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, …
We continue our journey in the history of music theories, this time focusing on the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Who was Aristotle? Aristotle (384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher in ancient Greece, during the classical period. He covered various subjects from politics to music, from logic to ethics, from biology to government. It is impossible to make even an estimation …
Humans like to use categories, labels or boxes to simplify the infinitely complex world. This building is baroque, that painter is impressionist, and Beethoven is… Well, what was he? A classical composer or romantic? Maybe both? Keep reading to find out! The classical period of music This era of music succeeded the baroque and the style dominated western music for …
Probably the most influential philosopher of all time is Pythagoras. Who was he and what ideas he had about music? This article attempts to sum it up. Who was Pythagoras? Pythagoras or Pythagoras of Samos lived between c. 570 BC and c. 495 BC. He was an ancient Greek philosopher, who greatly influenced not only Plato or Aristotle, but Western …
Copyright for music was non-existent in Beethoven’s time. Piracy and unauthorized publishing were commonplace. What practices did composers follow to make the best out of their sometimes desperate situation? Read on to find out! Music publishing gathered speed in the second part of the eighteenth century. Partly because of the emerging middle-class society and their ever-growing need for new …