Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (

1685-1750), one of Germany’s greatest composers, Born into a musical family in Eisenach. Since the age of eighteen, he has served as music director and organist in many churches and palaces. Bach was only famous as an organist during his lifetime. It was nearly a hundred years after his death that his creations received the respect they deserved. He is a devout believer in religion and regards many Lutheran hymns and the church instrument organ as his creative materials and the core of his musical conception. However, he is also deeply influenced by the bourgeois Enlightenment thoughts, which makes his religious works clearly break through the church. The standard of music, with rich secular emotions and bold innovative spirit. Its creation is mainly based on polyphonic techniques, with rigorous conception, inner emotions, rich in philosophy and logic. On the basis of German national music, it integrates the culmination of music from the Netherlands, Italy and France since the 16th century. It is the pinnacle of the development of Baroque music. Bach's works have had an extremely profound impact on the development of modern European music, pointed out broad prospects for the progress and development of music for all mankind, and set a monument for world classical music. Therefore, Bach is called the "Father of Western Music" .

Bach’s life works are vast. His main works include: more than 200 religious and secular "cantatas", several religious "Passion", "B minor Mass", "Well-Tempered Piano Collection" ", "Collection of Creative Compositions", "Fortepiano Suite", "Unaccompanied Sonatas" for violin and cello, six "Brandenburg Concertos", four "Orchestra Suites" and a large number of organ pieces and "Fugue" written in his later years. The Art of the Book.

Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827), one of Germany's greatest musicians. Born in a civilian family in Bonn, Germany, he showed his musical talent very early and began performing on stage at the age of eight. In 1792, he went to Vienna for further study and made rapid progress in art. Beethoven believed in harmony and admired heroes, and created a large number of outstanding works full of the flavor of the times, such as: the symphonies "Hero" and "Destiny"; the overture "Egmont"; and the piano sonatas "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" , "The Tempest", "Passion" and more. He had a rough life and never established a family. He became deaf when he was twenty-six years old and became completely deaf in his later years. He could only talk to people through conversation books. But his lonely life did not make him silent or retreat. In the feudal restoration era when all progressive ideas were banned, he still adhered to the political belief of "freedom and equality" and worked hard for freedom and ideals through his speech and works. Scream and write the immortal masterpiece "Ninth Symphony". His works were influenced by the Enlightenment Movement of the 18th century and the German Sturm und Drang movement. They have distinctive personalities and have developed greatly compared with their predecessors. In terms of musical performance, he touched almost all music genres at that time; greatly improved the expressive power of the piano, giving it a symphonic dramatic effect; and made the symphony an important music form that directly reflects social changes. Beethoven gathered the culmination of classical music and at the same time opened up the path for music in the Romantic period. He played a decisive role in the development of world music and was revered as the "Saint of Music".

Brahms

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), the last composer of German classicism, was born in a musical family in Hamburg . In his early years, he learned piano from Gosser and Maxon, and made many friends throughout his life. He was especially appreciated and supported by the Schumanns and Joachim. He was a composer who valued both creation and performance. Brahms's works have both classical techniques and romantic spirit. He rarely uses titles. His symphonic works imitate Beethoven's grand momentum. However, his brushwork is meticulous, his emotions are changeable, and he sometimes reveals a pastoral atmosphere, which still has his own characteristics. Many of his works are world famous, and together with Bach and Beethoven, they are called the "Three Bs" in the history of German music. He attaches great importance to Austrian folk songs and has composed more than 90 arrangements; his various forms of ensembles have enhanced the status of chamber music.

He also composed more than 200 songs, a number of piano pieces, theme variations, and concertos, among which the "Violin Concerto in D Major" is the most famous. His four symphonies have profound musical attainments, but are obscure and difficult to understand. Among them, "First" and "Fourth" are the most famous. His "Hungarian Dance No. 5" is a work that is both elegant and popular.

Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felir Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), The German composer, born in Hamburg, began composing at the age of 12 and completed "A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture" at the age of 17. He began studying and organizing Bach's works at the age of 21, and made the most important contribution to the resurrection of the father of music's works. contribute. At the age of 27, he served as a conductor in Leipzig. In 1843, he founded Germany's first music academy. He died of illness at the age of 38. In his short life, he created a large number of musical works of various genres. The style of his works is gentle and comfortable, graceful and tranquil, complete and rigorous, with few conflicts and conflicts, and full of poetic fantasy, which reflects the stability and prosperity of his life. His symphonies "Scotland" and "Italy", the overture "Fingal's Cave", "Calm Sea and Happy Voyage", "Violin Concerto in E minor", etc. are all famous works.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture" is the earliest musical work to describe the realm of gods. He also created the original piano music genre of "songs without words", consisting of 48 pieces in eight volumes, with vivid and colorful images, and is a representative of early title music. The Leipzig Music Party centered on him had a great influence on the musical life of Germany in the nineteenth century.

Schumann

Robert Schumann (1810-1856), a famous German musician, showed talents in music, poetry, drama and other aspects since childhood. He studied law first, but still studied music diligently, and even became the leading pianist in the local area. In 1830, his career as a musician officially began. Due to his eagerness for success, he broke his fingers and turned to music composition and criticism. He is one of the representatives of the mature period of romantic music. He is passionate and sensitive by nature and has democratic ideas. He founded the "New Music Magazine" in 1834, which played an important role in changing the outdated music atmosphere at that time and promoting the development of romantic art.

He has composed many novel and unique piano masterpieces such as "Butterfly", "Carnival", "Symphonic Etudes", "Fantasia", etc., which promoted the development of romantic music style. The union with his wife Clara has always been talked about by people, and it has promoted his creative enthusiasm to an unprecedented high. In 1840, he wrote one hundred and thirty-eight songs, known as the "Song Collection". The most famous ones include: the song collection "Myrtle", "The Poet's Love", "Women's Love and Life", etc. Later, he wrote four symphonies, as well as outstanding works such as "Piano Concerto in A Minor" and "Manfred Overture".

Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813-1883), a famous German composer and conductor, was born in Leipzig. He studied music and philosophy at the University of Leipzig. By the time he was 20, he had already written several orchestral pieces. Later, he served as conductor in opera houses such as Würzburg, Magdeburg, Konigsberg and Riga. The success of his opera Rienzi in 1842 made him the conductor of the Royal Opera House in Dresden. He was the founder of large-scale orchestral music and made major reforms in the art of opera. First, he suggested that an opera composer should participate in the creation of the libretto and be the general director of the entire opera; second, he emphasized that predetermined chords are the basis of the art of opera; Third, the core of his works is the development of continuous melody, using the repeated melody to produce a smooth and pleasant musical effect, and there are few normal cadences within the music.

Wagner explored and developed previous research on brass instruments, found a reasonable basis for the sound of brass instruments, and combined the saxophone with the organ, trumpet, and trombone to produce a harmonious sound. . Many of his works have the color of mighty knights and are full of metallic splendor.

His representative works include 11 operas including "The Ring of the Nibelungs", "Parsifal", "Lohengrin", "Meistersinger of Nuremberg", 9 overtures, 1 symphony and 4 piano sonatas He also wrote a large number of choruses, art songs, etc., and wrote several works on opera reform such as "Art and Revolution" and "Opera and Drama".

Richard Strauss

German composer and conductor. Born in Munich on June 11, 1864. He began composing music at the age of five, and wrote "Festival March" and "Woodwind Serenade" before he was ten. He later studied at the University of Munich, dropped out of school, and served as deputy conductor of the famous conductor Biro in the Manningen Orchestra, and later as chief conductor.

In the band, he was influenced by the second violinist and music philosopher Ritter, and asked to "express music based on the works of Liszt, Berlioz and Wagner". From then on, he focused on the writing of symphonic poems and wrote nine symphonic poems and other orchestral music, including "Don Juan", "Don Quixote", "Death and Transfiguration", "A Heroic Life" and "Family Symphony". After 1900, he concentrated on opera creation and wrote fourteen operas including "Salome", "Electra" and "Den Rosenkavalier".

His creations are famous for their bright colors, vivid images and novel techniques. He often uses music to express the content of literary stories and abstract things. He uses symbolic themes and variations to describe things realistically, which is similar to Berlioz's "fixed musical ideas" and Wagner's "leading motive", but is more novel and nuanced. He is regarded as a representative figure of late Romantic music.

Strauss is also one of the most outstanding opera and symphony conductors in the world. He has successively served as the Munich Opera House, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera and other famous music groups. conductor and authoritative commentator on Wagner's works.

On September 8, 1949, Strauss died in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Weber

German composer. He has been traveling and performing with his parents since he was a child. He is very familiar with drama and has deep experience in German and Austrian folk customs. He studied piano at the age of ten and later studied composition. After 1813, he successively served as the permanent conductor of the Prague Opera House and the Dresden Symphony Orchestra. His style was rigorous and careful, and he personally took care of everything from stage scheduling to costume design, lighting placement, and even theater management. Under his leadership, these two colleges and groups achieved outstanding results and became famous.

In the history of the development of German opera, his masterpiece "Free Shot" is based on German folk themes and written in the form of a German opera. The music is close to German folk songs, and the orchestration is full of romantic atmosphere. It is recognized as the first German opera National opera. The art songs he composed are approachable and have a folk color. His most popular piano works are "Invitation to Dance", which has been adapted into orchestral and ballet performances.

Meyerbeer

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864), German composer. He studied piano at an early age and made his first public performance in Berlin at the age of ten, becoming a well-known young pianist. Later, he determined to compose an opera and started studying composition at the age of fourteen. Completed his first opera at the age of twenty-one. Settled in Paris after 1826. Five years later, the opera "Robert the Devil" premiered at the Paris Opera House and was a success, and he later became a representative composer of the French grand opera genre.

Representative works include the operas "Egyptian Crusaders", "Northern Star", "African Woman", "The Prophet", etc. The aria "Ah! Beautiful Paradise on Earth" in "The African Woman" and the orchestral selection "Coronation March" in "The Prophet" are widely circulated. The operas he created were luxurious and focused on performance effects.