Introduction Jean Baptiste Arban was born in Lyon, France. His father was an artificer and his elder brother; Francisque Arban was the famous balloonist. He was a cornetist, conductor and teacher as well as a composer and was the first famous virtuoso of the valved cornet. His influence came from Niccolò Paganini’s technique of the violin. Education &… Read More »
Introduction: Johann Altenburg was a German, trumpeter and organist. His father was a field trumpeter. He is well-known for his six harpsichord sonatas and Concerto for seven trumpets. In 1795 Altenburg published Versuch einer Anleitung zur heroisch-musikalischen Trompeter- und Paukerkunst (An Essay on the Introduction to Heroic and Musical Trumpeters’ and Kettledrummers’ Art) (Halle), this enabled him to achieve his… Read More »
Introduction Charles Valentin-Alkan was a composer and virtuoso pianist born to Jewish parents. He had five brothers and one sister all of whom were musicians. Alkan was a child prodigy and entered the Paris Conservatoire at a young age winning many awards. By the age of seventeen he had earned himself a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. Despite… Read More »
Introduction: Robert Schumann was a German romantic composer known for his piano and orchestral music and songs. His music often represented the different sides to his personality. He was born to wealthy parents Johanna Christiane Schnabel and August Schumann – a bookseller and publisher. Early Life: Schumann started studying the piano aged six. Aged seventeen he was became… Read More »
Introduction Léo Delibes was born in Saint-Germain-du-Val, France. He was an opera and ballet composer and influenced the likes of Tchaikovsky. His mother was a talented amateur musician and the daughter of an opera singer and his father was a mail man. Like many of his fellow composers he studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He was fortunate enough… Read More »
Introduction Tomaso Albinoni was an Italian composer famous for his instrumental music especially his concertos including his Adagio in G Minor. Despite being fully trained he always considered himself to be an amateur. His father was a wealthy paper merchant and in normal circumstances Albinoni would have inherited his father’s business as the eldest child. Thankfully his father… Read More »
Introduction Isaac Albéniz was a Spanish composer, virtuoso pianist and a leader of the Spanish nationalist school of musicians. He was not from musical parents – his father was. a customs official so to become a a piano prodigy at the age of four was quite astonishing. By the age of seven he had passed his entry exam… Read More »
Introduction Adolphe Adam was a French composer and music critic. He wrote over seventy operas which were very popular at the time including Le Châlet, Le Postillon de Longjumeau and Giralda. Despite their initial successes, only Giselle has remained popular. His Christmas Carol ‘Cantique de Noel’ has remained famous internationally. Family Adam’s father was a prominent composer from… Read More »
Introduction Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, organist, and pianist of the early Romantic period. He was born in Hamburg to Jewish parents; Lea and Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Abraham was a German philanthropist and banker. Lea was a pianist and the reason behind Felix’s success and also a huge supporter of JS Bach. Felix was also the grandson… Read More »
Intro. Johann Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. He delighted audiences as a pianist wherever he went, but he is best known today as a composer of his work for the trumpet. At the age of eight Mozart offered him music lessons and Hummel lived with Mozart for two years for free. He and Mozart cemented… Read More »