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Bedřich Smetana
…was commissioned to write what would eventually become his most famous opera, The Bartered Bride. Smetana’s Contributions to Czech Opera Smetana was not the first to write operas in the…
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Exploring Classical Music by Century: A Selection of Five Works from Each Era
…Richard Wagner’s monumental work, The Ring Cycle, is an epic tetralogy of operas based on Norse mythology. Comprised of four individual operas (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung), this…
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
…the Clarinet Concerto in A major, and the unfinished Requiem. The Great Operas Mozart’s ambition to excel in the field of opera led him to create several masterpieces. In 1786,…
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Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron of Aldeburgh, was an English composer, conductor, and pianist whose work helped to shape 20th-century classical music. Britten was best known for his operas, vocal works,…
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Richard Wagner – The Valkyrie from The Rings of Power – Act 1, Part 6
Richard Wagner’s “Die Walküre” is the second opera in the “Der Ring des Nibelungen” cycle. Wagner’s operas are not traditional operas, but rather compositions that merge music, singing, poetry, and…
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Zdeněk Fibich
…often gets overshadowed by his more renowned contemporaries like Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana. However, Fibich’s contribution to Czech music, particularly his operas, orchestral work, and piano compositions, is immeasurable…
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Samuel Barber
…103 songs, publishing exclusively with G. Schirmer, Inc. His works spanned a variety of genres, including orchestral pieces, operas, ballets, and choral works. The essence of Barber’s music lies in…
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Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
…voyage. Many of his later symphonic works and operas reveal his deep connection with the sea. Even amidst the tumultuous waves and demanding naval duties, Rimsky-Korsakov found solace in music….
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Gioachino Rossini
…for the theaters in Naples, where he would remain until 1822, composing prolifically in relative comfort. During this tenure, he composed 19 operas, focusing his attention on opera seria, and…
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Ralph Vaughan Williams
…His works span a wide range of genres, including symphonies, operas, choral music, chamber music, and film scores. Vaughan Williams was deeply influenced by English folk music and the English…
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Richard Strauss
…Rosenkavalier, a lush, nostalgic opera set in 18th-century Vienna. This work became one of Strauss’s most beloved and frequently performed operas. The partnership between Strauss and Hofmannsthal proved extraordinarily fruitful,…
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Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer renowned for his innovative contributions to Russian music in the 19th century. His compositions, particularly his operas and piano works, are celebrated for…
