The most influential AUSTRIA COMPOSERS in music

The Austrian region was and still is a very important center for the development of culture and especially classical music. Thanks to the interest and nurture that has been given to art, Austria became a place that promoted the genius of great composers. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about these characters, you will find out who the Austrian composers most influential in classical music.

Index

1. Austria: the European musical cradle
2. Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809)
3. Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
4. Carl Czerny (1791 - 1857)
5. Franz Schubert (1797–1828), another of Austria's leading composers
6. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1732 - 1791)
7. Anton Bruckner (1824 - 1896)
8. Johann Strauss II (1825 - 1899)
9. Other well-known Austrian composers

Before talking about the most important Austrian composers we will talk about the musical tradition of this country. Part of its wealth and tendency to innovation is due to the influence obtained by the

One factor to take into account is that Austria, as the nation we know, has been a region that has undergone changes. politicians, belonging to different monarchical powers and territorial sovereignties, therefore also obtained different Names. This translates to some composers recognize them as Austrians by the region of birth and not necessarily by the name of the region at the time, as is the case with Mozart, who was born in Salzburg, a region that was not yet Austria as such.

In this article we also mention Beethoveen, a case of who is not Austrian by birth but who lived and created much of his musical life in Vienna.

Haydn is one of the most important Austrian composers. Harpsichordist and pianist He spent much of his career serving the powerful Estherházy family, as was the way of life for a musician at the time. His most important contributions were in the development of chamber music and the piano trio.

Haydn is sometimes referred to as "the father" of the symphony and string quartet. In addition to occasionally serving as his mentor, Haydn was friendly with Mozart and was also Beethoven's teacher. Haydn composed the melody for what is today Germany's national anthem. ("Kaiserlied").

Notable works: Symphony No. 100 and 101, Deutschlandlied.

In addition to his excellence as a musician, Beethoven was known for having a strong character. His deafness in the last years of his life is also a popularly known topic. As we mentioned, Beethoven was not born in Austria, but he built his musical career in that area.

Beethoven is hailed by his symphonies, he having created 9 that brought him (and continue to bring him) international popularity. Beethoven experienced the transition from classicism to romanticism, standing out in both as an innovator of the musician's way of life as a profession in terms of popularity and independence.

Notable works: Third Symphony "Heroic", Fifth Symphony and Ninth Symphony, whose fourth movement is based on the "Ode to Joy".

Czerny is another of the best Austrian composers. His parents were Czech-speaking, which is where his name comes from. He was a piano student of Beethoven, whom he mentored from a young age. In addition to being a composer, he himself he became an influential teacher, being the tutor of many members of the nobility and musical prodigies who would stand out in the future as the pianist Franz Liszt. Czerny is recognized for his piano compositions, symphonies and chamber music, among other works.

Notable works: Symphony No.6, Overture in C minor, Concerto for piano and flute Op.129.

Pianist, organist and singer. He lived during the early Romantic era. Despite his short life, Schubert created an impressive number of works including symphonies, lieder (vocal form, songs), sacred music, operas, chamber music, and various works for piano. His influences come from Mozart, Beethoven and Antonio Salieri, the latter being his direct mentor.

Notable works:Piano quintet in A minor D.667, Symphony No. 8 in B minor D.759, Symphony No. 9 in C major D.944.

If we talk about Austrian composers we cannot fail to mention Mozart. Perhaps the most famous and recognized composer in the classical music history, recognized as child prodigy and genius. At the age of 5 he already had great dexterity on the keyboard (piano and harpsichord), on the violin and even in composition.

Despite his short life (35 years), Mozart possesses an impressive amount of more than 600 works in his name, many considered the pinnacle of symphonic music. In terms of personality, Mozart was known as a warm, playful and charismatic character. One of Mozart's last compositions was his own Requiem, which would remain unfinished due to his death.

Notable works: Serenade No.13, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, Requiem, Symphony No.40.

He was an organist and teacher as well as a composer. Within his personal sphere, he distinguished himself by being an obsessive person, leading him to repeatedly review his finished works to perfect them. He stands out for his symphonies, chamber music, religious music and choral works.

Notable works:Symphonies No. 0 to Symphony No. 9.

Son of the also acclaimed Austrian composer Johann Strauss (I), from whom he inherited the exact name. His 2 younger brothers were musicians as well, although they did not reach the same popularity.

Strauss is acclaimed primarily for the composition of light music and folkloric works for dance such as the waltz, a form that increased its popularity in Vienna during the s. XIX under his responsibility and that granted him the title of "The king of the waltz." Among other works he composed ballet and operettas.

Notable works: The Blue Danube, The Emperor's Waltz (Kaiser-waizer), Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka.

And we close this lesson with the most prominent Austrian composers to mention two also very important names in the history of music.

Gustav Malher (1860 - 1911)

Modernist composer of the 20th century, also recognized for his excellence as an orchestra conductor. His compositions gained even greater recognition after his death in the 21st century. Although his compositions are not numerous, his works are fully appreciated, his symphonies being the most acclaimed. Among his most interesting works is the Symphony No.8, sometimes called "The Symphony of a Thousand" due to the amount of musicians it requires to be interpreted.

Notable works:Symphony No. 8, Symphony No. 1 “Titan”, Symphony No. 5 in C # minor.

Arnold Schönberg (1874 - 1951)

He was a multifaceted artist, being a painter, theoretical musician, writer and teacher as well as composer. He is associated with the expressionist movement. At first his compositions were romantic in nature. By moving from this trend, his works received much criticism at the time, due to their modernist tendencies and atonal nature (without an established musical tonality). Thanks to this same initiative, Schönberg has been one of the most influential composers of the 20th century in terms of harmony and musical development, especially in the term of the 20th century. twelve-tone (composition technique that uses the 12 notes of the chromatic scale.)

Notable works:Transfigured Night, Pelleas und Melisande, Gurrelieder.

Since you know more about these composers from Austria, It would be left if you had the opportunity to listen to their works to appreciate even more their ingenuity and recognize the impact they have given to the classical music.

If you want to read more articles similar to Composers from Austria, we recommend that you enter our category of Music history.