor and other parts of Greece. He was given a honorific position by Trajan and made a procurator by the emperor Hadrian. Athens granted him citizenship, and a life priesthood was bestowed on him at Delphi where he helped revive the shrine there. He also held numerous municipal posts in Chaeronea. A discipline of Romans like Plato and Aristotle, he nevertheless had his own views of humanity and expressed them in his works. He was a prolific and varied writer who produced two extensive collections of essays, Moralia (Morals) and Vitae parallelae (Parallel lives; translated simply as Lives). The latter includes biographies on Alexander the Great, two mythical or legendary monarchs, Romulus and Numa, and Mark Antony among others. The biography of the divine Heracles, Scipio the Younger, and Scipio the Elder are missing. He probably died c. 120-25 CE.
- Titus Livius was born in 1959 in Patavium, Roman Republic [now Padua, Veneto, Italy]. He was a writer, known for Cabiria (1914). He died in 2017 in Patavium, Roman Empire [now Padua, Veneto, Italy].
- Andreas Gryphius was born on 2 October 1616 in Glogau, Duchy of Glogau, Holy Roman Empire [now Glogow, Poland]. He was a writer, known for Meditation on Time (2015) and Vanitas, Vanitatum, et Omnia Vanitas (2015). He died on 16 July 1664 in Glogau, Duchy of Glogau, Holy Roman Empire [now Glogow, Poland].
- Michelangelo da Caravaggio was born on 29 September 1571 in Milan, Duchy of Milan, Holy Roman Empire. He was an actor and writer, known for Alex & Aki (2019), Five Revolutionary Painters (1959) and Canvas (1966). He died on 18 July 1610 in Porto Ecole, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Holy Roman Empire.
- M. Blecher was born on 8 September 1909 in Botosani, Romania. M. was a writer, known for Scarred Hearts (2016). M. died on 31 May 1938 in Roman, Romania.
- Music Department
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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was born on 8 March 1714 in Weimar, Saxe-Weimar, Holy Roman Empire [now Thuringia, Germany]. Carl Philipp Emanuel was a composer, known for Paris (2008), Después del sueño (1992) and Wuthering Heights (2011). Carl Philipp Emanuel was married to Johanna Dannemann. Carl Philipp Emanuel died on 14 December 1788 in Hamburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany].- Nero had become emperor in 54 A.D., and his interest in theater and luxury led him to appoint a courtier named Petronius (praenomen probably Titus or possibly Gaius) as his Arbiter elegantiae or judge of elegance. Described as a man who "made luxury a fine art" and "who spent his days sleeping and his nights working and enjoying himself" by Tacitus, Petronius dictated the fashion and art at the Imperial court. There he composed his masterwork, the satirical "The Satyricon", probably in 61 A.D. Nero was capricious, however, and his favor was uncertain; the jealousy of a rival led to Petronius' downfall. He fled to Cumae before Nero's cronies caught up with him. There he wrote out a full description of the emperor's many debaucheries and crimes, entertained his friends, and broke his signet ring to avoid its being used to endanger others. Petronius then opened his veins and bled to death in 66 A.D., escaping Nero through suicide. His most famous work, "The Satyricon" was not published until 1664.
- Friedrich G. Klopstock was born on 2 July 1724 in Quedlinburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Saxony-Anhalt, Germany]. He was a writer, known for Satana (1912) and Prestige de la musique (1963). He was married to Johanna Elisabeth von Winthem and Margareta Moller. He died on 14 March 1803 in Hamburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany].
- Soundtrack
Leopold Mozart was born on 14 November 1719 in Augsburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Bavaria, Germany]. He was married to Anna Maria Pertl. He died on 28 May 1787 in Salzburg, Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Salzburg, Austria].- Writer
- Soundtrack
Pietro Metastasio was born on 3 January 1698 in Rome, Papal State [now Lazio, Italy]. He was a writer, known for Great Performances (1971), The Metropolitan Opera HD Live (2006) and Mozart 22 (2006). He died on 12 April 1782 in Vienna, Austria, Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire [now Austria].- Johann Andreas Schachtner was born on 9 March 1731 in Dingolfing, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire [now Bavaria, Germany]. Johann Andreas was a writer, known for Zaida (1965) and Mozart: Zaide (2008). Johann Andreas died on 20 July 1795 in Salzburg, Archbishopric of Salzburg, Holy Roman Empire [now Salzburg, Austria].
- Music Department
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Heinrich Schütz was born on 8 October 1585 in Köstritz, Reuss, Holy Roman Empire [now Bad Köstritz, Thuringia, Germany]. Heinrich was a composer, known for Jessica Forever (2018), 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001) and Scream of Stone (1991). Heinrich died on 6 November 1672 in Dresden, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany].- Director
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- Editor
Jean Loubignac was born on 25 November 1901 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Jean was a director and writer, known for Ah! The Beautiful Priestesses of Bacchus (1954), Piédalu à Paris (1951) and Le martyr de Bougival (1949). Jean died on 4 March 1991 in Romans-sur-Isère, Drôme, France.- Constantin Parvulescu was born on 10 November 1895 in Olánesti, Romania. He died on 11 July 1992 in Roman, Romania.
- Tycho Brahe was born on 14 December 1546 in Knutstorp Castle, Scania, Denmark, Denmark-Norway (now Sweden). He died on 24 October 1601 in Prague, Habsburg Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire [now Czech Republic].
- Christian Heinrich Spieß was born on 4 April 1755 in Freiberg, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany]. Christian Heinrich was a writer, known for Das schöne irre Judenmädchen (1984). Christian Heinrich died on 17 August 1799 in Besdiekau, Bohemia, Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire [now Bezdekov u Klatovy, Czech Republic].
- Son of a vicar. Studied theology, philosophy and medicine. First writings 1747 (poems, stories and first dramas). Moved to Berlin 1748 to live as a critic for the Berlinische Privelegierte Zeitung. Writer of famous plays including Nathan, der Weise (1779) and Minna von Barnhelm (1767).
- Hans Sachs was born on 5 November 1494 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire [now Bavaria, Germany]. Hans was a writer, known for Aufruhr im Schlaraffenland (1957) and Katzen können kratzen (1989). Hans died on 19 January 1576 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire [now Bavaria, Germany].