Johann
Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
A composer of the Baroque period, Bach was widely known during
his lifetime as an organist. Since his father was the town musician
of Eisenach, and his brother, who was a pupil of Pachebel's, was
a church organist, Bach began playing, copying, and studying music
at an early age. His genius as a composer -- including the relative
complexity of his works and the layers of numerological significance
they contained -- was not fully recognized until the century after
his death. He remains one of the most important and influential
composers of all time.
 Bach
biography
Another
lengthier Bach
biography
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Bach CDs at amazon:
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The
Complete Brandenburg Concertos 
Boston Baroque Ensemble / Martin Pearlman
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Bach:
The Well-Tempered Clavier 1 & 2
Rosalyn Tureck 
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Bach:
Goldberg Variations
Brian Epperson / Triskelion
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Johann
Sebastian Bach: Toccatas and Fugues
Christopher Herrick
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Ludwig van
Beethoven (1770-1827)
Beethoven was the predominant musician of the transitional period
between Classicism and Romanticism. A master of improvisation,
he led a troubled life, first under the hand of a brutal father,
later plagued by illness, and torn by the realization he would
never marry. Though he began to go deaf at the age of 28, he continued
to compose monumental works, even in total deafness.
Beethoven
biography
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Beethoven CDs at amazon:
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Beethoven:
9 Symphonien (5 CDs)
Beethoven:
The 5 Piano Concertos (3 CDs)
Murray Perehia
Beethoven:
Piano Sonatas
Wilhelm Kempff
The
Late String Quartets
John Dalley, David Soyer, et al.
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Alban Berg (1885-1935)
A pupil of Arnold Schönberg, the Austrian Alban Berg's compositions
combine Mahler's late Romantic influence with the atonality and
twelve tone technique of his mentor. He produced operatic versions
of the dramas Wozzeck and Lulu, though he is probably
best known for his Violin Concerto.
Berg
biography
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Berg CDs at amazon:
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Berg:
Violin Concerto, Lyric & Lulu Suites, Piano Sonata Op.1, etc.
Eri Klas / Rebecca Hirsch / Netherlands Radio Orchestra
Alban
Berg: Wozzeck (Opera in 3 Acts)
Wiener Staatopernchor / Wiener Philharmoniker
Bach/Bartók/Berg:
Concertos & Sonata for Violin
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Johannes
Brahms (1833-1897)
Brahms is considered by many to be
the successor of Beethoven. His Romantic style of music made him
a financially successful composer, though he maintained only a
modest lifestyle. A known perfectionist, Brahms destroyed entire
works that did not meet his standard of quality.
Brahms
biography
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Brahms CDs at amazon:
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Brahms:
Two Rhapsodies/Three Intermezzos/Six Piano Pieces/Four Piano Pieces
Radu Lupu
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Johannes
Brahms: The Symphonies
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Brahms:
Sonatas for Cello and Piano
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Anton
Bruckner (1824-1896)
This deeply religious Austrian composer and organist of the Romantic
era is most well known for his symphonies, but he also composed
masses and other sacred choral works. Cricial reception of his
works was mixed during his lifetime. In the 20th century, his
compositions gained increased recognition and popularity.
Bruckner
biography
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Bruckner CDs at amazon:
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Bruckner:
The Complete Symphonies
Dresden Staatskapelle
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Bruckner:
Piano Works
Michael Schopper / Wolfgang Brunner
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Bruckner:
Masses and Songs
Russian State Symphony Orchestra
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Georg Frideric
Handel (1685-1759)
The German Baroque composer Handel (spelled Händel in German)
spent much of his life in England. Among his vast range of works,
which includes over 40 operas and 20 oratorios, and many cantatas
and orchestral, instrumental and vocal compositions, his most
well-known is Messiah, an oratorio set to texts from the
King James Bible. Handel's influence is apparent in the works
of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Handel
biography
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Handel CDs at amazon:
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Handel
- Water Music ˇ The Music for the Royal Fireworks ˇ The Alchymist
Handel:
Opera Arias
David Daniels
The
Handel Collection
London Sinfonia / The City Symphony of London
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Joseph
Haydn (1732-1809)
Often dubbed the father of the classical symphony and string quartet,
Haydn was a leading composer of the Classical period. Though he
spent most of his career as a court musician, isolated from other
musicians, he gained an international reputation for his original
compositions. Among his vast works are 104 symphonies, 50 concertos,
84 string quartets, and diverse other pieces.
Haydn
biography
More
Haydn CDs at amazon:
21386
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Haydn:
The "Sturm und Drang" Symphonies (6 CDs)
English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
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Haydn:
The Piano Sonatas (11 CDs)
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Haydn:
Complete String Quartets (15 CDs)
Haydn:
Violin Concertos/Cello Concertos
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Hildegard
von Bingen (1098-1179)
Hildegard was born of noble parents and educated in a cloister
of which became abbess. In addition to her visionary and theological
writings and her works of natural history and medicine, Hildegard
also wrote hymns in the plainchant tradition of a single melodic
line. Because she was not trained in musical composition, as educated
men of her age would have been, her works have an individual,
improvisoratory quality.
Von
Bingen biography
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von Bingen CDs at amazon:
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The
Complete Hildegard von Bingen, Volume One: Symphony of the Harmony
of Celestial Revelations
Sinfonye, Steve Wishart
The
Complete Hildegard von Bingen, Volume Two: Aurora
The
Complete Hildegard von Bingen, Volume Three: O Nobilissima Viriditas
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Gustav
Mahler (1860-1911)
The Austrian was well known as a conductor
during his lifetime, but is now known for his legacy as a composer
on the threshold between the 19th century and the Modern period.
In an atmosphere of growing anti-Semitism, Mahler converted from
Judaism to Catholicism to further his career. His works weave
together various strands of Romanticism, while developing musical
techniques that point toward 20th-century musical composition.
Mahler
biography
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Mahler CDs at amazon:
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Mahler:
The Complete Symphonies (12 CDs)
Israel Philharmonic / New York Philharmonic
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Mahler:
Das Lied von der Erde
Kathleen Ferrier, Julius Patzak
Mahler
Lieder: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
London Symphony Orchestra
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Felix
Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
The grandson of famed philosopher Moses, Felix Mendelssohn made
his first public concert appearance at the age of 9. As an important
figure of the early Romantic period, Mendelssohn largely incorporated
Classical styles and techniques into his musical pieces, while
infusing Romantic elements, such as the break with the rigidity
of traditional forms.
Mendelssohn
biography
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Mendelssohn CDs at amazon:
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Mendelssohn:
A Midsummer Night's Dream (complete)
Boston Symphony Orchestra
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Mendelssohn:
Sonata For Piano/Prelude & Fugue/Variations Sérieuses/Rondo Capriccioso
Murray Perahia
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Mendelssohn:
Greatest Hits
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Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
The central figure of the Viennese Classical School, Mozart is
often considered the greatest musical genius of all time. Under
the intense training of his father, he began composing at the
age of 5 and made his first professional tour through Europe at
the age of 6. He excelled in all areas of music, and his musical
production during his short lifespan was enormous. His diverse
oeuvre of operas, symphonies, concertos, chamber music, sonatas,
and pieces of other musical genres numbers about 600 works.
Mozart
biography
More
Mozart CDs at amazon:
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Essential
Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces
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Mozart
for Morning Coffee: Freshly Brewed to Perk Up Your Day
(2 CDs)
Beaux Arts Trio, Walter Klien, et al.
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Mozart:
Complete Symphonies (12 CDs)
Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
Mozart:
The Great Serenades (2 CDs)
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Johann
Pachelbel (1653-1706)
The Baroque composer Pachelbel was one tne of the greatest organists
predating J.S. Bach, and in fact his connections with the Bach
family are many and his influence on Johann Sebastian Bach was
enormous. Though best known for his Canon in D, Pachelbel
also wrote many hymns, numerous cantatas for the Lutheran church,
and chamber sonatas for various instruments, including the violin.
Pachelbel
biography
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Pachelbel CDs at amazon:
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Pachelbel
Greatest Hits
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
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Pachelbel's
Greatest Hit: Canon in D
Pachelbel's
Canon and Other Baroque Favorites
Pachelbel:
Organ Works Vol.1
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Arnold
Schönberg (1874-1951)
As the founder of the Second Viennese School of musical composition,
Schönberg was one of the most innovative and influential
composers of the 20th century. He was one of the first composers
to embrace atonality in his works and he was known for his "twelve
tone" or "serial" technique of composition which
shunned traditional concepts of musical tonality. When the Jewish
composer was forced into exile by the Nazis in 1933, he migrated
to the United States, where he taught at UCLA and continued to
compose until his death in 1951.
Schönberg
biography
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Schönberg CDs at amazon:
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Schoenberg:
Piano Concerto
Pierre Boulez, Mitsuko Uchida
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Schoenberg,
Berg, Webern: Orchestral Works / Karajan
Berliner Philharmoniker
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Schoenberg:
The String Quartets
Evelyn Lear
Schoenberg:
Piano Works
Glenn Gould / CBC Symphony Orchestra
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Franz
Schubert (1797-1828)
One of the founders of the Romantic musical style, Schubert is
considered one of the most gifted composers of the 19th century.
He effortlessly turned poems into songs (Lieder), producing
more than 600 in his short lifetime. He also wrote 7 symphonies
and other orchestral works, 20 sonatas, a variety of chamber music,
7 masses, and other choral works. Nonetheless, he was unable to
secure suitable employment and he lived in relative poverty. Upon
his death, he left behind many fragments and unfinished works.
Schubert
biography
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Schubert CDs at amazon:
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Schubert:
8 Symphonies
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
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Schubert:
The Complete Impromptus
Franz
Schubert: Complete Trios
Schubert:
Winterreise
Leif Ove Andsnes, Ian Bostridge
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Clara
Wieck Schumann (1819-1896)
A talented concert pianist, Clara Wieck gave her first performance
at age 11. Even after her marriage to Robert Schumann, as she
bore and raised seven children and perfomed the other duties required
of her as a wife, she continued to perform and compose. Her compositions
include orchestral works, chamber music, Lieder, and many
pieces for solo piano. Though she stopped composing at the age
of 36, presumably due to prejudices against women in such roles,
she performed and toured frequently.
Clara
Schumann biography
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Clara Schumann CDs at amazon:
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Clara
Schumann: Complete Piano Works (3 CDs)
Jozef de Beenhouwer
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In
Clara Wieck Schumann's Circle
Completely
Clara: Lieder by Clara Wieck Schumann
Joanne Polk, Korliss Uecker
Romances:
Music of Robert & Clara Schumann
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Robert
Schumann (1810-1856)
A talented composer and critic of the Romantic period, Schumann
studied law before turning to music. Injury to a finger forced
him to give up plans to become a pianist, and he instead turned
to writing and composition. In addition to works for the piano,
he produced orchestral compositions, chamber music, and Lieder.
Plagued by mental illness and the symptoms of the tertiary stages
of syphilis, Schumann attempted suicide in 1856 and died shortly
thereafter. His wife Clara posthumously promoted his works.
Robert
Schumann biography
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Robert Schumann CDs at amazon:
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Schumann:
Complete Symphonies (3 CDs)
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique
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Songs
by Robert & Clara Schumann
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Barbara Bonney
Robert
Schumann: Piano Concerto/Violin Concerto
Schumann:
Dichterliebe Op39; Liederkreis
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Johann
Strauss II (1825-1899)
Johann Strauss II, the most famous member of the Austrian Strauss
family of composers, is known as the "Waltz King". Though
his father wanted him to be a banker, not a musician, the younger
Strauss secretly studied violin. With his more than 400 waltzes,
Strauss elevated the waltz from a folk dance into a respectable
form of courtly entertainment. His most famous waltzes are The
Blue Danube, Tales from the Vienna Woods. He also wrote
polkas, marches, and 17 operettas, most notably Die Fledermaus.
He popularized his music on his tours through Europe and America.
Johann
Strauss II biography
More
Johann Strauss II CDs at amazon:
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Strauss
in Vienna: Famous Waltzes, Marches and Polkas
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Johann,
Josef & Eduard Strauss: Valses & Polkas, Vols. 1 & 2
Die
Fledermaus
Wiener Staatsopernorchester
The
Most Famous Vienna Waltzes
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Richard
Strauss (1864-1949)
Under the tutelage of his father who was a professional horn player,
Strauss began composing at the age of 6. The realism he sought
to incorporate into his music, sometimes at the expense of tonality,
was novel in its day, but has been much used by composers since.
Best known for his symphonic poems and operas, Strauss was also
a noted conductor. He has sometimes been criticized for his silence
during Nazi rule, though he lamented the ban on his Jewish librettist
and also sought to protect his Jewish daughter-in-law.
Strauss
biography
More
Strauss CDs at amazon:
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Strauss:
Orchestral Works (9 CDs)
Dresden Staatskapelle, Wolfgang Liebscher, Manfred Weise
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Strauss:
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan / Karajan
Fritz Reiner, John Reicher
Strauss:
Tone Poems
Berliner Philharmoniker, Dresden Staatskapelle
Richard
Strauss
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Richard
Wagner (1813-1883)
After years of political and financial instability, Wagner found
the support of the fanatical Bavarian King Ludwig II, who had
long admired his work. Wagner is best known for his operas and
is the only theatrical composer to create plot, text, characters,
and symbolism in addition to the music. His style laid the foundation
for 20th-century atonality in classical music. Perhaps his best-known
piece in the English-speaking world is the "Bridal Chorus"
from Lohengrin, which is commonly played as a processional
at weddings.
Wagner
biography
More
Wagner CDs at amazon:
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Wagner:
Overture & Preludes (2 CDs)
Bayreuther Festspiele Orchester, Berlin Opera Orchestra
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Highlights
from Der Ring des Nibelungen
Berliner Philharmoniker
Wagner:
Greatest Hits
Boston Pops Orchestra
Great
Moments from Wagner Operas (2 CDs)
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Anton
Webern (1883-1945)
Born in Austria, Webern was one of Schönberg's first pupils.
His early compositions accordingly freely incorporate atonality,
while his later works rely more heavily on his teacher's twelve
tone technique. He published only 31 compositions in his lifetime,
but he had an enormous influence on later composers, especially
the post-war avant garde.
Webern
biography
More
Webern CDs at amazon:
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Anton
Webern: Complete Works, Opp. 1-31 (3 CDs)
Isaac Stern, Halina Lukomska
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Webern:
Complete Works for String Quartet and String Trio
Schoenberg,
Webern, Berg
Desmond Hoebig, David Peck, et al.
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Kurt
Weill (1900-1950)
First a composer of instrumental works, In collaboration with
author Bertholt Brecht, Weill fashioned a new kind of opera that
embodied a satirical social criticism. He became well-know with
their The Threepenny Opera, from which arose his most recognized
song, "Mack the Knife." A prominent Jewish composer,
Weill fled Nazi Germany in 1933, eventually relocating to New
York.
Weill
biography
More
Weill CDs at amazon:
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Weill:
From Berlin to Broadway (2 CDs)
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Brecht
& Weill Songs
Gisela May
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Weill:
Die Dreigroschenoper (Contemporary and Original Cast Recording)
Jean Lenoir Orchestra, Marek Weber and His Orchestra
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