Composers

Question 1

Johann Sebastian Bach

Answer 1

1685-1750. Three places:
Weimar 1703-1717: well-tempered klavier, bwv 12
Köthen 1717-1723: (Prince Leopold) cello suites, orchestral suites, violin sonatas and partitas, Brandenburg concerti
Leipzig 1723-1750: most of the cantatas, b minor mass, 2nd well-tempered clavier, goldberg variations, Art of the Fugue.
Born to a musical family, his uncles were all professional musicians. His parents died when he was 10 and he went to live with his brother Johann Christoph Bach, who taught him organ, had about 20 kids, but only some survived. Johann Cristian, Carl Philip Emanuel, and Wilhelm Freidemann were his sons who were also musicians.

Question 2

Handel

Answer 2

1685-1759. German composer who spent most of his time in London. wrote operas, oratorios, concerti grossi, organ concertos, sonatas, etc. Became a naturalized british citizen in 1727.
learned spinet, could play organ, harpsichord, violin, but had a special affection for the oboe. only teacher was Zachow, who allowed handel (age 9) to play and compose for the church services.
Friends with Telemann at Univeristy of Halle.
England in 1712, composed mostly opera until 1736 when he began composing oratorio.
Messiah, Watermusik, Royal Fireworks.

Question 3

Vivaldi

Answer 3

1678-1741, Italian, born in Venice.

Question 4

Telemann

Answer 4

1681-1767, German. became a composer against his family’s wishes. godfather to CPE Bach. Friends with Handel in Halle.
more than 3,000 compositions. had a post in Frankfurt and then Hamburg. wrote operas, cantatas, sonatas, concertos, oratorios, orchestral suites. (CPE took over his post in Hamburg after he died.)

Question 5

Haydn

Answer 5

1732-1809

Question 6

Mozart

Answer 6

1756-1791

Question 7

Beethoven

Answer 7

1770-1827

Question 8

Schubert

Answer 8

1797-1828

Question 9

Schumann

Answer 9

1810-1858

Question 10

Wagner

Answer 10

1813-1883

Question 11

Brahms

Answer 11

1833-1897

Question 12

Tchaikovsky

Answer 12

1840-1893

Question 13

Dvorak

Answer 13

1841-1904

Question 14

Mahler

Answer 14

1860-1911

Question 15

Debussy

Answer 15

1862-1918

Question 16

Ravel

Answer 16

1875-1937

Question 17

Mendelssohn

Answer 17

1809-1847

Question 18

Stravinsky

Answer 18

1882-1971

Question 19

Schoenberg

Answer 19

1874-1951

Question 20

Hindemith

Answer 20

1895-1963

Question 21

Poulenc

Answer 21

1899-1963

Question 22

Saint-Saens

Answer 22

1835-1921

Question 23

Strauss

Answer 23

1864-1949