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-born in Germany
-began taking piano lessons at age 4
-father pushed him to perform
-was a good musician but wasn͛t considered a
child prodigy
-by age 19, he was playing violin in local
orchestra͛s and giving piano lessons
-age 20, moved to Austria and began composing
and searching for wealthy patrons for financial
support
-studied piano with his mother and began
composing at age 12
-age 20, he began a concert tour of Europe and
developed a wide circle of friends
-he liked Johann Sebastian Bach͛s music, in
1829 he organized a performance of Bach͛s
music, it was a great success
-Mendelssohn was hired by 2 kings to create 2
conservatory͛s, only one worked
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-age 25, began composing full-time
-earliest compositions: orchestral & chamber
music, mostly sonatas, concertos.
-composed his first symphony in 1800, then
started composing oratorios
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-he was very devoted to music education
-By his mid 30͛s, Mendelssohn͛s schedule was
hectic: composing, touring and teaching
-died at age 38, from overwork and sadness of
his sister͛s death
 
 


  -Felix was full of charm and like social events
  


  and had many interests outside of music

-by age 45 he completed 8 symphonies, 27 · $ (

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piano sonatas, numerous sonatas for string -A concerto for Mendelssohn͛s friend Ferdinand
instruments, 10 piano trios, 11 string quartets, David
dozens of orchestra works, and numerous vocal -the whole of the first is played on the E string
solos and choral works. (highest string on the Violin)
-Composing was difficult for Beethoven
-last 12 years of his live, he slowly lost his
hearing.
-died in Austria

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-First 4 notes are the most famous notes ever
written
-͞so knocks Fate on the door!͟ ʹBeethoven.
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as a child, Wagner wasn͛t interested in music
-at 16 he entered University where he
developed an interest in music
-ages 19-24 he conducted several opera
companies and began to compose exclusively
-he was not a reliable employee, all the
companies failed.
-Wagner married Cosima Liszt, daughter of
composer Franz Liszt
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-in all his Opera͛s, Wagner wrote the music and
the libretto
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 time
he based the libretto͛s on myths and legends
-Wagner produced the opera͛s with his own
money, which were poorly received
-in 1864 he got support from a patron King
Ludwig II.
-in 1876 he convinced king Ludwig to build an
opera house specifically for Wagner
-Wagner thought highly of himself and created
͞Wagner societies͟ (fan clubs)
-He was vain, ambitious and obnoxious.

-Tchaikovsky did not start studying music
seriously until age 22
-at age 22 he left his job as a Clerk in the
ministry of Justice and entered the musical
conservatory of St. Petersburg
-he completed his first symphony at age 28 and
first opera a year later
-both were successful
-after his marriage failed, 

began to support him financially
he left the conservatory and composed full
-at age 48 the Russian government gave
Tchaikovsky an annual salary for life
-Madame von Meck stopped supporting him,
which depressed Tchaikovsky
-he conducted an orchestral performance of
͞1812 Overture͟ at the opening of Carnegie
Hall, New York.
-Tchaikovsky died during the Cholera epidemic
-he was a handsome and vain man who
agonized over his music

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Wagner͛s most popular opera -a ballet
-he describes his composition as ͞Music Drama͟ -unusual because of the many child dancers
-there is a recurring melody (

) -became one of the most popular ballets of all
time