Music appreciation

Antonio Vivaldi

17th century One of the most influential composers was The "Red Priest". He taught, composed and conducted in Venice at an orphanage for girls

Jean Baptiste Lully

17th century, He rose from a chamber boy to favorite court composer. He created and dominated French opera until he lost favor with King. Tragédie-lyrique was the answer to the diva-centered Italian opera style. Used major and minor keys, not modal concepts. Predictable harmonic progressions close with a dominant-to-tonic cadence.

Henry Purcell

17th century, first great English-language opera composer. A royal composer who spent his life in court; began as a choirboy in the Chapel Royal, published first song at age 8

Franz Joseph Haydn

18th century, Father of symphony and string quartet (Did not invent it, but developed it into a serious and prestigious art form), left home at the age of 6. Hired by Prince Paul Eszterházy. Brings instrumental music and these 2 genres to a high level of seriousness and substance

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozat

18th century, composed at the age of 5. Studied the music of Bach and Handel. Unable to capture a court position, but a fine performer on both the violin and the piano, as well as composer: emotions are fluid and complex, shifting rapidly.

Christoph Willibald Gluck

18th century, embodies Opera Reform, new classical style: galant-style melodies, tuneful, natural, graceful, without complexity or dissonance : they don't express dark, turbulent emotions

Ludwig Van Beethoven

19th century, he is such a distinct voice and force that he causes a seismic shift in the musical language; his works exemplify the Romantic view of artist as lonely hero (emotional rage), driven by art. Became immediately popular and have remained so. First musician to make his living solely by composition - he didn't direct an orchestra, run an opera company, or perform

Claudio Monteverdi

An imaginative orchestrator. Uses arias and recitatives and Duets, dances, ensembles, choruses. He composed the first great opera, L'Orfeo. Went from the noble style of Orfeo, to the more theatrical style of Coronation of Poppea.

George Frideric Handel

Creator of the English oratorio, and his oratorios are his best-known works today. Oratorios become the mainstay of this compositions by the early 18th century (Wonderful choruses). Oratorios are in English; operas in Italian

Jean Philippe Rameau

Defined harmony as the force that drives music. A composer, known as the theorist who first described tonality. Defined Harmony as the force that drives music.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Early 18th Century. The great genius of the Baroque period. Chorale is the backbone for Lutheran church music, and in this composers works. Written five full cycles of Cantatas.

Girolamo Frescobaldi

First composer of stature who devoted himself to primarily instrumental music. Many works are idiomatic keyboard works, meaning they are written to suit specific keyboard instruments. Used Toccata, is generally a keyboard genre.

Giovanni Gabrieli

Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift from Renaissance to Baroque idioms

Dietrich Buxtehude

Late 17th Century (Golden Age). Central figures for Organ music. His music contrasted improvisational and fugal sections that grow into longer, contrasting preludes (or toccatas) and Fugues.

Heinrich Schutz

One of the stars of the early Baroque era. Music is in the Italian style, and it included large and small sacred concertos, oratorios, motets. Studied for three years with Giovanni Gabrieli. Music Uses old and new styles, with contrasting sections: recitative, aria, imitative counterpoint