Composers

By: Claire Gorski and Kira Zephier

Bach

• Born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685, died in 1750.

• He never made an opera.• His parents died when he was

nine, and he then went to live with Johann C. Bach.

• Married his cousin Maria Bach while at Arnstadt, and he eventually had 20 children with her.

• “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”• “St. Matthew’s Passion”

Handel

• Born in Halle, Germany, in 1685, died in 1759.

• As a child, he was forbidden to play music.

• Originally played the organ and clavichord.

• His music usually has something to do with bible stories.

• “The Messiah”• “Hallelujah Chorus”

Mozart

• Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1756, died in 1791.

• When he dies, he is writing a requiem, and never finishes. First played at Beethoven’s funeral.

• When he was 4, he was composing music, and he could tell you what note you played at any time.

• If you gave him any 4 notes, he could compose an entire piece.

• “A Little Night Music”• “Ascanio in Alba”

Scott Joplin

• Born in Texarkana, Texas, USA in 1869, died in 1917.

• His mom and dad were plantation slaves.

• Played guitar, piano, and cornet at a very young age.

• Left home at age 14, going on the road playing at bars. He also did quite well.

• “Maple Leaf Rag”• “Treemonisha”

Beethoven

• Born in Germany in 1770, died in 1827.

• He changed music forever. So much in fact that they had to change the construction of the piano so it wouldn’t break when you played it.

• He eventually went deaf.• Most of his music is made

out of anger.• “Symphony #5”• “Fur Elise”

“The Persistence of Memory”

• Painted by Salvador Dali.• If you look at it sideways,

the item that looks like a horse, is a self portrait.

• It is a surreal painting.• The clock on the table

has ants on it to represent the end of time and death.

“The Son of Man”

• Painted by Rene Magritte.

• Was painted in 1965.• It is a self portrait.• The message is:

Everything we see hides another thing. We always want to see what is hidden by what we see, but it is impossible. Humans hide their secrets too well.

“The Flower Carrier”

• Painted by Diego Rivera.• Painted in 1939.• The lady represents the

business owners that are always lucky.

• The man represents the unskilled worker.

• The flowers represent the luxuries the business owners get to have.

“Oriental Poppies”

• Painted by Georgia O’Keefe.

• Painted in 1928.• The painting

represents what she was feeling in her heart.

• The center of the flowers is deep purple.

“The Kiss”

• Painted by Gustav Klimt.• He was an Austrian artist.• Everything other than the

woman and man is negative space.

• The man is in geometric squares and the lady is geometric in circles.

Fugue

• A composition of several voices or instruments repeat a number of melodies with slight variations.

• It is based on counterpoint.

• Two or more melodies are combined.

• Bach wrote a fugue called “Little” Fugue in G minor BWV 578.

Symphony

• Has 4 movements.• 1st is fairly fast (allegro),

number of melodies repeating.

• 2nd is very slow• 3rd is a minuet or waltz in

2/3 time.• 4th is very, very fast with

short notes.• Haydn created the

“Surprise Symphony”.

Requiem

• It is a singing mass (religious service) for the dead.

• It is a worshiping for the dead.

• A funeral liturgy from the catholic church.

• Mozart was writing a requiem before he died and never finished it.

The End!

Thanks for choosing our PowerPoint. Come again!