Born in Wartenberg [now Stráž pod Ralskem], near Reichenberg [now Liberec], Bohemia, baptized Aug 12, 1644
Died in Salzburg, May 3, 1704
Nationality: Austrian
Born in Ansfelden, near Linz, Sept 4, 1824
Died in Vienna, Oct 11, 18961
Born in Vienna, 17 Nov 1780
Died in Vienna, 3 Nov 18421
Short biographic article from Strings Magazine
Pieces
Born in Vienna, Feb 21, 1791
Died in Vienna, July 15, 1857
Pronounced “chair-nee”
- Austrian pianist and composer Carol Czerny is most famous for his contribution to piano pedagogy (and the fact that he became Beethoven‘s pupil at ten years old).
- Czerny premiered several of Beethoven’s well-known piano works, including Piano Concerto No. 1 and the “Emperor” piano concerto.
- Fun fact – Allegedly, Czerny could perform all of Beethoven’s piano music from memory.
- Early in his career, Czerny consciously decided to pursue the stability of teaching and composition over the life of a touring performer. His technical exercises are still a staple of piano students today.
- Despite writing around 1,000 compositions in nearly every genre, Czerny’s works are largely forgotten today.
- He organized his works into four categories: 1. studies and exercises; 2. easy pieces for students; 3. brilliant pieces for concerts; and 4. serious music.
- As an educator, Czerny taught numerous significant pianists of the next generation, including Franz Liszt.1
- Contemporaries of Czerny include Schubert (a fellow Beethoven Stan), Rossini, and Weber.
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Born in Frauental, near Deutschlandsberg, Styria, Feb 15, 1847
Died in Vienna, Feb 19, 1927
- Fuchs was an organist, conductor of Vienna’s Gesellschaft für Musikfreunde (an orchestral society) and a professor of harmony at the Vienna Conservatory. His students included Mahler, Sibelius, and Hugo Wolf.
- Fuchs was a friend of Brahms, who admired Fuchs’s music.
“Fuchs is a splendid musician; everything is so fine and so skillful, so charmingly invented, that one is always pleased.”
Johannes Brahms (1891)1
Born in Erasbach, nr Berching, Upper Palatinate, July 2, 1714
Died in Vienna, Nov 15, 1787
- Gluck was a major figure in early classical opera, composing works in Italian and French and helping forge a more natural expression in the genre after the dominance of Baroque opera seria.
- Fun fact: Gluck ran away from home when he was 13 or 14 because he wanted to be a musician but his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a forester. Gluck later claimed that he ran away to Prague and made a living by singing and playing a jaw harp.1
Born in Rohrau, Lower Austria, March 31, 1732
Died in Vienna, May 31, 1809
What’s Haydn’s Name?
- He was baptized Franciscus Josephus (Franz Joseph) Haydn, named after two saints whose feast days fell close to his birthday.
- It was common in Austria at the time to give children two names and primarily use the second. Haydn rarely used the name Franz.1
- Fun fact: His childhood nickname was Sepperl (“Sepp” from baby attempts to pronounce Joseph, “-erl” being an Austrian diminutive, cf. Mozart’s sister’s nickname Nannerl)2
Pieces
- Acide e Galatea
- Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major
- Il mondo della luna (The World on the Moon): Overture
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Hob.XVIII:4
- Piano Sonata No. 35 in A-flat Major, Hob.XVI:43
- Piano Trio No. 39 in G Major, Hob.XV:25
- Serenade from Quartet Op. 3, No. 5
- String Quartet in D Major, Op. 64, No. 5 “Lark”
- String Quartets, Op. 33
- String Quartets, Op. 76
- Symphony No. 101 in D Major, “Clock”
- Symphony No. 102 in B-flat Major
- Symphony No. 103, in E-flat Major, “Drumroll”
- Symphony No. 104 in D Major
- Symphony No. 22 in E-Flat Major, “The Philosopher”
- Symphony No. 24 in D Major
- Symphony No. 49 in f minor, “La passione”
- Symphony No. 50 in C Major
- Symphony No. 92 in G Major, “Oxford”
- Symphony No. 94 in G Major, “Surprise”
- Symphony No. 95 in c minor
- Symphony No. 99 in E-flat Major
- Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major, Hob. VIIe:1
Born in Rohrau, Lower Austria, bap. Sept 14, 1737
Died in Salzburg, Aug 10, 1806
- Michael Haydn was Joseph Haydn’s younger brother.1
Pieces
Born in Vienna, April 9, 1855
Died in Vienna, April 26, 1907
- Part of a family of Austrian musicians, Hellmesberger was a violinist and composer who became known popularly as “Crown Prince Pepi” by the time he was 18 (“heir” to his family’s musical legacy).
- Hellmesberger held various conducting posts throughout his life, including working with Mahler at the Vienna Philharmonic (that is, until a scandalous affair forced him to resign and settle for less impressive conducting posts)
- Fun fact: in 1867 (he was about 12) he led his father’s string ensemble in a performance of Mozart’s Musical Joke. The whole group wore 18th C. garb and powdered wigs. This performance was such a hit that it overshadowed the premiere of Strauss Jr.’s The Beautiful Blue Danube, which came earlier in the same concert.1
Born in Pressburg [now Bratislava], Nov 14, 1778
Died in Weimar, Oct 17, 18371
Born in Brno, May 29, 1897
Died in Hollywood, CA, Nov 29, 1957
- Korngold was a child prodigy who impressed Mahler, Richard Strauss, Puccini and many other with his youthful compositions.
- Korngold was a successful composer, conductor and teacher of opera in Europe before he began his Hollywood career in the 1930s.
- In addition to The Sea Hawk (1940), Korngold’s symphonic film scores include Anthony Adverse (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Of Human Bondage (1946).
- After WWII, Korngold focused on concert music, and his works were given premieres by the likes of Heifetz (Violin Concerto, 1937/45) and Furtwängler (Symphonic Serenade, 1947-52).1
- Style: Korngold’s film scores make use of Wagnerian leitmotif, assigning a motif to each character. This film scoring technique would become hugely influential for Hollywood, found again in scores by John Williams and others.
“Korngold saw his films as ‘operas without singing’ and drew no distinction between writing in this genre and any other. He brought techniques of Wagner, Strauss, and Puccini into the cinema and, along with his fellow emigres in Hollywood… helped turn film music into an art in its own right.”
Jessica Duchen, BBC Music Magazine Vol. 30, No. 9
Learn More
Korngold Intro from Erich Korngold Society website
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KREISLER, Fritz
Born in Vienna, Feb 2, 1875
Died in New York, Jan 29, 1962
- While also a composer, Fritz Kreisler is best known for his mastery of the violin. At just seven years old, Kreisler was admitted to the Musikverein Konservatorium (the youngest student ever to enter).
- He went on to study at the Paris Conservatory, where he won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome at 12 years old.
- In his teens, Kreisler toured in the United States. However, following his return to Vienna, he began feeling discouraged about his success as a musician and switched his focus to studying medicine.
- In 1899, after nearly a decade away from performance, Kreisler returned to the stage where he would continue to foster an international career as a virtuoso violinist.
- Fun fact – Kreisler was an anomaly in that he achieved such an exemplary skill level on his instrument despite devoting very little time to practicing.
- As a composer, Kreisler is well-known for his compositions ascribed to 18th-century composers, such as Pugnani, Francoeur, and Padre Martini. The pieces were originally published as arrangements, but the composer later admitted they were original works.1
Learn More
Biography from Interlude, which goes into more detail about Kreisler’s military experience, among other aspects of his life.
Born in St Ulrich, Vienna, April 11, 1801
Died in Oberdöbling, near Vienna, April 14, 1843
- Along with Johann Strauss I, Lanner is known as one of the fathers of the Viennese Waltz.1
- Lanner and Strauss Sr. worked together in a chamber ensemble founded by Lanner (at the age of 17) in the first couple decades of the 1800s. The group grew into an orchestra, and eventually they were successful enough for to split into two orchestras, one directed by each composer.2
- Fun fact: Franz Schubert was a fan of Lanner and Strauss Sr.’s dance ensemble.3
- Lanner and his orchestra were well regarded throughout Europe, touring to perform at everything from court occasions to cafés to grand balls.4
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LEHÁR, Franz
Born in Komáron, Hungary, April 30, 1870
Died in Bad Ischl, Oct 24, 1948
- Born in Hungary, Lehár (accent on first syllable) entered the Prague Conservatory at 12, and served as an army bandmaster for more than a decade until his career as a conductor and composer of operetta got off the ground.
- Later in his career Lehár founded a music publishing house and composed original film scores.
- Not-Fun Fact: Lehár’s situation during WWII was complicated: Hitler loved Die lustige Wittwe, but Lehár’s wife was Jewish and a number of his friends perished in concentration camps. Lehár was criticized outside Germany and Austria for not taking an early and vocal stand against Hitler.1
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LIGETI, György
Born in Transylvania, May 28, 1923
Died in Vienna, June 12, 2006
- As a Hungarian Jew, Ligeti had several traumatic experiences during his early life. His father and younger brother were both victims of the Holocaust (a fate that Ligeti only narrowly escaped himself).
- After the war, Ligeti finished his musical studies and began teaching in Budapest. However, during the Hungarian uprising of 1956, the composer fled to Vienna, eventually becoming an Austrian citizen.
- Ligeti shared a lifelong long of math and natural sciences in addition to music. He drew much inspiration for his music from these outside disciplines.1
- Ligeti’s music became widely known after three of his compositions (Atmosphères, Requiem, and Lux Aeterna) were featured in Stanley Kubrick’s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).2
- Ligeti’s music was used for the film without the composer’s knowledge or consent.3
Short biography
Composer’s website (translate to English)
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MAHLER, Alma
Born in Vienna, August 31, 1879
Died in New York, December 11, 19641
- Perhaps best known for her marriage to Gustav Mahler and/or her relationships with some of Europe’s most acclaimed artists, Alma Mahler was also a composer in her own right.
- Alma Mahler’s marriage to Gustav Mahler was famously fraught with challenges, not the least of which was Gustav Mahler’s disapproval of his wife’s compositional aspirations. Consequently, nearly all of Alma Mahler’s works were composed between 1898-1901, before her marriage to Gustav Mahler in 1902.
- As a composer, Alma Mahler exclusively wrote songs (Lieder). Three sets were published during the composer’s lifetime (Fünf Lieder, Vier Lieder, and Fünf Gesänge) along with a small handful of individual songs published posthumously, though her oeuvre likely contains many more pieces that have not been published and/or have been lost.2
- A note on Alma Mahler’s various names – the composer is most commonly referred to as Alma Mahler or Alma Mahler-Werfel today; however, you might find Alma Maria Schindler-Mahler on her published songs because they were composed before her marriage to Gustav Mahler (Schindler was her maiden name).
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MAHLER, Gustav
Born in Kalischt, near Iglau [now Kaliště, Jihlava], Bohemia, July 7, 1860
Died in Vienna, May 18, 19111
Born in Salzburg, Jan 27, 1756
Died in Vienna, Dec 5, 1791
Pieces
- Adagio for Violin and Orchestra in E Major, K. 261
- Andante for Flute and Orchestra in C Major, K. 315
- Ascanio in Alba, K. 111
- Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, K. 191
- Church Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 212
- Church Sonata No. 7 in C Major, K. 278
- Church Sonatas
- Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622
- Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581
- Concerto for Flute and Harp, K. 299
- Così fan tutte, K. 588: Overture
- Divertimento in D Major, K. 205
- Divertimento No. 17 in D Major, K. 334: Menuet
- Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture
- Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525
- Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 314
- Flute Quartet in C Major, K.Anh. 171 / K. 285b
- German Dances (3), K 605 (ends with “Sleigh Ride”)
- Idomeneo, K. 366: Overture
- Il Sogno di Scipione: Overture, K. 141a
- La clemenza di Tito, K. 621: Overture
- March in D Major, K. 445
- Menuetto and Trio in C Major, K. 409
- Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87: Overture
- Piano Concerto No. 13 in C Major, K. 415
- Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat Major, K. 450
- Piano Concerto No. 20 in d minor, K. 466
- Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
- Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major, K. 482
- Piano Concerto No. 24 in c minor, K. 491
- Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503
- Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595
- Piano Concerto No. 7 in F Major, K. 242
- Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271, “Jeunehomme”
- Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, K. 493
- Piano Quartet in g minor, K. 478
- Piano Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K. 330
- Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, K. 282
- Requiem, K. 626
- Rondo alla Turca (arr. from Sonata K. 331)
- Rondo for Flute and Orchestra in D Major, K. Anh. 184
- Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in B-flat Major, K. 269
- Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in C Major, K. 373
- Rondo in E-flat Major for horn and orchestra, K. 371
- Serenade in F Major, K. 247
- Serenade No. 9 in D Major, K. 320, “Posthorn”
- Sinfonia concertante in E-Flat Major, K. 297b
- Sinfonia concertante in E-flat Major, K.364
- Solemn Vespers, K. 339: “Laudate Dominum”
- Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201
- Symphony No. 30 in D Major, K. 202
- Symphony No. 32 in G Major, K. 318
- Symphony No. 34 in C Major, K. 338
- Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504, “Prague”
- Symphony No. 4 in D Major, K. 19
- Symphony No. 40 in g minor, K. 550
- Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551
- Symphony No.51 in D Major, K. 121/207a
- The Abduction from the Seraglio, K. 384: Overture
- The Impresario, K. 486: Overture
- The Magic Flute, K. 620: Overture
- The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492
- Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219
- Violin Sonata in G Major, K. 301
Born in Vienna, baptized May 15, 1759
Died in Vienna, Feb 1, 1824
- In addition to composing, Paradis was a singer, a pianist, and an organist. Her compositions include piano pieces, songs, operas, and cantatas.
- Paradis was named after Empress Maria Theresa. The composer’s father was the Empress’s Court Secretary and Imperial Councilor.
- Paradis’s Oxford Music Online article notes that though it was formerly believed that she was the Empress’s goddaughter, recent scholarship indicates that this was not the case.
- Paradis’s teachers included Antonio Salieri, who instructed her in singing and dramatic composition.
- Paradis lost her sight between the ages of 2-5. She composed using a “composition board” invented by her amanuensis and librettist Johann Riedinger. She is also said to have had 60 memorized piano concertos in her repertoire.
- Paradis toured Europe multiple times as a piano virtuoso. During one tour, Mozart wrote a concerto for her (probably K 456).
- Paradis’s work in education included helping Valentin Haüy to found the first school for the blind in Paris in 1785, and founding her own school of music in 1808.1
Born in Prague, June 18, 1843
Died in Baden, Vienna, Aug 7, 1913
- Popper was a cellist who performed in the Vienna Philharmonic, was a member of string quartets, and a soloist.
- Popper auditioned at Prague Conservatory as a violinist at age 12, but graduated as cellist because they needed more cello students
- Popper’s father, Angelus Seifert, was the cantor at two Prague synagogues.
- In 1886, Lizst appointed him cello professor at National Hungarian Royal Academy of Music.1
Born in Vienna, baptized April 6, 1708
Died in Vienna, March 11, 1772
- Reutter spent most of his career working for the Habsburg court, as an opera composer and as an imperial Kapellmeister.
- This composer is sometimes referred to as Georg Reutter the Younger because his father, Georg Reutter the Elder (1656-1738) was also an organist, and was in fact the organist at St. Stephen’s Cathedral before Reutter Jr. took the position upon his father’s retirement.
- Fun fact: Reutter was in charge of the choir school at the St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) in Vienna while Joseph and Michael Haydn were students there.1
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REZNICEK, Emil von
Born in Vienna, May 4, 1860
Died in Berlin, Aug 2, 1945
- Reznicek was an Austrian conductor and composer who held theater, military and conservatory appointments at different stages of his life.
- Reznicek was a late Romantic, tonal composer. In 1932 he and Richard Strauss founded an organization to support tonal composition, but Reznicek left in 1942 when the Nazis tried to co-opt the group.1
Born in Scheibbs, Lower Austria, c.1620–23
Died in Prague, between 29 Feb and March 20, 1680
- Schmelzer was a violinist and a composer who specialized in instrumental music, particularly sonatas and suites.
- Schmelzer was employed in the Habsburg Imperial court, first as a violinist and eventually as Kapellmeister. He was the first Austrian to be appointed Kapellmeister at the Habsburg court (before him, the Habsburgs had hired Italian Kapellmeisters).1
- The emperor made Schmelzer a member of the nobility in 1673, likely because of his fame and professional achievements. This was a rare achievement for Baroque musicians.2
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SCHOENBERG, Arnold
Born in Vienna, Sept 13, 1874
Died in Los Angeles, July 13, 1951
- Arnold Schoenberg was one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He introduced serialism, particularly 12-tone technique, to Western music methodology and taught notable composers such as Alban Berg and Anton Webern.
- Schoenberg came from a Jewish family of Hungarian and Czech descent. He began studying violin and composition at age eight. Due to his modest family circumstances, he never studied formally at a renowned institution. However, when the composer was in his early 20s, he met Alexander Zemlinsky, who would become Schoenberg’s mentor.
- Fun fact – In 1901, Schoenberg married Zemlinsky’s sister, Mathilde, making the two brothers-in-law.
- In 1933, amid the rise of Nazism, Schoenberg emigrated to the US. At first, he took on a teaching position at the Malkin Conservatory in Boston. About a year later, he moved to Los Angeles, where he would remain for the rest of his life. In 1936, he became a professor at UCLA.1
- Additional fun fact – In addition to music, Schoenberg further fostered his creativity by painting self-portraits and designing games, toys, and playing cards. Read more about interesting composer hobbies here.
Learn More:
Biography from The British Library
Biographical overview from Britannica
Pieces
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SCHREKER, Franz
Born in Monaco, March 23, 1878
Died in Berlin, March 21, 1934
- Schreker was a conductor, Berlin Conservatory professor, and composer, notably of opera.
- Schreker’s style was influenced by late Romanticism as well as by an eclectic mix of early 20th C. modernist styles, ranging from Impressionism to Expressionism.1
Born in Vienna, Jan 31, 1797
Died in Vienna, Nov 19, 1828
- Fun fact: Schubert is often grouped with Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven as a classical Viennese composer, but he was the only one of them native to Vienna.1
Pieces
- Ave Maria
- Die Forelle (The Trout), D. 550
- Erlkönig (Elf King), D. 328
- German Dance and Two Trios in C Major, D. 89
- Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the spinning wheel), D. 118
- Military March No. 1 in D flat Major, D 733
- Overture in C Major, “In the Italian Style”
- Piano Quintet in A Major, “Trout,” D. 667
- Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 99, D. 898
- Polka and Galop, D.735
- Polonaise for Violin and Orchestra in B flat, D 580
- Rosamunde: Ballet Music, D 797/ Op. 26
- Serenade (Ständchen, from Schwanengesang, D. 957)
- String Quartet No. 14 in d minor, “Death and the Maiden,” D. 810
- String Quintet in C Major, D. 956
- String Quintet in C Major, D. 956
- Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished,” D. 759
- Symphony No. 9 in C Major, “The Great,” D. 944
- Winterreise (Winter Journey), D. 911
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STRAUS, Oscar
Born in Vienna, March 6, 1870
Died in Bad Ischl, Jan 11, 19541
Pieces
Born in Vienna, Oct 25, 1825
Died in Vienna, June 3, 18991
Pieces
- Annen-Polka, Op. 117
- Die Fledermaus
- Indigo and the Forty Thieves
- Nordseebilder (North Sea Pictures), Op. 390
- Orpheus-Quadrille, Op. 236
- Perpetuum mobile (Perpetual Motion), Op. 257
- Schatz-Walzer, Op. 418
- The Beautiful Blue Danube
- Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op. 214
- Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood) Waltz, Op. 354
- Zigeunerbaron-Quadrille (Gypsy Baron Quadrille), Op. 422
Born in Vienna, Aug 20, 1827
Died in Vienna, July 22, 1870
- Josef Strauss (nicknamed “Pepi”) was a member of the Strauss musical dynasty – the son of Johann Strauss I and the brother of Johann II and Eduard.
- Johann II is noted to have said, “Josef is the more gifted, and I am simply more popular.”
- Josef began his career not as a musician (though he had a musical education as a child) but rather as an architect and engineer. He even published two books on mathematical subjects. However, when his older brother, Johann II, became seriously ill in 1853 due to exhaustion, Josef reluctantly took up his brother’s position as conductor of the Strauss Orchestra. His leadership was enthusiastically received by Viennese audiences.
- After Johann II returned to the stage, Josef began his music education in earnest and studied violin and composition.
- In the following years, Josef shared direction of the Strauss Orchestra with his brothers until he died in 1870, likely due to complications from congenital brain damage.
- As a composer, Josef wrote ~300 original works and over 500 arrangements of music by other composers.
Learn More
Biography from Interlude
Short biography from the Johann Strauss Society of Great Britain
Born in Spalato, Dalmatia [now Split, Croatia] April 18, 1819
Died in Vienna, May 21, 18951
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WEBERN, Anton
Born in Vienna, Dec 3, 1883
Died in Mittersill, Sept 15, 19451
Born in Windischgraz, Styria [now Slovenjgradec, Slovenia], March 13, 1860
Died in Vienna, Feb 22, 1903
- Wolf is best known as a Lied composer in the tradition of Schubert and Schumann, with a post-Wagnerian sense of harmony, and a strong sensitivity to poetry.
- Wolf studied at the Vienna Conservatory with Robert Fuchs. He was friends with fellow student Gustav Mahler. Frustrated with the conservatory’s musical conservatism, he was a difficult student and was expelled (though he later claimed he’d resigned).
- Wolf spent much of his career in Vienna scraping together a living as a music critic, accompanist, and music teacher. His personal and professional life were greatly affected by his early contraction of syphilis, which led to violent mood swings and eventually severe mental illness.1
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ZEMLINSKY, Alexander
Born in Vienna, Oct 14, 1871
Died in Larchmont, NY, March 15, 1942
- Alexander Zemlinsky was a composer, conductor, and educator whose contributions to classical music at the turn of the century have largely been overshadowed by his Austrian contemporaries.
- The composer’s earlier works reflect the influence of Brahms and Wagner. Coincidentally, one of Zemlinsky’s earliest advocates was Johannes Brahms, who was impressed by the young composer’s music.
- Unlike his contemporaries of the Second Viennese School, Zemlinsky rejected atonality. Rather, his music is known for its emotional intensity.
- Zemlinsky had a lifelong friendship with Arnold Schoenberg. The two met in 1895 when Schoenberg joined an amateur orchestra that Zemlinsky was conducting at the time called the Polyhymnia. Zemlinsky would go on to instruct Schoenberg in composition. And in 1901, Schoenberg married Zemlinsky’s sister, making the two brothers-in-law.
- Fun fact – Zelminsky was involved in a passionate love affair with Alma Schindler, one of his composition students, shortly before she married Gustav Mahler.1
Born in Vienna, May 2, 1843
Died in Vienna, Nov 14, 19221