Timeline of Influential Musicians

Timeline of Influential Musicians

MODERN

CLASSICAL

1900-

1750-1820

Having been playing the piano for nearly thirteen years now, I have been blessed with the opportunity to experience the works of various phenomenons.

Toward the mid-eighteenth century, Europe began to move toward an artistic style that is typically referred to as "classicism". Classicism emulated the ideas of classical antiquity, especially those of Classical Greece.

Clearer division between parts, brighter contrasts, and simplicity were key factors in the musical style.

In terms of music and musical compositions, this time period was dominated by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

At the turn of the twentieth century, modernism became the most prominent style of art. This era, in particular, challenged all the eras that came before it.

Modern music saw the re-interpretation of older categories of music, as well as innovations that led to new ways of organizing and approaching harmonic, melodic, sonic, and rhythmic aspects of music.

Some of the most popular musicians and composers of this period are Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.

So, for this ISP, I decided to create a timeline highlighting some of history's most influential musicians.

Joseph Haydn

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ludwig van Beethoven

Arnold Schoenberg

Igor Stravinsky

Claude Debussy

March 31, 1732 - May 31, 1809

December 17, 1770 (baptised) - March 26, 1827

January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791

June 17, 1882 - April 6, 1971

September 13, 1874 - July 13, 1951

August 22, 1862 - March 25, 1918

Stravinsky was a Russion composer, pianist, and conductor.

Throughout his musical career, Stravinsky gained an enduring reputation as a musical revolutionary. He was noted for pushing the boundaries of musical design.

He is considered to be one of the most important and influential composers of the twentieth century.

Schoenberg was an Austrian composer and painter.

Schoenberg's approach to music, in terms of both harmony and development, has been one of the most influential of twentieth century musical thought.

Unfortunately, due to the rise of the Nazi party, Schoenberg's work was considered "degenerate" because he was Jewish.

Haydn was a prominent Austrian composer. He is famous for his vast contributions to the classical musical form. He is often referred to as the "Father of Symphony" and the "Father of String Quartet".

Haydn was an expert at singing and sight-reading. He also played the violin, harpsichord, and organ.

At the time of his death, at the age of seventy-seven, Haydn was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe.

Mozart was an influential Austrian composer. His talents allowed him to travel throughout Europe, performing for royal families and people of great nobility.

By the age of five, Mozart was a brilliant player of the keyboard and violin.

Mozart composed over six-hundred works, many of which are considered pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. During his lifetime, and even afterward, he remained a beloved composer and musician of many.

Debussy was a French composer. In 1903, he was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in France.

Debussy's work is noted for its sensory content and usage of atonality. He was directly inspired by the prominent French literary style of the period, known as Symbolism.

Debussy is one of the most prominent figures of Impressionist music.

Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He spent his life traveling Europe in order to conduct, perform, and compose.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, Beethoven's eyesight began to deteriorate, and he was nearly entirely deaf during the last decade of his lifetime. Although he gave up on conducting and performing in public by then, he continued to compose hauntingly beautiful and emotional works of art.

Beethoven was crucial in the transition between the Classical and Romantic periods. He remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.

1600

1820

1720

1900

ROMANTIC

BAROQUE

1820-1900

1600-1750

Following the era of classicism, a more emotional style of music emerged and quickly became prevalent in Europe. The Romantic period saw an increase in very large symphonies, virtuosic piano music, dramatic operas, and passionate songs.

For the first time, music began to feel like an expression of the human soul.

Influential musicians and composers of this period include Schubert, Chopin, and Liszt.

Derived from the Portuguese word barroco, which means “oddly shaped pearl,” the term “baroque” has been used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European music from the early seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth century.

The music of this period is very technical, ornamented, and exaggerated.

Some of the greatest musicians of this era include Purcell, Handel, and Bach.

Franz Schubert

Franz Liszt

Fryderyk Chopin

March 1, 1810 - October 17, 1849

October 22, 1811 - July 31, 1886

January 31, 1797 - November 19, 1828

Johann Sebastian Bach

Henry Purcell

George Frideric Handel

March 31, 1685 - July 28, 1750

Liszt was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, teacher, and Franciscan tertiary.

Some of Liszt's most popular musical contributions include the development of thematic transformation and the creation of radical departures in harmony.

Liszt was declared the most technically advanced pianist of his age by his contemporaries. In the 1840s, he was considered to be the greatest pianist of all time.

September 10, 1659 - November 21, 1695

February 23, 1685 - April 14, 1759

Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. As a child, he was considered a prodigy.

Chopin composed primarily for the solo piano, although he wrote two piano concertos, a few chamber pieces, and a handful of songs to Polish lyrics. His keyboard style is very technically demanding.

Chopin's works remain popular today. He has been the subject of numerous films and biographies.

Schubert was an Austrian composer. He is considered the last Classical composer - and the first Romantic one.

Schubert wrote over six-hundred secular vocal works, seven completed symphonies, sacred music, operas, and incidental music, as well as a large body of chamber and piano music.

During his lifetime, Schubert was extremely prolific. He is one of the most frequently performed composers of the nineteenth century.

Bach was a German musician and composer. He is known for introducing French and Italian styles of counterpoint and harmony into traditional German music.

Early in his life, Bach had mastered the violin, harpsichord, and organ.

Bach is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time. His music is highly respected for its technical demand, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.

Purcell was an English composer, although he was famous for incorporating French and Italian stylistic elements into his musical compositions.

Purcell wrote music for the keyboard and strings, as well as sacred pieces for choirs and semi-operas for dramatic performances.

He is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers who ever lived.

Handel was a German-born, British Baroque composer who spent most of his working life in London, England. He is famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos.

Handel played the clavichord, organ, harpsichord, and violin. By the age of 11, he had mastered the art of composition, harmony, and counterpoint.

Handel is considered one of the greatest composers of the Baroque period.

Rachel Peiris

TA: Mrs. Ventura (#48)

AMI4M1 - ISP

Mr. Jatiouk