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The epitaph is a poetic and musical message in which Seikilos dedicates the piece to a loved one. The text tells the reader to enjoy life while it lasts, reminding us that time is short. Its tone is calm and reflective, expressing a classical Greco-Roman style.
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Gregorian chant is a monophonic, without instruments form of sacred music used in the medieval Roman Catholic liturgy, characterized by free-flowing rhythm, Latin texts, and modal melodies; it developed mainly between the 9th and 10th centuries and, though traditionally associated with Pope Gregory I. -
Guido d’Arezzo was an Italian monk and music theorist who invented the four-line staff and the solmization system, greatly improving the teaching and notation of medieval music. -
Hildegard von Bingen was a German abbess, composer, and mystic, known for her monophonic sacred music and visionary writings, making her one of the most important medieval composers. -
Bernart de Ventadorn was a French troubadour from the Occitan region, celebrated for his courtly love songs (cansos). He is one of the most famous and influential troubadours, known for his expressive melodies, refined poetic style, and contributions to the development of secular lyric music in medieval Europe. -
Ars antiqua is a period of medieval music from the late 12th to late 13th century, marked by the rise of early polyphony—especially organum and motets—developed largely at Frenh school in Paris, with composers like Léonin and Pérotin; it introduced rhythmic modes and set the foundation for later medieval music. -
Léonin was a French composer of the Notre Dame school, known for creating early two-part polyphonic organum and compiling the Magnus Liber Organi, laying the foundation for later polyphony developed by Pérotin. -
Pérotin was a French composer of the Notre Dame school during the ars antiqua period, known for developing polyphonic organum with three or four voices, including works like Viderunt omnes, and laying the foundation for later Western polyphony. -
Alfonso X “el Sabio” was King of Castile and León, known for his scholarship and patronage of the arts, especially for compiling the Cantigas de Santa María, a major collection of medieval songs. -
Ars nova is a period of medieval music that flourished in 14th-century Europe, especially in France. It introduced major innovations in rhythm and notation, allowing composers to use more flexible, complex rhythms (including duple and triple meters) that were not possible before -
Guillaume de Machaut was a French composer and poet of the ars nova period, known for his polyphonic music and secular and sacred works. He is famous for motets, chansons, and the Messe de Nostre Dame, one of the earliest complete settings of the Mass by a single composer, which had a lasting influence on Western music. -
Francesco Landini was an Italian composer, organist, and poet of the Trecento (14th century). He is best known for his secular songs in the ballata form, characterized by lyrical melodies and expressive harmonies. Despite being blind, Landini became one of the most celebrated musicians of his time, influencing Italian music for generations. -
Johannes Gutenberg was a German inventor and printer best known for creating the movable-type printing press in Europe. His invention made books faster and cheaper to produce, helping spread knowledge, literacy, and ideas throughout the Renaissance and beyond. His most famous work is the Gutenberg Bible, one of the earliest major books printed with movable type. -
Juan del Encina was a Spanish composer, poet, and playwright of the early Renaissance. -
Cristóbal de Morales was a major Spanish Renaissance composer known for his influential and expressive sacred polyphony. -
Martin Luther was a German theologian who launched the Protestant Reformation by criticizing Catholic Church practices, most famously through his 95 Theses in 1517. He also translated the Bible into German and promoted congregational singing, influencing both religion and music in Europe.
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Antonio de Cabezón was a Spanish Renaissance composer and master keyboardist whose organ and harpsichord works greatly influenced later European music. -
Andrea Gabrieli was an Italian Renaissance composer of the Venetian School, known for his grand vocal and instrumental music at St. Mark’s Basilica. -
Maddalena Casulana was an Italian Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. She is celebrated as the first woman in Western music history to have an entire book of her compositions printed and published, a landmark achieved with her First Book of Madrigals (1568). Her madrigals are known for their expressive text setting and skilled counterpoint, marking her as a significant figure in 16th-century music. -
Orlando di Lasso (also Roland de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer and one of the most versatile and prolific musicians of his time. He wrote in many styles—Masses, motets, madrigals, chansons, and secular songs—and worked across Europe, ultimately serving as chapel master in Munich
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Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer, famous for his smooth, balanced polyphonic sacred music. Often seen as the model of Catholic church music, his style emphasized clarity of text and elegant counterpoint. His Masses and motets—especially the Missa Papae Marcelli—became influential examples of ideal Renaissance choral writing.
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Carlo Gesualdo was an Italian late-Renaissance composer and nobleman known for his highly experimental madrigals filled with intense chromaticism and abrupt harmonic shifts. -
Tomás Luis de Victoria was a Spanish Renaissance composer and priest, known for his deeply expressive sacred music. A master of polyphony, he wrote Masses, motets, and hymns with an intensely spiritual, emotional style, and is considered one of the greatest composers of the late Renaissance. -
Giovanni Gbrelli was a major late-Renaissance Italian composer and organist at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. He is best known for his innovative sacred music, his use of multiple choirs placed around the church for dramatic effect, and his early contributions to instrumental ensemble writing, making him one of the most influential figures of the Venetian School. -
Claudio Monteverdi was an Italian composer who bridged the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
He pioneered early opera with works like L’Orfeo
His innovations in harmony and expression transformed Western music. -
Giacomo Carissimi was an Italian Baroque composer celebrated for his vocal music. He helped develop the early oratorio with works like Jephte. His expressive style influenced later Baroque composers across Europe. -
Barbara Strozzi was a Venetian Baroque composer and singer. She published more vocal music than any other woman of her time. Her expressive cantatas and arias are key contributions to early Baroque vocal music. -
Henry Purcell was an English Baroque composer known for his theatrical and sacred music
He wrote works like Dido and Aeneas and many anthems for the Chapel Royal
His style shaped English music with expressive melodies and rich harmonies -
Christoph Willibald Gluck nació el 2 de julio de 1714. Fue un compositor alemán muy importante porque reformó la ópera, buscando que la música sirviera mejor a la historia y a las emociones de los personajes, dejando atrás los excesos técnicos y haciendo las óperas más claras y expresivas.
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Joseph Haydn nació el 31 de marzo de 1732. Fue un compositor austríaco muy importante porque es considerado el “padre de la sinfonía y del cuarteto de cuerda”, ya que ayudó a desarrollar y dar forma a estos géneros fundamentales de la música clásica.
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Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier famed for crafting exceptional violins. His Stradivarius instruments are prized for their unmatched sound quality. He influenced string instrument making for centuries with his precision and artistry. -
Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer and virtuoso violinist. He is famous for The Four Seasons a set of violin concertos portraying scenes of nature
He influenced Baroque music with hundreds of concertos operas and sacred works. -
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German Baroque composer and organist. He wrote masterpieces such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Well Tempered Clavier
His music defined Baroque style through complex counterpoint and deep expression -
Maria Anna Mozart. Fue una música y pianista austríaca muy talentosa, reconocida en su infancia como una intérprete excepcional, y es importante porque muestra el alto nivel musical que podían alcanzar las mujeres en el siglo XVIII, aunque su carrera fue limitada por las normas sociales de su época.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Fue un compositor austríaco fundamental de la música clásica porque creó obras maestras en casi todos los géneros musicales de su época, destacando por su genialidad, equilibrio y expresividad, y tuvo una gran influencia en la música occidental hasta hoy.
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Georg Friedrich Händel was a German Baroque composer known for his operas oratorios and instrumental music. He became famous for Messiah especially the Hallelujah chorus. His prolific work influenced music across Europe and helped shape the Baroque style. -
Maria Theresia von Paradis nacida en el 15 de mayo de 1759. Fue una compositora, pianista y cantante austríaca muy importante, conocida por su gran talento musical a pesar de ser ciega, y porque contribuyó al desarrollo de la música clásica y a la educación musical en el siglo XVIII.
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Georg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer and one of the most prolific in history
He wrote orchestral suites concertos operas and sacred music that were admired across Europe
His versatile style blended French Italian and German influences shaping late Baroque music -
Ludwig van Beethoven. Fue un compositor alemán muy importante porque marcó la transición del Clasicismo al Romanticismo, expresando emociones más intensas y personales en su música, lo que influyó profundamente en el desarrollo de la música occidental.
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Gioachino Rossini fue un compositor italiano, famoso por sus óperas, especialmente las cómicas. Destacó por su música brillante, rítmica y llena de energía, con melodías muy memorables. Fue una figura clave del bel canto y tuvo una gran influencia en la ópera del siglo XIX.
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Franz Schubert fue un compositor austríaco que marcó la transición del Clasicismo al Romanticismo. Destacó por sus lieder, en los que unió poesía y música con gran sensibilidad expresiva. También escribió sinfonías y obras para piano, influyendo de forma duradera en el lenguaje musical romántico.
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Robert Schumann fue un compositor alemán del Romanticismo, conocido por su música para piano y sus canciones. Su obra se caracteriza por una fuerte expresión emocional y por reflejar estados anímicos y literarios. También fue un importante crítico musical y apoyó a otros compositores, influyendo notablemente en el desarrollo de la música romántica.
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Giuseppe Verdi fue un compositor italiano del Romanticismo, reconocido como una de las figuras más importantes de la ópera. Sus obras combinan melodías expresivas con un fuerte contenido dramático y emocional. A través de sus óperas, influyó profundamente en la música y en la identidad cultural italiana del siglo XIX.
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Johannes Brahms fue un compositor alemán del Romanticismo, conocido por combinar la expresividad romántica con formas clásicas tradicionales. Escribió sinfonías, música de cámara, obras para piano y coros. Su estilo equilibrado y profundo lo convirtió en una figura clave de la música del siglo XIX y en un puente entre el clasicismo y el romanticismo.
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Giacomo Puccini
Nacimiento: 22 de diciembre de 1858 Giacomo Puccini fue un compositor italiano del Romanticismo tardío, famoso por sus óperas de gran intensidad emocional. Sus obras destacan por melodías expresivas y personajes realistas, centrados en sentimientos humanos profundos. Fue una figura clave del verismo operístico y uno de los últimos grandes compositores de ópera italiana. -
Hugo Wolf fue un compositor austríaco del Romanticismo tardío, especialmente reconocido por sus lieder. Se centró en expresar con gran intensidad emocional el significado de los textos poéticos, logrando una relación muy estrecha entre música y palabra. Su obra influyó en el desarrollo de la canción artística alemana.
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Gustav Mahler fue un compositor y director austríaco del Romanticismo tardío. Es conocido por sus sinfonías y canciones orquestales, en las que exploró emociones profundas y temas como la vida, la muerte y la naturaleza. Su música amplió la forma sinfónica y tuvo una gran influencia en la música del siglo XX.
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Claude Debussy. Fue un compositor francés muy importante porque revolucionó la música a finales del siglo XIX, creando un nuevo lenguaje sonoro con armonías y colores innovadores, y es una figura clave del impresionismo musical.
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Ravel nació el 7 de marzo de 1875. Fue un compositor francés muy importante porque desarrolló un estilo musical refinado y lleno de color, combinando influencias impresionistas y neoclásicas, y creó obras célebres como Boléro que influyeron en la música del siglo XX.