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Giacomo Puccini
…Opera The turning point in Puccini’s life came in 1876, when he and his brother walked nearly 20 miles to Pisa to watch a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, Aida….
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Giuseppe Verdi
…was the intellectual and operatic hub of Italy, Verdi absorbed much about literature, politics, counterpoint, and the elements of opera. His success with his opera Nabucco later led to his…
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Christoph Willibald Gluck
…the Italian opera tradition. Career Beginnings in Italy Gluck’s first opera, Artaserse (1741), premiered in Milan and was well-received. Over the next decade, he composed numerous operas in the Italian…
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Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell was a noteworthy English composer of the Baroque era. Known for his exquisite operas, semi-operas, songs, and his substantial contributions to sacred music, Purcell’s compositions have resonated across…
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Exploring Classical Music by Century: A Selection of Five Works from Each Era
…Peri’s Euridice Peri’s opera Euridice is one of the earliest surviving examples of opera. The opera is known for its use of recitative, a style of singing that allows for…
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George Frideric Handel
…of Handel’s long and fruitful association with the British capital. Handel and the Royal Academy of Music Handel served as the music director of the newly-established Royal Academy of Music…
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Jean-Philippe Rameau
…Rameau’s opera challenged the dominance of Jean-Baptiste Lully, the long-established model of French opera. Rameau’s music was more dramatic, adventurous, and complex than Lully’s. His use of the orchestra was…
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Jules Massenet
Jules Massenet, a name synonymous with French opera, was the most celebrated operatic composer of his time. His remarkable musical journey, marked by a distinctive melodic style and theatrical aptness,…
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Gaetano Donizetti
…of operas, written in both Italian and French, and his work is widely recognized as a bridge between the styles of Gioachino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi. Donizetti’s operas are renowned…
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Richard Wagner
…captivated by Wagner’s talent that he offered him lessons free of charge. Embarking on the Path of Opera At the age of 20, Wagner composed his first complete opera, “Die…
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Carl Maria von Weber
…passion for operatic music. Pioneering Works and Musical Innovations While Weber’s output of non-operatic music was modest, it was nonetheless remarkable. He composed a Symphony in C Major, a viola…
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Domenico Scarlatti
…the ten children of renowned Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti. His father, the founder of the Neapolitan School of Opera, was a significant influence in his early musical journey. Under his…
