Un portal on escoltar i gaudir de l'art musical dels segles XVI, XVII, XVIII i XIX. Compartir la bellesa de la música és l'objectiu d'aquest espai i fer-ho donant a conèixer obres de compositors molt o poc coneguts és el mètode.
Alsatian priest and composer. After preliminary studies in Sélestat he
entered the Benedictine convent of Ebersmünster, where he became master
of the novices, teacher, and in 1745 prior, at the same time acquiring
sufficient reputation as a harpsichordist to play before Louis XV during
the king's visit to Strasbourg in 1744. His knowledge of the organ led
to invitations to examine new instruments. As a superior he insisted
upon strict adherence to the rule of his order, but he could also be
amusing and entertaining. At his death he was provost of the convent of
St Marx near Gerberschweier. Harst's only known work is his 'Recueil de
différentes pièces de clavecin' (1745). He was one of the very few
composers to use François Couperin's term ordre for a group of pieces in
the same key, and his style is an amalgam of Couperin, Jean-Philippe
Rameau and Jean-François Dandrieu.
Brazilian composer, instrumentalist, and conductor in the Captaincy of
Minas Gerais. A bassoonist and timpanist for the Regiment of Dragoons,
he also served as a contralto singer and eventually succeeded José
Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita as music director at the Matriz do
Pilar in 1800. In addition to his musical professional career, he held
administrative roles, including treasurer and clerk, within several
religious brotherhoods. While historical estimates suggest a prolific
output of approximately 200 compositions, only a small number of
manuscripts have been preserved. His extant catalog is defined by sacred
works for voices and chamber orchestra, most notably the Novena de
Nossa Senhora do Pilar (1789) and the Matins Spiritus Domini (1795).
German composer. He was the ninth child of Carl Wagner, a clerk in the
Leipzig police service. Richard’s father died six months after his
birth. Soon after, Richard’s mother started living with her late
husband’s friend named Ludwig Geyer. After a while, she and her family
moved to Geyer’s residence in Dresden. Richard lived here until he
turned 14. Geyer loved theater and this interest was shared by Richard
who took part in his performances. In 1820, Richard was enrolled at
Pastor Wetzel’s school near Dresden. Here, he received piano instruction
from a Latin teacher. After Geyer’s death in 1821, Richard was sent to a
boarding school of Dresdner Kreuzchor, which was paid for by Geyer’s
brother. When Richard turned nine, he was impressed by the Gothic
elements of Carl Weber’s opera Der Freischutz. During this time, Richard
entertained ambitions as a playwright. By 1827, the family went back to
Leipzig. His first lessons in harmony were taken between 1828 and 1831.
In January of 1828, he heard Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and later in
March, the same composer’s 9th Symphony. In 1831, Richard joined Leipzig
University. He became a member of the Saxon student fraternity. Richard
also took composition lessons from Thomaskantor Weinlig. In 1833,
Richard’s brother managed to get a position for him as a choir master at
a theatre in Wurzburg. When he turned 20 that same year, Richard
composed his first complete opera entitled Die Feen, which means The
Fairies. In 1834, he went back to Leipzig where he held a short
appointment as a musical director at the Magdeburg opera house. During
this time, he wrote Das Liebesverbot, or The Ban on Love. This
composition was based on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. In 1840,
Richard completed Rienzi. With a lot of support from Giacomo Meyerbeer,
this was accepted for performance by the Dresden Court Theatre in 1842.
Richard lived in Dresden for the next six years.
During his time here, he was appointed the Royal Saxon Court-Conductor.
However, his involvement with left-wing politics terminated his stay in
Dresden. After leaving Dresden, Richard was unable to enter Germany for
the next 11 years due to great political instability. During this time,
he wrote Opera and Drama and then started developing his popular Ring
Cycle. This work combined literature, music, and visual elements in a
way that would anticipate the future of film. In 1843, Wagner completed
The Flying Dutchman, which was considered one of the greatest works of
the time. In 1845, Richard produced Tannhauser and then started working
on Lohengrin. In 1862, Richard returned to Germany. He was invited by
the king to settle in Bavaria. In 1869 and 1870, Richard’s first two
operas were presented in Munich. Richard died of a heart attack on
February 13, 1883. He was 69 years old and died while on vacation in
Venice. His body was shipped back to Bayreuth where he was buried. Until
his final years, Richard’s life was characterized by political exile,
poverty, turbulent love affairs and repeated flight from creditors. His
controversial music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment
in the recent decade. The effect of his ideas can actually be traced in
many arts throughout 20th century. Their influence spread beyond
composition to philosophy, visual arts, theatre and literature. During
his lifetime, his work was deeply loved by many and influenced other
composers. He was able to revolutionize opera through his concept of
Gesamtkunstwerk, which translates to “total work of art.” His
compositions, and especially those of later years, are notable for their
complex textures, orchestration, rich harmonies and elaborate use of
leitmotifs. His musical language composed of extreme use of chromaticism
and shifting tonal centers greatly influenced the development of
classical music.
French composer. Born into a family of woodwind instrument makers,
instrumentalists and composers, he was son of Martin Hotteterre
(c.1635-1712). He served in the hautbois et musettes de Poitou. On his
father's death in 1712 he succeeded to the business, continuing the
workshop on the rue de Harlay until his death. His only extant
collection of 'Pièces pour la muzette qui peuvent aussi se jouer sur la
flûte, sur le haubois etc... oeuvre posthume' was published by his
brother Jacques Hotteterre (1673-1763) in 1722. During the 17th century
various members of the family moved to Paris, where they gained fame as
instrument makers and players, serving royal music-making. They are
credited with developing early prototypes of the Baroque oboe, bassoon,
musette and flute. Their talents in instrument making, playing,
composition and pedagogy converged to form the foundation of the French
school of woodwind playing.
Italian violinist and composer. He was probably trained in the city of
Milan, by 1758 was named solo violinist to the court of the Duke of
Wurttemberg in Stuttgart. He also commenced touring as a virtuoso,
appearing with great success in Vienna (c.1760) and at the Concert
Spirituel in Paris (1764, 1766). As a result of incurring debts, the
Stuttgart court allowed him to tour extensively in order to recoup his
losses. His tours took him to Frankfurt am Main and Utrecht (1769),
Italy (1771), and northern Germany (1773). Lolli's Stuttgart contract
was abrogated due to his debts in 1774. He then went to St. Petersburg,
where he was a favorite of Catherine II in the capacity of chamber
virtuoso (1774-83). He also found favor with Grigori Potemkin. Lolli
continued to tour, and absented himself from the court between 1777 and
1780. Having dissipated 10,000 florins he had accumulated from gambling,
he returned to St. Petersburg in 1780 and succeeded in regaining his
social and artistic position. He appeared in concerts at Potemkin's
palace there, and also in Moscow. Despite his frequent derelictions of
duty, he was retained at the court until his contract was terminated in
1783. In 1784 he gave his last public concerts in Russia. He then
appeared in Stockholm, Hamburg, and Copenhagen (1784), London (1785),
and Italy. After visits to Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Stettin (1791),
Palermo (1793), and Vienna (1794). In 1794 he was engaged as maestro di
cappella to the court of Naples. After retirement, he settled in
Palermo, where he spent his last years in poverty. As a performer, he
was greatly admired for his commanding technique as a virtuoso and he
was even known as 'the Shakespeare among violinists', but as a composer
critics such as Charles Burney found his music bizarre. Lolli had little
if any formal training in composition, nor did he ever realize his
intentions of studying counterpoint with Padre Martini. Such study might
not have made him a better composer, but identification as a Martini
pupil might have mitigated contemporary criticism of his works. His
music consists of 12 violin concertos, 28 violin sonatas, six duos, and
36 solo violin capriccios. His main claim to fame is a treatise,
'L’école du violon en quatuor' (1784).
