According to legend it was Bernadotte who suggested Beethoven to compose a symphony for Napoleon, the one which became his Third Symphony, the Eroica. Is the myth true? Who was this remarkable person? Who was Marshal Bernadotte? Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte was born on January 26, 1763, in Pau, France. His father was the local prosecutor and wished his …
Private jets and full stadium concerts were not always the way of life even for a first class musician. From music as free gift to copyrights, the road was long and bumpy. From gift to asset Probably the most important milestone in music business was the introduction of copyrights. After this, music business in general is about these rights …
How Morse code, the letter V and the opening four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony saved the world in World War II? Read on to find out! The Morse code In the 19th-century news and information still travelled slowly. There was desperate need for faster communication! Three Americans, Samuel F. B. Morse, Joseph Henry, and Alfred Vail, a painter, a …
For Socrates music is very important, but not for pleasure, rather a utility to educate. In this article we cover his life and his thoughts on music. Who was Socrates? Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens, regarded as the founder of Western-philosophy, and among the firsts in moral philosophy. Socrates was born next to Athens, in Alopece, in 470 …
Biography of Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer and string player. More than anybody, he represents the transition from Renaissance music to Baroque, and was the forerunner in developing the opera as a new genre. Monteverdi was born in Cremona, in 1567. His father was a barber-surgeon and …
In this article we remember the special occasion, when young Franz Liszt was introduced to Beethoven. This account was given by Liszt himself many decades later, in 1875. Who was Franz Liszt? Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian pianist composer, born in Doborján (Raiding, in German) in Sopron County, in the Kingdom of Hungary, …