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The most innovative and rebellious composer of Russian nationalism, he sought to create a raw and realistic musical language that reflected the soul of his people. He is the author of the monumental opera Boris Godunov and the famous suite Pictures at an Exhibition, which stands out for its rhythmic and melodic originality. His style broke with academic rules to pursue a more authentic artistic expression.
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He is the most influential Brazilian and Latin American composer, famous for fusing the structure of Bach's music with the rhythmic richness of Brazil. His most outstanding works, the Bachianas Brasileiras and Chôros, capture the essence of the jungle and popular folklore in a classical format. He was a visionary who transformed the musical identity of Latin America before the world.
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Felix Mendelssohn was a prodigious German composer who balanced the clarity of Classicism with the expressiveness of Romanticism. He stood out for rescuing Bach's work from oblivion, founding the Leipzig Conservatory, and creating immortal pieces such as the Violin Concerto in E minor and the famous Wedding March. His music is characterized by impeccable technical elegance, fluid melodies, and an orchestral brilliance that defines him as one of the greatest geniuses of the 19th century.
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He is the most globally popular Russian composer, famous for his unmatched talent for creating lyrical and emotionally intense melodies. His ballets, such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, are pillars of universal culture, alongside his powerful symphonies and concertos. He masterfully fused Russian tradition with the symphonic style of Western Europe.
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A master of orchestration and member of "The Five," he was a key figure in defining the sound of Russian nationalism. His most famous work, Scheherazade, showcases his ability to paint exotic and fantastic scenes through vibrant orchestral colors. In addition to his creative legacy, he was an influential teacher who trained the next generations of composers.
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A Czech composer who brought his country's nationalism to the height of international recognition by synthesizing folk rhythms and classical forms. During his time in the United States, he composed the famous New World Symphony, inspired by the sounds of America. His music is characterized by natural melodic richness and a warm, vibrant orchestration.
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The most important figure in Norwegian music, Grieg incorporated the airs and legends of his land into a Romantic language full of lyricism. He is universally known for his incidental music for Peer Gynt and for his brilliant Piano Concerto in A minor. His short pieces and songs helped give Norway its own voice in the European musical landscape.
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She was one of the most virtuous pianists of the 19th century and a German composer whose work stands out for its technical depth and Romantic sensitivity. A pioneer on stage, she defied the norms of her time and left a fundamental legacy with pieces like her Piano Trio. Her music has been fully revalued for its originality and expressive power.
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A French composer and great visionary of Romanticism, he revolutionized music with his concept of "program music" and his innovative use of the orchestra. His Symphonie Fantastique broke the molds of classical structure by narrating a story through instruments. He is considered the father of modern orchestration thanks to his technical treatises.
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Recognized as the father of Czech music, he was the first composer to use elements of his country's folklore and legends in a professional and artistic way. His cycle of symphonic poems My Fatherland, which includes the famous The Moldau, became a symbol of national identity. His work laid the foundation for the subsequent development of music in Central Europe.
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A French composer known for his astounding mastery of orchestration and almost perfect technical precision. Although associated with Impressionism, his style integrated elements of jazz, Classicism, and Spanish melodies, as in his famous Bolero. His work stands out for its refined elegance and brilliant use of orchestral color.
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A Finnish composer whose music, austere and evocative of Nordic landscapes, was crucial to the national spirit of his country. His seven symphonies and the symphonic poem Finlandia established him as a master of orchestral form and a cultural hero. He developed a unique personal style that moved away from modernist trends to explore the depth of nature.
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An American composer who revolutionized the 20th century by masterfully integrating jazz and popular rhythms into academic concert music. Works like Rhapsody in Blue and the opera Porgy and Bess defined a modern and purely American sound. His ability to write both popular songs for Broadway and complex symphonic pieces made him a unique genius.
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He was the leading representative of musical Impressionism, breaking with traditional structures to focus on color and sonic atmosphere. His music, such as Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, uses exotic scales and innovative harmonies that evoke sensations and landscapes. He is considered the father of modern music for liberating harmony from academic rules.
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Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was an eminent Polish composer and pianist of the Romantic period, considered a lyrical genius who dedicated almost his entire output to the piano. His music, of great poetic beauty and technical demand, includes polonaises, mazurkas, nocturnes, and waltzes. He is a fundamental pillar of the piano repertoire.
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Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a virtuoso Hungarian composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period, celebrated for his revolutionary piano technique and formal innovation. A pioneer of the symphonic poem and programmatic music, his work spans a wide range of genres. His influence as both a performer and composer was immense.
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Alongside Bartók, he was the great defender of Hungarian musical identity and a pioneer in music education through his famous "Kodály Method." His music is more lyrical and accessible than that of his colleague, highlighting works like the Háry János Suite and Psalmus Hungaricus. He dedicated his life to preserving folklore and teaching that music should be an integral part of human development.
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A central figure of the American avant-garde and a pioneer of aleatory music, where chance plays a fundamental role in creation. Famous for his silent work 4'33", he challenged the very definition of music by including environmental noises and the use of the "prepared piano." His aesthetic philosophy transformed contemporary art, emphasizing attentive listening to everything around us.
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The most universal Spanish composer of the 20th century, who elevated musical nationalism to a category of international avant-garde. His style evolved from the Andalusian spirit of Love, the Magician toward a more austere and essential neoclassicism in Master Peter's Puppet Show. He managed to capture the deep spirit of Spain through modern, refined, and rhythmically powerful orchestration.
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One of the most versatile and brilliant composers in history, whose work The Rite of Spring caused a scandal that marked the beginning of modern music. His career spanned nationalist, neoclassical, and serialist stages, demonstrating a unique capacity for reinvention. He is a master of irregular rhythm, brilliant orchestration, and constant artistic provocation.
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A collaborator of Schaeffer and one of the main exponents of electroacoustic music, known for integrating the experimental with the dramatic. His work Variations for a Door and a Sigh is an iconic example of transforming everyday noises into an expressive musical structure. He is a fundamental figure for understanding the evolution of avant-garde electronic music toward popular culture.
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A French engineer and composer who invented "Musique Concrète," which uses sounds recorded from reality as raw material for composing. By manipulating magnetic tapes with noises from trains or pans, he eliminated the need for traditional instruments and scores. His work laid the technological and aesthetic foundations for all electronic music and modern sampling.
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He is the leading exponent of musical Minimalism, characterized by the use of repetitive structures and arpeggios that evolve slowly to create a hypnotic effect. He has achieved unprecedented success by bridging the gap between academic music and popular culture through his iconic operas and soundtracks. His style is globally recognized for its rhythmic clarity and an emotional sensitivity that redefines the experience of sonic time.
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A Hungarian composer who revolutionized the 20th century by fusing authentic Eastern European folk music with avant-garde techniques. He was one of the founders of ethnomusicology, traveling to villages to record peasant melodies that he later transformed into masterpieces like his Concerto for Orchestra. His style is rhythmically vigorous, modern, and deeply connected to his roots.
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A Sevillian composer who fused French technical training with the essence of Andalusian folklore and Impressionist language. His works, such as Fantastic Dances and The Procession of the Rocío, stand out for their descriptive character, elegance, and evocative coloring. He was a key figure in creating a nationalist symphonic school with an unmistakable Andalusian stamp.
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Leader of the Second Viennese School and creator of twelve-tone music, the system that definitively broke with traditional tonality. His evolution from the intense expressionism of Transfigured Night toward atonal music forever changed the course of Western composition. He is one of the most influential and controversial figures in music history due to his intellectual rigor.
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A French composer whose music is a fascinating blend of Catholic mysticism, complex rhythms, and the detailed transcription of bird songs. Works like the Quartet for the End of Time showcase his unique harmonic language based on modes of limited transposition. He was an influential teacher who used sound color to explore theological and natural visions.