When it comes to remarkable violinist of the romantic era, there is none better than Niccolò Paganini. Born on the 27, of October 1782, in Genoa, Italy, he was a man know for his incredible talent and skill. His father taught him how to play the mandolin at the age of five, he then picked up the violin two years later when he was seven. Even as a child his potential was immediately noticed, therefore he was offered various scholarships for violin lessons. As he matured and the French invaded Italy, he began playing concerts with his father in Livorno. The next couple years for Paganini included recognition for his technique and his incredible musicianship despite his hand deformation.. With works such as his Concertos No. 1-4, Paganini was unequivocally an influential and inspiring composer.
Paganini came from an underprivileged background. His father was a dockworker with six children, Paganini being the third of those six. Paganini's father taught him how to play the mandolin at the age of five and then the violin at the age of seven. His father (according to Paganini) would starve him if he refused to work hard enough. By the age of seven he was already composing music and numerous local violinists recognized his incredible potential. Violinists like Giovanni Servetto and Giacomo Costa began giving him lessons, but Paganini quickly surpassed his instructors’ abilities. Soon after, Paganini began to study harmony with Francesco Gnecco.
Niccolò Paganini's first known performance was at the church of Saint Filippo Neri on May 26, 1794. After significant progress, Paganini traveled to Parma with his father to study with Alessandro Rolla. To cover the expense of the trip Paganini played a special concert on July 31, 1795. Afte...
... middle of paper ...
... lost during his economical hardship. Giuseppe Guarneri, a rich business man awarded him a violin as a teenager because he was very impressed by his playing. Guarneri once again awarded him another violin after winning a sight-reading challenge later on.
August Duranowski and Pietro Locatelli were Paganini's biggest musical and technical influences. Although Paganini developed his own techniques, he believed that these men were innovators and had amazing showmanship. Because of Marfan syndrome, Paganini could play three octaves across four strings with one hand.
Paganini was a gifted musician and a brilliant person. He inspired many during his life and even after his death. His showmanship and talent was beyond anything anyone of the period had seen. Niccolò Paganini was probably one of the most talented violinist and perhaps musician in history.
In all, Chuck Mangione was an influential and popular musician/soloist in Jazz. He wrote and played incredible music and won many awards. He had great jazz idols and even played his own type of jazz. He made jazz-pop an even more popular genre. All in all, Chuck Mangione is a truly incredible musician.
Antonio Stradivari, the most famous violin-maker in all the human world, was a favorite of both the god of Delos, the fair Apollo, and of the trickster god, Hermes. His creations sang with the lilt of dance and with the song of birds; many of the Olympians would stop their affairs to listen for even a hint of Stradivari's sound. In short time, it came to be that both Apollo and Hermes would covet a violin from the luthier and both came down in their human forms one day to make their request of him.
Giuseppe Torelli, was an Italian violinist, teacher and composer, is considered one of the early developers of the Baroque concerto and concerto grosso. Torelli also composed a significant number of works for the trumpet during the Baroque period (1600-1750). Around 1690, one can begin to see the first works for the trumpet. He was familiar with the virtuoso trumpeter, Giovanni Pellegrino Brandi. Brandi would sometimes play with the San Petronio orchestra, of which Torelli was violin player. This acquaintance could explain Torelli’s awareness of the trumpet’s timbre, dynamic range, and expressive capabilities.
“Leopold Mozart, a court musician, began teaching Maria Anna, his first-born child, to play harpsichord when she was 8 years old. She progressed quickly, with 3-year-old Wolfgang often at her side.” Maria Anna was getting very good very quickly, with the help from her brother Wolferl. Both siblings helped eachother out , “Nannerl probably interpreted for Wolfgang and reinforced for Wolfgang what Leopold was trying to teach. She showed him that music is not only fun, but a way to communicate without words.” He learned from his sister the true meaning behind music, which made him grow as a performer. Support from family or friends is what separates a person from achieving their goals, or stumbling under the pressure, but both Maria Anna and Wolferl persevered with the help of each other and there dad and both achieved great
Antonio Stradivari, a man known by many as on of the greatest luthiers of all time. The question at hand is why? From as early as the early 1700’s Stradivari was well known in the music world and still is. His instruments are reproduced in order to fool consumers into buying an instrument that has the same design as a Strad. There are also luthiers that try to replicate Stradivari’s beautiful design for their own satisfaction. Antonio Stradivari’s instruments have become socially and technically popular over time due to his superior craftsmanship, and for others, its large price tag. Stradivari’s life, affecting how his instruments were made, changed the perception of his instruments technically and socially.
Born in 1556, Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer who worked for the St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. During his time there, he composed works for separate choirs for both vocal and instrumental performers. One of his most famous pieces comes from his Sacrae Symphoniae completed in 1597; the Sonata Pian e Forte. Gabrieli was both a composer and organist in Renaissance and Baroque transitional period which caused elements of both periods to be demonstrated within his compositions. With instrumental music becoming more popular, it was becoming quite common during this time to have a composer who also played an instrument, especially the piano or organ. Sonata Pian e Forte gained fame from being a work that demonstrated a few characteristics and ideas about sound that had yet to be seen or often used.
Vivaldi's music is particularly innovative as he gave brightness to the formal and the rhythmic structure of concertos. He repeatedly looked for harmonic contrasts, creating innovative melodies and themes. Vivaldi’ main goal was to create a musical piece meant to be appreciated by the wide public, and not only by an intellectual minority. The joyful appearance of his music reveals a transmittable joy of composing. These are among the causes of the vast popularity of his music. This popularity soon made him famous also in countries like France, at the time very closed into its national schemes. He is considered one of the authors that brought Baroque music to evolve into an impressionist style.
Giovanni Bellini was born in Venice, Italy around 1430. He was the son of Jacopo Bellini, an esteemed painter at the time, and probably began his career along side his brother as an assistant in his father’s workshop. Though his artwork was influenced by many of his friends and relatives, Giovanni possessed certain qualities in his compositions which set him apart from the others. He blended the styles of both his father and brother-in-law, Andrea Mantegna, with his own subtle appreciation of color and light, the high regard he held for the detail of natural landscape, along with the very direct human empathy he placed in his painting. These components of Bellini’s personal style became foundational to the character of all Venetian Renaissance Art. Bellini later developed a sensuous coloristic manner in his work which became yet another characteristic he contributed to the Venetian Renaissance Art.
John Warrack, author of 6 Great Composers, stated, “Any study of a composer, however brief, must have as its only purpose encouragement of the reader to greater enjoyment of the music” (Warrack, p.2). The composers and musicians of the Renaissance period need to be discussed and studied so that listeners, performers, and readers can appreciate and understand the beginnings of music theory and form. The reader can also understand the driving force of the composer, whether sacred or secular, popularity or religious growth. To begin understanding music composition one must begin at the birth, or rebirth of music and the composers who created the great change.
Many prominent musicians produced major works during the romantic period. Among these are Beethoven, Strause, and Bach. But the musician that I think had the most impact, was Franz Schubert. Franz Peter, born on 31 January 1797 was one of fourteen children born of Franz Theodore Schubert and Elisabeth Vietz, four of which survived. He grew up in an apartment that daily converted to a classroom in which his father taught several elementary school classes. He received a thorough basic education; his father being a good teacher, and son being a bright student. From his father Franz also learned to play the violin, and from his brother he learned the piano. The family, indeed, was a very musical one; family "String Quartet Parties" were well known in the part of Vienna in which they lived. But soon young Franz learned all that his family had to teach him. Later, any neighbors who could play any instruments were drawn in and the quartet became a little orchestra. At nine years old, this inquisitive little boy auditioned and was accepted for a position as a chorister in the Royal Court Chapel Choir (which would later become the 'Vienna Boys' Choir). The young chorister gained the attention of Antonio Saliere, who saw to the nurture the young boy's education. After leaving the choir, he continued as a student at the school for one unhappy year. Schubert returned to live at home where it was decided that he would help his father teach. This did not last long. A disastrous episode with an unruly pupil was the last straw and Schubert at age nineteen left teaching and his home to pursue what he loved, composing. He moved in to the...
Vivaldi wanted to go into priesthood, but due to illness he was unable to continue this pursuit. (Kamien, 2015, p. 126). He spent the rest of his life involved in many aspects of music: teaching, composing, and conducting. It is important to reflect on the composer’s history to gain insight into their perspective. Kamien (2015) describes Vivaldi as a virtuoso violinist which is why he mainly featured violins in his works (p.127).
McGee, Timothy J. Medieval and Renaissance Music: A Performer’s Guide. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985.
Giuseppe Torelli, baroque violinist and composer, is most known for his contributions to the development of the instrumental concerto. Torelli is also noted as being the most prolific composer of baroque trumpet repertoire, with Concerto for Trumpet in D Major being one of his most renowned works that is still widely performed to this day.
Salieri was a noble, decent and a mature person. After his father died, God gave him what he needed and made him a court composer for the Emperor. He was simply a model of virtue for other people. “I kept my hands off woman”. This was said by Salieri and this quote also proves that he was respectful and an honored person. “Teaching students, many of them for free, sitting on endless committees to help poor musicians”. This quote was also said by the court composer Salieri. This quote tells all of us that he was a really nice person and didn’t want anything in return because God gave him what he needed the most. “Let me celebrate your glory through music”. This shows us that he was very dedicated to his religion and to God. “I was the most successful musician in Vienna”. Salieri was really happy when he knew he was the greatest composer of Vienna but when ever there is a good time for a person, there is also a bad. Salieri’s evil side took over part of his good side and this all happened when he arrived. The most famous composer named Mozart.
With more than four and half million Italian immigrants arriving to American between the years of 1876-1924, traditions, food, literature and an immense amount of Italian culture was slowly spread nationwide. With that, Italian music was also brought across seas. Music in New York City began developing rapidly during the nineteenth century as the number of immigrants and residents steadily increased. Italian music has become popular genre with many subdivisions. Italian music has also become an influential genre of music on other types of popular music.