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
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
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
The paper explains that the mysterious rivalry between Salieri and Mozart cannot be fully explained. The paper discusses how this is due to the highly speculative accounts of poisoning, political betrayal and musical intrigue that was between the two men. The paper maintains that the facts surrounding the characterization of Salieri as Papageno, have to be, by far, the most interesting of the musical aspects of these composers. The paper shows how the transcendence of competition was most likely apparent through the letters of Salieri, which suggest a somewhat jealous fascination with Mozart.

From the Paper
"This musical study will analyze the premise of the musical and political rivalry between the two Classical composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. In this respect, the competition between both of these men was reflected in how they created music and how they clashed on issues of popularity in the musical environment of this period. By analyzing these facets of the two composers, one can realize the intense rivalry that existed in relation to Mozart's genius and the political and cultural power that Salieri wielded in this manner. In Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" (1791) it is known that the competitive and arrogant nature of Salieri was not well liked by Mozart in the musical environment of this part of the Classical Period."

Tags:mozart, music, salieri

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 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
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
This music history study examines the major accomplishments of Amy Beach, the first female American composer. In essence, by evaluating Beach's life as a woman composer through her skills as a writer, one can realize the historical ramifications of feminist determination to be known as the first female American composer in United States history.

From the Paper
"Amy Beach: Analyzing the Pioneering Feminism Of the First American Female Composer I. Introduction This music history study will examine the major accomplishments of Amy Beach, the first female American composer. In realizing the hardships of being a woman in a patriarchal American society, beach, Beach had to overcome great odds to have her music accepted in an all-male field. In relation to this, her music reached out beyond gender barriers, and helped this woman encompass a wide variety of feminist accomplishments in her lifetime. In essence, by evaluating Beach's life as a woman composer through her skills as a writer, one can realize the historical ramifications of feminist determination to be known as the first female American composer in United States history. II: Historical Feminist Background to Women in American Music Amy Beach (1867-1944) was a woman that beheld many talents, and when she was younger, she was a considered a childhood prodigy."

Tags:beach, composer, style

Abstract
This paper examines how the French Romantic composer, Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), left the world with an original and rich oeuvre that profoundly influenced 19th century music, including the works of composers such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, and many others. It looks at how, best known for works such as "Symphonie Fantastique: Episode de la vie d'un Artiste...en cinq parties" (Fantastic Symphony: An Episode in the Life of an Artist, in Five Parts) (1830), and "Grande messe des morts, Op 5" (or Requiem) (1837), Berlioz was an ardent, irrepressible, and passionate genius of French Romanticism who made significant contributions to the modern orchestra.

Outline:
Introduction
Reaching for a Dream
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The majority of Berlioz's earlier works were chamber pieces and romances. At 19 years of age, and just after having abandoned his medical studies, he began composing Messe solennelle, which was performed the following year. A "student of Lesueur in Paris ... this concert mass - his first large-scale work for chorus and orchestra - was commissioned earlier through a certain Masson, choir-master at Saint-Roch in Paris where the work - after an earlier unsuccessful attempt - received its first performance on 10 July, 1825. Two years later - on 22 November 1827 - it was performed again in Saint-Eustache" (Gladines, 2007), and then was believed to have been burnt by Berlioz as stated in his Memoirs. However, in 1991 the Messe Solennelle was found in the organ gallery of the Church of St. Carolus-Borromeus in Antwerp."

Tags:Hector Berlioz, composers, classical music, classical composers, composer, music

Abstract
This paper discusses some of the composer Aaron Copland's well-known compositions and analyzes his contribution to modern classical music. It includes an autobiographical account of Copland's life growing up in New York. It details his music and gives examples of his famous ballets and scores. It also describes his main influences in the music world. Finally, it details his great contribution with works such as: "Rodeo", and "Fanfare for the Common Man" making him one of the most loved American composers of all time.

From the Paper
"Popular jazz and be-bop music heavily influenced his early works. As he matured, he began to compose strictly in the modern classical style, and most of his work falls under this style. His music most often celebrated the unique American character that he found so appealing. His ballets and scores included "Rodeo," "Appalachian Spring," "A Lincoln Portrait," "Theme for the Common Man," and "Billy the Kid." He also wrote numerous piano concertos, smaller pieces, and two sets of "Old American Songs," which were arrangements of traditional folk tunes "that became so popular in their piano and orchestral versions as to eclipse the original melodies on which they were based" (Hampson). At the height of his popularity and career in 1944, Copland's score for "Appalachian Spring" won the Pulitzer Prize for music. Yet, he continued to write for thirty years after this apex of his work. "

Tags:Aaron, Copland, composer, New, York, American, classical, music, ballet, jazz, scores