TDCM: January 13th - Claudio Monteverdi

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Bio

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi was born in Cremona which is in northern Italy. He spent most of his career in the courts of Mantua and the Republic of Venice. He composed polyphonic choral music for the church and public consumption. He was one of the early adopters of the basso continuo technique and dealt with some controversy as a result. 

Music

Vespro della Beata Vergine

Selva Morale e Spirituale

TDCM: January 11th - Ernest John Moeran

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Ernest John Moeran (1894-1950)

Bio

Moeran was born in Middlesex to a clergyman. He studied at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford and joined the Oxford & Cambridge Musical Club along with Vaughan Williams, Butterworth, and Boult. He was wounded at the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt in WWI but recovered and served through the rest of the war in Ireland. He returned to his studies under John Ireland and then began composing. His work is specifically tied to Irish folk music and is still played today. 

Music

Violin Concerto

Two Rhapsodies for Orchestra

Symphony in G minor

Symphony No. 2 (completed by Martin Yates)

Sinfionetta for Orchestra

TDCM: January 10th - Darius Milhaud

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)

Bio

Milhaud was born in Marseille to Jewish parents. He studied at the Paris Conservatory and met Honegger and Tailleferre there. They joined with Auric, Durey, and Poulenc to form Les Six, a group of French (and one Swiss) composers who were a neoclassic reaction to Wagner and Debussy. Milhaud was very prolific producing an opus list in the 400s.

Music

Le Bœf sure le toit

Saudades do Brasil

Cello Concerto

La Création du Monde

Suite No. 8

TDCM: January 9th - Nikolai Myaskovsky

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881-1950)

Bio

Nikolai Yakolevich Myaskovsky was born near Warsaw. His father was an engineer in the army. He also studied to be an engineer but was inspired by a Tchaikovsky symphony to compose. Private lessons with Glière in the military prepared him to enter the Conservatory where he studied under Lyadov and Rimsky-Korsakov. He and Prokofiev became friends and collaborated throughout their careers. He is known as the Father of the Soviet symphony as he composed 27 of them. 

Music

Symphony No. 22 "Symphony-Ballad"

Symphony No. 25

Cello Concerto

Symphony No. 26 in C major "on Russian Themes"

Symphony No. 27

Piano Sonata No. 1

Symphony No. 3 in A minor

TDCM: January 6th - Giacomo Meyerbeer

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)

Bio

Jakob Liebmann Beer was born in Tasdorf to a Jewish family. He adopted the surname Meyerbeer after his grandfather Liebmann Meyer Wulff. His father was a prominent figure in Berlin and Jakob received the best education possible. He studied under Muzio Clementi, Antonio Salieri, and Carl Zelter. He went to Italy to compose opera and took the name Giacomo. He was initially successful but posthumously fell out of style after attacks from Wagner and later the Nazi regime for his Jewish heritage. Modern scholarship has restored his place as a successful composer.

Music

Clarinet Quartet in E-flat major

4 Fackeltanze for Prussian Royal Weddings

Le Prophéte

Les Patineurs

Fest-Ouverture im Marschstyl for the London World Exhibition

Struensée

TDCM: January 5th - Olivier Messiaen

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

Bio

Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen was born in Avignon. His father was a teacher and translator and his mother was a poet. At 11, Messiaen entered the Paris Conservatoire and studied under Gallon, Emmanuel, Dupré, and Dukas. He became the organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité at age 23 and remained there for 60 years. He was a medical auxiliary in WWII and was captured at Verdun. He composed pieces at Stalag VIII-A and is still commemorated there. After the war, he continued composing and taught at the Conservatoire.

Music

Fête des belles eaux

Des canyons aux etoiles

Turangalîla-Sinfonie

Quartet for the End of Time

L'Ascension

Catalogue d'oiseaux

TDCM: January 4th - André Messager

 

Listening Through The Dictionary of Composers and Their Music 

André Messager (1853-1929)

Bio

André Charles Prosper Messager was born in central France. He studied church music under Loret, Gigout, Fauré, and Saint-Saëns. Messager succeeded Fauré as the choir organist at Saint-Suplice where Widor was the principal. He collaborated with many of his contemporaries including Chabrier, Massenet, and Debussy. He was a celebrated composer and conductor and was appointed a Commander of the Légion d'honneur. 

Music

Symphony in A major

Les Deux Pigeons

Isoline

Madame Chrysantheme