Composers & Classical Music
Composers and their Works
Bach, Johann Sebastian (German baroque composer)
....................................................................... Brandenburg Concertos 1-6
........................................................................ The Well-Tempered Clavier
............................................................................... Toccata and Fugue
............................................................................... Goldberg Variations
Barber, Samuel (American)
.................................................................................... School for Scandal
.................................................................................. Adagio for Strings
Beethoven, Ludwig von (German)
................................................................................. Eroica Symphony #3
........................................................................... Pastoral Symphony #6
............................................................ Choral Symphony #9 (Ode to Joy)
................................................................................... Egmont Overture
.......................................................................... Fidelio (his only opera)
.................................................................................. Moonlight Sonata
.................................................................. “Emperor” Piano Concerto #5
.............................................................................................. Für Elise
Berlioz, Hector (French)
.............................................................................. Symphonie Fantastique
............................................................................... Damnation of Faust
.............................................................................. Les Troyens (opera)
Bizet, Georges (French)
................................................................. Carmen (opera, set in Seville)
............................................................................................ L’Arlésienne
Borodin, Alexandr (Russian)
.................................................................................... Prince Igor (opera)
Brahms, Johannes (German)
..................................................................................... Hungarian Dances
................................................................................................ Lullaby
Britten, Benjamin (British)
..................................................................................... Billy Budd (opera)
Chabrier, Alexis (French)
.................................................................................................... España
Chopin, Frederic (Polish)
.................................................... Numerous scherzos, etudes and mazurkas
Copeland, Aaron (American)
................................................................................... Appalachian Spring
................................................................... Fanfare for the Common Man
............................................................................... Billy the Kid (opera)
............................................................................ Music for a Great City
Debussy, Claude (French)
........................................................................................... Clair de Lune
.................................................................................................. La Mer
..................................................................... Prelude, Afternoon of a Faun
Donizetti, Gaetano (Italian)
.................................................................. Lucia di Lammermoor (opera)
Dvorak, Antonin (Czech, the “Bohemian” composer)
......................................................................... The New World Symphony
......................................................................................... Humoresque
Elgar, Edward (English)
............................................................................ Pomp and Circumstance
................................................................................. Enigma Variations
Gershwin, George (American)
..................................................................................... Rhapsody in Blue
.......................................................................... Porgy and Bess (opera)
................................................................................ An American in Paris
Grieg, Edvard (Norwegian)
................................................................................................ Peer Gynt
....................................................................... Piano Concerto in A Minor
Grofe, Ferd (American)
............................................................................ The Grand Canyon Suite
Gounod, Charles (French)
.......................................................................................... Faust (opera)
Handel, George Friedrich (German oratorio composer, lived at times in England)
.................................................................................................. Messiah
......................................................................................... Water Music
........................................................................ Music for Royal Fireworks
Haydn, Franz Joseph (Austrian, nickname “Papa”)
........................................................................................... The Creation
.......................................................................... “Surprise” Symphony #94
.......................................................................... “Military” Symphony #100
.................................................................... “The Clock” Symphony #101
Herbert, Victor (Irish-American)
........................................................................... Babes in Toyland (opera)
Holst, Gustav (English)
............................................................................................. The Planets
Humperdink, Engelbert (German)
..................................................................................... Hansel and Gretel
Khachaturian, Aram (Soviet-American)
............................................................................................ Sabre Dance
Leoncavallo, Ruggiero (Italian)
.................................................................................... I Pagliacci (opera)
Liszt, Franz (Hungarian)
................................................................................. Hungarian Rhapsody
Massenet, Jules (French)
..................................................................................................... Thaïs
Mendelssohn, Felix (German, lived for a time in Scotland)
...................................................... A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture
....................................................................... Violin Concerto in E Minor
................................................................................. Hebrides Overture
Menotti, Gian Carlo (20th century Italian)
........................................................ Amahl and the Night Visitors (opera)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (Austrian, wife Constanze Weber)
....................................................................................... The Magic Flute
....................................................................... Symphony #40 in G Minor
............................................................................ Jupiter Symphony #41
...................................................................................... Elvira Madigan
................................................................ The Marriage of Figaro (opera)
........................................................................... Cosi Fan Tutte (opera)
............................................................................. Don Giovanni (opera)
........................................... Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music)
Mussorgsky, Modest (Russian)
................................................................... Night on Bare (Bald) Mountain
......................................................................... Pictures at an Exhibition
............................................................................ Boris Godunov (opera)
Orff, Carl (German)
........................................................................................ Carmina Burana
Offenbach, Jacques (German)
...................................................................................... Tales of Hoffman
........................................................................ Orpheus in the Underworld
Pachelbel, Johann (German)
..................................................................................................... Canon
Prokofiev, Sergei (Russian)
.................................................................................... Peter and the Wolf
........................................................................ Romeo and Juliet (opera)
Puccini, Giacomo (Italian)
......................................................................... Madam Butterfly (opera)
....................................................................................... Tosca (opera)
................................................................................ La Boheme (opera)
.................................................................... Turandot (unfinished opera)
Rachmaninov, Sergei (20th century Russian)
.............................................................. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
................................................................................. Piano Concerto #2
.................................................. Piano Concerto #3 (used in movie Shine)
Ravel, Maurice (French)
..................................................................................................... Bolero
................................................................................ Mother Goose Suite
Respighi, Ottorino (Italian)
................................................................................... The Pines of Rome
............................................................................ Ancient Airs and Dances
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (Russian)
........................................................................... Flight of the Bumble Bee
........................................................................................ Scheherazade
Rossini, Gioacchino (Italian)
................................................................................. William Tell Overture
.............................................................................. The Barber of Seville
Saint Saens, Camille (French)
......................................................................................... Danse Macabre
....................................................................... The Carnival of the Animals
................................................................ Symphony #3, “Organ” Symphony
Satie, Erik (French)
........................................................................................ Gymnopedies
Schubert, Franz (Austrian “lieder” composer)
................................................................................................ Ave Maria
........................................................................“The Trout” string quintet
..................................................................... The Great C Major Symphony
.......................................................................... The Unfinished Symphony
Sibelius, Jean (Finnish)
................................................................................................ Finlandia
Smetana, Bedrich (Czechoslovakian)
...................................................................... The Bartered Bride (opera)
............................................................................... Ma Vlast (My Country)
Sousa, John Philip (American, the “March King”)
........................................................................... Stars and Stripes Forever
Strauss, Johann II (Austrian, “The Waltz King”)
........................................................................ Die Fledermaus (“The Bat”)
.............................................................................. The Blue Danube Waltz
.................................................................... Tales From the Vienna Woods
Strauss, Richard (Austrian)
...................................................................................... Don Juan (opera)
............................ Thus Spake Zarathustra (theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey)
.................................................................................. Don Quixote (opera)
.......................................................................... Der Rosenkavalier (opera)
......................................................................................... Salomé (opera)
Stravinsky, Igor (Russian)
................................................................................................... Firebird
........................................................................................... Rite of Spring
.......................................................................... Petrushka (puppet ballet)
Suppé, Franz von (Austrian)
......................................................................... Poet and Peasant Overture
Tchaikovsky, Peter (Russian)
............................................................................. The Nutcracker (ballet)
................................................................................. Swan Lake (ballet)
......................................................................................... 1812 Overture
.................................................................................. Romeo and Juliet
..................................................................... Symphony #6 (Pathetique)
........................................................................... Eugene Onegin (opera)
Verdi, Giuseppe (Italian)
......................................................................................... Aida (opera)
................................................................................ La Traviata (opera)
................................................................................... Rigoletto (opera)
............................................................................... Il Trovatore (opera)
...................................................................................... The Anvil Chorus
Vivaldi, Antonio (Italian)
..................................................................................... The Four Seasons
Wagner, Richard (German operatic composer)
............................................................................... Tannhauser (opera)
..................................................................................... Parsifal (opera)
...................................................................... Tristan and Isolde (opera)
.................................................................................. Lohengrin (opera)
.............................................The Ring of Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle, opera)
................................................................................. The Flying Dutchman
.............................................................................. Ride of the Valkyries
Weill, Kurt (German)
.............................................................................. The Threepenny Opera
Other Facts:
Franz Liszt’s son-in-law....................................................... Richard Wagner
Composer and film antagonist to Mozart.................................. Antonio Salieri
He loved author George Sand................................................ Frederic Chopin
12 tone music innovator................................................... Arnold Schoenberg
Composer buried at Westminster Abby........................ George Friedrich Handel
Egyptian Slave Girl..............................................................................Aida
Turendot aria.......................................................................Nessum Dorma
Beethoven’s only opera.................................................................... Fidelio
Dvorak symphony that premiered in New York............The New World Symphony
Stravinsky ballet that caused a riot at its premier....................... Rite of Spring
John Adams' modern political opera..........................................Nixon in China
Opera text.....................................................................................Libretto
Author’s note: For anyone unfamiliar with classical music and wanting to start a music collection, the selections in this chapter contain some of the most beautiful classical pieces ever written.
