Great classical composers: a list of the best. Russian classical composers

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Classical composers are known all over the world. Each name of a musical genius is a unique individuality in the history of culture.

What is classical music

Classical music - enchanting melodies created by talented authors, who are rightly called classical composers. Their works are unique and will always be in demand by performers and listeners. Classical, on the one hand, is usually called strict, profound music that is not related to the directions: rock, jazz, folk, pop, chanson, etc. On the other hand, in the historical development of music there is a period of the late XIII - early XX century, called classicism.

Classic themes are distinguished by sublime intonation, sophistication, variety of shades and harmony. They have a positive effect on the emotional worldview of adults and children.

Stages in the development of classical music. Their brief description and main representatives

In the history of the development of classical music, stages can be distinguished:

• Renaissance or Renaissance - early 14th - last quarter of the 16th century. In Spain and EnglandThe revival lasted until the beginning of the 17th century.
• Baroque - came to replace the Renaissance and lasted until the beginning of the 18th century. Spain was the center of style.
• Classicism - the period of development of European culture from the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century.
• Romanticism is the opposite of classicism. It lasted until the middle of the 19th century.
• 20th century classic - modern era.

Brief description and main representatives of cultural periods

1. The Renaissance is a long period of development of all areas of culture. Renaissance composers - Thomas Tallis, Giovanni da Palestina, T. L. de Victoria composed and left immortal creations to posterity.

2. Baroque - in this era, new musical forms appear: polyphony, opera. It was during this period that the great classical composers Bach, Handel, Vivaldi created their famous creations. Bach's fugues are built in accordance with the requirements of classicism: obligatory observance of the canons.

3. Classicism. Viennese classical composers who created their immortal creations in the era of classicism: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Sonata form appears, the composition of the orchestra increases. The works of Mozart and Haydn differ from the ponderous works of Bach by their uncomplicated construction and the elegance of their melodies. It was still a classic, striving for perfection. Beethoven's compositions are the verge of contact between romantic and classical styles. In the music of L. van Beethoven, there is more sensuality and ardor than rational canonicity. Such important genres as symphony, sonata, suite, opera stood out. Beethoven gavethe beginning of the Romantic period.

4. Romanticism. Musical works are characterized by color and drama. Various song genres are formed, for example, ballads. Piano compositions by Liszt and Chopin received recognition. The traditions of romanticism were inherited by Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Schubert.

5. Classics of the 20th century - characterized by the desire of the authors to innovate in melodies, the terms aleatoric, atonalism arose. The works of Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Glass are referred to the classical format.

Russian classical composers

Tchaikovsky P. I. - Russian composer, music critic, public figure, teacher, conductor. His compositions are the most performed. They are sincere, easily perceived, reflect the poetic originality of the Russian soul, picturesque pictures of Russian nature. The composer created 6 ballets, 10 operas, more than a hundred romances, 6 symphonies. The world-famous ballet "Swan Lake", the opera "Eugene Onegin", "Children's Album".

Rakhmaninov S. V. - the works of the outstanding composer are emotional and cheerful, and some of them are dramatic in content. Their genres are diverse: from small plays to concerts and operas. The generally recognized works of the author: the operas "The Miserly Knight", "Aleko" based on Pushkin's poem "Gypsies", "Francesca da Rimini" based on a plot borrowed from Dante's "Divine Comedy", the poem "The Bells"; suite "Symphonic dances"; piano concertos; vocalise for voice with piano accompaniment.

Borodin A. P. was a composer, teacher, chemist, doctor. Mosta significant creation is the opera "Prince Igor" based on the historical work "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", which was written by the author for almost 18 years. During his lifetime, Borodin did not have time to finish it; after his death, A. Glazunov and N. Rimsky-Korsakov completed the opera. The great composer is the founder of classical quartets and symphonies in Russia. The "Bogatyr" symphony is considered the crowning achievement of world and Russian national-heroic symphony. The instrumental chamber quartets, the First and Second Quartets were recognized as outstanding. One of the first to introduce heroic figures from ancient Russian literature into romances.

Great musicians

Mussorgsky MP, who can be said to be a great realist composer, a bold innovator, touching on acute social problems, an excellent pianist and a wonderful vocalist. The most significant musical works are the operas "Boris Godunov" based on the dramatic work of A. S. Pushkin and "Khovanshchina" - a folk-musical drama, the main character of these operas is the rebellious people from different social strata; Pictures at an Exhibition creative series inspired by Hartmann.

Glinka M. I. - a famous Russian composer, the founder of the classical direction in Russian musical culture. He completed the process of creating a school of Russian composers, based on the value of folk and professional music. The master's works are imbued with love for the Fatherland, reflecting the ideological orientation of the people of that historical era. World-famous folk drama "Ivan Susanin" and fairy tale operaRuslan and Lyudmila have become new trends in Russian opera. The symphonic works "Kamarinskaya" and "Spanish Overture" by Glinka are the foundations of Russian symphonism.

Rimsky-Korsakov N. A. - a talented Russian composer, naval officer, teacher, publicist. Two currents can be traced in his work: historical (“The Tsar's Bride”, “Pskovite”) and fabulous (“Sadko”, “Snow Maiden”, Suite “Scheherazade”). A distinctive feature of the composer's works: originality based on classical values, homophony in the harmonic construction of early compositions. His compositions have an author's style: original orchestral solutions with unusually built vocal scores, which are the main ones.

Russian classical composers tried to reflect in their works the cognitive thinking and folklore characteristic of the nation.

European culture

Famous classical composers Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven lived in the capital of musical culture of that time - Vienna. The geniuses combine masterful performance, excellent compositional solutions, the use of different musical styles: from folk melodies to polyphonic developments of musical themes. The great classics are characterized by a comprehensive creative mental activity, competence, clarity in the construction of musical forms. In their works, intellect and emotions, tragic and comic components, ease and prudence are organically linked together.

Beethoven and Haydn gravitated towards instrumental compositions, Mozart masterfully managed both operatic and orchestral compositions. Beethoven was an unsurpassed creator of heroic works, Haydn appreciated and successfully used humor, folk-genre types in his work, Mozart was a universal composer.

Mozart is the creator of the sonata instrumental form. Beethoven perfected it, brought it to unsurpassed heights. The period of the Viennese classics became the period of the quartet heyday. Haydn, followed by Beethoven and Mozart, make a significant contribution to the development of this genre.

Italian masters

Giuseppe Verdi - an outstanding musician of the 19th century, developed the traditional Italian opera. He had impeccable craftsmanship. The operatic works Il trovatore, La Traviata, Othello, Aida became the culmination of his composer activity.

Niccolò Paganini - born in Nice, one of the most musically gifted personalities of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was a virtuoso on the violin. He composed caprices, sonatas, quartets for violin, guitar, viola and cello. Wrote concertos for violin and orchestra.

Gioacchino Rossini - worked in the 19th century. Author of sacred and chamber music, composed 39 operas. Outstanding works - "The Barber of Seville", "Othello", "Cinderella", "The Thieving Magpie", "Semiramide".

Antonio Vivaldi is one of the greatest representatives of violin art of the 18th century. Acquired fame for hisinstrumental concerts. The most famous work - 4 violin concertos "Seasons". He lived an amazingly fruitful creative life, composed 90 operas.

Famous Italian classical composers have left an eternal musical legacy. Their cantatas, sonatas, serenades, symphonies, operas will give pleasure to more than one generation.

Peculiarities of perception of music by a child

Listening to good music has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional development of the child, according to child psychologists. Good music introduces you to art and forms an aesthetic taste, as teachers say.

Many well-known creations were created by classical composers for children, taking into account their psychology, perception and the specifics of age, i.e. for listening, while others composed various pieces for little performers, easily perceived by ear and technically accessible to them.

"Children's Album" by Tchaikovsky P. I. for little pianists. This album is a dedication to his nephew VL Davydov, who loved music and was a very gifted child. The collection contains more than 20 pieces, some of them based on folklore material: Neapolitan motifs, Russian dance, Tyrolean and French melodies. Collection "Children's Songs" by Tchaikovsky P. I. designed for the auditory perception of a children's audience. Songs of an optimistic mood about spring, birds, a blooming garden (“My garden”), about compassion for Christ and God (“Christ had a garden as a baby”).

Children's classics

Many classical composers worked for children, the list of works of which is very diverse.

Prokofiev S. S. "Peter and the Wolf" is a symphonic fairy tale for children. Thanks to this fairy tale, children get acquainted with the musical instruments of the symphony orchestra. The text of the tale was written by Prokofiev himself.

Schumann R. "Children's scenes" are short musical stories with a simple plot, written for adult performers, memories of childhood.

Debussy Piano Cycle "Children's Corner".

Ravel M. "Mother Goose" based on the fairy tales of Charles Perrault.

Bartok B. "First Steps at the Piano".

Cycles for children Gavrilova S. "For the smallest"; "Heroes of fairy tales"; "To the guys about the animals."

Shostakovich D. "Album of Piano Pieces for Children".

Bach J. S. Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. While teaching music to his children, he created special pieces and exercises for them to develop technical skills.

Haydn J. - the progenitor of the classical symphony. Created a special symphony called "Children's". The instruments used: clay nightingale, rattle, cuckoo - give it an unusual sound, childish and perky.

Saint-Saens K. came up with a fantasy for orchestra and 2 pianos called "Carnival of the Animals", in which, by musical means, he masterfully conveyed the cackling of chickens, the roar of a lion, the complacency of an elephant and its manner of movement, a touchingly graceful swan.

Composing compositions for kids and youth, the great classical composers took care of the interesting storylines of the work, the availability of the proposed material, taking into account the age of the performer or listener.