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Ludwig Van Beethoven-8

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Born in Bonn, Germany in December of 1770 (America was still part of the British Empire at that time)-- Beethoven re-defined what it meant to be a musician during his lifetime. At the time he was born, most musicians were in the employ of wealthy patrons who controlled what they created -- by the end of his life, Beethoven demonstrated that it was possible to create music that satisfied the composer and audiences would be happy to pay to hear it. His music is among some of the most well-known in the world. He wrote for voice, piano, orchestra, and many solo instruments. Listen to the following: Minuet in G Ninth Symphony (the theme you know begins at 1:06:30-it's over an hour of music!) Newly Completed 10th symphony using AI Rage Over A Lost Penny ( Humor from Beethoven) Beethoven Lives Upstairs (a great movie about Beethoven's life) Piano Sonata #31 in A-Flat (one of Mr. Montague's Favorites) Bernstein talks about Beethoven now listen to the...
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Composer of the week will continue in January.

Composer of the Week will continue in January. We are preparing for the Winter concert. In the meantime...  Revisit the music and composers we discussed in class from August through November.  It's always available!
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John Corigliano - 7

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  Don't forget to leave a comment. American composer John Corigliano was born in and still lives in New York City. His father was the concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and his mother was a pianist. He has written more than 100 major compositions, many of them award-winning ( he has: A Pulitzer, 5 Grammys, and an Oscar) He is also a well-respected music teacher at the Julliard School (he still teaches at 87!), and has influenced many composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Here are some examples try to listen to a bit of the all: The Red Violin - The Legend of the Haunted Violin -- spooky music! Longer version of "The Red Violin"  Symphony No. 3 (Circus Maximus) the music begins at 8:20 , however the introduction is interesting , listen at 32:30 for the SIRENS ! Fern Hill  this is choral music (performed by a choir) listen around 5:00 for the most exciting part!
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Errollyn Wallen-6

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  Don't forget to leave a comment. British composer Errollyn Wallen writes amazing music that is a joy to hear!  She was born in Belize in 1958, but moved to the U.K. when she was two.  She studied dance and music while in school. Currently, Ms. Wallen is Master of The Kings Music , a very high honor in the United Kingdom. She is also the very first Black woman to be featured in The Proms ! She was asked to create new music for the event this year, 2025. Here are some examples of her music Peace on Earth Concerto Grosso Chrome for Brass Band Mighty River The composer talks about her Piano Concerto Piano Concerto (part I) Mighty River  (with the composer and conductor explaining the music)
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Steve Reich-5

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Don't forget to leave a comment with name and homeroom. American composer Steve Reich uses Ostinatos in almost all of his music. He took piano lessons as a child but did not decide on a career in music until he was in college. Reich said this about his inspiration: "I became a composer because I'd heard the  Rite of Spring  of  Stravinsky , I'd heard  Bach 's Fifth Brandenburg (concerto), I'd heard bebop —  Charlie Parker ,  Miles Davis  — music that had a lot of rhythmic energy, music which was finally harmonic. I know the  Rite of Spring 's harmonic quality is not that of Charlie Parker. Neither are they that of Johann Sebastian Bach. But they all had what Stravinsky called the magnetic attraction, the polaric attraction of sound." (NPR-2016) He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, introducing the use of pre-recorded music in a concert and the use of ostinatos. Radiohead gives ...
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Caroline Shaw-4

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Remember to leave a comment. Caroline Shaw was the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 at the age of 30! Her winning composition is titled: Partita for 8 Voices  (click the link to listen, Ms. Shaw is one of the performers) Also a 2022 Grammy Award winner: Narrow Sea She is from North Carolina and like many other composers, including Mozart and Beethoven, her first teacher was a parent (Mother). She began playing the violin at two years old and composed her first music at ten! Interesting fact: Many popular musicians quote her music in their own works. Here are some more examples (they are really interesting): String Quartet Music in Common Time (very beautiful music) Its Motion Keeps (music for children's choir) Microfictions And The Swallow And The Swallow Vocal Version An interview with Caroline Shaw-she talks about how she creates music!
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Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George(s)-3

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Joseph Bologne, better known as Chevalier was one of the first classical composers of African heritage!  He was born in Guadeloupe in 1745 to an enslaved Mother and eventually moved to France where he spent the rest of his life as a musician and a soldier. He studied music in France and  became a respected composer. He was also the conductor of an orchestra in Paris: Les Concert Des Amateur. He was considered a musical equal and rival to W.A. Mozart! He lived until 1799. A movie made in 2022 tells the story of his life and music. Listen to some of the following examples: Aria from his opera L'Mont Anonyme String Quartet in F minor Overture (the first selection) from his opera Sonata for two violins - worth watching! A short video about his life  - I highly recommend watching this video!
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