Irving Berlin
There are many great composers throughout the centuries. Each composer has a story to tell that is very interesting, when you dig deep for the information. Every composer has their own way of making, composing and producing music. Irving Berlin is no exception. Berlin is an extraordinary composer, and when examining his story amazing facts are found. Berlin is not just a musician and composer, he is a man of many hats. Berlin’s life is extremely compelling.
Israel Baline was born on May 11, 1888 in a small town in Tyumen, Russia. He lived approximately two hundred miles from Minsk. Moses Baline, Israel’s father, worked as a leader in their synagogue. When he was five years old, in 1893, to get away from the threats on the Jews, his family left Russia to the United States. When they reached the
…show more content…
In 1919, he wrote “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody”, another song that everyone loved. The Music Box Theater, built in 1921 for Beriln, is his very own place to show his productions. As if he did not have enough going on, Berlin was working for Ziegfeld Follies during this time also. Ellin Mackay, working for the New Yorker, caught the eye of Berlin. Berlin was smitten with Ellin, and vice versa. Clarence Mackey, Ellin’s father, disapproved of Ellin having anything to do with a gentleman from Tin Pan Alley. Ellin was sent to Europe for a long vacation, by her father, in hopes to keep the two apart. Unfortunately to Mr. Mackey’s dismay, Ellin returned to the United States, they picked up where they had left off. Berlin wrote “My Baby’s Come Back to Me” is joy of her return. In 1926, Berlin and Ellin eloped, and Mr. Mackey disowned his daughter. “Always” was also written for Ellin, and the song and its rights were given to her from Berlin as a gift. The two had a happy marriage that lasted through four children, and until her death in 1988. “Blue Skies” is written by Berlin in this time
Felsenfeld takes his readers on a journey from being an uninspired teenager, into the world of an adult “rebel” composer. Although Daniel was in piano lessons at a young age, he just couldn’t seem to spark an interest in the classical music that was being put in front of him. He continued the lessons through high school, and only had enough skill to make minimal money in piano bars and orchestra pits. Daniel regularly hung out with a friend, Mike, whose house he would go
Dvorak would grow up to become one of the best composers of his time. Dvorak wrote many famous musical works. He traveled the world teaching and preforming in various different places. What made Dvorak stand out as a composer however and what is probably his most well remembered trait is that he was able to incorporate different cultures into his music. This is what made Dvorak so great and allowed him to stand out from the crowd.
Wolfgang’s life was profoundly impacted by the history of his time, it allowed him to compose, play and direct music and eventually live freely, ultimately setting the stage for him to create some of the best music pieces to date.
With goals of becoming a pianist, he ended up settling as a composer and musical writer due to his paralysis. Although he felt he failed at many things, he “was one of the great composers of the nineteenth century” and “was the quintessential artist whose life and work embody the idea of romanticism in music. His brilliant collections of short piano pieces have attained the elusive union of music and poetry which romantic poets and musicians defined as the ultimate goal of art”
Known as the most influential musician of all time, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. Beethoven’s talent was noticed at a young age and he soon became a pioneer in the world of music for breaking the traditional bounds of style and form. Over the course of his life, Beethoven produced nine symphonies, seven concertos, and a total of forty-two sonatas. Although these numbers are few when compared to other composers such as Joseph Haydn, his work was very substantial. Ludwig van Beethoven’s compositions were greatly influenced by the changes in the world around him. His ability to stray away from the practices that restrained other composers inspired musicians around him and changed the practices of music forever.
Arnold Schoenberg was one of the greatest musical influences of the mid 20th Century. He was born on September 13, 1874, to a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria (Schoenberg 1). Schoenberg was a young Jewish man during World War I (WWI) living in Berlin. He was directly affected by the invasion of the Nazis. In 1933, he had to leave Berlin and desert his faith for Lutheranism later on taking on the faith of Judaism. At the early age of eight, he began violin lessons and almost immediately started composing music (Schoenberg 1). He was self-taught until the age of 10 when he began formal training (Schoenberg 1). He earned a living by orchestrating operettas, directing a cabaret orchestra, and teaching.
“A symphony is like the world. It must contain everything.” (Gustav Mahler). This quote accurately describes Mahler’s outlook and perspective on not just his music, but the way he views life. Mahler’s artistic interpretation served as a stepping stone future musicians would be influenced by for generations to come. Because of this, Mahler has cemented himself in history by pushing the limits of the universal language that is music.
As a composer, Mahler acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. Mahler is well known for his lengthy, deep, and painfully emotional works. He adored nature and all life within it, but due to his early exposure to the darkness life brings, a suicide and a brutal rape he witnessed, Mahler feared death. This duality is evident in just about all his
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist- he was born in Hamburg , however, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria. Brahms is frequently considered both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is embedded in the arrangements and compositional practices of the Baroque and Classical leaders. Brahms intended to honor the “purity” of the “German” structures and develop them into a Romantic idiom, in the process of creating fresh daring methodologies to harmony and melody (Swa. Johna. 5-10). The thorough, highly constructed nature of Brahms work was an introduction and a muse for a generation of composers.
My composer’s name is Edvard Grieg. He was born on June 15, 1843 and he died on September 4, 1907 at the age of 64. He was born in Bergen, Norway and died in Bergen, Norway. He was homeschooled at Tanks School when he was young. He then went to the school of Leipzig Conservatory when he got older. He later went to college at Oxford University. His mom started to give him piano lessons when he was 6. He played the piano and the organ his whole life.
In the words of the German musician, Ludwig Van Beethoven (December, 1770 - March, 1827), “Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.” The beautiful music composed by Beethoven allowed listeners of his day to experience their spiritual side in conjunction with their physical state of being. Beethoven’s ability to compose music that moved the spirits of his listeners likely came at the expense of the child abuse his father imposed on him. Beethoven produced numerous quartets, symphonies, concertos and many other popular styles of music. Beethoven’s splendid ability, acquired by the age of six, to produce hundreds of wonderful, undying musical compositions, even after becoming deaf has separated him from the composers of his time and today’s composers.
Arnold Schoenberg was one of the greatest musical influences of the mid 20th Century. He was born on September 13, 1874, to a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria (Schoenberg 1). Schoenberg was a young Jewish man during World War I (WWI) living in Berlin. He was directly affected by the invasion of the Nazis. In 1933, he had to leave Berlin and desert his faith for Lutheranism later on taking on the faith of Judaism. At the early age of eight, he began violin lessons and almost immediately started composing music (Schoenberg 1). He was self-taught until the age of 10 when he began formal training (Schoenberg 1). He earned a living by orchestrating operettas, directing a cabaret orchestra, and teaching. Schoenberg influenced the music and
Creativity can sometimes be the result of torment. Ludwig van Beethoven was a famous classical composer with a hard life. Throughout his entire life, he suffered from various diseases, hearing difficulties, mental disorders and social problems, (Russell and Nibley 25 ). Yet despite all of these terrible ailments, he was able to compose music that is considered some of the best ever composed, and that is still appreciated today.
Mothers nag us with chores and tell us to straighten up when we mess up, but mothers always know best and do everything out of love for their children. The short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid demonstrates this in a list of instructions a mother gives to her daughter to help her live a successful life. Directions that are listed involve food, clothes, social skills, health, and protection of public image. Together these tasks assist in characterizing the mother and daughter. In “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid employs characterization through the characters’ actions, conflict, and dialogue to reveal the mother’s tough love and the daughter’s immaturity.
Hector Berlioz, my favorite composer, (born December 11, 1803ㅡdied March 8, 1869) is deemed one of the greatest who, “...[contributed] to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Information.” His mental state and life shaped a composer who had such a raw, creative sound that is reflected prominently in his works, such as Symphonie fantastique and La Damnation de Faust.