Famous Notes

June 15, 2009

Composers with July Birthdays

07/04/1826-01/13/1864 FOSTER, Stephen Collins (American) - known as the father of American song - two famous works:  Beautiful Dreamer and Camptown Races.

  • Foster - piano music - piano sonatas, etudes and more
  • Foster - easy piano music - arrangements of piano music for beginners as well as studies and etudes
  • Foster - music for voice - vocal works - art songs, Leider, arias, opera

07/09/1879-04/18/1936 RESPIGHI, Ottorino (Italian) - probably best known for his orchestral works like: The Roman trilogy [three symphonic poems: Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome), Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome), and Feste Romane (Roman Festivals)] and  Ancient Airs and Dances (three suites.)

07/10/1895-03/29/1982 ORFF, Carl (German) - Carmina Burana (sometimes described as a scenic contata) and Orff Schulwerk (Music for Children.)


07/26/1791-07/29/1844 MOZART, Franz Xaver (Austrian) - son of W. A. Mozart…
07/27/1867-03/24/1916 GRANADOS, Enrique Spanish - a famous work by this composer:  12 Danzas españolas (for piano.)


07/27/1781-05/08/1829 GIULIANI, Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo (Italian) - two famous works by this guitarist/composer are: Sonata, op. 15 (guitar) c. 1812 and Duo Concertante, op. 25 (violin & guitar.)

May 15, 2009

Composers with June Birthdays

06/08/1810-07/29/1856 SCHUMANN, Robert Alexander (German) - two famous works are Carnaval (piano) and Dichterliebe (a song cycle.)


06/12/1897-11/15/1986 TANSMAN, Alexandre (Polish-French)


06/15/1843-09/04/1907 GRIEG, Edvard Hagerup (Norwegian) - sample famous works:  Peer Gynt Suite (orchestral suite) and Op. 17 25 Norwegian Folksongs and dances.


06/17/1882-04/06/1971 STRAVINSKY, Igor (Russian) - two famous works (both ballets) are:  The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps) and the Firebird Suite (L’Oiseau de feu). His music has been used for a number for cinematic productions including early cartoons and works by the Disney company.


06/21/1732-01/26/1795 BACH, Johann Christoph Friedrich (German)


06/28/1806-02/17/1883 COSTE, Napoléon (French)


06/28/1902-12/30/1979 RODGERS, Richard (American) - this composer teamed up with a number or lyricists and created broadway musicals like:  Oklahoma, Carousel, and South Pacific.

April 19, 2009

Composers with May Birthdays

05/12/1903-12/26/1989 Berkeley, Sir Lennox - two famous works: A Festival Anthem, op.21 no.2 (choral work) and A Dinner Engagement, op.45 (opera.)

  • Lennox+Berkeley - piano music - piano sonatas, etudes and more
  • Lennox+Berkeley - concertos with orchestra - concertos with solo and ensemble instruments (violin, piano, cello, etc.)
  • Lennox+Berkeley - music for voice - vocal works - art songs, Leider, arias, opera



05/15/1567-11/29/1643 Monteverdi, Claudio Giovanni Antonio (Italian) - two famous works:  L’orfeo (opera) and many books of madrigals (his music spans the time and styles of both the Renaissance and the early Baroque periods.)

  • Monteverdi - piano music - piano sonatas, etudes and more
  • Monteverdi - easy piano music - arrangements of piano music for beginners as well as studies and etudes
  • Monteverdi - music for voice - vocal works - art songs, Leider, arias, opera



05/17/1866-07/01/1925 Satie, Erik Alfred-Leslie, French composer.  Sample famous works:  Satie is probably best known for his piano works (Sarabandes) but he also composed quite a number of works for voice.

  • Erik+Satie - piano music - piano sonatas, etudes and more
  • Erik+Satie - easy piano music - arrangements of piano music for beginners as well as studies and etudes
  • Erik+Satie - concertos with orchestra - concertos with solo and ensemble instruments (violin, piano, cello, etc.)
  • Erik+Satie - music for voice - vocal works - art songs, Leider, arias, opera



05/22/1813-02/13/1883 Wagner, Wilhelm Richard, German composer.  Wagner is best known for his many, large scale (larger than life in many cases) operas like Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde) and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg.)



05/27/1759-12/25/1845 Bach, Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst, German composer.  Grandson of J.S. Bach and son of J. C. F. Bach - he was the last male in the J.S. Bach line.

  • Wilhelm+Bach - piano music - piano sonatas, etudes and more
  • Wilhelm+Bach - easy piano music - arrangements of piano music for beginners as well as studies and etudes
  • Wilhelm+Bach - concertos with orchestra - concertos with solo and ensemble instruments (violin, piano, cello, etc.)
  • Wilhelm+Bach - music for voice - vocal works - art songs, Leider, arias, opera



05/07/1833-04/03/1897 Brahms, Johannes, German composer.  Brahms is probably best know for his piano works and orchestral symphonies.

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