Composers Flashcards
Despite having gained popularity and being renowned outside the Conservatoire, who failed to win Prix de Rome after several attempts?
Ravel
Who’s artistic circle was based in Paris, and included Hector Berlioz, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Friedrich Chopin, and Nicolo Paganini?
Liszt
Who is Lina Llubera?
- Prokofiev’s first wife
- frequently travelled to Moscow, settled there with her
- had 2 sons
Who was awarded the Rubinstein Prize upon graduation?
Prokofiev
Who published “Technique de mon language musical” (Technique of My Musical Language) in 1944, that outlined his compositional approach, especially with regard to rhythmic and pitch modes?
Messiaen
Who died of a stroke in 1901, and left a significant sum of money to Casa di Riposo per Musicisti, a retirement home for musicians in Milan?
Verdi
Who’s poetry was a favourite source for Lieder for Schumann?
Heinrich Heine
Who worked as a conductor at a cabaret theatre in Berlin?
Schoenberg
Who studied Law and Aesthetics with Hegel and U of Berlin?
Mendelssohn
Who is associated with birdsong and ornithology?
Messiaen
Who moved to Munich at the request of a fan, teenaged monarch King Ludwig II of Bavaria?
Wagner
Who accepted a seat and served in the Italian parliament for 4 years?
Verdi
Who began composing and playing piano at the age of 7?
Messiaen
Who had lessons with Reinhold Giliere (famous Russian pianist)?
Prokofiev
Who is Antonio Berezzi?
- Verdi moved to Busetto to live in his home
- wealthy merchant, enthusiastic amateur musician
- patronage helped finance Verdi’s musical education in Milan
Who wrote 4 serious songs in anticipation of Clara Schumann’s death?
Brahms
Who’s family moved to Vienna so that he could study piano with Czerny and composition with Salieri?
Liszt
Who entered the Paris Conservatoire?
Ravel
Who toured England, Ireland, Switzerland, and other French cities while still a teenager?
Liszt
Who was injured in a taxi accident, with brain damage showing up years later?
Ravel
What years did Mendelssohn live?
1809-1847
Who’s final years was marked with failing health and reclusive behaviour?
Ravel
After his opera marked his return and launched international fame, who had a vigorous creative period where he produced on average an opera every 9 months?
Verdi
Who was a course master for a cheater in Wurzburg?
Wagner
Who didn’t get directorship of Hamburg Philharmonic, and as a result, moved to Vienna?
Brahms
Who moved to Dresden with his family, then to Dusseldorf due to political unrest?
Schumann
Who took lessons with Friedrich Wieck in Leipzig?
Schumann
What was Brahm’s relationship with the Schumanns?
- Robert’s last article launched Brahm’s career
- lived with the Schumanns
- developed romantic feelings for Clara
Who is Claire Delbos?
- Messiaen’s first wife
- composer and violinist
- declared first song cycles to her
Who sought out Heinrich Heine in Munich at the age of 18?
Schumann
Who completed the first twelve tone composition in 1923?
Schoenberg
Where was Wagner born?
Leipzig, Germany
Where was Schumann born?
Zwickau, Germany
Who had close associations with German romantic poets E.T.A. Hoffman and Jean Paul?
Brahms
Where was Liszt born?
Raiding, Hungary (just outside Vienna, Austria)
Who felt moral obligation to his art, therefore, earning very little money as a teacher and composer?
Schoenberg
Who died hours before Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, and as a result, the news of his death was withheld so as not to eclipse the dictator?
Prokofiev
Who’s level of fame compared to that of a modern rock star and had many female admirers and notorious affairs?
Liszt
Who’s historic concert tour of the Soviet Union sowed the seeds for his eventual repatriation?
Prokofiev
Who helped Berlioz and Wagner in their careers, including conducting the first performance of Wagner’s “Lohengrin”?
Liszt
Who briefly served in WWII, and the experience left him depressed and slowed his musical output?
Schoenberg
Who accepted a conducting post in Riga (Latvia)?
Wagner
Who’s sources for libretto included writers Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and William Shakespeare?
Verdi
Who was appointed organist at L’eglise de la Sainte Trinite in Paris, and remained in this capacity for the rest of his life?
Messiaen
Who was compelled to leave Germany due to the rise of the Nazi party and increasing anti-semitism?
Schoenberg
Who introduced Brahms to people like Liszt, Berlioz, and the Schumanns?
Joseph Joachim
Where was Mendelssohn born?
Hamburg, Germany
Who said “I beg a thousand pardons if there should be anyone here whom I have not insulted tonight”?
Brahms
Who suffered from asthma his whole life and was often in poor health?
Schoenberg
Who conducted Vienna Sing Akademie?
Brahms
Who was appointed municipal music director in Dusseldorf in 1850?
Schumann
Who entered the Paris Conservatoire at a very young age, where his teachers included Paul Dukas?
Messiaen
Who was a Hungarian Nationalist?
Bartok
Who played in an amateur orchestra under Alexander von Zemlinsky, who became his only composition teacher?
Schoenberg
Who was a visiting lecturer at Harvard but was unable to finish his second lecture series because he was hospitalized with Leukaemia?
Bartok
Who died in Venice, but his body was returned to Bayreuth by train for internment?
Wagner
Who’s medical treatment was paid for by ASPAC (American Society for Composers, Authors, and Publishers) even though he was not a member?
Bartok
What years did Ravel live?
1875-1937
Who’s father was a English teacher and translator of Shakespeare, while his mother was a poet?
Messiaen
Who was a frequent conservatory prize winner in both performance and theory?
Messiaen
Who feared the number 13?
Schoenberg
10 of Verdi’s operas feature this librettist:
Francesco Maria Piave
Who was deeply impacted by the deaths of his son and daughter (3 years apart), and by the death of his mother (4 years later)?
Liszt
Who became romantically involved with Liszt’s daughter (Cosima) who was still married to conductor Hans von Bulow? They had 3 children before Cosima divorced Bulow, and later married.
Wagner
Who entered law school to please his mother, but later pursued composition and piano studies?
Schumann
How did Ravel die?
died in Paris following brain surgery
Who’s first two piano concertos where premiered and published while he was still a student?
Prokofiev
Who founded the Leipzig Conservatory?
Mendelssohn
Who was a founding member of “La jeune France”, a group of composers promoting modern French aesthetic?
Messiaen
What years did Liszt live?
1811-1886
What years did Brahms live?
1833-1897
Who was part of the WWI military service as an ambulance driver?
Ravel
Who became engulfed in the rising tide of Italian Nationalism?
Verdi
Who was awarded an honorary doctorate by Oxford University?
Ravel
Who attended Paris World Exposition and what did he encounter there that impacted his compositional style?
- Ravel
- diverse international music
Who hurt his hand and couldn’t become a concert pianist, and devoted himself to composition and music journalism?
Schumann
Who played his first piano sonata while still a student at his Moscow debut recital in 1910?
Prokofiev
Who attained a teaching position at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin with the support of Richard Strauss?
Schoenberg
Who attracted private students in Vienna including Alban Berg and Anton Webern?
Schoenberg
Who viewed religion as a quest? His family was originally Orthodox Jewish, then converted to Christianity, then reconverted to Judaism.
Schoenberg
Who was appointed professor at the Paris Conservatoire where he taught for over 30 years?
Messiaen
Who pursued religious studies and attained minor orders in the Catholic church?
Liszt
Who gave singing and piano lessons to Antonio Berezzi’s daughter Margherita, and later married her and had 2 kids?
Verdi
Who was appointed professor at the Leipzig Conservatory?
Schumann
