“The more of us musicians there are, the crazier we all become.”
--- Erik SatieCAST OF CHARACTERS
The Red Priest: ANTONIO VIVALDI
(1678-1741)
The most original and influential Italian composer of his generation, most famous for his 400 concertos, especially “The Four Seasons”Twenty Children and 1,200 Compositions: JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
(1685-1750)
German organist and great composer, best known for the “Brandenburg Concertos,” the “Goldberg Variations,” and the “Well-Tempered Clavier”No Ordinary Baby: WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
(1756-1791)
Austrian composer who in his short life wrote masterpieces including symphonies, operas (such as “The Magic Flute” and “Don Giovanni”), and piano musicMoodiness and Moonlight: LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN More Links
(1770-1827)
German composer who was the dominant musical figure of the nineteenth century-- particularly famous for his nine symphonies“My Dear Corpse”: FREDERIC CHOPIN
(1809-1849)
Polish composer of expressive music that established piano as a solo instrument and has become the most frequently played piano music in historyA Successful Farmer and Opera Composer: GIUSEPPE VERDI
(1813-1901)
Foremost Italian opera composer-- melodies from his operas “Aida,” “La Traviata,” “Rigoletto,” and “Il Trovatore” are familiar around the worldA Different White Dress Every Night: CLARA SCHUMANN
(1819-1896)
German composer considered to be one of the greatest pianists of all time; a direct influence on the music of Robert Schumann and Johannes BrahmsDear Friends and Gentle Hearts: STEPHEN FOSTER More Links
(1826-1864)
Creator of popular songs including “Beautiful Dreamer” and “My Old Kentucky Home”--- often credited with being the first real American composerThe Checked Cotton Underwear of JOHANNES BRAHMS More Links
(1833-1897)
German composer who wrote masterpieces in almost every form except opera, most famous for his four symphonies and lush piano musicPulsing and Quivering: PETER ILITCH TCHAIKOVSKY More Links
(1840-1893)
The most popular nineteenth-century Russian composer, famous for ballets, symphonies, the “1812 Overture,” and the First Piano ConcertoTopsy-turvy-dom: WILLIAM GILBERT (1836-1911) and ARTHUR SULLIVAN (1842-1900)
An English humorist (Gilbert) and a composer (Sullivan) who together wrote popular comic operas such as “The Mikado,” “H.M.S. Pinafore,” and “The Pirates of Penzance”Velvet Gentleman: ERIK SATIE More Links
(1866-1925)
Influential French composer famous for simple and elegant piano music with bizarre titlesThe Entertainer: SCOTT JOPLIN
(1868-1917)
Pulitzer-Prize-winning American pianist and composer considered the father of ragtime, which has influenced African-American music ever sinceHe Stretched Our Ears: CHARLES IVES
(1874-1954)
Modern American composer famous for unconventional piano works and symphonies, one of which, the Third Symphony, won the Pulitzer PrizeStanding on His Head: IGOR STRAVINSKY More Links
(1882-1971)
Russian-American composer widely considered the most influential of the twentieth century, most famous for the ballets “Petrouchka,” “The Firebird,” and “The Rite of Spring”Tender Tyrant: NADIA BOULANGER More Links
(1887-1979)
French composer and conductor, famous as the most influential music teacher of the twentieth century, who guided several generations of American composersFull of Splinters: SERGEI PROKOFIEV
(1891-1953)
Russian composer known for concertos, operas, symphonies, film music, ballet scores, and his famous work for children, “Peter and the Wolf”“Great, Isn’t It?”: GEORGE GERSHWIN
(1898-1937)
American composer of popular songs, musicals, film scores, the opera “Porgy and Bess,” and jazz orchestral works, including “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris”Traveling Troubadour: WOODY GUTHRIE More Links
(1912-1967)
Songwriter enormously important to modern American folk music-- his thousand songs include “This Land Is Your Land” and “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You”All “Lives of” artwork copyright © by Kathryn Hewitt. Published by Harcourt, Inc. and reproduced with permission. All rights reserved.
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