Great Composers and Their Lives

This composer actually came from a very poor family from Italy. The poverty of his family had almost kept him from making a musical career. Having shown a lot of talent for music at a very young age, his father did everything possible to be able to buy him a used spinet (a type of harpsichord) to learn on. Already at the age of twelve, Giuseppe Verdi had become the local organist.

As he grew older, despite his talent as a player and composer, he was refused entrance into the Milan Conservatory in favor of better, more trained candidates. This disappointment did not stop him though. Though his perseverance, he had been found by a patron, Antonio Barezzi, who loved Verdi's music. This allowed him to study privately in Milan. It was to his patron's daughter that he gave piano and sing lessons to, whom he married in 1836.

His first opera, Oberto, brought him a great deal of success, having been commissioned to write three more, the first of which was a huge failure. During the casting of his second opera, Nabucco, which had been a great success, Giuseppe Verdi was subject to a great blow. His two sons and his wife died and despite the success of his opera, it proved to be the most difficult time of his life. The distress mixed in with the success of his opera had caused Verdi to dive into his work, wanting to bring the opera to a new level. In contrast to the other composers of that time, it is interesting that he was more interested in the dramatic side of opera and less in the purity of showmanship portrayed by many other composers. For his opera, Macbeth, he incorporated a very poor voice for the soprano role of Lady Macbeth instead of someone who could sing to absolute perfection. In his opinion, the beauty and drama was intensified by such a voice.

Having written a great deal of operas and extensively traveling, he met his second wife, a soprano named Giuseppa Strepponi, in London, whom he married at the age of 46 in 1859. Throughout his life, he composed a great deal of works such as La traviata, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, Les vêpres siciliennes, un ballo in maschera, Aida, and Don Carlo. His last two operas were named Othello and Falstaff, having been written and performed when Verdi was in his seventies.

Giuseppe Verdi died at the ripe old age of 87 in year 1901. He had requested that no music be played for his funeral, yet a person watching the procession started singing Va, pensiero from his first huge success, the opera Nabucco, and then everyone started singing, all two thousand spectators.

To listen to music by this great composer, click here.

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This composer was great, but was unfortunately overpowered by alcoholism and died of cancer. Yet, there were few during his lifetime that were so gifted on the piano as he was. Having been born in Dublin, John Field showed his talent at a very young age. His father played violin and I am sure that this was quite an influence upon Field's life, coming from a family involved in the music scene at the time.

He started playing at the age of nine, having first learned from his musician grandfather and then with Tommaso Giordani, a well-known organist. Field gave his first performance a mere year afterwards. But, it was not until his family moved to London that his true musical education began. At the young age of eleven, he started working in the piano shop of a truly great composer, Muzio Clementi. It was here that he became his personal apprentice and piano demonstrator. Only a year later, he made his first appearance in London at a benefit concert playing one of Clementi's pieces. After seven years of guidance under Clementi, he made his first debut in 1799 playing his famed First Piano Concerto, which him a great deal of recognition. Shortly after, he published his first work, Piano Sonatas, Opus 1, which had been dedicated to his maestro, Muzio Clementi.

This dedication along with the long acquaintanceship with his famous teacher brought along just what he needed to really boost his career. John Field was invited to go with his teacher on a concert tour starting in Paris, France and ending in St. Petersburg, Russia, It was here that met the Russian general, Marklovsky, who, with his great influence and contacts, sponsored him for several years to come. Along with giving concerts during his stay in Russia, he became a sought-after teacher and eventually married one of his own students to whom he had two sons. At the same time, he had a woman on the side that also bore an additional two sons making him not only a great musician, but a father of four children. After contributing a great deal to the musical world and giving concerts all over Europe, this great composer died in Moscow at the age of fifty-five years old.

To listen to music by this great composer click here

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Hugo Philipp Jakob Wolf was a very interesting Austrian composer. A true picture of how detrimental it can be for a composer to get a venereal disease. Yet, due to his genius, he was able to truly give a lot to the world in an incredibly short time.

Having been taught violin and piano by his father since the age of 4, at the age of 8, he was taken to see his first opera, Belisaro by Donizetti. He was so taken back by the work, that he went home and started trying to play pieces of it on the piano. To everyone’s amazement, he was able to play large portions of the opera by heart after having only heard it for the first time. He was sent to an array of different schools to support his musical education, but on account of his stubbornness, he proved to be an incredibly difficult student. - So difficult, that he was not able to keep from getting expelled from the various schools he attended.

It was not until the age of 15 that he was enrolled at the Vienna Conservatory, where he had the chance to meet and make friends with the great composer and director Gustav Mahler, a person for whom he had a great deal of admiration. During this time, he regularly visited the opera house and developed quite a passion for the works of Wagner, which undoubtedly had an influence upon his music. Unfortunately, this stability did not last very long, for only two years after, he was expelled from the conservatory due to his rebellious and unpredictable temper and went back home a disgrace.

That same year he returned to Vienna with the intention of teaching. Shortly after his arrival in Vienna, he got involved with a ring of friends who had been very well educated as well as intelligent. Although these friends had certainly been a good influence, it was during this time that it is believed that he had visited a brothel with them that will have changed and ended his life. By 1880, he had already started suffering from intense depression which only intensified his temperament. He had always been able to find various sorts of opportunities though. From everything I’ve read, I have understood that he suffered from serious depressions and had a bad temper, yet at the same time he was incredibly talented and charming, which enabled him to find a great deal of employment, even though not always suited for it. He took the job as second Kapellmeister(music director) in Salzburg in 1881, a position he was only able to hold for a few months after which returning to Vienna.

In 1884, he started working as a music critic for a newspaper, the ‘Wiener Salonblatt’, writing a lot of very controversial articles, to the point of even being offensive. During his years as a critic, it was noted that he was especially keen on writing horrible things about Brahms. It was only a few years after, in 1887, that he wrote one of his most popular pieces, Italian Serenade for string quartet. After this, he quit his job as a critic and started composing pieces at an immense rate… several a day!!! Among these pieces were:

the Mörike-Lieder- a set of songs based upon the poems of Eduard Mörike, the Goethe-Lieder, Eichendorff-Lieder, Der Corregidor (the Magistrate)- an opera he finished after only 14 weeks, Spanishes Liederbuch (Spanish Songbook), Penthesilea – a symphonic poem based on a play by the German author Heinrich von Kleist, and the Italienisches Liederbuch (Italian Songbook).

All of these great works were composed within an amazing time span of a little over 9 years!!! A note to the reader, should it not have already been noticed by the list above: He was especially noted for writing in the German Song form known as Lied. This term is used to describe a German art song of the 19^th century written for voice and piano known for its expressiveness. After Franz Schubert, Wolf was one of the most significant composers of this musical form, known to have not only placed great importance upon the spoken word using lyrical expression, but also a lot of psychological insight in his pieces.

Unfortunately, the sickness (syphilis) he had acquired 20 years beforehand finally took hold of him completely and he was committed to an insane asylum in 1897 where he spent 6 long years before his death in 1903. Manuel Venegas, an opera, was the last of the works he left unfinished in 1887, right before his sickness took complete hold of him.

To listen to music by this great composer click here.

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I'd like to let everyone know that I just wrote a book.

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Cultural misunderstandings, crazy and dangerous situations, inter-cultural friendships, love and disappointment and the excitement of exploring. "Crossing Borders" tells the story of living and becoming an adult in a foreign country away from friends and family. This narrative is not a simple travel log of pondering curiosities, it unites the weirdest, most interesting and funniest experiences from twelve years living abroad. The story starts out with the author's experiences of his first adventure in the heart of Europe-in German speaking Austria. Dreams of going to study at the Viennese Academy of Music go up in smoke when the protagonist fails the entrance exam. The protagonist not only ends up living in a mountain village in the Alps, but also discovers traits and virtues in his new Austrian friends that he never thought possible. From almost getting shot in Cairo, having his bride kidnapped on their wedding day, to getting blackmailed by a Moroccan snake charmer, each chapter takes the reader on an extraordinary cultural trip, a book for anyone who likes to travel, whether in their mind or reality.

To learn more about this book, click here

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Christoph Willibald von Gluck grew up in Bohemia in family of nine children. His father was a tree farmer. Not much is known about his mother. On account of his father’s job, the family had to move around quite a bit. This, as can be imagined was very diffiult. His father’s desire was for him to follow in his footsteps as a tree farmer. Yet, in Gluck’s early teens, seeing that music was quite popular, he started learning to play quite a few instruments. Music started to take over his soul and become his every passion. His parents did not support his idea of becoming a musician. At the age of 13, he ran away from home… to the golden City, Prague. He supported himself there by playing at dances and in churches. His musical talents kept getting better and better. In my own belief, as is that of many others. The best type of musical training one can have is to be a working musician.

At the age of seventeen, he studied mathematics and logic, although no one really knows if he finished his degree or not. Shortly after, he made his way to Vienna, where he worked as a musician for Prince Melzi. Prince Melzi got married and relocated to Milan, whereby he took Chistoph Gluck with him. This was a wonderful bout of luck for the young composer, who had always loved the Italian operas he had seen in Prague.

He started studying under Battista Sammartini and was able to compose his first opera after only four years! He wrote Artaserse. Its debut was in a Milan and it was a hit ! He started making a lot of money with his music and ended up moving to England in 1945 where he was commisioned bay the Italian Opera of London to creat two operas. Here he was known to be competing with Handel who had once stated that “Gluck knows no more about counterpoint than his cook.” Only a year after, he took a job conducting for Pietro Mingotti’s Italian Opera Company and traveled all thoughout Denmark and Austria.

He ended up settling down in Vienna and got married to a woman, Maria Anna Bergin, the daughter of a well-to-do merchant in 1750. She was half his his age and had lots of money, enabling him to become a bit more independent of the next few years to concentrate on his music.

It was during this time that he started developing ideas for his famous opera Orfeo ed Euridice, which was to become what he is most known for writing. Four years later, he was emplyed by the Empress Maria Theresa to be Kapellmeister, a job he kept for 15 years before moving to Paris. There, he enjoyed the patronage of his former student, Marie Antoinette. The success and the contraversy and experiences he had in Paris would take much to long to write.

Around 1780, Gluck moved back to Vienna, where his lived in luxious retirement for the rest of his life. He ended up dying due to a strok in 1787, yet dying a very wealthy and sucessful man. He still enjoys what some people call him, namely the father of the Rococo and Classical era.

To listen to music by this great composer click here.

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Anyone who reads the name of this composer immediately thinks of the Canon in D. Of course, Johann Pachelbel wrote many great pieces, but the 3-part canon he had once written will come to mind every time we hear his name. And vice versa, when we hear this piece at a wedding, we will think of him. Interestingly enough, although he penned a great deal of works, the Canon in D composed for 3 violins and continuo was the only canon he had ever written. The piece can be described as 3 violins taking turns to elaborate on a simple theme, resulting in a musical climax which moves the soul.

What many people do not realize is that Johann Pachelbel is not considered a great composer on account of this work alone. Having written a great deal of other things, the famous Canon in D, although a beautiful piece, actually has very little importance in regards to his musical gifts to humanity. His works on the organ were much more important, for they were not only great pieces, but greatly influenced Johann Sebastian Bach.

Pachelbel was born in Nuremberg. His father was a wine dealer. As a child, having always been interested in scientific as well as musical knowledge, he had 2 music teachers. One of the teachers taught him to play and compose, while the other introduced him to the fundamentals of music. In 1669, he started studies at the University of Altdorf (Universität Aldtdorf) and at the same time took a position as an organist at the St. Lorenz Church (St. Lorenz Pfarrkirche). These happenings in his life were very brief though. In 1673, he went to Vienna, Austria, where he found work as an assistant organist at the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, otherwise known in German as the ‘Stephansdom’. After four years, he became the court organist to Duke of Saxe-Eisenach, a position he kept for only a year.

After this, Pachelbel decided to leave Vienna and went to Erfurt, Germany. There, he found work as an organist for the church named the ‘Erfurt Predigerkirche’. He spent 12 years in this city…He got married to a woman named Barbara Gabler and had a son. Unfortunately, after only 2 years of marriage, both his wife and son were victims of the Black Plague. He got married a second time in 1684. With his second wife, Juditha Dommer, he started a very large family consisting of 2 daughters and 5 sons.

An interesting fact is that Johann Pachelbel became friends with the Bach family and took J.S. Bach’s eldest brother Johann Christoph Bach on as a student in 1686. This certainly added to the future influence upon the music of J.S. Bach.

It was not until 1690 that he moved to Stuttgart to become the organist at the Wurttemberg Court. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the position due to the French invasion, thereby returning to his hometown of Nuremberg.

He composed many motets, arias, Masses, and 13 Magnificats, including not only violins, but also singers, choirs, orchestras, as well as wind and brass instruments. Therefore his Canon in D was only a small piece amongst many. He was one of the most important organists before the age of Johann Sebastian Bach. Above all, having been acquainted with Catholic church music, he was able to add certain elements to his compositions, thereby bringing a unique beauty to Protestant church music . His works are representative of Protestant church music and give people somewhat of a cultural contrast in regards to two leading religious denominations during the 17^th century. This fact is of utmost significance in the history of music and should be thought of when Johann Pachelbel’s name is mentioned. It is too bad that many associate this genius with a mere canon.

To listen to music by this great composer click here.

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Up until now, we have always talked about prolific composers that have written a lot of music for the world. Well, this one had written a single ‘hit’ and went down in history for composing one of the most famous tunes in all the world. You know the song for sure!

Franz Gruber was born on the 25^th of November, 1787 in a small Austria city known as Hochburg. His family was very poor and made a living as linen weavers. As far as his father was concerned. He was to follow in his footsteps and take up the same trade. He tried his hardest and convinced his father that his true calling was to become a musician. Well, his father gave in and he started studying music.

After completing his musical training in Burghausen and his teaching degree, he became an elementary teacher in a small village by the name of Arnsdorf in 1807. At the same time, he also worked there as an organist. Yet, he also took up another organist job in a near-by village called Oberndorf.

The song he was noted for writing originated in Austria, and so its original version is actually German, known by the name ‘Stille Nacht’(Silent Night). The words to the song were written by the priest Joseph Mohr. He had written the text in the form of a poem much earlier. It is still contemplated why this poem had been transformed into a Christmas carol.

The song’s origin can only be speculated upon based on stories and rumours passed down throughout the generations. Legend has it that on December 24^th, 1818, there was a problem with the church’s organ in the small village of Oberndorf, just outside of the city of Salzburg, Austria. In desperation to have music for the Christmas mass, Father Mohr gave a poem he had written two years earlier to Franz Gruber and asked him to write something. Silent night was performed on that Christmas Eve in the St. Nicolas Church. I had been written for soprano, tenor, and choir. Oh, and lets not forget the guitar accompaniment!

Since then, the song has been translated into over 300 languages and is sung around Christmas every year. By the time it was first recorded in 1866, it had already become popular all around the world...

The song had supposedly been the cause of what was considered somewhat of a miracle. It is said that on the Christmas Eve of 1914, the German and British troops were lying in their trenches. For some reason, after a moment of silence, a German started singing ‘Silent Night’ in German and then, the British retorted by singing the same carol in English. Right smack dab in the middle of World War I, the British and the Germans had stopped fighting and called what is known today as the ‘Christmas Truce’. There is no proof stating this, yet I would like to believe that these people had taken the Christmas spirit in and chosen to think about humanity instead of their differences.

On a different note, interestingly enough, Silent Night still remains to this very day a very special and sacred song in Salzburg, Austria and its surroundings. In contrast to many cities around the world, which play the song all repeatedly throughout the Christmas season, the song can only be heard in Salzburg on Christmas Eve, and is very reluctantly listened to beforehand. Tradition in Salzburg is to sing the song to candlelight on Christmas Eve in church and around the Christmas tree.

I speak from experience when I say, if you ever teach guitar to youngsters in Salzburg… as far as the parents will ever be concerned, the kids can play whatever they would like on the guitar, as long as they learn to play Silent Night for the family on Christmas Eve.

Here is the first verse of the song literally translated into English. There are subtle differences:

Silent Night! Holy Night!                    Stille Nacht! Heil'ge Nacht!
All is asleep, alone standing guard,   Alles schläft; einsam wacht
only the godly tender pair.                Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar.
Holy infant with curly hair,                 Holder Knab' im lockigen Haar,
Sleep in heavenly peace!                  Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!

Have a Merry Christmas !
------------ Michael Ferris

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