Composer Timeline

By MPichs31
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    Antonín Dvořák

    Czech
    Grew up a peasant. Began his musical journey at a young age as a violinist. Thought Negro melodies were important to American music. Taught at the National Conservatory.
    • New World Symphony
    • Humoresque
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    Leoš Janáček

    Czech
    Father was a schoolteacher and a music teacher. Grew up in a rather poor family. Founded the Brno Conservatory. Wrote music as close to real life as he could. He would sit and notate conversations he listened to.
    • Jenůfa
    • Amarus Cantata
    • The Diary of One Who Disappeared
    • The Cunning Little Vixen
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    Gustav Mahler

    Austro-Bohemian
    Director of the Vienna Opera. Converted to Catholicism in order to obtain the position. Born into a Jewish family. Started the tradition of current day concert etiquette.
    Worried he would get no recognition. Had an interesting relationship with Strauss. Mahler composed to please others, the public. Came to America in 1907 and relaxed a little , wasn’t striving for perfection as much.
    • Mahler Symphonies
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    Claude Debussy

    French
    Also broke away from atonality. Believed music should be hard to decipher so that it can really be cared for and not just casually listened to. The son of a shopkeeper. Studied at the Paris conservatory. The whole-tone and pentatonic scales are his trademark skills in works.
    • The Prodigal Son
    • Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun”
    • Pelléas et Mélisande
    • La Mer
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    Carl Nielsen

    Danish

    Son of a painter and musician. A violinist in the Copenhagen court orchestra. Taught at the Royal Conservatory. He is like the Sibelius of Denmark as he is their most well-known composer.
    • Helios Overture
    • Wind Quintet
    • Six symphonies
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    Richard Strauss

    German
    Father was Franz Strauss, a famous horn player. Grew up in Wagner’s shadow. Attempted to alternate the route for music. Was the All-German Music Association president in 1901. Considered an “anarch of art.” Had performances at Wanamaker’s department store. Wanted no part in the Great War publicly, while in private, he hated what was happening. During WWII he supported Hitler, and tried to protect his Jewish family.
    • Salome
    • Thus Spake Zarathrustra
    • Don Juan
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    Jean Sibelius

    Finnish
    Was considered Finland’s hero and was their only real shot at gaining an identity in the world. Dealt with a lot of political pressure and pressure from the media to continue composing. Suffered from depression and health issues. Kept going back and forth between loving and hating what he dis as a composer to the point where he even burned some of his manuscripts. Did not consider himself innovative.
    • Finlandia - incorporated Finland’s national anthem into it
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    Eric Satie

    French
    Wrote the music for Parade. Revived Gregorian chant. Composer for the Order of the Rose-Cross. Studied at the Paris Conservatory, but dropped out and was a café pianist for a time. He eventually also studied at the Schola Cantorum. He was the guiding figure of Les Six.
    • Vexations
    • Gymnopédies
    • Le Fils de étoiles
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    Will Marion Cook

    American
    Born in Washington D.C. to middle-class parents. Attended Oberlin and studied with Joseph Joachim in Berlin. Tried to launch his career as a classical violinist, but he struggled to do so. Was a violinist, composer, conductor, and teacher. Bandleader of the New York Syncopated Orchestra, which toured Europe. Began turning to popular style of music when classical route didn’t work.
    • Clorindy; or, The Origin of the Cakewalk
    • In Dahomey
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    Arnold Schoenberg

    Austrian
    Not the first one to write atonal music, but made it popular. Codifier of 12-tone. Founder of the 2nd Viennese school. Is Jewish. Believed art and music was not for everyone, only the intellectual few. Self taught on several instruments. Works toward colors of sound rather than a tonal story line. Wrote Theory of Harmony.
    • First Chamber Symphony
    • Pierrot lunaire
    • Erwartung
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    Charles Ives

    American
    Father was a bandleader. Studied composition at Yale under Horatio Parker. While he is known as a great American composer, Charles actually worked as an insurance salesman in New York. Also held the position of music director at a Presbyterian Church. Finally went public with his composition in 1920. His music is both tonal and dissonant. It has layers. Charles is known to compose in multiple keys at once.
    • The Celestial Country
    • Concord
    • The Unanswered Question
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    Maurice Ravel

    French
    Part Basque and part Swiss. His music is considered “authentic” in regard to cultural accuracy. Enlisted in military service as a truck driver. His time in the military and seeing the consequences of war influenced his music. Influenced by folk tunes and tried to get away from German influence. Studied under Gabriel Fauré at the Paris Conservatory.
    • Jeux d’eau
    • Rapsodie espagnole
    • Le Tombeau de Couperin
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    Bruno Walter

    German
    Conductor, pianist, and composer. Fled Germany in 1933 and settled in Paris before coming to America. Worked with Mahler.
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    Béla Bartók

    Hungarian
    Bartók was surrounded by music from a very young age and showed an aptitude for it. Through his works, he wanted to focus on shedding light on the tough parts of life so he showcased the people living those lives. He realized people embellished and changed folksongs, so he attempted to write them as they were. Uses polytonality in his works.
    • Violin Concerto No. 1
    • 14 Bagatelles for Piano
    • Allegro barbaro
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    Percy Grainger

    Australian
    Infused his work and based his works on folk melodies. He did not try to change the tune in order to fit the instrumental music medium. He would record people singing the folk songs and try to notate it as close as he could.
    • Lincolnshire Posy
    • Molly on the Shore
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    Igor Stravinsky

    Russian
    Born into an aristocratic family. Father was a singer in theatre. Was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov. Very patriotic towards Russia. Had an inclination towards music from a young age. Began composing after his fathers death. Drew inspiration from folk traditions. Considered a leader of the modern music movement. Claimed music did not express emotions, it was simply music. Returned to Religion around 1925.
    • Firebird
    • Petrushka
    • The Rite of Spring
    • Les Noces
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    Anton Webern

    Austrian
    Another of Schoenberg’s students. Born into a noble family. Earned his doctorate. Harnessed the emotion he felt from his mother’s death in his works. Less cluttered form of atonal writing than Schoenberg, more horizontal lines rather then vertical atonal chordal layers. Served in the military during the first world war. Was accidentally killed by a military cook.
    • Six Pieces for Orchestra
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    Edgard Varèse

    French
    Came to New York after he was dismissed from the French army. He co-founded the International Composers’ Guild which allowed music to be showcased with minimal restrictions. His music is quite dissonant, and is influenced by Stravinsky’s Rite.
    • Amériques
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    Alban Berg

    Austrian
    One of Schoenberg’s students. Bourgeois. Had affairs and struggled with suicide. Glorified secretary to Schoenberg for a while. Obsessed with Mahler to the point where he broke into Mahler’s house to steal a baton. Served in the military during the first world war, but worked a desk job due to injuries.
    • Über die Grenzen des All (“Beyond the Limits of the Universe”)
    • Three Pieces for Orchestra
    • Wozzeck
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    Louis Durey

    French
    Family worked in the printing industry. A member of Les Six. Originally not into music or composition but was inspired by Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. He studied privately with Léon Saint-Réquier. Was not comfortable in the spotlight, so he left Les Six shortly after joining. Focused mostly on vocal works.
    • La Prière
    • Attelage
    • Sonatine for flute & piano, Op. 25
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    Sergei Prokofiev

    Russian
    Practically died alone. Stated his opinions more than Shostakovich. Found himself not thriving in Stalin’s Russia, so he did produce some propaganda work. Spent some time in America, and France. Believed in Christian Science.
    • Seven, They are Seven
    • The Fiery Angel
    • Ballet: Romeo and Juliet
    • Zdravitsa
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    Arthur Honeggar

    French
    Born in Le Havre, France to Swiss parents. Studied at the Zürich and Paris Conservatories. A member of Les Six.
    • Pacific 231
    • Rugby
    • Skating-Rink
    • Danse de la Chèvre
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    Germaine Tailleferre

    French
    The only female member of Les Six. Piano prodigy. Parents disapproved of her following music as a career, so her father sent her to a Catholic school. She ended up studying at the Paris Conservatory.
    • Valse Lente
    • Ballade for Piano and Orchestra
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    Darius Milhaud

    French
    A member of Les Six, a group dedicated to writing every day music. This group seems to be the opposite of the Second Viennese School. Darius practiced jazz, and was entranced by the real thing. Avoided what became romanticized about jazz. Often traveled to Latin America.
    • Creation of the World
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    Henry Cowell

    American
    Son of an Irish poet. Godfather of American experimental tradition. Pianist and child prodigy. Studied with Charles Seeger. Is influenced by many different genres of music from around the world. Wrote a book explaining postwar avant-garde musical ideas.
    • Quartet Romantic
    • Quartet Euphometric
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    Erich Korngold

    American
    Considered to be the prince of Hollywood music. Mastered music and compositional techniques at a very young age.
    • Die tote Stadt
    • Captain Blood score
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    George Gershwin

    American
    Grew up in a middle-class family, and was Jewish. When he was still very young, George got into music accidentally, and found he was pretty good at it. Even after learning so much and reaching a level of fame, Gershwin was always looking to improve. His musical style is between that of a serious artist and an entertainer. His music has a symmetry to it.
    • Rhapsody in Blue
    • “The Man I Love”
    • Porgy and Bess
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    Duke Ellington

    American
    A jazz musician. Had a contradictory style that like Gershwin, tried to combine jazz and classical style. Thought jazz should not be compared to classical music. Cook was his mentor. His musical goal was to lengthen the time of a jazz piece.
    • Black, Brown, and Beige
    • Ko-Ko
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    Georges Auric

    French
    A member of Les Six. Studied composition with Vincent D’Indy. Wrote film scores and ballets.
    • Les mariés de la tour Eiffel
    • Moulin Rouge
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    Francis Poulanc

    French
    Born into a wealthy family. A member of Les Six. He was mostly self-taught as he only had a few private lessons.
    • Les Biches
    • Gloria
    • Rapsodie Nègre
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    Aaron Copland

    American
    Believed in making art visible and attainable. Left leaning political views, but not a communist. Son of Russian-Jewish immigrants. Studied composition with Rubin Goldmark and Nadia Boulanger. Debuted in Wanamaker’s department store in 1917. Trips to Mexico especially affected him. His musical style uses open intervals which became known as the American style. Wrote some film scores for Hollywood.
    • Appalachian Spring
    • Billy the Kid
    • Fanfare for the Common Man
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    Kurt Weill

    German
    Kurt was the son of a Jewish cantor. From a young age, Weill was dedicated to learning music. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik and with Busoni. His career was most affected by Lotte Lenya, who became his wife, and Bertolt Brecht. Weill believed music should be accessible to the public.
    • Threepenny Opera
    • The Protagonist
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    Dmitri Shostakovich

    Russian
    From a young age showed promise in the musical field. Knew Stalin’s political agenda but didn’t agree with it. He seemed to stand against the government in regards to ideology, but appeased it so as not to die or get arrested. Used for government propaganda since he was well known. Spoke in code and encoded messages against the government in his music.
    • Opera: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District
    • Film Score for New Babylon
    • Opera: The Nose
    • Leningrad – His seventh symphony
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    Oliver Messiaen

    French
    Very Religious, and believed God was present everywhere. Had two wives. Wrote a textbook. Associated sounds to colors. Composed with birds as his inspiration in his later period of writing.
    • Quartet for the End of Time
    • Visions of the Amen
    • Cataloque d’oiseaux
    • From the Canyons to the Stars
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    Bernard Herrmann

    American
    Worked at CBS. Got started in Hollywood because of Orson Welles. Worked with Alfred Hitchcock. Studied at New York University and Julliard. Wished to get away from Hollywood and make it as a serious musician.
    • Citizen Kane score
    • Vertigo score
    • Taxi Driver score
    • Pyscho score
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    John Cage

    American
    Thought Beethoven was wrong in creating structured, goal oriented music instead of more free flowing music. Followed Schoenberg and took his classes. Inventor of the prepared piano. Music is influenced by Eric Satie. Used tuned radios for one of his pieces.
    • The Perilous Night
    • 4’33”
    • Bacchanale
    • Concerto for Prepared Piano
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    Benjamin Britten

    English
    Grew up in Aldeburgh to a middle-class family. Lived most of his life there, and it became his inspiration for his music. Believed that all music has roots and relationships. Intellectually developed at a young age, but not emotionally mature. By age fourteen he was already composing. Like Sibelius, he became a national hero. Struggled with ideas of sexuality as a homosexual man, and took interest in younger boys.
    • Peter Grimes
    • Billy Bud
    • The Turn of the Screw
    • War Requiem
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    Leonard Bernstein

    American
    Of Russian-Jewish descent. Wrote a paper in 1939 on how African American music was impactful in America. Conducted in Munich after WWII. Debuted with the New York Philharmonic in 1943 and was Boulez's predecessor with the group. Visited the Whitehouse often especially during Kennedy’s presidency. Graduated from Harvard. Started the “Omnibus” and “Young People’s Concert Series” to talk about what made music so great.
    • Score for West Side Story
    • Candide
    • Jeremiah
    • On the Town
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    Iannis Xenakis

    Greek-French
    Part of the Greek Communist resistance, and he fled his home in 1947. Studied with Messiaen. Also worked as an architect and engineer. He used his knowledge in architecture to write music. Came up with “stochastic music” based on the study of irregular particle behavior.
    • Metastaseis
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    György Ligeti

    Hungarian
    Born into a family of Hungarian Jews. Was part of a forced-labor group. The Hungarian government had control of his home as did the Soviets. He writes music by layering small parts into one large texture. Was an atheist, but wrote two religious pieces. Exposed himself to every kind of music.
    • Apparitions
    • Atmosphères
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    Pierre Boulez

    French
    Obsessed with the perfect avant-garde style. Son of an engineer. Was a mathematician before turning to music. Not the most agreeable person. Student of Pierre Jamet. Studied at the Paris Conservatory. Followed Messiaen and René Leibowitz.
    • Le Soleil des eaux
    • Le Visage nuptial
    • Piano Sonata No. 1
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    Morton Feldman

    American
    Worked in his father’s factory manufacturing coats, as well as uncle’s dry cleaners. Was a student of Edgard Varèse and Stephan Wolpe. Music is sparsely textured and slow. Open-ended music. Taught at the State University of New York at Buffalo, but believed that composition could not truly be taught.
    • Intermissions and Extensions
    • Rothko Chapel
    • The King of Denmark
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    Karlheinz Stockhausen

    German
    Studied at Musikhochschule, and the University of Cologne. Ambitious and innovative in many genres of music. Interested in jazz. Important figure in regards to electronic and serial music. His mentors were Werner Meyer-Eppler, Herbert Eimert, and Oliver Messiaen.
    • Zeitmasse
    • Klavierstück IX
    • Carré

  • Terry Riley

    American
    Born in California Popular minimalist composer. Into bebop and ragtime. His music is layered and repetitive.
    • A Rainbow in Curved Air
    • In C

  • Steve Reich

    American
    Born in New York. He is Jewish. Studied at Cornell and Julliard. Known as a minimalist. Experimented making music with tape loops. Cycle of music affecting music - At this time the lines between classical and popular music were blurred. He was influenced by popular music, and in turn he affected the genre with his contributions as well.
    • It’s Gonna Rain
    • Different Trains
    • Come Out

  • Philip Glass

    American
    Minimalist. Studied at the University of Chicago and Julliard. Worked with Darius Milhaud and Nadia Boulanger. Formed his own ensemble.
    • Einstein on the Beach
    • Glassworks
    • Music in Similar Motion

  • John Adams

    American
    Born in Massachusetts and studied at Harvard. Taught in California and was the composer in residence for the San Francisco Symphony. His music sounds as if it is predictable and unpredictable at the same time.
    • Grand Pianola
    • El Niño
    • Nixon in China