Beethoven and other German composers. Presentation on the topic "German composers"
Germany is the birthplace of many outstanding composers and musicians: Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, etc. In addition, it is one of the few countries that had a significant influence on the development of such musical genres as pop, rock and electronics in the world.
He is rightfully considered the father of classical music in Europe. Johann Sebastian Bach, born in 1685 in the German town of Eisenach. You can get acquainted with the early years of the life of this famous composer by visiting Bach Museum, located in his hometown. The legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach is kept in museum in Leipzig, opened on the territory of the house where the composer spent the last years of his life.
Bach Museum in Leipzig, Germany (Photo © Appaloosa_LE / commons.wikimedia.org/ License CC-BY-SA-3.0)
One of Bach's outstanding contemporaries was George Frideric Handel, born in 1685 in Halle. You can get acquainted with his life and work at the composer’s house-museum, located in his hometown. Handel's music inspired many talented Viennese composers.
Famous works of George Frideric Handel:
- Orchestral Suites " Music on the water"(Water Music).
- Oratorio " Messiah"(Messiah).
- Suite " Music for the Royal Fireworks"(Music for the Royal Fireworks).
In 1809, another future composer was born in Hamburg, who became famous throughout the world - Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. He revealed to the world not only his music, but also the magnificent compositions of Bach. The composer's most famous work is " Wedding March", also known as " Mendelssohn March", created in 1842 for the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
Born in 1813 in Leipzig Richard Wagner, who was destined to become the leading composer of Germany in the 19th century. His work was admired by the Bavarian monarch Ludwig II, and Adolf Hitler made the composer an icon of the fascist regime.
Portrait of Richard Wagner (Photo © Jean Christen / commons.wikimedia.org / License Gemeinfrei) Famous works of Richard Wagner:
- « Valkyrie"(Die Walküre).
- « Tristan and Isolde"(Tristan und Isolde).
- « Lohengrin"(Lohengrin).
- « Volatile Dutchman"(Der Fliegende Hollaender).
- « Death of gods"(Götterdämmerung).
Born in 1833 in Hamburg Johannes Brahms, who in the future became famous for his symphonies, piano and chamber concerts. He became one of the main representatives of the era of romanticism.
Among the most famous works of Johannes Brahms are:
- German requiem(Ein deutsches Requiem).
- Three Hungarian dances.
- Four symphonies: No. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
- Double concerto for violin and cello.
The Viennese composer grew up in Berlin in the 1920s Arnold Schoenberg who revolutionized classical music. And his student Hans Eisler, after returning to East Germany from exile, wrote the national anthem of the GDR " Risen from the Ruins"(Auferstanden aus Ruinen).
Contemporary music
Enormously popular in Germany jazz. There are many jazz clubs open throughout the country. The most famous German composer and performer of this musical style is Till Bröner, who in 2006 released his album “ Oceana».
One of the most famous German musical groups that became famous outside of Germany was the group Scorpions. The group performed their songs in English. Another well-known group abroad was Rammstein, who became famous for her provocative lyrics and explicit video clips.
Among the popular instrumental groups it is worth noting Kraftwerk And Tangerine Dream. The Kraftwerk group laid the foundations of the techno musical style, which laid the foundation for the world famous Berlin Love Parade in this style.
Such legendary participants in the movement “ New German wave"(Neue Deutsche Welle), like a shocking singer Nina Hagen, park group Die Toten Hosen and rock band Die Aerzte, will never be forgotten. Their works are still heard throughout Germany.
Orchestras
Fans of orchestral music should definitely attend the following concerts:
- Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra(Berliner Philharmoniker). It is the most prestigious and largest orchestra in Germany, founded in 1882.
- Berlin Chamber Symphony Orchestra(Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin), created in 1991. It focuses mainly on works of the 20s of the last century.
- Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra(Dresdner Philharmoniker), founded in 1870.
- Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra(Gewandhausorchester Leipzig), which dates back to 1743. It is one of the leading orchestras in Germany. It was named after its main hall.
- Munich Symphony Orchestra(Munich Symphonic Sound Orchestra), whose musicians play classical instruments, as well as drums, synthesizers and electric guitar.
Victories at Eurovision
Germany is one of the few countries that have taken part in Eurovision since the first year of its creation. The country has won awards at this prestigious music competition in:
- 1982(Harrogate, UK) – singer Nicole, who performed the song “ Ein bißchen Frieden».
- 2010(Oslo, Norway) – singer Lena Mayer-Landrut. The singer’s victory was brought to her by the song “ Satellite».
(Photo © pxhere.com / CC0 Public Domain License)
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Music of Germany
The heyday of music in this country began in the 18th century. Then such great German composers as Robert Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert, Ludwig Van Beethoven began to create. They were the first representatives of romanticism.
Great composers who lived in Austria: Franz Liszt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Strauss.
Later, Carl Orff, Richard Wagner, and Max Reger became famous. They wrote music turning to their national roots.
Famous German composers of the 20th century: Arnold Schoenberg, Paul Hindemith, Karlheinz Stockhausen.
James Last
Famous German composer James Last was born in Bremen in 1929. His real name is Hans. He worked in the jazz genre. James first appeared on stage in 1946 as part of the Bremen Radio Orchestra. After 2 years, he created his own ensemble, which he led and performed with. In the 50s of the 20th century, Last was considered the best jazz bassist. In 1964, James created his own orchestra. He was involved in arranging popular melodies at that time. The composer released his first album in 1965, after which there were 50 more. They sold millions of copies. Eighteen discs went platinum, 37 went gold. James Last created arrangements for authors and performers working in completely different musical genres from folk music to hard rock. The composer died in the USA in June 2015.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Great German composers of the Baroque era: Georg Böhm, Nikolaus Bruns, Dietrich Buxtehude, George Frideric Handel and others. At the top of this list is Johann Sebastian Bach. He was a great composer, teacher and virtuoso organist. J. S. Bach is the author of more than a thousand works. He wrote music of different genres. Everything that was significant during his life, except operas. The composer's father was a musician, like many other relatives and ancestors.
Johann Sebastian loved music since childhood and never missed an opportunity to play music. The future composer sang in the choir, played the harpsichord and organ, and studied the works of composers. At about 15 years old he wrote his first works. After completing his studies, the young man served as a court musician, then as an organist in the church. Johann Sebastian Bach had seven children, two of them became famous composers. His first wife died and he married again. His second wife was a young singer with a magnificent soprano. In old age, J. S. Bach became blind, but continued to compose music; the composer’s son-in-law wrote down the notes under dictation. The great Johann Sebastian is buried in the city of Leipzig. In Germany, his image is immortalized in a large number of monuments.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Many German composers were adherents of the Viennese classical school. The most striking figure of them is Ludwig Van Beethoven. He wrote music of all genres that existed at the time he lived. He even composed works for drama theaters. L. Beethoven is a composer whose works are performed by all musicians in the world. The instrumental works of L. Beethoven are considered the most significant.
The composer was born in 1770. He was the son of a court chapel singer. The father wanted to raise his son as a second W. Mozart and taught him to play several musical instruments at once. At the age of 8, Ludwig first appeared on stage. Contrary to his father's expectations, L. Beethoven did not become a miracle boy like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. When the future great composer was 10 years old, his father stopped teaching him on his own, and the boy got a real teacher - composer and organist - K. G. Nefe. The teacher immediately recognized talent in L. Beethoven. He taught the young man a lot, introduced him to the work of the great composers of that time. L. Beethoven performed for W. A. Mozart, and he highly appreciated his talent, expressing confidence that Ludwig had a great future ahead of him, and he would make the world talk about himself. At the age of 34, the composer became deaf, but continued to write music because he had excellent inner hearing. L. Beethoven had students. One of them is the famous composer Carl Czerny. L. Beethoven died at the age of 57 years.
Kurt Weill
Many German composers of the 20th century are considered classics. For example, Kurt Weill. He was born in 1900 in Germany. His most famous work is The Threepenny Opera. K. Weil was the son of a cantor in the synagogue. The composer received his education in Leipzig. He introduced elements of jazz into many of his works. Kurt Weill collaborated with playwright B. Brecht and wrote music for a large number of productions based on his plays. The composer also composed 10 musicals. Kurt Weill died in 1950 in the USA.
The World's Greatest Composers of All Time: Lists in Chronological and Alphabetical Order, Reference Books and Works
100 Great Composers of the World
List of composers in chronological order
1. Josquin Despres (1450 –1521)
2. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 –1594)
3. Claudio Monteverdi (1567 –1643)
4. Heinrich Schütz (1585 –1672)
5. Jean Baptiste Lully (1632 –1687)
6. Henry Purcell (1658 –1695)
7. Arcangelo Corelli (1653 –1713)
8. Antonio Vivaldi (1678 –1741)
9. Jean Philippe Rameau (1683 –1764)
10. George Handel (1685 –1759)
11. Domenico Scarlatti (1685 –1757)
12. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 –1750)
13. Christoph Willibald Gluck (1713 –1787)
14. Joseph Haydn (1732 –1809)
15. Antonio Salieri (1750 –1825)
16. Dmitry Stepanovich Bortnyansky (1751 –1825)
17. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 –1791)
18. Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 –1826)
19. Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 –1837)
20. Nicollo Paganini (1782 –1840)
21. Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 –1864)
22. Carl Maria von Weber (1786 –1826)
23. Gioachino Rossini (1792 –1868)
24. Franz Schubert (1797 –1828)
25. Gaetano Donizetti (1797 –1848)
26. Vincenzo Bellini (1801 –1835)
27. Hector Berlioz (1803 –1869)
28. Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804 –1857)
29. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 –1847)
30. Fryderyk Chopin (1810 –1849)
31. Robert Schumann (1810 –1856)
32. Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky (1813 –1869)
33. Franz Liszt (1811 –1886)
34. Richard Wagner (1813 –1883)
35. Giuseppe Verdi (1813 –1901)
36. Charles Gounod (1818 –1893)
37. Stanislav Moniuszko (1819 –1872)
38. Jacques Offenbach (1819 –1880)
39. Alexander Nikolaevich Serov (1820 –1871)
40. Cesar Frank (1822 –1890)
41. Bedřich Smetana (1824 –1884)
42. Anton Bruckner (1824 –1896)
43. Johann Strauss (1825 –1899)
44. Anton Grigorievich Rubinstein (1829 –1894)
45. Johannes Brahms (1833 –1897)
46. Alexander Porfirievich Borodin (1833 –1887)
47. Camille Saint-Saens (1835 –1921)
48. Leo Delibes (1836 –1891)
49. Mily Alekseevich Balakirev (1837 –1910)
50. Georges Bizet (1838 –1875)
51. Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 –1881)
52. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 –1893)
53. Antonin Dvorak (1841 –1904)
54. Jules Massenet (1842 –1912)
55. Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907)
56. Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 –1908)
57. Gabriel Fauré (1845 –1924)
58. Leos Janacek (1854 –1928)
59. Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov (1855 –1914)
60. Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (1856 –1915)
61. Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857 –1919)
62. Giacomo Puccini (1858 –1924)
63. Hugo Wolf (1860 –1903)
64. Gustav Mahler (1860 –1911)
65. Claude Debussy (1862 –1918)
66. Richard Strauss (1864 –1949)
67. Alexander Tikhonovich Grechaninov (1864 –1956)
68. Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (1865 –1936)
69. Jean Sibelius (1865 –1957)
70. Franz Lehár (1870 –1945)
71. Alexander Nikolaevich Scriabin (1872 –1915)
72. Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov (1873 –1943)
73. Arnold Schoenberg (1874 –1951)
74. Maurice Ravel (1875 –1937)
75. Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (1880 –1951)
76. Bela Bartok (1881 –1945)
77. Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky (1881 –1950)
78. Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky (1882 –1971)
79. Anton Webern (1883 –1945)
80. Imre Kalman (1882 –1953)
81. Alban Berg (1885 –1935)
82. Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev (1891 –1953)
83. Arthur Honegger (1892 –1955)
84. Darius Milhaud (1892 –1974)
85. Carl Orff (1895 –1982)
86. Paul Hindemith (1895 –1963)
87. George Gershwin (1898 –1937)
88. Isaac Osipovich Dunaevsky (1900 –1955)
89. Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (1903 –1978)
90. Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich (1906 –1975)
91. Tikhon Nikolaevich Khrennikov (born in 1913)
92. Benjamin Britten (1913 –1976)
93. Georgy Vasilievich Sviridov (1915 –1998)
94. Leonard Bernstein (1918 –1990)
95. Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin (born in 1932)
96. Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933)
97. Alfred Garievich Schnittke (1934 –1998)
98. Bob Dylan (b. 1941)
99. John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (b. 1942)
100. Sting (born 1951)
MASTERPIECES OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
The most famous composers in the world
List of composers in alphabetical order
| N | Composer | Nationality | Direction | Year |
| 1 | Albinoni Tomaso | Italian | Baroque | 1671-1751 |
| 2 | Arensky Anton (Antony) Stepanovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1861-1906 |
| 3 | Baini Giuseppe | Italian | Church music - Renaissance | 1775-1844 |
| 4 | Balakirev Miliy Alekseevich | Russian | "Mighty Handful" - nationally oriented Russian music school | 1836/37-1910 |
| 5 | Bach Johann Sebastian | German | Baroque | 1685-1750 |
| 6 | Bellini Vincenzo | Italian | Romanticism | 1801-1835 |
| 7 | Berezovsky Maxim Sozontovich | Russian-Ukrainian | Classicism | 1745-1777 |
| 8 | Beethoven Ludwig van | German | between classicism and romanticism | 1770-1827 |
| 9 | Bizet (Bizet) Georges | French | Romanticism | 1838-1875 |
| 10 | Boito Arrigo | Italian | Romanticism | 1842-1918 |
| 11 | Boccherini Luigi | Italian | Classicism | 1743-1805 |
| 12 | Borodin Alexander Porfirievich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1833-1887 |
| 13 | Bortnyansky Dmitry Stepanovich | Russian-Ukrainian | Classicism - Church music | 1751-1825 |
| 14 | Brahms Johannes | German | Romanticism | 1833-1897 |
| 15 | Wagner Wilhelm Richard | German | Romanticism | 1813-1883 |
| 16 | Varlamov Alexander Egorovich | Russian | Russian folk music | 1801-1848 |
| 17 | Weber Carl Maria von | German | Romanticism | 1786-1826 |
| 18 | Verdi Giuseppe Fortunio Francesco | Italian | Romanticism | 1813-1901 |
| 19 | Verstovsky Alexey Nikolaevich | Russian | Romanticism | 1799-1862 |
| 20 | Vivaldi Antonio | Italian | Baroque | 1678-1741 |
| 21 | Villa-Lobos Heitor | Brazilian | Neoclassicism | 1887-1959 |
| 22 | Wolf-Ferrari Ermanno | Italian | Romanticism | 1876-1948 |
| 23 | Haydn Franz Joseph | Austrian | Classicism | 1732-1809 |
| 24 | Handel George Frideric | German | Baroque | 1685-1759 |
| 25 | Gershwin George | American | - | 1898-1937 |
| 26 | Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1865-1936 |
| 27 | Glinka Mikhail Ivanovich | Russian | Classicism | 1804-1857 |
| 28 | Glier Reingold Moritsevich | Russian and Soviet | - | 1874/75-1956 |
| 29 | Gluk (Gluk) Christoph Willibald | German | Classicism | 1714-1787 |
| 30 | Granados, Granados y Campina Enrique | Spanish | Romanticism | 1867-1916 |
| 31 | Grechaninov Alexander Tikhonovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1864-1956 |
| 32 | Grieg Edward Haberup | Norwegian | Romanticism | 1843-1907 |
| 33 | Hummel, Hummel (Hummel) Johann (Jan) Nepomuk | Austrian - Czech nationality | Classicism-Romanticism | 1778-1837 |
| 34 | Gounod Charles Francois | French | Romanticism | 1818-1893 |
| 35 | Gurilev Alexander Lvovich | Russian | - | 1803-1858 |
| 36 | Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeevich | Russian | Romanticism | 1813-1869 |
| 37 | Dvorjak Antonin | Czech | Romanticism | 1841-1904 |
| 38 | Debussy Claude Achille | French | Romanticism | 1862-1918 |
| 39 | Delibes Clément Philibert Leo | French | Romanticism | 1836-1891 |
| 40 | Destouches Andre Cardinal | French | Baroque | 1672-1749 |
| 41 | Degtyarev Stepan Anikievich | Russian | Church music | 1776-1813 |
| 42 | Giuliani Mauro | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1781-1829 |
| 43 | Dinicu Grigorash | Romanian | 1889-1949 | |
| 44 | Donizetti Gaetano | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1797-1848 |
| 45 | Ippolitov-Ivanov Mikhail Mikhailovich | Russian-Soviet composer | 20th-century classical composers | 1859-1935 |
| 46 | Kabalevsky Dmitry Borisovich | Russian-Soviet composer | 20th-century classical composers | 1904-1987 |
| 47 | Kalinnikov Vasily Sergeevich | Russian | Russian musical classics | 1866-1900/01 |
| 48 | Kalman Imre (Emmerich) | Hungarian | 20th-century classical composers | 1882-1953 |
| 49 | Cui Caesar Antonovich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1835-1918 |
| 50 | Leoncovallo Ruggiero | Italian | Romanticism | 1857-1919 |
| 51 | Liszt (Liszt) Ferenc (Franz) | Hungarian | Romanticism | 1811-1886 |
| 52 | Lyadov Anatoly Konstantinovich | Russian | 20th-century classical composers | 1855-1914 |
| 53 | Lyapunov Sergey Mikhailovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1850-1924 |
| 54 | Mahler Gustav | Austrian | Romanticism | 1860-1911 |
| 55 | Mascagni Pietro | Italian | Romanticism | 1863-1945 |
| 56 | Massenet Jules Emile Frederic | French | Romanticism | 1842-1912 |
| 57 | Marcello Benedetto | Italian | Baroque | 1686-1739 |
| 58 | Meyerbeer Giacomo | French | Classicism-Romanticism | 1791-1864 |
| 59 | Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Jacob Ludwig Felix | German | Romanticism | 1809-1847 |
| 60 | Mignone to Francis | Brazilian | 20th-century classical composers | 1897 |
| 61 | Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio | Italian | Renaissance-Baroque | 1567-1643 |
| 62 | Moniuszko Stanislav | Polish | Romanticism | 1819-1872 |
| 63 | Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus | Austrian | Classicism | 1756-1791 |
| 64 | Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1839-1881 |
| 65 | Napravnik Eduard Frantsevich | Russian - Czech nationality | Romanticism? | 1839-1916 |
| 66 | Oginski Michal Kleofas | Polish | - | 1765-1833 |
| 67 | Offenbach Jacques (Jacob) | French | Romanticism | 1819-1880 |
| 68 | Paganini Nicolo | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1782-1840 |
| 69 | Pachelbel Johann | German | Baroque | 1653-1706 |
| 70 | Planquette, Planquette (Planquette) Jean Robert Julien | French | - | 1848-1903 |
| 71 | Ponce Cuellar Manuel Maria | Mexican | 20th-century classical composers | 1882-1948 |
| 72 | Prokofiev Sergey Sergeevich | Russian-Soviet composer | Neoclassicism | 1891-1953 |
| 73 | Francis Poulenc | French | Neoclassicism | 1899-1963 |
| 74 | Puccini Giacomo | Italian | Romanticism | 1858-1924 |
| 75 | Ravel Maurice Joseph | French | Neoclassicism-Impressionism | 1875-1937 |
| 76 | Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilievich | Russian | Romanticism | 1873-1943 |
| 77 | Rimsky - Korsakov Nikolai Andreevich | Russian | Romanticism - “The Mighty Handful” | 1844-1908 |
| 78 | Rossini Gioachino Antonio | Italian | Classicism-Romanticism | 1792-1868 |
| 79 | Rota Nino | Italian | 20th-century classical composers | 1911-1979 |
| 80 | Rubinstein Anton Grigorievich | Russian | Romanticism | 1829-1894 |
| 81 | Sarasate, Sarasate y Navascuez (Sarasate y Navascuez) Pablo de | Spanish | Romanticism | 1844-1908 |
| 82 | Sviridov Georgy Vasilievich (Yuri) | Russian-Soviet composer | NeoRomanticism | 1915-1998 |
| 83 | Saint-Saëns Charles Camille | French | Romanticism | 1835-1921 |
| 84 | Sibelius Jan (Johan) | Finnish | Romanticism | 1865-1957 |
| 85 | Scarlatti by Giuseppe Domenico | Italian | Baroque-Classicism | 1685-1757 |
| 86 | Skryabin Alexander Nikolaevich | Russian | Romanticism | 1871/72-1915 |
| 87 | Smetana Bridzhikh | Czech | Romanticism | 1824-1884 |
| 88 | Stravinsky Igor Fedorovich | Russian | Neo-Romanticism-Neo-Baroque-Serialism | 1882-1971 |
| 89 | Taneyev Sergey Ivanovich | Russian | Romanticism | 1856-1915 |
| 90 | Telemann Georg Philipp | German | Baroque | 1681-1767 |
| 91 | Torelli Giuseppe | Italian | Baroque | 1658-1709 |
| 92 | Tosti Francesco Paolo | Italian | - | 1846-1916 |
| 93 | Fibich Zdenek | Czech | Romanticism | 1850-1900 |
| 94 | Flotow Friedrich von | German | Romanticism | 1812-1883 |
| 95 | Khachaturyan Aram | Armenian-Soviet composer | 20th-century classical composers | 1903-1978 |
| 96 | Holst Gustav | English | - | 1874-1934 |
| 97 | Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich | Russian | Romanticism | 1840-1893 |
| 98 | Chesnokov Pavel Grigorievich | Russian-Soviet composer | - | 1877-1944 |
| 99 | Cilea Francesco | Italian | - | 1866-1950 |
| 100 | Cimarosa Domenico | Italian | Classicism | 1749-1801 |
| 101 | Schnittke Alfred Garrievich | Soviet composer | polystylistics | 1934-1998 |
| 102 | Chopin Fryderyk | Polish | Romanticism | 1810-1849 |
| 103 | Shostakovich Dmitry Dmitrievich | Russian-Soviet composer | Neoclassicism-NeoRomanticism | 1906-1975 |
| 104 | Strauss Johann (father) | Austrian | Romanticism | 1804-1849 |
| 105 | Strauss Johann (son) | Austrian | Romanticism | 1825-1899 |
| 106 | Strauss Richard | German | Romanticism | 1864-1949 |
| 107 | Schubert Franz | Austrian | Romanticism-Classicism | 1797-1828 |
| 108 | Schumann Robert | German | Romanticism | 1810-1 |
No country in the world has given humanity as many great composers as Germany. Traditional ideas about the Germans as the most rational and pedantic people are crumbling from such a wealth of musical talents (as well as poetic ones). German composers Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Arf, Wagner - this is not a complete list of talented musicians who created an incredible number of musical masterpieces of various genres and styles.
German composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Georg Handel, both born in 1685, laid the foundations of classical music and brought Germany to the forefront of a musical world previously dominated by the Italians. The genius, not fully understood and recognized by contemporaries, laid the powerful foundation on which all the music of classicism later grew.
The great J.Haydn, W.A.Mozart and L.Beethoven are the brightest representatives of the Viennese classical school - a direction in music that developed at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. The very name of “Viennese classics” implies the participation of Austrian composers, such as Haydn and Mozart. A little later, Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer, joined them (the history of these neighboring states is inextricably linked with each other).
The great German, who died in poverty and loneliness, gained centuries-old glory for himself and his country. German romantic composers (Schumann, Schubert, Brahms and others), as well as modern German composers such as Paul Hindemith, having gone far from classicism in their work, nevertheless recognize the enormous influence of Beethoven on the work of any of them.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 into the family of a poor and hard-drinking musician. Despite the addiction, the father was able to discern the talent of his eldest son and began to teach him music himself. He dreamed of making Ludwig a second Mozart (Mozart’s father successfully demonstrated his “miracle child” to the public from the age of 6). Despite the cruel treatment of his father, who forced his son to study all day, Beethoven passionately fell in love with music, by the age of nine he even “outgrew” him in performing, and at eleven he became an assistant to the court organist.
At the age of 22, Beethoven left Bonn and went to Vienna, where he took lessons from the maestro Haydn himself. In the Austrian capital, which at that time was the recognized center of world musical life, Beethoven quickly gained fame as a virtuoso pianist. But the composer's works, filled with intense emotions and drama, were not always appreciated by the Viennese public. Beethoven, as a person, was not very “convenient” for those around him - he could be either harsh and rude, or unbridledly cheerful, or gloomy and gloomy. These qualities did not contribute to Beethoven's success in society; he was considered a talented eccentric.
The tragedy of Beethoven's life was deafness. The illness made his life even more isolated and lonely. It was painful for the composer to create his brilliant creations and never hear them performed. Deafness did not break the strong-willed master; he continued to create. Being already completely deaf, Beethoven himself conducted his brilliant 9th symphony with the famous “Ode to Joy” with words by Schiller. The power and optimism of this music, especially given the tragic circumstances of the composer’s life, still amazes the imagination.
Since 1985, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, arranged by Herbert von Karajan, has been recognized as the official anthem of the European Union. wrote about this music: “The whole of humanity stretches out its arms to the sky... rushes towards joy and presses it to its chest.”
After the origin of his own surname, a person is usually interested in the surnames of various prominent figures - politicians, scientists, cultural figures, etc. On this page I propose to familiarize yourself with the etymologies of the surnames of a number of famous German and Austrian composers.
Let me explain one term that appears in almost every article about surnames. This - Middle High German(German) mittelhochdeutsch, abbreviated mhd.). This is how they designate the period in the history of the German language - from approximately 1050 to 1350. The formation of German surnames was already actively taking place during this period, therefore, for the basis of surnames, the form of the word that it had in that period is given. This is like the starting point in the history of the surname. As a rule, the phonetic form of surnames has changed quite a lot since that time, in accordance with the patterns of development of the sound structure of the German language. Sometimes the identified lexical sources of surname stems are no longer found in the modern language. Thus, surnames serve as a kind of “museum” for their storage. Since in the Middle High German period there was no linguistic unity (the main form of existence of the language was numerous dialects), you can also find, for example, a term like Middle Low German, indicating that we are talking about the Low German area (mainly northern Germany). The Middle High German period was preceded by Old High German (abbr. OT, German ahd.). Onomasts usually appeal to this period when etymologizing personal names.
Johann Sebastian Bach / German Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) – German composer and organist, representative of the Baroque era. One of the greatest composers in the history of music. The most famous musician from the Bach family, known for their musicality.
German onomasts offer two versions of the origin of this surname. From German Bach translated as ‘stream’. Accordingly, this surname could come from a nickname indicating the place of residence - near the stream. Next from the common noun Bach There were many names of settlements. It is not difficult to guess that they all arose on the banks of some stream. Therefore the surname Bach may also indicate people from a populated area Bach. This surname was given if a person moved to a new place. After all, in Bach itself there is no point in giving anyone a last name Bach, since it will not be able to perform the function of distinguishing people normally.
In Germany and Austria there are quite a few namesakes of the great composer. As of December 31, 2002, there were 8876 Bachs in German telephone directories. In terms of the entire population of the country, it ranks 239th in the frequency list of surnames. At the same time, modern Thuringia, where Bach’s hometown of Eisenach is located, ranks only 9th in terms of the proportion of bearers of this surname. In first place is the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In Austria, there are fewer Bachs - 205 (as of December 31, 2005) and in terms of the entire population it ranks 2199th.
Ludwig van Beethoven / German Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was a great German composer, conductor and pianist.
His ancestors were peasants and artisans from Flemish Mechelen (now in the Netherlands), from where they moved to Westphalian Bonn. Pretext van– Low Frankish dialect variant of the preposition von'from'. The composer's biographers believe that the surname comes from the toponym Betuwe- the name of an area in the modern province of Gelderland in the east of the Netherlands. At the same time, onomasts associate the composer’s surname with place names of the same name in Belgian Flanders. In addition, onomasts propose to explain this surname from vom Rubenhof‘from a beet yard’ (i.e. a peasant farm engaged in growing beets). Moreover, they indicate borrowing from Latin beta, which first meant 'chard root' and then 'beetroot'.
Judging by telephone directories, the composer's surname is unique for modern Germany and Austria - there are no other bearers of it.
Johannes / German Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) was a German composer and pianist, one of the main representatives of the Romantic period.
German onomasts offer several etymologies for this surname.
1. Patronym (strong genitive) from the short form of a male name Abraham/Abraham.
2. Patronym (strong genitive) to Brahm:‘the son of the one who lives by the gorse or blackberry bush’.
3. From Middle High German bramhus‘house near a gorse or blackberry bush’. In this case, the nickname from which the surname arose indicated the place of residence.
Surname Brahms in Germany it is quite rare - 190 carriers in telephone directories (as of December 31, 2002).
Wilhelm Richard/ German Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813–1883) - German composer, conductor, playwright (author of librettos for his operas), philosopher. The greatest reformer of opera music.
The etymology of his surname is transparent and not particularly difficult to uncover. It is based on the name of the profession: from Middle High German wager‘carriage maker, carriage maker’. In modern literary language this profession is denoted by the words Wagenbauer, Wagenmacher. Family form Wagner- South German (oberdeutsch) and in Germany it ranks 7th in frequency (as of December 31, 2002 - 82,074 speakers (telephone directory data). It is most densely represented in the state of Bavaria. In the Low German (niederdeutsch) area, i.e. Its variants are common in northern Germany. Wegener And Wegner. Other territorial modifications: Wahner, Wähner, Wehner, Weiner. In different regions of Germany, other words were used to denote the profession of a carriage maker, from which surnames were also formed: Rademacher, Rademaker(northwest), Stellmacher(northeast), Ass(en)macher(from Middle High German asse‘axis’, in the Rhineland).
Carl Maria Friedrich August (Ernst) von/ German Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) – German composer, conductor, pianist, music writer, founder of German romantic opera. His last name is semantically transparent. Goes back to Middle High German wëbære'weaver'. In modern German, the word is also used to denote this profession Weber.
This is one of the most common surnames in Germany. As of December 31, 2002, there were 88,544 Webers in telephone directories. In terms of the entire population of the country, this surname took 5th place. It is most densely represented in the land of North Rhine-Westphalia (composer Weber, we recall, was born in Westphalia).
Franz Joseph / German Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) - Austrian composer, representative of the Viennese classical school, one of the founders of such musical genres as the symphony and string quartet.
Haydn– regional variety of surname Heiden. According to German onomasts, the surname Heiden. may be one of the following etymologies.
1. Nickname from Middle High German and Middle Low German heiden‘pagan, idolater’, Middle High German heiden'pagan'. Perhaps this nickname was given to a participant in the crusades to the country of the “infidels,” to the “holy” land.
2. From a homonymous toponym (there is one, for example, in the land of North Rhine-Westphalia).
3. From short form to male personal name Heidenrich / Heidenrich: ancient history heit‘creature’ + rīchi'powerful'.
In Austria the surname Haydn as of December 31, 2005, it was found in 161 people and occupied 2995th place in the frequency list of surnames. In Germany, this surname was found in 208 people (as of December 31, 2002). In terms of the total population of Germany and Austria in Austria the surname Haydn is more common. It should be noted that in Germany itself this surname gravitates towards the south, towards the border with Austria - about 80% of all German citizens with this surname live in the state of Bavaria. The situation is different with the surname Hayden, with which the surname Haydn general lexical sources. In Germany it is represented more widely than in Austria: 1858 and 92 speakers, respectively. Moreover, in Germany it gravitates towards the northwest - more than 35% of its speakers live in North Rhine-Westphalia. Considering the above, the second version (from a toponym in northwestern Germany) should obviously be excluded from the ethmologies of the surname Haydn.
Georg Friedrich/ German Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759) was a German Baroque composer known for his operas, oratorios and concertos.
Experts in German onomastics offer four etymologies for this surname.
1. Derived word Hand‘hand’ + diminutive suffix -l.
2. Last name option Hanel/Hanel(from the name Johannes/Johannes) with an additional intervocalic consonant -d-(or directly from the specified derivatives of this personal name).
3. In southeast Germany this may be a variant of a surname Heindel(from the diminutive form of a male name Heinrich/Heinrich).
4. From a nickname from Middle High German handel‘trade, action, activity, event, legal proceedings, object of trade, goods, what is at hand’.
The surname Händel appears 1023 times in German telephone directories (as of December 31, 2002). In terms of the entire population of the country, this is relatively common. In Austria, it is very rare - only 6 carriers (as of December 31, 2005).
Wolfgang Amadeus(full name Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart) / German. Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart(1756–1791) - Austrian composer, instrumentalist and conductor, virtuoso violinist, harpsichordist, organist.
/ German Strauß, Srtauss The surname of a dynasty of Austrian musicians.
The most famous: Johann (the elder) (1804–1849) - composer, conductor and violinist. His sons: Johann Strauss (Jr.) (1825–1899) - composer, conductor and violinist; Joseph Strauss (1827–1870) – composer; Eduard Strauss (1835–1916) – composer and conductor.Although the surname Strauss in modern reference books it is often written with ß at the end, most representatives always wrote their last name with two ss. In this case, the first and second were written with different typographical characters (the so-called long and round s) – Strauss. And only Eduard Strauss wrote with ß.
Regarding the surname four versions are put forward.
1. From a nickname from Middle High German struz, strus‘ostrich bird’. This nickname could have been given by the ostrich feather that adorned the helmet. Or, according to a characteristic view, in the early knightly epic “Titurel” (about 1270) there is a comparison din ougen sullen dem strouze gelichen(‘your eyes are like an ostrich’). The earliest mention of the surname is from a resident of Magdeburg (about 1162: Heinric Struz.
2. Among German surnames there is a group of surnames that go back to the so-called. names of households. They could be given for various reasons, for example, on an item on a coat of arms or sign. The name of the household goes back to the second part in the naming of a resident of the Lower Saxon Eschede - Heyne vamm Strause (about 1428/38)
3. From a nickname from Middle High German struz‘resistance, discord, conflict, duel’, which could be received by a scandalous, quarrelsome person.
4. By place of residence from from Middle High German struz'bush'.
It is easy to see that the ambiguity of the etymology in this case is explained by the polysemy of the supposed original word struz.
The surname Strauss is found in both Austria and Germany. And in Germany somewhat more often. As of December 31, 2002, there were 1193 Strauss in German telephone directories, which, when calculated for the entire population of the country, gives 316th place in the frequency list of surnames. In Austria, as of December 31, 2005, there were 643 Strauss, which allows this surname to occupy 383rd place.
Franz Peter / German Franz Peter Schubert (1797–1828) is a great Austrian composer, one of the founders of romanticism in music.
The surname Schubert has quite clear semantics. It goes back to Middle High German schuochwürhte, schuochworhte, schuchwarte'shoemaker'. That is, it is included in the group of surnames from the names of professions. As of December 31, 2005, there were 989 Schuberts living in Austria. In the frequency list, she occupied 276th place there. In Germany it is much more frequent. As of December 31, 2002, there were 27,558 Schuberts in telephone directories. In terms of the entire population of the country, it ranked 50th.
Robert / German Robert Schumann (1810–1856) – German composer, conductor, music critic, teacher.
Surname belongs to the group of professional surnames (Berufsfamiliennamen), i.e. it is based on the name of the profession. This is Middle High German schuochman'shoemaker'. It is curious that the surname of the composer Franz Schubert also translates as ‘shoemaker’. In the German literary language, the profession of a shoemaker is denoted primarily by the word Schuster, noun used less frequently Schuhmacher. The Germans also derive their surnames from these two words. It is interesting to look at the relationship between these three surnames related to the name of the shoemaker's profession in Germany.
If you look at telephone directories (as of December 31, 2002), it turns out that the most frequent of this trinity is Schuster– 22,377 speakers and 64th place in the frequency list of German surnames. Surname Schumann It is found somewhat less frequently and, with 13,632 speakers, ranks 137th. The rarest of the three is Schuhmacher(total 2981 subscribers and 988th place). But the differences concern not only the frequency, but also the regions of distribution. Yes, last name Schuster most often found in Bavaria (about 40% of all Schusters). Last name Schuhmacher most often found in Baden-Württemberg (more than 40% of all Schumachers). And here is the last name Schumann predominates in Saxony (about 20% of all Schumanns). It is worth recalling that Robert Schumann’s hometown, Zwickau, is located in Saxony. That is, it is quite natural that the composer’s distant ancestor became Schumann, and not Schuster or Schumacher.
© Nazarov Alois
