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𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆, 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗜. 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 Jules Massenet was born on 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮, 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟮, in Montaud, near Saint-Étienne, into a cultivated but not…

𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 There are composers who dominate by monumentality, and others who conquer through something apparently lighter but no less…

𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐳: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 There are composers who refine an existing language, and there are others who seem to arrive almost…

𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗞: 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟱 — No Opus — B001 — Forget Me Not [Nezapomeň na mě ne; Polka Pomněnka]. 𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟵 — No Opus — B002 — Mass in B-flat major. 𝟭𝟴𝟲𝟬 —…

# **𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗’𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬 - Chapter 17 — Last Return, Last Departure ** **I. Vienna: Sociability, Dance, and the Theatre of Identity** The year **1783** opens with Mozart in a state of outward…

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹 — 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯 𝗟𝗔𝗪 𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖? 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛 (𝟭𝟳𝟬𝟮–𝟭𝟳𝟬𝟯) By the beginning of the eighteenth century, the essential question in Handel’s life was no longer whether…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗥É𝗗É𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡 — 𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗬𝗦𝗜𝗦 𝗜. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 (𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟲–𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟵) By the mid-1840s, Chopin’s health — always fragile — had entered an unmistakably worsening phase. He had…

𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 There are composers whose lives unfold within a single world, and there are others whose destiny seems split…

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 There are pianists whose fame is built on conquest, and others whose greatness seems to arise from something infinitely rarer: 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬,…

𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 There are composers whose music conquers by force, and others whose power lies in 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲,…

**𝗠𝗢𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗’𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬 - 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟲 — 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗵** **𝗜. 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘁** Swafford begins this chapter with a striking…

𝗟𝗜𝗟𝗜 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗙𝗟𝗬 — 𝗔 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Among the most moving figures in the history of music, Lili Boulanger (1893–1918) stands as one of those rare…

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶 (1567–1643) was one of the most decisive figures in the history of Western music, standing at the threshold between the Renaissance and the Baroque.…

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵ü𝘁𝘇: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵ü𝘁𝘇 (1585–1672) stands as the most important German composer before Bach and 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲. He was…

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘇 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘇𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘇 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘇 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿 (1644–1704) was one of the most imaginative and influential composers of the Baroque era, and 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁…

𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗹: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗹 (1653–1706) was a leading German Baroque composer and 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.…

𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝘅: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝘅 (c.1660–1741) was an Austrian Baroque composer, theorist, and one of the most influential teachers in music history. Born in…

𝗚𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗶 (1710–1736) was one of the most brilliant and influential Italian composers of the early eighteenth century, and 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲…

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝗰𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝗰𝗲 (1711–1779) was one of the most important English composers of the eighteenth century and 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿…

𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗼 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗶 (1671–1751) was an Italian Baroque composer known for his refined instrumental music and for his 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼. Born in 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲…

𝗚𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶 𝗚𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗶 (c.1554–1612) was one of the most influential composers of the late Renaissance and early Baroque, and 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀…

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 The transition from Renaissance music to Baroque music was not a simple replacement of one style by another. It was a deep…

𝗬𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻 (1887–1966) 𝗬𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗸𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻 was a Soviet composer best known for his large-scale vocal-symphonic and operatic works. Born in Glukhov, in the former Russian Empire, he studied in St Petersburg and later…

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐳 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 There are conductors whose greatness lies in warmth, others in charisma, and a very rare few whose authority seems almost terrifying because it is…