Famous Russian composers. The most famous composers in the world

The melodious singing of birds, the quiet whisper of trees and the roar of mountain streams have accompanied the human race since the beginning of time. People grew up in the harmony of natural music and over time began to play music, imitating nature. They took over the baton of creating musical works in the 18th century and achieved unprecedented heights in the creation of musical masterpieces.

The first began to appear with the development at the beginning of the 18th century of the Russian school of composition. Describing this period, there is no need to talk about their own composer achievements, since for the most part Russian composers imitated and copied the achievements of Western culture. This is how the first stage of the formation of the national composer tradition began. A representative of this period was Bortnyansky, who copied Vivaldi's work in his works.

In the first half of the 19th century, Glinka made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian school of composition, for which he is considered the first great Russian composer who managed to introduce the Russian national tradition into musical works. Russian melodies and intonations are skillfully combined in his works of genius with modern composer trends in Europe at that time. The biography of the Russian composer deserves to be immortalized for centuries and studied by all generations of the Russian people.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the traditional Russian school of composition was represented by Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and many others. They took up the Russian tradition and, as befits a new generation, made their own amendments to the art of music. Now Russian melodies were not expressed so clearly in the works, but their spirit was still clearly traced in the compositions.

At the time, symphonic music was influenced by many objective factors. There was a tendency for the complication of musical compositions with the simultaneous absorption of the cultural traditions of other nationalities. Famous representatives of this era are Shchedrin, Denisov and Gavrilin.

Russian composers have enriched the country's cultural treasury, giving us many brilliant pieces of music. The whole world is fascinated by the compositions of our compatriots to this day. These works and those who wrote such masterpieces are destined for eternal life in the hearts of people.

Varlamov Alexander is a famous composer who has created about 200 works in his 47 years of life.

He directed all his creative powers to writing romances and songs, which fully reflected the soul of a Russian person.

In his works, based on the poems of Russian classics, he expresses the rebellious spirit that is placed in the lines of poetic poems.

Childhood

Alexander Egorovich was born in Moscow in November 15. (27) .1801. His father was a minor official, and his origins he went back to the Moldovan nobles. Already in his youth, he showed interest in the art of music. He could play by ear, not knowing musical notation, on the violin and the guitar.

Gurilyov Alexander is a great Russian musician, whose lyrical romances steadfastly survived two centuries.

The music that flowed in his veins and was reflected on the paper is still striking in its sincerity and sensuality. Vocal works based on the poems of great Russian poets express the national spirit and rich soul of the composer.

Childhood

The boy was born in Moscow into the family of a serf musician in 1803 on August 22. (3.09.) Therefore, childhood and adolescence passed in difficult conditions of hard life. Alexander's father served as the head of the orchestra of Count V. Orlov. So the love of music was born in the soul of a small child.

When he reached the seventh year, his father fully engaged in the musical education of his son.

Caesar Cui is a gifted composer who created his first piece of music as a teenager.

In addition to the fact that he shone in the cultural sphere, he made a significant contribution to military affairs. In both areas, he left his mark.

Childhood

The child was born in 1835 on January 6 in the territory of modern Vilnius. His father was French, he remained in Russia after in 1812 the remnants of the Napoleonic army, in which he was listed, did not return to their homeland.

Alexander Borodin is a talented person. He is definitely talented in everything, he left a deep mark on the Russian culture of the XIX century.

Its prints can be found in completely different areas. Alexander took part in the scientific, political, pedagogical and cultural activities of the country. However, the whole world knows this man as a great composer.

early years

Alexander was born on November 12, 1833. His father was Prince Gedianov. The boy was an illegitimate child. Therefore, he was recorded under the name of a serf, an employee in their house - Borodin.

When the child was 8 years old, his father died, having given him freedom before that. Alexander grew up in a posh house donated by Gedianov.

Anton Grigorievich Rubinstein is a global personality. Composer, conductor, teacher, pianist, public figure.

His amazing energy made him create, do charity work, devote himself to musical and educational work.

Childhood

16 (28) .11.1829 saw the world a baby who was named Anton. The event took place in a comfortable Jewish family in the village of Vykhvatinets, Podolsk province (now it is the Dnieper Moldavian Republic). When the child was three years old, the Rubinsteins arrived in Moscow.

The boy began to show interest in music early. He listened carefully when his mother played music, and sang the tunes he liked.

Alexander Dargomyzhsky had a huge impact on the development of Russian musical art. Sitting down at the piano, this man was completely transformed. He admired everyone with his passion for music and easy playing, although in everyday life he did not make a vivid impression on people.

Music is precisely the area where he revealed his talent, and then gave the world great works.

Childhood

Alexander was born in the village of Troitskaya in 1813 on 2/14/02. His family was large, besides him there were five more children. Until the age of five, little Sasha did not speak. His voice was late formed. For the rest of his life, he remained tall with him with a slight hoarseness, which was not considered a drawback, but helped him to touch the hearts of listeners while singing.

Sergei Taneyev is a little-known classic of Russian music. Once upon a time, his name was heard by the educated public in all parts of the vast Russian Empire. Today, only music historians and students of a few music schools and colleges named after him know about him.

The early years of Sergei Taneyev

Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev was born in the provincial town on November 13, 1856. His father Ivan Ilyich belonged to an old noble family, which began its history from the time of Ivan the Great. From childhood, his parents taught Sergei to play the piano, as was the custom in many noble families. When the boy was ten years old, his parents moved to Moscow and sent their son to a newly opened educational institution - the conservatory.

Childhood and youth

The future composer was born in the small town of Yelets (now Lipetsk region) on May 28, 1913 into a merchant family. Tikhon was the youngest of ten children. Very early in the boy showed a talent for music. At the age of nine, he began playing the piano. When Tikhon was eleven, he had a new teacher - the capital's pianist Vladimir Agarkov.

After Agarkov left Yelets, Anna Vargunina took over the training of the young talent. At this time Khrennikov began to write music. At the age of fourteen, he went to Moscow to show his first works to Agarkov. The teacher praised the gifted young man, but advised him to finish the nine-year school in his hometown and only after that think about a career in music.

A.P. Borodin is known as an outstanding composer, author of the opera "Prince Igor", the symphony "Heroic" and other musical works.

He is much less known as a scientist who made an invaluable contribution to the science of organic chemistry.

Origin. early years

A.P. Borodin was the illegitimate son of the 62-year-old Georgian prince L.S.Genevanishvili and A.K. Antonova. He was born on 31.10. (12.11) 1833.

He was recorded as the son of the prince's serfs - the spouses Porfiry Ionovich and Tatiana Grigorievna Borodin. Thus, for eight years the boy was listed in his father's house as a serf. But before his death (1840), the prince gave his son free, bought him and his mother Avdotya Konstantinovna Antonova a four-story house, having previously married her to the military doctor Kleinecke.

The boy, in order to avoid unnecessary rumors, was introduced as Avdotya Konstantinovna's nephew. Since the origin did not allow Alexander to study at the gymnasium, he studied at home all the subjects of the gymnasium course, in addition, German and French, having received an excellent home education.

Music is one of the finest creations of humanity. She is able to influence the innermost strings of the soul, prompting for noble and even heroic deeds. To write a work that would excite the hearts of people for many decades or centuries, you need to be “kissed by God” and have an innate talent. We invite you to find out who are the most famous composers of classical music, who created the most famous operas, concerts, symphonies and ballets.

Saint Hildegard of Bingen

This nun, who lived in the 12th century, is considered the "mother of the opera". She has recorded over 70 chants, including Ordo Virtutum. There are 16 female parties of "Virtues" and one male party, personifying the Devil. The music of Saint Hildegard had a great influence on the composers of the Renaissance.

Guillaume Dufay

The illegitimate son of a priest from childhood was brought up at the cathedral of the French city of Combray and sang in the church choir.

Subsequently, he was recognized as the most famous among European composers of the 15th century. The merit of Dufay is that he managed to combine medieval techniques with the harmonies and phrasings characteristic of the early Renaissance. Along with the masses, he also wrote chanson, Under his song L'homme armé, King Philip the Good gathered troops for a crusade against the Turks.

Giovanni da Palestrina

The composer, also known by the nickname Giannetto, lived in Italy in the 16th century. To him, humanity owes the creation of the phenomenon known as polyphonic chanting for Catholic worship.

Thanks to Giannetto, the Cathedral of Trent brought about a reform in church music. Pope Pius the Fourth compared the masses he wrote with the singing that Saint John the Apostle "heard in heavenly Jerusalem."

Antonio Vivaldi

Already the work of "The Four Seasons" by this great Italian is enough for him to be included in the list of "Famous composers of all times and peoples." Vivaldi is considered the musician who made the transition from heavy-sounding baroque music to light classics. Along with serious works, he wrote many charming serenades, and also went down in history as a genius capable of creating a 3-act opera in 5 days.

Moreover, many historians believe that it was he who, more than his other contemporary colleagues, influenced the formation of many famous classical composers of subsequent generations.

Georg Frideric Handel

Already at the age of 11, young Georg was a court harpsichordist at the court of the Berlin elector. He was born in the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach, but unlike the latter he was not a hereditary musician.

As a renowned composer, Handel told one of his admirers that his goal has always been to make people better with his music.

Johann Sebastian Bach

The most famous composers of the 19th-20th centuries have repeatedly called this great musician their teacher. In total, he wrote over 1000 works and went down in history as one of the most virtuoso organists of all time. In addition, Johann Sebastian Bach is recognized as a master of polyphony, as well as the creator of masterpieces of clavier music.

Ludwig van Beethoven, born 20 years after the death of his senior colleague, called him “the true father of harmony”, and the famous philosopher Georg Hegel, “an erudite genius”.

Subsequently, many famous composers, such as Liszt, Schumann, Brahms, etc., wishing to express their respect to him, included Bach's musical phrases in their works.

Franz Joseph Haydn

The musician lived all his life in Austria and, in his own words, was “doomed to become original”, as he was isolated from other composers and did not have the opportunity to get acquainted with the trends of contemporary music.

Only at the age of 47, Haydn could change the terms of the contract, according to which for 18 years all his works were considered the property of the Esterhazy clan of Hungarian magnates. This allowed him to write the kind of music he wanted and achieve international fame.

In the field of writing instrumental music, Haydn is rightly considered one of the most famous composers of the second half of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Probably there is no such famous composer of classical music, whose works are as popular today as the compositions of Mozart. Even many rock stars perform them in modern processing and are used as accompaniment by famous rappers.

The musical heritage of Amadeus is more than six hundred compositions. He belongs to geniuses, whose musical talent manifested itself at a very early age. Already at the age of 5, Wolfgang began to write his first works, and at the age of 6 he could perfectly play the harpsichord and violin.

The composer's masterpieces include Requiem, The Wedding of Figaro, Turkish March, Little Night Serenade, Don Juan, 41 symphonies, etc. They amaze with their perfection and ease of perception. Even those who do not consider themselves a fan of classical music enjoy listening to arias from the composer's operas.

Giuseppe Verdi

Those interested in vocal art recognize that one of the most famous composers in this genre is undoubtedly Giuseppe Verdi. His operas are most often performed on the most famous stages around the world. Many of Verdi's arias are among the most performed classics.

During his lifetime, the composer was often criticized for indulging the tastes of the common people. However, subsequent generations recognized many of his works as masterpieces of world art. They are particularly melodic and can be easily reproduced even by those who do not have a special ear for music and singing talent.

Ludwig van Beethoven

The composer is recognized as a key figure in the transition from romanticism to classicism. Beethoven wrote in all contemporary musical genres. However, his instrumental works are best known, including his overtures, symphonies, sonatas, and several concertos for violin and piano.

One of the most frequently performed works of the composer is "Ode to Joy", which was included in Beethoven's 9th Symphony. It is recognized as the official anthem of the EU.

Richard Wagner

In the list of "Famous German music composers of the XIX century" Wagner occupies a special place, as he is considered a kind of revolutionary. His works are distinguished by rich chromaticism, harmony and orchestration. Wagner introduced the concept of a leitmotif into musical art: a theme associated with a specific character, as well as a plot and place. In addition, the composer is the founder of musical drama, who had a great influence on the development of classical music.

Johann Strauss

When listing the names of famous composers, they often indicate only musicians who have created and are creating serious works. However, the king of the waltz, Johann Strauss, certainly deserves to be included in the number of people who have made the greatest contribution to the development of the musical culture of mankind.

In total, Strauss wrote over 500 pieces in the dance genre. Many of his waltzes are still popular today, and even those who are not fans of classical music listen to them.

Frederic Chopin

This Polish composer is considered one of the most prominent representatives of romanticism in world musical culture. In addition, Chopin is the founder of the Polish school of composition. He contributed a lot to the recognition and increase of the authority of his homeland in Europe. Among the works of this famous composer, waltzes occupy a special place, which are considered to be a kind of Chopin's autobiography.

Antonín Dvořák

The famous Czech composer made an enormous contribution to the development of Czech national music. Among other things, he was a virtuoso violinist and violist. He managed to gain worldwide popularity, as classical music lovers were attracted by the symbiosis of elements of the national music of Bohemia and Moravia with European classics.

Dvořek's most famous works include Symphony No. 9 "From the New World", "Requiem", opera "Mermaid", "Slavic Dances", "American" String Quartet and Stabat Mater.

Famous composers of Russia

Our country has made a significant contribution to the development of the musical culture of mankind.

The most famous composers of Russia are:

• Mikhail Glinka. The composer, who worked in the first half of the 19th century, was the first to create large-scale works based on Russian folk songs. His most famous work is the opera Ivan Susanin, in which Glinka managed to combine the traditions of Russian choral singing and European operatic art.
• Pyotr Tchaikovsky. This great musician belongs to the most famous composers in the world.

Tchaikovsky considered one of his most important missions to increase the glory of his homeland. And he succeeded in full, since today the melodies from his works are performed in all corners of the planet, and his ballets are staged on the most famous stage venues in the world. Especially famous are such works by Tchaikovsky as the ballets Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and others.

• Sergei Prokofiev. The ballet Romeo and Juliet by this composer is considered one of the best works of this genre of the 20th century. His achievements also include the creation of his own style, recognized as a new word in the world music art.
• Dmitry Shostakovich. During the siege of Leningrad, the whole world was shocked by the premiere performance of the composer's "Leningrad Symphony". Shostakovich managed to convey the determination of the city's defenders to fight to the last drop of blood in the language of music. Despite the persecution and accusations of bourgeois decadence, the composer continued to create original works that put him on a par with the most famous composers of the twentieth century.

Famous contemporary composers

It just so happens that the general public today is very little interested in serious music. Most often, composers come to fame if they write music for films. Among the most popular composers of recent decades are the following:

• Michel Legrand. Initially, the composer gained fame as a virtuoso pianist and conductor of classical music. However, he gained wide popularity thanks to his films. His music for the film-opera "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" earned Legrand his first Oscar nomination. Later, the composer received this award three times, and also received the Benoit Dance prize for the ballet Liliom.
• Ludovico Einaudi. This Italian composer prefers a minimalist style, and also successfully combines classics with other musical directions. Einaudi is known to a wide circle of music lovers for his soundtracks, for example, everyone has heard the melody he wrote for the French tape "1 + 1".
• Philip Glass. The composer initially worked in the field of the classics, but over time he was able to blur the line between it and modern musical directions. For several decades Glass has been playing in his own group, the Philip Glass Ensemble. Film lovers are familiar with his works written for the films "The Illusionist", "The Truman Show", "Taste of Life" and "Fantastic Four".
• Giovanni Marradi. The composer is not related to cinema, but has gained popularity due to the retro-classical sound of his works, in which he uses motives from previous centuries.

Now you know the names of the most famous composers. The music that they created in different centuries, and today is able to awaken the kindest and highest feelings, even in the stale souls of people who have forgotten about lofty ideals.

The 20th century is considered to be the time of great inventions that made people's lives much better and, in some respects, easier. However, there is an opinion that nothing new was created in the world of music at this time, but only used the works of previous generations. This list is intended to refute such an unfair conclusion and to honor the many musical works created after 1900, as well as their authors.

Edgar Varese - Ionization (1933)

Varese is a French electronic music composer who used new sounds in his work, created on the basis of the popularization of electricity. He researched timbres, rhythms and dynamics, often using rather rough percussive sounds. No other composition will be able to form an idea of ​​Varez's work so completely as "Ionization", created for 13 percussion instruments. Among the instruments are ordinary orchestral bass drums, snare drums, and in this piece you can also hear the roar of a lion and the howl of a siren.

Karlheinz Stockhausen - Zyklus (1959)

Stockhausen, like Varese, sometimes created extreme works. For example, Zyklus is a piece written for drums. Translated means "Circle". This composition got its name not by accident. It can be read from anywhere in any direction, even upside down.

George Gershwin - Blues Rhapsody (1924)

George Gershwin is a truly American composer. He often uses blues and jazz scales in his compositions, instead of the diatonic scale that most musicians of the classical Western tradition usually use. Gershwin's "Rhapsody" in the blues style, his greatest work, the one thanks to which he will definitely be remembered for you forever. It often serves as a reminder of the 1920s, the era of jazz, a time of wealth and luxury. This is a longing for a beautiful time gone by.

Philip Glass - Einstein on the Beach (1976)

Philip Glass is a contemporary composer who continues to create in abundance today. The composer's style is considered minimalism, which gradually develops ostinato in his music.
Glass's most famous opera Einstein on the Beach lasted 5 hours without intermission. It was so long that viewers came and went as they pleased. It is interesting in that it has absolutely no plot, but only shows various scenes describing Einstein's theories and, in general, his life.

Krzysztof Penderecki - Polish Requiem (1984)

Penderecki is a composer who was fond of expanding techniques and unique playing styles on conventional instruments. He is perhaps better known for his other work "Lamentations for the Victims of Hiroshima", but this list includes the largest one - "Polish Requiem", which combines one of the oldest forms of musical composition (the author of the very first Requiem was Okegem, who lived in the Renaissance ) and unconventional style of performance. Here Penderecki uses screams, short, harsh shouts from the choir and voices, and the addition of Polish text at the end completes the image of a truly unique musical art.

Alban Berg - Wozzeck (1922)

Berg is the composer who brought serialism to popular culture. His opera Wozzeck, based on a surprisingly non-heroic plot, became the first opera in the characteristic daring style of the 20th century, and thus marked the beginning of the development of the avant-garde on the opera stage.

Aaron Copland - Fanfare for the Common Man (1942)

Copeland composed music in a style different from that of his American counterpart George Gershwin. While many of Gershwin's works are suited to cities and clubs, Copeland uses rural themes, including truly American themes such as cowboys.
Copeland's most famous work is considered to be "Fanfare for the Common Man". When asked who it was dedicated to, Aaron replied that it was an ordinary person, since it was ordinary people who significantly influenced the victory of the United States in World War II.

John Cage - 4'33 "(1952)

Cage was a revolutionary - he was the first to use non-traditional instruments in music, such as keys and paper. His most striking innovation is the modification of the piano, where he shoved washers and nails into the instrument, resulting in dry percussive sounds.
4'33 ″ is basically 4 minutes 33 seconds of music. However, the music you hear is not being played by the performer. You hear random sounds in the concert hall, the noise of air conditioning, or the hum of cars outside. What was considered silence is not silence - this is what the Zen school teaches, which became the source of Cage's inspiration.

Witold Lutoslawski - Concerto for Orchestra (1954)

Lutosławski is one of Poland's greatest composers, specializing in aleatoric music. He became the first musician to be awarded Poland's highest state award - the Order of the White Eagle.
Concerto for Orchestra is the result of the composer's inspiration from the work Concerto for Orchestra by Bel Bartok. It includes imitations of the baroque genre of Concerto Grosso, intertwined with Polish melodies. The most striking thing is that this piece is atonal, it does not correspond to the major or minor key.

Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (1913)

Stravinsky is one of the greatest composers who ever lived. He seems to have taken a little bit from a large number of composers. He composed in the styles of serialism, neoclassicism and neo-baroque.
The most famous composition of Stravinsky is considered "The Rite of Spring", which was a scandalous success. At the premiere, Camille Saint-Saens ran out of the hall at the very beginning, scolding the excessively high register of the bassoon, in his opinion, the instrument was used incorrectly. The audience booed the performance, indignant at the primitive rhythms and vulgar costumes. The crowd literally attacked the performers. True, the ballet soon gained popularity and won the love of the audience, becoming one of the most influential works of the great composer.

The benefits of classical music, perhaps, is known to almost every inhabitant of a civilized society, scientists have long proven its positive impact on the psychological state of a person.

Classics are classical for that, it remains immortal forever, each new generation has its own admirers of this direction, while classical music progresses, develops and transforms, while always remaining at the proper level.

Among the impressive variety of composers of the past and present, I would like to highlight a dozen of those whose names have already gone down in history, because they managed to compose music of the highest level, which significantly expanded the boundaries of the limits of classical sounds, reaching a new level of beauty.

This time, our top 10 will not contain numbers and places of honor, because evaluating and comparing the greatest and, to be sure, the most famous composers in the world, whose names, in fact, should be familiar to every minimally educated person, is somehow silly.

Therefore, we present to you their names, as well as several interesting facts from the biography, without numbers and comparisons. If you are not yet an active fan of classical music, then listen, at least for the sake of interest, to a few works of these great composers, and you will understand that music that has inspired more than a dozen generations cannot be mundane or, even worse, boring.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Today he is one of the most respected, popular and performed composers in the world, Beethoven wrote in all musical genres known at that time, but it is believed that the most significant among his works are precisely instrumental creations, including concerts for violin and piano, symphonies, overtures and sonatas.

Little Beethoven grew up in a musical family, and therefore from a very young age they began to teach him to play the harpsichord, organ, flute and violin. In the last few years of his life, Beethoven lost his hearing, amazingly, but this did not prevent him from writing whole series of unique works, including the famous Ninth Symphony.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

The famous and beloved German composer all over the world, who is a prominent representative of the Baroque era. In total, he wrote about 1000 pieces of music, which were represented by all significant genres of that era, except for opera.

Among the closest relatives and ancestors of Johann Bach were many professional musicians, he himself became the founder of one of the most famous dynasties. Surprisingly, during his lifetime, Bach did not receive a special vocation, interest in his work increased a whole century after his death.

Some connoisseurs argue that Bach's music is too gloomy and gloomy, however, as the followers of his work claim, it is rather solid and fundamental.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

The greatest Austrian composer, who is rightfully called a genius of his craft: Mozart had a truly phenomenal ear, the ability to improvise, memory, and also proved himself as a talented conductor, virtuoso violinist, organist and harpsichordist.

He composed over 600 pieces of music, many of which are recognized as the pinnacle of chamber, concert, opera and symphonic music. It is believed that Mozart's music has a special healing effect; it is recommended for listening to pregnant and lactating mothers.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

The most famous German composer, who is considered the most influential reformer of opera, he had a tremendous influence on German and European musical culture in general.

Wagner's operas never cease to amaze, amaze, inspire, and also amaze with their incredible scale, which fit into the eternal human values.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Who is not yet familiar with Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker? Then you should definitely do it! Pyotr Ilyich is one of the best Russian composers of all times, who, thanks to his musical works, was able to make an invaluable contribution to the society of musical culture around the world.

Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)

Another famous Austrian composer, honored musical genius, as well as the author of the best song compositions of his time. During his career, Schubert managed to write more than 600 compositions, which were based on the verses of more than 100 famous poets.

Unfortunately, Franz lived a very short life, only 31 years old, who knows how much more beautiful and great things this genius man could have created. Some works of the brilliant author were published only after his death, because Schubert left behind many unpublished manuscripts with unique musical creations.

Johann Strauß (1825-1899)

Recognized "king of the waltz", a brilliant Austrian composer, virtuoso violinist and conductor, who worked in the genre of operetta and dance music all his life.

He wrote about 500 waltz, quadrille, polka and other types of dance music, by the way, it was thanks to him that the waltz rose to the top of its popularity in the 19th century in Vienna. Another interesting fact is that Johann Strauss is the son of a famous Austrian composer, who was also called Johann.

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

Without exaggeration, it will be said that this is the most famous Pole in the field of classical music, who in his work tirelessly praised his homeland, the beauty of its landscapes, and also dreamed of its future greatness.

Unique is the fact that Chopin is one of the few composers who created music exclusively for the piano, in his work you will not find any symphonies or operas. It is the works of this brilliant composer that form the basis for the work of many contemporary pianists.

Giuseppe Francesco Verdi (1813-1901)

Giuseppe Verdi is, first of all, known all over the world for his operas, among which dramatic works occupy a special place. His legacy as the greatest composer can hardly be overestimated, because his music has made a huge contribution to the development of Italian and world opera in general.

Verdi's works are considered incredibly emotional, burning, passionate, interesting, emotions boil in them and life rages. And today, despite the century-old age of most of his operas, they remain one of the most performed, popular and famous among classical music lovers.

Hans Zimmer (September 12, 1957)

The famous German composer of our time, who gained wide popularity thanks to his works written for computer games and famous films. Of course, the composers of our time are difficult to compare with the geniuses of the past, who have strengthened their fame through the centuries, however, they deserve our attention.

Hans's music can be completely varied: tender, touching, exciting, cruel and exciting, you must have heard many of his melodies, but did not know who the author is. You can hear the creations of this author in such films and cartoons as "The Lion King", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Pearl Harbor", "Rain Man" and others.

Among these melodies there is a motive for any mood: romantic, positive or dreary, in order to relax and not think about anything, or, conversely, to collect thoughts.

The Italian composer and pianist works in the direction of minimalism, often turns to ambient and skillfully combines the classics with other musical styles. He is widely known for atmospheric compositions that have become soundtracks for films. For example, you probably recognize the music from the French 1 + 1 tape, written by Einaudi.

Glass is one of the most controversial personalities in the world of modern classics, who is sometimes exalted to the skies, then criticized to smithereens. He has been with his own group, the Philip Glass Ensemble, for half a century and has written scores for over 50 films, including The Truman Show, The Illusionist, Taste of Life and Fantastic Four. The melodies of the American minimalist composer blur the line between classical and popular music.

He is the author of many soundtracks, the best film composer of 2008 according to the European Film Academy and a post-minimalist. Conquered critics from the first album Memoryhouse, in which Richter's music was superimposed on poetry reading, and in subsequent albums, fictional prose was also used. In addition to writing his own ambient compositions, he arranges works of classics: Vivaldi's Seasons, in his arrangement, topped the iTunes classical music charts.

This creator of instrumental music from Italy is not associated with the acclaimed cinema, but without that he is known as a composer, virtuoso and an experienced piano teacher. If you describe the music of Marradi in two words, it will be the words "sensual" and "magical". His creations and covers will appeal to those who love retro classics: the notes of the last century shine through in the motives.

The renowned film composer has created musical scores for many high-grossing films and cartoons, including Gladiator, Pearl Harbor, Inception, Sherlock Holmes, Interstellar, Madagascar, The Lion King. Its star flaunts on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and on its shelf are Oscars, Grammy and Golden Globes. Zimmer's music is as different as these films, but regardless of the key, it takes to the living.

Hisaishi is one of the most famous Japanese composers, having received four Japanese Academy Awards for Best Film Music. He became famous for writing the soundtrack for Hayao Miyazaki's anime "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind." If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli or Takeshi Kitano's tapes, then you will surely admire Hisaishi's music. It is mostly light and light.

This Icelandic multi-instrumentalist is just a boy compared to the listed masters, but by his 30 years he managed to become a recognized neoclassicist. He has recorded an accompaniment to the ballet, won a BAFTA for the soundtrack to the British TV series Murder on the Beach and released 10 studio albums. Arnalds' music is reminiscent of the harsh wind on a deserted seashore.

Lee Roo Ma's most famous works are Kiss the Rain and River Flows in You. The Korean New Age composer and pianist writes popular classics that can be understood by listeners on any continent, with any musical taste and education. His light and sensual melodies became the beginning of love for piano music for many.

Dustin O'Helloran

The American composer is interesting in that he has no musical education, but at the same time writes the most pleasant and quite popular music. O'Halloran's tunes have been featured on Top Gear and several films. Perhaps the most successful soundtrack album was for the melodrama "Like Crazy." This composer and pianist knows a lot about the art of conducting and how to create electronic music. But his main field is modern classics. Cacchapaglia has recorded numerous albums, three of them with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His music flows like water, it will be great to relax under it.

What other contemporary composers are worth listening to

If you love the epic, add Klaus Badelt, who collaborated with Zimmer on Pirates of the Caribbean, to your playlist. Also not to be missed is Jan Kaczmarek, Alexander Desplat, Howard Shore and John Williams - you need to write a separate article to list all their work, achievements and awards.

If you want more delicious neoclassicism, take a look at Niels Frahm and Sylvain Chauot.

If you are missing, remember the creator of the soundtrack to "Amelie" by Jan Tiersen or discover the Japanese composer Tammon: he writes airy, fabulous melodies.

Which composers' music do you like and which ones do not? Who else would you add to this list?