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Birth of Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)
Wolf, a brilliant composer of vocal melodies among other arrangements, conveyed emotion like no other. At the time and even today, Wolf's vocal works were celebrated by many claiming he understood the humanity of scenes portrayed in his pieces. Working as a critic while wrapped up in his own career, Wolf escalated the status of "German Leid", a musical genre that explored poems and events in musical theatrics. -
Birth of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
A student of the Vienna Conservatory alongside Hugo Wolf, Mahler took note of the great works of Beethoven, Wagner, and the like. An inspiration in many genres of the time, Mahler worked to explore human philosophy and complex religious struggles through his pieces. He created solo pieces which harbored a space in all octaves and attitudes. However, to make his pieces more robust, Mahler opted to replace the typical piano accompaniment with a full orchestra, just like in modern concertos. -
Birth of Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Strauss was a renowned German composer of the Post-Romantic era, expertly using instrumentation and timber to convey stories. Today, Strauss is remembered for his operas, lieder, tone poems, and other instrumental works. His melodies are often cited as ranking among the best our history has to offer, taking great inspiration from Wagner's musical dramas. -
The Post-Romantic Era
Riding off emergent ideas laid in the early to mid 19th century, the Post-Romantic era saw an expanding of Romantic forms and the birth of alternative music in Jazz and other staples of our modern lives. -
Birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
A composer for over 60 years, Vaughan Williams is revered as one of the quintessential symphonic composers of the 20th century. Creating many works in a diverse set of genres including many solos and group ensembles (even a couple just for tuba!), Vaughan Williams utilized each instrument to the fullest when it came to his symphonies. These works often tell a clear-cut and vivid story, sweeping through cultures and time as timbre shifts through a diverse set of tantalizing melodies. -
Birth of Percy Grainger (1882-1961)
Grainger's early childhood experience as well as his adoration of foreign cultures fueled much of his creative career. Just as many of his peers, Grainger helped revitalize and bring awareness to the folk music he was raised on. That is not to say that Grainger was at all similar to his peers in execution. Whereas many others sought to put a 20th century spin on said works, Grainger aimed to reissue them, just using more modern instrumentation. This practice is apparent than in Lincolnshire Posy -
Jazz
Though many claim it to have started in the late 19th century, Jazz would get its official recognition when the Dixieland Jazz Band recorded their first jazz record. This would go on to popularize the movement which challenged any and all restriction from the forms of the currently dominant symphonic form, leading music to branch out from the few, and gradually join the masses.
