Although the heyday and peak of popularity of classical music fell on the 17th – early 20th centuries, the masterpieces created in that era still inspire and easily find their listeners from different parts of the world. Compiling a list of the greatest musical composers who have created these great works is not easy, as the history of music has a large number of them. Therefore, I bring to your attention the most famous music creators and their unforgettable heritage.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach is a German composer who is often referred to as the parent of classical music. His works are very diverse – there are solemn and tragic ones, but there are also humorous and lyrical ones. Bach is a representative of the Baroque era and worked in all genres of his time, with the exception of opera. In his entire life, he wrote over a thousand works; however, during his lifetime, only about a dozen were published. Bach’s interest in music began in early childhood, and it should be noted that his talent was passed down from generation to generation. They say that he could hear a piece of music only once and could reproduce it exactly. According to researchers, this great composer was able to compose music on all keyboards of his time. Bach was also an excellent teacher, and if he saw talent in a student, then he could even teach them music for free.
The most famous works: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, cycles “The Art of the Fugue”, “Musical Offering”.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
If you are looking for a good stress reliever and want to get rid of the blues, then the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will help you with this like nothing else. The music of this composer is permeated with fluency and positiveness. The Austrian composer and performer who could play many instruments was a child prodigy with a unique ear and learned to play the piano at the age of three; he wrote his first symphony at the age of eight, the first opera at the age of twelve. Mozart is recognized as one of the greatest composers in the world because he did not inherit anyone and left a great legacy of operas, sonatas, piano concerts, symphonies, and much more.
The most famous works: opera “The Marriage of Figaro”, Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”, 3rd movement of Sonata No. 11 “Turkish March”, Concerto for flute and harp and orchestra and “Requiem” in D minor, К. 626.
Ludwig van Beethoven
The name of Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most prominent ones in the history of classical music. He took an interest in all genres that existed at the time and was the founder of the romantic period in classical music. His approach to composing music was innovative, and the audience did not immediately accept such novelties in vocals and instruments, but already during his lifetime, Beethoven’s genius was appreciated. Unfortunately, already at the age of 26, he began to lose his hearing, and for the last ten years of his life, he no longer heard anything, although his great works were created precisely during this period.
The most famous works: “Moonlight Sonata” (No. 14), the play “To Eliza”, Symphony No. 9, Symphony No. 5.
Frederic Chopin
Frederic Chopin is a French-Polish composer who wrote music only for piano. The lack of operas or symphonies, however, did not prevent his works from becoming the basis of the repertoire of famous pianists. The Polish composer lived only 39 years but managed to leave a great legacy in the form of ballads, piano pieces, preludes, waltzes, mazurkas, nocturnes, polonaises, etudes, sonatas, and much, much more.
The most famous works: “Autumn Waltz”, Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Spring Rhapsody, Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor.
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was one of the most prominent representatives of the Viennese music school in the 19th century. He created more than 600 vocal compositions to the words of Schiller, Goethe, Heine, wrote orchestral, chamber, and piano music, and influenced an entire generation of composers. He wrote his first song at the age of 17, and in total, Franz Schubert lived for 31 years. Many manuscripts of works were gathering dust at the relatives and friends of Schubert and were published only half a century after his death.
Most famous works: Erlkönig, Ave Maria!, Symphony No. 9 in C Major.
