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𝐒𝐈𝐑 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐈 (𝟏𝟖𝟗𝟗–𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟎): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Sir John Barbirolli (1899–1970) was born Giovanni Battista Barbirolli in London on 2 December 1899 and died there on 29 July…

𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 - 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 (𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟓–𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟏) 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 (𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟗–𝟏𝟖𝟗𝟒) (𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧—𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨…

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐔 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄 (𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟐–𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟔): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Sergiu Celibidache (1912–1996) was born on 28 June 1912 in Roman, Romania and died on 14 August 1996 near Paris. He remains…

𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈 (𝟏𝟔𝟓𝟑–𝟏𝟕𝟏𝟑): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713) was born on 17 February 1653 in Fusignano, in the Papal States, and died on 8 January 1713 in…

𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐍-𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘 (𝟏𝟔𝟑𝟐–𝟏𝟔𝟖𝟕): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687) was one of the most powerful and contradictory figures in seventeenth-century music. He was born Giovanni Battista Lulli in…

𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐌 𝐅𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐖𝐀̈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐑 (𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟔–𝟏𝟗𝟓𝟒): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886–1954) remains one of the most morally and historically controversial figures in twentieth-century music. He was born on 25 January…

𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐍𝐎𝐕 (𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟓–𝟏𝟗𝟑𝟔): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936) is often remembered as the grand stabilizing figure of late Russian music: the prodigy who united nationalism with conservatory…

𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐳𝐤𝐨𝐩𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Walter Legge formed one of the most influential, complex, and frequently debated personal and artistic partnerships in the…

𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐉𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐇 𝐕𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐈: 𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 Anja Silja and Christoph von Dohnányi came together in the world of postwar German opera,…

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐙𝐓 (𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟔): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was one of the most contradictory figures in nineteenth-century music. He was the greatest virtuoso celebrity of his age…

𝐄𝐃𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐆 (𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟑–𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟕): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) is often remembered as one of the most lyrical, intimate, and beloved composers of the nineteenth century: the musical…

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐍 (𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟓–𝟏𝟗𝟑𝟏): 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Carl Nielsen (1865–1931) is often presented as one of the strongest and healthiest figures in Scandinavian music: the great Danish symphonist, a…

𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐊: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Antonin Dvorak is often remembered as one of the healthiest, warmest, and most balanced figures in nineteenth-century music: a deeply Czech composer, a…

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐕 𝐌𝐀𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐑: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Gustav Mahler was one of the most contradictory figures in music history. He was a composer of metaphysical vastness and a conductor of…

𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐑𝐈 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐇: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the most contradictory figures in all music history. He was at once a state-honored Soviet composer and a…

𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐑: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Anton Bruckner is often imagined as one of the most devout, humble, and innocent figures in nineteenth-century music: the provincial Austrian master of…

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐓: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Franz Schubert is often imagined as one of the gentlest and most inwardly lyrical figures in music history: the shy Viennese genius of…

𝐏𝐘𝐎𝐓𝐑 𝐈𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐕𝐒𝐊𝐘: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky remains one of the most beloved and emotionally immediate composers in all music history. His works seem to speak…

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Franz Joseph Haydn is often remembered as one of the most balanced, benevolent, and stable figures in music history: the kindly “Father…

𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 George Frideric Handel is often remembered as a figure of magnificence, authority, theatrical brilliance, and overwhelming musical confidence: the composer of Messiah,…

𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐖𝐈𝐆 𝐕𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Ludwig van Beethoven is often presented as the supreme heroic figure in music: defiant, original, morally elevated, and artistically invincible. Yet his…

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 Here are our own Composer Timelines for the following music periods: 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 (𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱. 𝟖𝟎𝟎–𝟏𝟒𝟎𝟎) 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 (𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱. 𝟏𝟒𝟎𝟎–𝟏𝟔𝟎𝟎) 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 (𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱. 𝟏𝟔𝟎𝟎–𝟏𝟕𝟓𝟎) 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 (𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱. 𝟏𝟕𝟓𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟎) 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜…

𝐆𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐯 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟖𝟗𝟕: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐀 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 For Gustav Mahler, 1897 was not merely another year in a successful conducting career. It was…

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Wagner’s private life has also fed the controversy surrounding him. He was often reckless with money, dependent on patrons, unstable in friendship, extravagant in taste, and capable of deep…