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Luigi Cherubini
Italian composer, theorist, teacher and administrator working in Paris that composed French opera called Lodoiska (1791) which fueled music performances in all of Europe to display liberty, equality and heroism. 38 dramatic works -
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Prince Nikolaus Eszterhazy
Haydn's patron and employer after 1790 -
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Transitional figure form the Classical to the Romantic style. Composed in all genres: 9 symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, 1 bad opera, lieder, string quartets, masses, concertos, arias, overtures and other choral/ chamber music. Icon in present culture. Established heroic topic in orchestral music. virtuoso pianist. expert improviser. -
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E.T.A. Hoffmann
German writer, artist and composer. Writer of The Nutcracker fable. His writings epitomize Romanticism. Published articles critiquing rising Romantic artists starting with Beethoven in 1813. -
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Carl Maria von Weber
Founder of German Romantic Opera; studied with Michael Haydn; important conductor. Composed German opera, other dramatic works, cantatas, concertos, piano works, songs, 2 symphonies and writings -
French Revolution (1789-1799)
Radically changed course of history. Theocracies and absolute monarchies declined and were replaced with republics/ democracies. The common people felt empowered and thus emerged the "heroic" musical style. -
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Gioachino Rossini
Italian composer. The most famous composer in the early 19th centure in Vienna; composed mostly choral music and operas. Composed 39 operas, choral music, vocal works and 2 sinfonia -
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Gaetano Donizetti
Composed 70 operas, symphonies, chamber music, 100 songs, and choral music. Was a student of Mayr; Verdi's immediate forerunner in serious Italian opera; prolifiic composer of all genres. -
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Franz Schubert
Austrian composer who created a genre of artistic and dramatic Lieder; expansive melodies; frequent modulations; many unfinished works; died young and romanticized after death. Composed over 600 Lieder, 9 symphonies, chamber music, piano works, 13 operas, choral music -
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Vincenzo Bellini
Composed 10 serious operas, Italian; created dramas with extreme passion/emotion. -
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Hector Berlioz
French composer, condutor, writer and innovator. Composed most genres. Leading French musician in his day. His works embody the notions of Romanticism -
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Mikhail Glinka
The father of Russian music; European trained and prolific composer that made stage works, chamber music, orchestral works, piano works and vocal works -
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Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Had the same training as Felix Mendelssohn. Discouraged from composing; married, then published more. Composed and overture, 250 Lieder, 28 choral works and chamber music -
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Felix Mendelssohn
Jewish German composer that composed symphonies, concertos, chamber music, Lieder, piano and organ works. Early romantic; conservative style. Important as a conductor. He revived Bach's music. -
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Robert Schumann
Important critic, editor and composer at the center of musical life. Composed 4 symphonies, Lieder, chamber music, piano works, concertos and 1 bad opera. Lost his sanity young -
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Frederic Francois Chopin
Polish/ French composer and pianist. Innovated new piano techniques and is more famous now than he was in his time. Composed piano concertos, chamber music that involved piano and sonatas. -
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Franz Liszt
Virtuoso pianist, conductor, and author. He supported Wagner and was an innovator in musical form/ harmonies and aesthetics. Invented orchestral tone poem. Composed them along with dramatic works, Lieder, concertos, piano works, vocal works and writings. -
War of 1812
U.S. versus U.K. that ended with a peace treaty between the two -
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Giuseppe Verdi
The leading Italian opera composer of the 19th century. A national hero of Italy. Composed 26 operas and choral music. -
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Richard Wagner
Creator of German Music Drama; conductor, writer and musical innovator. Composed operas, music dramas, writings and 2 bad symphonies. Anti- Semite. Profoundly influenced Western harmony. -
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Charles Gounod
French prolific composer; wrote in most genres. Composed 12 operas, oratios, masses, much choral music and piano works -
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Clara Wieck Schumann
Virtuoso pianist. Wife of Robert Schumann and close friend of Brahms. Composed Lieder and piano concerto -
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Cesar Franck
French nationalist composer, teacher, and organist. -
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Anton Bruckner
Austrian composer and organist who followed after Wagner known for his large orchestrations, symphonies, organ works and choral music -
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Bedrich Smetana
Czech composer; established Czech opera in the 19th century and was a nationalist. Composed tone poems and operas -
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Johann Strauss
Viennese composer, conductor and violinist called the "Waltz- King". Composed viennese operettas. -
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Stephen Foster
American songwriter in vernacular style -
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Johannes Brahms
Austrian composer/ conductor/ pianist that composed 4 symphonies, concertos, choral music, chamber music, Lieder, German Requiem, piano works and other orchestral works. Classic- Romantic. One of the first editors of Bach's music. -
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Camille Saint-Saens
French composer, pianist, organist and writer composed stage works, choral and chamber music, songs, orchestral and piano works, and writings -
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Georges Bizet
French composer created a new type of serious French opera. Composed dramatic works, piano works and songs -
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Modest Musorgsky
One (and most famous) of the Russian Mighty Five. Music rooted in Russian folksong and lore. -
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John Knowles Paine
American organist and composer. Harvard's first professor of music. -
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Piotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Russian composer, conductor and teacher that was Western trained. He was emotional and used conservative harmonic language. Composed stager works, 6 symphonies, symphonic poems, concertos, choral and chamber music, songs and writings -
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Antonin Dvorak
The most famous of the Czech composers that lived in the U.S and influenced African and Native American music and culture -
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Nikolay Rimsky- Korsakov
One of Russian Mighty Five. Teacher and conductor; wrote an orchestration treatise. -
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Gabriel Faure
French composer, teacher and keyboardist that foreshadowed modern tonality and styl. Head of Paris Conservatory. -
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Leos Janacek
Czech composer and ethnomusicologist influenced by folk music. Composed folksong arrangements and editions along with other works -
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John Philip Sousa
American leader of the U.S. Marine Band in 1880 composed over 100 marches and vocal works -
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Edward Elgar
Englis composer that composed symphonies, overtures, 9 stage works, choral/chamber music, and piano works -
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Giacomo Puccini
Italian opera composer that strove for realism and was the most successful Italian opera composer after Verdi. Composed 10 operas. -
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Hugo Wolf
Composed 250 Lieder and 1 opera. Influenced by Wagner -
American Civil War (1861-1865)
U.S. war fought between confederates and unionists (North and South respectively) of America over mainly long standing controversy over slavery