Abstract
The paper asserts that people generally do not know much about classical music of the last hundred years. The writer's research leads him to believe that the most influential composer of the previous century was an Austrian man named Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951). The writer relates that he is not the most popular musician, and his music is difficult for ordinary people to enjoy, but his ideas and sound seem to have influenced more composers than any other.

From the Paper
"People generally do not know much about classical music of the last hundred years. My research leads me to believe that the most influential composer of the previous century was an Austrian man named Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951). He is not the most popular musician, and his music is difficult for ordinary people to enjoy, but his ideas and sound seem to have influenced more composers than any other. Schoenberg's position as the most influential composer begins to shape up in the first decade of the twentieth century when he discovered a radical new way to write music. Up until this point he was a self-taught musician composing in a late romantic music style reflecting older composers like..."

Tags:schoenberg, most important, composer

Abstract
Through an analysis of the music of eight Western classical composers, this paper attempts to understand how their various environments influenced their musical output. The eight composers that this paper studies are: Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Richard Wagner, Peter Iljitch Tchaikovsky, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and George Crumb. The paper chooses to focus on specific compositions to demonstrate how each artist was affected by the events of his life -- from personal situations such as a family crisis, marriage or the loss of a loved one to broader social/cultural developments in his country or the world.

Outline:
Introduction
Johann Sebastian Bach
Joseph Haydn
Richard Wagner
Peter Iljitch Tchaikovsky
Claude Debussy
Igor Stravinsky
Bela Bartok
George Crumb
Conclusion

From the Paper
"In Bach's Christ lag in Todesbanden (Church Cantata No. 4), written for Easter Sunday, the hymn melody and its verses are used exclusively throughout the piece. The opening measure, in the style of Buxtehude, Bach's mentor, is followed by seven verses, each having its own musical signature. In this opening measure, one can hear that the music is touched by the sorrows of death, but in the third verse, there is an outpouring of joy. This cantata was written in 1724 during a period in Bach's life that was full of musical expression. However, in 1720, his first wife, Maria Barbara died, and in 1721, Bach married Anna Magdalena Wuelken who bore him thirteen children. Thus, through the music of Cantata No. 4, Bach's sadness over the death of his first wife can be sensed; however, due to his strict religious upbringing, his joy can be sensed in the third verse which reflects his knowledge that his late wife is now with God in Heaven."

Tags:music, classical, composition, composer, Johann, Sebastian, Bach, Joseph, Haydn, Richard, Wagner, Peter, Iljitch, Tchaikovsky, Claude, Debussy, Igor, Stravinsky, Bela, Bartok, George, Crumb, movements

Abstract
A description of the female composers who contributed to the success of the Romantic period of music (1825-1900). The paper explains that even though most of the composers of the time were male, Hensel and Schumann were talented and successful and made it to the top in their own right. It examines their different styles and how their music reflected the society and culture of the times.

From the Paper
"Like other composers during this period, Hensel and Schumann were engaged with many of the important motifs of the Romantic period, including an attention to both nationalistic and what might be called "exotic" themes in music. Both this rise in nationalism and this interest in non-Western music reflected larger political and cultural events in the world. Among the most important of these was a series of revolutions that occurred in the middle of the 19th century that served as attempts for nations like Italy to free themselves from foreign rule. Germany was undergoing a different form of nationalist struggle during the middle decades of the 19th century as its leaders strove to build (for the first time) a politically unified nation."

Tags:nationalism, music, notes, compose, patronage, romantic, lieder, orchestra

Abstract
A look at the formation of the 'Mighty Five', five Russian composers, Korsakov, Balakirev, Borodin, Mussorgsky and Glinka who changed Russian music and stance impacting recognition from the Western world. A look at their contributions and impact on the world of music.

From the Paper
"The culmination of five ingenious, dedicated composers and one highly skilled evangelist led to the recognition of Russian music. This would be the recognition of a distinct, nationalist approach to music. Involving traditional melodies, and folk songs, and composed in a uniquely Russian manner. They would forever change Russian classical music, and made a large impact upon the rest of the Western world. It is important to recognize two key individuals; one Rimsky-Korsakov for his incredibly sophisticated works, and two the work of Stasov as propagandist. Finally the Mighty Five as a whole should be recognized for their achievements, contributions, and enduring impact on music.'

Tags:composer, russia, russian, Korsakov, Balakirev, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Glinka

Abstract
This paper examines the works of the world's greatest composers and looks at how their music was influenced and shaped by the environment in which they lived. The paper explains how classical music of the west breaks down into a handful of major periods and that each great change in musical tastes can be traced back to corresponding developments in society and civilization. Bach and Handel, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven are just a few of the composers discussed in this paper.

From the Paper
"Romanticism differed from the earlier periods because of its appeal to raw emotion. This is not to say that the works of Bach and Hayden are devoid of human feeling. Rather, it is a different kind of emotional response that is being elicited. In a sense the compositions of the Romantic Era ask the listener to suspend reason, and to listen only with the heart. The Nineteenth Century was a time of great change in Europe. The early years of the century had seen the Old Order torn to bits, and a new, and much more completely secular order take its place. Governments now commanded loyalty not on the basis of their leaders' closeness to God, but on the extent to which these leaders tended to embody, or represent, the "national spirit." Wagner's Ring could never be fully understood outside the context of a rampant German nationalism. The newly unified German Empire wanted to demonstrate that it had arisen out of a proud and ancient past. The fact that the Ring is based on old Teutonic Legends is indicative of the extent to which Wagner himself had become enmeshed in the supposedly primal lore of his people - it is Wotan and not Jupiter who occupies center stage. The prominence given to non-Classical legend represents a major break with the Europe of the previous four centuries."

Tags:radio, listen, ballads, musical, reflections, harmonious, balanced, compositions, audible, form

Abstract
This paper describes the early life and education of composer Gustav Mahler. The paper relates that, although Mahler was a successful pianist, he abandoned performance in favor of composition. The paper also relates the history and orchestration of Mahler's first symphony, which originally was called "Symphonic Poem in Two Parts", premiering in 1889. This work was renamed "Titan" in his revised 1893 version.

From the Paper
"A local farm manager noticed Mahler as he advanced in age. This manager convinced Bernhard that his son should receive a thorough musical training in Vienna. In 1875, upon the urging of the kind manager, Mahler entered the Vienna conservatory. During his three-year stay, Mahler studied piano, harmony, and composition. Although he was a successful pianist, performing well in several school competitions, Mahler abandoned performance in favor of composition. In 1878, Mahler graduated from the composition program."

Tags:late-romantic pianist heroic revisions, turbulent finale

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses the ending of 'Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey' by William Wordsworth.

From the Paper
"In the final lines of 'Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey' the persona imparts his changing relationship with Nature to his sister. In light of his impending mortality he asks his sister to remember him along with her experiences in the natural world and he reveals that his love for Nature has been greatened by her existence. The persona's relationship to nature has changed as he has grown older. He describes how he ..."

Tags:William Wordsworth, Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

Abstract
This paper discusses the meaning and composers and lyricists responisble for "Die Moorsoldaten" or "The Peat Bog Soldiers", a protest song from a Nazi concentration camp composed and written by prisoners with leftist leanings. The paper describes the circumstances of the song's creation.

From the Paper
""Die Moorsodaten", translated as "The Peat-Bog Soldiers" is described by Grayson Hirst as a song written by leftists held during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany's Borgenmoor concentration camp by Johann Esser, Wolfgang Langhoff and Rudi Goduel. The song was nothing less than one of the most important anti fascist protest songs of the 20th century, an extraordinary song of defiance, strength and unbroken will. Indeed as home to some four thousand prisoners drawn from among Germany's German worker parties and unions, communists..."

Tags:The Peat Bog Soldiers, Holocaust, music, Nazi, song, concentration camp

Abstract
This paper is composed of two different short essays about society. It stems from lecture notes.

Tags:SOCIOLOGY / ISSUES IN SOCIETY, economy society people

Abstract
This paper examines the role of nature in William Wordsworth's poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" and the role of nature in Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ode to the West Wind".