Italian composers of the 20th century, first letter p. The most famous composers in the world. Great Hungarian composers

Classical composers are known all over the world. Each name of a musical genius is a unique individuality in the history of culture.

What is classical music

Classical music is enchanting melodies created by talented authors who are rightly called classical composers. Their works are unique and will always be in demand by performers and listeners. Classical, on the one hand, is usually called strict, deeply meaningful music that is not related to the following genres: rock, jazz, folk, pop, chanson, etc. On the other hand, in historical development music there is a period of the late XIII - early XX centuries, called classicism.

Classical themes are distinguished by sublime intonation, sophistication, variety of shades and harmony. They have a positive effect on the emotional worldview of adults and children.

Stages of development of classical music. Their brief description and main representatives

In the history of the development of classical music, the following stages can be distinguished:

  • Renaissance or Renaissance - early 14th - last quarter of the 16th century. In Spain and England, the Renaissance period lasted until the beginning of the 17th century.
  • Baroque - replaced the Renaissance and lasted until the beginning of the 18th century. The center of the style was Spain.
  • Classicism - a period of development European culture from the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century.
  • Romanticism is a direction opposite to classicism. Lasted until the mid-19th century.
  • Classics of the 20th century - modern era.

Brief description and main representatives of cultural periods

1. Renaissance - a long period of development of all areas of culture. - Thomas Tallis, Giovanni da Palestina, T. L. de Victoria composed and left immortal creations for posterity.

2. Baroque - in this era new musical forms appear: polyphony, opera. It was during this period that Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi created their famous works. Bach's fugues are built in accordance with the requirements of classicism: obligatory adherence to the canons.

3. Classicism. Viennese classic composers who created their immortal creations in the era of classicism: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. The sonata form appears and the composition of the orchestra increases. and Haydn differ from the ponderous works of Bach in the simple construction and elegance of the melodies. It was still a classic, a striving for perfection. Beethoven's works are the edge of contact between the romantic and classic styles. In the music of L. van Beethoven there is more sensuality and ardor than rational canon. Such important genres as symphony, sonata, suite, and opera emerged. Beethoven gave rise to the Romantic period.

4. Romanticism. Musical works are characterized by color and drama. Various song genres are being formed, for example, ballads. Piano works by Liszt and Chopin received recognition. The traditions of romanticism were inherited by Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Schubert.

5. Classics of the 20th century - characterized by the authors’ desire for innovation in melodies; the terms aleatorics, atonalism arose. Works by Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Glass are classified in the classical format.

Russian classical composers

Tchaikovsky P.I. - Russian composer, music critic, public figure, teacher, conductor. His compositions are the most performed. They are sincere, easily perceived, reflect the poetic originality of the Russian soul, picturesque pictures of Russian nature. The composer created 6 ballets, 10 operas, more than a hundred romances, 6 symphonies. World famous ballet " Swan Lake", opera "Eugene Onegin", "Children's Album".

Rachmaninov S.V. - the works of the outstanding composer are emotional and cheerful, and some are dramatic in content. Their genres are varied: from small plays to concerts and operas. The author's generally recognized works: operas " Stingy Knight", "Aleko" based on Pushkin's poem "The Gypsies", "Francesca da Rimini" based on a plot borrowed from Dante's "Divine Comedy", the poem "The Bells"; suite " Symphonic dances"; piano concerts; vocalise for voice with piano accompaniment.

Borodin A.P. was a composer, teacher, chemist, and doctor. The most significant creation is the opera “Prince Igor” by historical work“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which the author wrote for almost 18 years. During his lifetime, Borodin did not have time to finish it; after his death, the opera was completed by A. Glazunov and N. Rimsky-Korsakov. The great composer is the founder of classical quartets and symphonies in Russia. The “Bogatyr” Symphony is considered the crown of world and Russian national-heroic symphony. The instrumental chamber quartets, the First and Second Quartets, were recognized as outstanding. One of the first to introduce heroic figures from ancient Russian literature into romances.

Great musicians

Mussorgsky M.P., about whom one can say, is a great realist composer, a brave innovator who touches on acute social problems, an excellent pianist and an excellent vocalist. The most significant musical works are the operas "Boris Godunov" by dramatic work A.S. Pushkin and “Khovanshchina” - folk music drama, main acting character these operas are a rebellious people from different social strata; creative cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition”, inspired by the works of Hartmann.

Glinka M.I. - famous Russian composer, founder of the classical movement in Russian musical culture. He completed the procedure for creating a school of Russian composers, based on the value of folk and professional music. The master’s works are imbued with love for the Fatherland and reflect the ideological orientation of the people of that historical era. The world-famous folk drama “Ivan Susanin” and the opera-fairy tale “Ruslan and Lyudmila” have become new trends in Russian opera. The symphonic works “Kamarinskaya” and “Spanish Overture” by Glinka are the foundations of Russian symphonism.

Rimsky-Korsakov N.A. is a talented Russian composer, naval officer, teacher, publicist. Two trends can be traced in his work: historical (“The Tsar’s Bride”, “The Pskov Woman”) and fairy-tale (“Sadko”, “Snow Maiden”, suite “Scheherazade”). Distinctive feature the composer's works: originality based on classical values, homophony in the harmonic structure of early works. His compositions have the author's style: original orchestral solutions with unusually constructed vocal scores, which are the main ones.

Russian classical composers tried to reflect in their works the cognitive thinking and folklore characteristic of the nation.

European culture

Famous classical composers Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven lived in the capital of musical culture of that time - Vienna. The geniuses are united by masterful performance, excellent compositional solutions, and the use of different musical styles: from folk tunes to polyphonic developments of musical themes. Great classics are characterized by comprehensive creative mental activity, competence, and clarity in the construction of musical forms. In their works, intellect and emotions, tragic and comic components, ease and prudence are organically linked together.

Beethoven and Haydn gravitated towards instrumental compositions, Mozart masterfully succeeded in both operatic and orchestral compositions. Beethoven was an unsurpassed creator of heroic works, Haydn appreciated and successfully used humor and folk genre types in his work, Mozart was a universal composer.

Mozart is the creator of the sonata instrumental form. Beethoven improved it and brought it to unsurpassed heights. The period became a period of quartet heyday. Haydn, followed by Beethoven and Mozart, made a significant contribution to the development of this genre.

Italian masters

Giuseppe Verdi - an outstanding musician of the 19th century, developed traditional Italian opera. He had impeccable skill. The culmination of his composing activities were the operatic works “Il Trovatore”, “La Traviata”, “Othello”, “Aida”.

Niccolo Paganini - born in Nice, one of the most musically gifted personalities of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was a master of the violin. He composed caprices, sonatas, quartets for violin, guitar, viola and cello. He wrote concertos for violin and orchestra.

Gioachino Rossini - worked in the 19th century. Author of spiritual and chamber music, composed 39 operas. Outstanding works- “The Barber of Seville”, “Othello”, “Cinderella”, “The Thieving Magpie”, “Semiramis”.

Antonio Vivaldi is one of the greatest representatives of violin art of the 18th century. Gained fame thanks to his most famous work- 4 violin concerts "The Seasons". Lived an amazingly fruitful life creative life, composed 90 operas.

Famous Italian classical composers left an eternal musical legacy. Their cantatas, sonatas, serenades, symphonies, operas will bring pleasure to more than one generation.

Peculiarities of a child’s perception of music

Listening to good music has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional development of a child, according to child psychologists. Good music introduces you to art and shapes aesthetic taste, teachers say.

Many famous creations were created by classical composers for children, taking into account their psychology, perception and specifics of age, i.e. for listening, while others composed various plays for little performers that were easily perceived by ear and technically accessible to them.

“Children's Album” by P.I. Tchaikovsky. for little pianists. This album is a dedication to my nephew who loved music and was a very gifted child. The collection contains more than 20 plays, some of them based on folklore material: Neapolitan motifs, Russian dance music, Tyrolean and French melodies. Collection “Children's Songs” by P.I. Tchaikovsky. designed for auditory perception by children. Songs of an optimistic mood about spring, birds, a blooming garden (“My Garden”), about compassion for Christ and God (“Christ had a garden as a child”).

Children's classics

Many classical composers worked for children, the list of whose works is very diverse.

Prokofiev S.S. "Peter and the Wolf" - symphonic tale for children. Thanks to this fairy tale, children get acquainted with the musical instruments of a symphony orchestra. The text of the fairy tale was written by Prokofiev himself.

Schumann R. “Children's Scenes” are short musical stories with a simple plot, written for adult performers, memories of childhood.

Debussy's piano cycle "Children's Corner".

Ravel M. “Mother Goose” based on the fairy tales of C. Perrault.

Bartok B. “First steps at the piano.”

Cycles for children Gavrilova S. “For the little ones”; "Heroes of Fairy Tales"; "Guys about animals."

Shostakovich D. “Album of piano pieces for children.”

Bakh I.S. "The music book of Anna Magdalena Bach." While teaching his children music, he created special pieces and exercises for them to develop technical skills.

Haydn J. is the progenitor of the classical symphony. He created a special symphony called “Children’s”. The instruments used: a clay nightingale, a rattle, a cuckoo - give it an unusual sound, childish and playful.

Saint-Saëns K. came up with a fantasy for orchestra and 2 pianos called “Carnival of Animals”, in which musical means masterfully conveyed the cackling of chickens, the roar of a lion, the complacency of an elephant and its manner of movement, a touchingly graceful swan.

When composing compositions for children and youth, the great classical composers took care of interesting storylines work, the availability of the proposed material, taking into account the age of the performer or listener.

A story about Italian music is inconceivable without history opera art. It is precisely because of this circumstance that we will talk about the opera in one of the following materials of the “Viva Italia!” project. Now let’s flip through a few pages general history Italian music.

After the conquest Ancient Greece Roman conquerors in the 2nd century BC. e. almost all Greek musical instruments were “kept alive” and they continued to sound, although already in new culture. And although the ancient Roman musicians used instruments from all corners of the vast empire at that time, the most common for a long time the lyre and cithara remained.

The first one is familiar to many. This is a special type of harp, although much smaller in size. Various in shape, the lyre was made of wood and had ten strings. Kifara is also a kind of lyre, only deeper and wider, due to which it is also more euphonious. In the hands of professionals one could often find an aulos, a double flute with holes.

In those distant times, music was unthinkable outside of city festivals and theater. Musicians and choirs toured the entire city where the festival was taking place so that everyone could enjoy their talents. Associated with the same times activities of the first… showmen. Although at that time they were called “virtuosos.” They showed the public eccentric, sensational performances, full of humor and a grotesque pompous atmosphere. Terpnos (the great cithara player and teacher of Nero), Mesomedes of Crete, and Polon bathed in the rays of glory.

As more and more lands and states joined the Roman Empire, music absorbed, transformed innovations and offered new forms of existence. Thanks to such an original mixture of cultures, such ancient genres as citarodia (cithara playing and vocal part) and citaristica (solo cithara playing).

Since the advent and spread of Christianity, Italian music has developed in two directions: secular and church. The canonical Gregorian chant (canto gregoriano, named after Pope Gregory I the Great) was finally formed in the 7th century.

Changed over time and musical geography. In the 11th century, Tuscany received the status of a musical center. It was here, in Florence, that Guido d'Arezzo (c. 992-c. 1050). Laudas are very popular - single-voice and polyphonic songs of praise. The Renaissance sang, first of all, secular musical culture. At this time, the first music academies and conservatories appeared . Interesting fact: initially this was the name given to city shelters for orphans, where, along with other sciences, children were taught musical literacy. The first such “conservatory” appeared in Naples in 1537.

In the 16th century, the madrigal became the most popular genre. It was originally a one-part song Italian. Over time, the form became more complex and turned into a polyphonic vocal poem. The theme remained unchanged - love and lyrical. A recognized master was Carlo Gesualdo di Venosa, prince of the small town of Venosa near Naples.

The most influential musical schools of this era are Roman and Venetian.

In Rome, the composer Palestrina headed the congregation of musicians of Santa Cecilia, which later transformed into the Academy. For more than four centuries, it was here that the center of professional musical life Italy. Over the years, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Poganini, Verdi, Puccini and many others became members of the Academy. Today the National Academy of Santa Cecilia also includes a conservatory and symphony orchestra, and also owns a real treasury - one of the largest musical repositories in the world, a museum musical instruments etc. So if you are familiar with the history of music, write down the address in Rome: Piazza S. Croce in Gerusalemme, 9.

What about Venice? Musical geniuses this region was given to the world unique style vocal-instrumental polyphony, which developed both in church tradition, and in secular. And the name of the composer Giovanni Gabrieli is associated with the origin of orchestral and chamber ensemble music itself. The wind instruments give way to the violin parts.

By the way, the history of Italian music is inconceivable without the activity of violin makers. The peculiarities of their craft are shrouded in mystery and were passed on from father to son, from teacher to student. And many have not yet been solved at all. Andrea Amati created a classical type violin; Paganini, Kreisler, Uto Ugi played on the instruments of Guarneri masters But perhaps the most famous master bowed instruments was Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737). It is his instruments that are played today by the most famous musicians in the world.

In 1580, poets, musicians, humanist scientists and simply music lovers united in Florence. The new community was called the Florentine Camerata. The emergence of a new genre - opera - is associated with it. But, as mentioned above, we will talk about it in one of the next articles of the project.

In church music, works appeared that were written on religious subjects, but were not necessarily intended for performance in church.

Many figures of the 16th-17th centuries contributed to the development of Italian music something that remains relevant today. So, for example, Giacomo Carissimi created a classical type of secular and spiritual cantata. And organist Frescobaldi played one of the key roles in the formation of this form piece of music like a fugue. And finally, Bartolomeo Cristofori in early XVIII century, invented the hammer clavier, today known as the piano.

The music continued to blossom. The instrumental concert appears as an independent genre. The harpsichord, organ, violin and a little later the piano became solo instruments. All the music written showed the talent of not only the composer, but also the performer, from whom exceptional virtuosity was required.

Arcangelo Corelli is the founder of the Roman violin school, Alessandro Scarlatti is the founder of the Neapolitan opera school, Antonio Vivaldi is the creator of the genre of solo instrumental concert. Truly, the 17th-18th centuries are a magnificent period in history. instrumental music Italy. We came here to get professional music education from all over the world. And Italian composers, performers and theorists found a second home in Great Britain, France, Russia and other countries.

In the 19th century, Italian music was not only the emergence of new forms and works, but also the interpretation of the existing heritage. Ferruccio Busoni, an outstanding pianist, composer, teacher and musicologist, left to his descendants a legacy not only own compositions, but also the most subtle interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, Liszt. Italy has given the world a whole galaxy of outstanding conductors: Arturo Toscanini, Gina Marinuzzi, Vili Ferrero.

High Italian music of the 20th century includes numerous competitions, outstanding musical groups and personalities, new trends and directions. One of the leading Italian composers of the last century is Goffredo Petrassi, the author of operas, ballets, symphonic and chamber instrumental music, romances, and film scores. By the way, it has become as integral a part of Italian musical culture as, for example, opera. Nino Rota, Ennio Morricone, Giorgio Moroder - they created music that became " business card» films by Fellini, Visconti, Coppola…

The Italian stage in the middle of the 20th century won the hearts of millions, distinguished by its special melody and soft national flavor. Modugno, Celentano, Cutugno, Mina, Robertino Loretto - these many other performers are well known both to the older generation and to younger lovers of Italian culture.

Highest musical culture Italy is in demand in the 21st century - it has outstanding conductors, a high reputation for higher educational musical institutions, prestigious music festivals and competitions.

Centuries have passed. And Italian culture is still full of music, just like the once numerous festivals on the streets of ancient cities. The music is light and spiritual, professional and amateur, innovative and conservative - in Italy it continues to be heard everywhere.

Presentation "Great Italian Composers"
Slide 1:


    • Music has always played an important role in Italian culture. Instruments associated with classical music, including the piano and violin, were invented in Italy.

    • The 16th and 17th centuries of Italian music can trace the roots of many of the predominant classical forms of music, such as the symphony, concerto and sonatas.

Slide 2: Presentation objectives:


  1. Introduce the work of Italian composers of the 7th-20th centuries.

  • Antonio Salieri;

  • Niccolo Paganini;

  • Gioachino Rossini;

  • Giuseppe Verdi;

  • Antonio Vivaldi.

  1. Develop an imaginative perception of music.

  2. Develop musical taste.

Italian composers of the 7th-20th centuries. Brief biographical information:


  • Antonio Salieri;

  • Niccolo Paganini;

  • Gioachino Rossini;

  • Giuseppe Verdi;

  • Antonio Vivaldi.

  1. Instrumental concert by A. Vivaldi “The Seasons”:

  • Winter;

  • Spring;

  • Summer;

  • Autumn.
Slide 4:

    • The Baroque era is represented in Italy by composers Scarlatti, Corelli and Vivaldi, the era of classicism by composers Paganini and Rossini, and the era of romanticism by composers Verdi and Puccini.

    • Classic musical traditions still, as evidenced by the glory of countless opera houses, such as La Scala in Milan and San Carlo in Naples, and performers such as pianist Maurizio Pollini and the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
This slide tells about the life and work of the Italian composer Antonio Salieri - Italian composer, conductor and teacher. He came from a wealthy family of merchants and studied at home to play the violin and harp. Salieri wrote more than 40 operas, of which up to today The Danaids, Tarar and Falstaff are famous. Especially for the opening of the La Scala theater, he wrote the opera “Recognized Europe,” which is still performed on this stage. , chamber, sacred music, incl. "Requiem", written in 1804, but first performed at his funeral.

Listen to this piece.
Slide 5:

Paganini's playing revealed such wide possibilities of the violin that his contemporaries suspected that he possessed some secret hidden from others; some even believed that the violinist sold his soul to the devil. All violin art of subsequent eras developed under the influence of Paganini's style. Here is one of the most famous works Caprice No. 24.
Slide 6:

The spoon crackled with ice

Winter pond cover.

The sun blinded the river,

No roads - just a stream,

The wind warms the bridle.

They brought the rooks yesterday.

Everything chirps and sparkles with the caress of the first spring days,

And he hurries to wash himself. There is an old sparrow in a puddle.
Slide 13:

So the days of spring flew by quickly,

And the warm summer has come.

And the sun is hot and radiant.

It brought with it.
Slide 14:

Listen, autumn has come.
Autumn day, sad day,

Aspen leaf, farewell,

The leaf is spinning, the leaf is spinning,

The leaf goes to sleep on the ground.

The concept of “composer” first appeared in the 16th century in Italy, and since then it has been used to refer to a person who composes music.

19th century composers

In the 19th century Vienna music school imagined this outstanding composer like Franz Peter Schubert. He continued the traditions of Romanticism and influenced an entire generation of composers. Schubert created more than 600 German romances, taking the genre to a new level.


Franz Peter Schubert

Another Austrian, Johann Strauss, became famous for his operettas and light musical forms dance character. It was he who made the waltz the most popular dance in Vienna, where balls are still held. In addition, his heritage includes polkas, quadrilles, ballets and operettas.


Johann Strauss

A prominent representative of modernism in music of the late 19th century was the German Richard Wagner. His operas have not lost their relevance and popularity to this day.


Giuseppe Verdi

Wagner can be contrasted with the majestic figure of the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, who remained faithful operatic traditions and gave Italian opera a new breath.


Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Among the Russian composers of the 19th century, the name of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky stands out. He is characterized by a unique style that combines European symphonic traditions with Glinka's Russian heritage.

Composers of the 20th century


Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov

One of the most bright composers The late 19th - early 20th centuries are rightfully considered to be Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov. His musical style was based on the traditions of romanticism and existed in parallel with avant-garde movements. It was for his individuality and lack of analogues that his work was highly appreciated by critics all over the world.


Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky

The second most famous composer of the 20th century is Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky. Russian by origin, he emigrated to France and then the USA, where he showed his talent in full force. Stravinsky is an innovator who is not afraid to experiment with rhythms and styles. His work shows the influence of Russian traditions, elements of various avant-garde movements and a unique individual style, for which he is called “Picasso in music.”

Agostino Agazzari(12/02/1578 - 04/10/1640) - Italian composer and music theorist.

Agazzari was born in Siena into an aristocratic family and received a good education from childhood. In 1600 he published two books of his madrigals in Venice. In 1601, Agazzari moved to Rome and became a teacher at the German-Hungarian College (seminary).

Adriano Banchieri(09/03/1568 - 1634) - Italian composer, music theorist, organist and poet late Renaissance and early Baroque. One of the founders of the Accademia dei Floridi in Bologna, one of the leading Italian music academies of the 17th century.

Alessandro Grandi (de Grandi)(1586 - summer 1630) - Italian composer of the early Baroque era, wrote in the new concertato style. He was popular composer northern Italy at that time, famous for its church music, secular cantatas and arias.

Alfonso Fontanelli(02/15/1557 - 02/11/1622) - Italian composer, writer, diplomat, court aristocrat of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. One of the leading representatives of the Ferrara school of art of the late 16th century, one of the first composers in the style of the “Second Practice” in the transition to the Baroque era.

Antonio Cesti(baptized August 5, 1623 - October 14, 1669) - Italian Baroque composer, singer (tenor) and organist. One of the most famous Italian composers of his time, he mainly composed operas and cantatas.

Girolamo Frescobaldi(09/13/1583 - 03/01/1643) - Italian composer, musician, teacher. One of the most important composers of organ music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque. His works are the culmination of the development of organ music in the 17th century and influenced many major composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Purcell and others, until the end of the 19th century.

Giovanni Bassano(c. 1558 - summer 1617) - Italian composer and cornettist (cornett - ancient wind instrument) wooden instrument) Venetian school early Baroque. He was a key figure in the development of the instrumental ensemble at St. Mark's Basilica (the most famous cathedral in Venice). He has compiled a detailed book on instrumental ornamentation, which is a rich source for research in modern performance practice.

Giovanni Battista Riccio (Giovanni Battista Riccio)(d. after 1621) - Italian composer and musician of the early Baroque, worked in Venice, made a significant contribution to the development of instrumental forms, especially for the recorder.