The Composers Who Made
Famous Classical Music
Listen to the Music
Many times music choice has to do with
age groups and geography, but with our current technology
many of us are getting tastes of music we'd have never
encountered before. The genres include rock, country, jazz,
contemporary, blues, gospel and more but famous classical
music and the composers is what we will focus on
here.
Famous classical music brings to mind
names like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Brahms, Vivaldi,
Haydn, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and others. There were many
composers back in the day, but only some of them got to be
famous.
These well-known composers are the
ones whose tunes everyone recognizes, whose works are
regularly assigned and practiced during music lessons, whose
compositions are performed all around the world centuries
later. After all, who can't hum Beethoven's 5th? The others
you might find in random piano exercise books or information
you come across while researching music of the 17th and 18th
centuries.
What is Classical Music? A Bit of
History
An interesting fact is that
technically, not all classical music is actually
“classic.” The younger generation might agree
here, but what this really means is that classical music
refers to tunes from the Classical Period of 1740-1780. The
Classical Period was preceded by the Baroque Period of
1600-1750.
Famous classical music like Bach,
Handel, Vivaldi should actually be referred to as baroque
music. However, modern vernacular lumps all of that
old-fashioned music under the umbrella of classical music,
and all of those names will always be thought of as
classical music composers. But even if the distinction
between periods is lost, the compositions of those periods
isn’t.
A bit about one composer.
Wikipedia®
entry on Brahms gives the following biographical
details:
Johannes Brahms (pronounced
[jo?'han?s 'b?a?ms]) (7 May 1833 – 3 April
1897), German composer and pianist, was one of the leading
musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms
spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria,
where he was a leader of the musical scene. In his lifetime,
Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable;
following a comment by the nineteenth century conductor Hans
von Bülow, he is sometimes grouped with Johann
Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the Three
Bs.
Moving onto the Contemporary
Stage
As “old-fashioned” as famous
classical music might seem, it doesn’t appear to be
disappearing from the music scene anytime soon. Almost
everyone acquainted with music can recognize the tunes of
Für Elise, Minuet in G major, The Four Seasons, and
other famous pieces, even though we don’t always
remember the names of the works.
Modern music even makes use of
classical music by sampling it, like “I Can” by
Nas, “They” by Jem, and many songs have made use
of Pachelbel’s Canon. Famous songs continue to thrive
in contemporary times, in both original and modified
form.
Classical music is a genre of the
past, but it’s a genre that persists in the present.
What is it about classical music that makes it so timeless
and popular, aside from recent hubbub over the Mozart
Effect?
Who knows, but trends always seem to
make a comeback, though famous classical music is more of a
constant element. Maybe it’s because music today builds
upon music of the past, and classical music represents a lot
of what it is all about: the aesthetic portion of harmony,
rhythms, dynamics, and the “business side” of
commissions and performances.
And, classical is a real challenge
when learning how to read sheet music. It helps to stretch
musical note reading beyond the scope of other genres and
gives a feeling of accomplishment to those who conquer it.
Another reason may be that it just
sounds good. Whatever the reason, the famous composers and
their classical music has lasted throughout the ages and
possibly will last for years to come. Now, go to the attic
and dig out some of those old albums.
More Uses for Classical
Music
One of the best way to fall asleep is
to put on some soft music, put the lights out and lay our
heads upon the pillow. Of course there are debates as to
what the best kind of song is for this slumber time habit,
and I'd argue that your best bet is some famous classical
music, since it was written by geniuses who understand the
circadian rhythms of humans better even than modern doctors.
These pieces were written in a way to
evoke a biophysical response from the listener, encouraging
relaxation - which is the key first step in falling
asleep.
Some of the most famous classical
music comes from the most famous composers, naturally. The
likes of Ludwig von Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
come to mind, as does Peter Illych Tchaikovsky. All three of
those men were nearly unmatchable geniuses who were able to
use sound to create entire worlds which we could
explore.
That, in my mind, is what makes this
soothing melody the best medicine for sleeplessness. Famous
classical music takes you away from the stress and strain of
the waking world and allows you to lay your head on your
pillow and feel the tension melt away. Nothing works better
for me.
Of course Beethoven, Mozart and
Tchaikovsky aren't the only great composers for the
classical era. Brahams, for example, wrote one of the most
beautiful pieces of classical music, his "Lullaby." The
English lyrics are as follows:
"Good evening, and good night, with
roses adorned,
With carnations covered, slip under
the covers.
Early tomorrow, God willing, you
will wake once again.
Early tomorrow, God willing, you
will wake once again.
Good evening, and good night. By
angels watched,
Who show you in your dream the
Christ-child's tree.
Sleep now peacefully and sweetly,
see the paradise in your dream.
Sleep now peacefully and sweetly,
see the paradise in your dream. "
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