(La-o’ De-lebz’) 1836–91 French composer Known as ‘the father of modern ballet’, Delibes studied with Adolphe Adam and after his first ballet, La Source (1866), composed two enduring masterpieces: Coppélia (1870), which combines brilliantly orchestrated mazurkas, czardas, waltzes and boleros with dramatic symphonic music; and Sylvia (1876), best known as a concert suite, its delightful ‘Pizzicato’ popularized in ...
1836–91, French Delibes was initially taught by his mother and uncle before entering the Paris Conservatoire. He worked as an accompanist and chorus master at the Théâtre Lyrique as well as writing occasional music. Delibes soon completed his first full stage work, Deux sous de charbon (1855), which was produced in 1856. His second work, Deux vieilles gardes ...
(La’-o-nan) fl. c. 1150–1201 French composer Leonin is thought to have compiled the Magnus liber organi (‘Great Book of Organum’) – the collection of polyphony for Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris – and to have composed at least some of it. Although no music is directly ascribed to him, it is possible that some of the works in a new ...
d. 1445 English composer Power was a contemporary of Dunstaple and, although rather less famous than him, was nonetheless an important figure in a period when English music was extremely influential. The majority of his works are movements from the Mass Ordinary. He broke new ground in the composition of Mass cycles, linking the movements of his Mass ...
(Hants La’-o Has-ler) 1562–1612 German composer Hassler was the most important member of a family of musicians. Trained by his father, he travelled in 1584 to Venice, where he studied with Andrea Gabrieli. Hassler’s large surviving output reflects the religious diversity of German-speaking lands during his lifetime. He spent much of his early career in the service of members of ...
Indie guitarist and producer Bernard Butler (b. 1970) was born in Tottenham, London. After learning violin as a child, he took up guitar at the age of 14, inspired by Johnny Marr, learning Smiths’ guitar parts by watching the band play live. He was also influenced by Bernard Sumner and Aztec Camera’s Roddy Frame. After replying to ...
(Rood-jâ’-ro La-on-ka-val’-lo) 1858–1919 Italian composer Leoncavallo’s masterpiece was the one-act opera Pagliacci (‘Clowns’, 1892), for which he wrote the libretto, based on an incident in the Italian town where his father was a judge. In its realistic subject and passionately expressive style, it embodies the verismo movement pioneered by Mascagni, with whose Cavalleria rusticana (‘Rustic Chivalry’, 1890) it is ...
(Vocals, songwriter, 1917–69) Born in Alba, Texas, Payne is best known as the writer of ‘Lost Highway’, which became an enduring classic after it was a hit for Hank Williams in 1949, and ‘I Love You Because’ (Jim Reeves, 1958), alongside many others. As a recording artist, he had a No. 1 hit in ...
1694–1744, Italian Leo was born near Brindisi, studied music in Naples at the Conservatorio San Maria della Pietà dei Turchini, and spent most of the rest of his life in the city. He held various organist and church music positions, and his first opera, Il pisistrato (1714), was staged before he was 20 years old. In ...
c. 1696–1730, Italian Vinci studied at the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo in Naples between 1708 and 1718, and afterwards made his operatic debut with Lo cecato fauzo (‘The False Blind Man’, 1719). He proceeded to dominate operatic life in Naples, and his Li zite ’ngalera (‘The Lovers on the Galley’, 1722) is the earliest extant comic ...
1857–1919, Italian Leoncavallo was born and studied in Naples. His first opera, Chatterton (1876), written to a libretto by himself, did not initially procure any performances and, in spite of encouragement from his family, Leoncavallo did not appear to be going far in the world of opera. However, with the support of the baritone Victor ...
‘Clowns’ Composed: 1892 Premiered: 1892, Milan Libretto by the composer, based on a newspaper crime report Prologue Tonio addresses the audience. The author has sent him to explain that they are to see real people and real passions. Act I A troupe of four travelling players arrives in a Calabrian village. They are led by Canio, with his ...
1918–90, American A hugely talented composer and conductor, Bernstein inspired the American music scene with his passion and flamboyance. Born in Massachusetts and essentially self-taught on the piano, he studied at Harvard and became an overnight sensation when stepping in for ailing New York Philharmonic conductor Bruno Walter in November 1943. Success as a composer followed, ranging ...
1854–1928, Czech Undoubtedly the greatest of all Czech opera composers, and perhaps one of the true geniuses of the opera world, Janáček utilized music and theatre to maximum effect. Born in Moravia, his national style was evident in all his scores, and he was particularly adept at listening and adapting. Having spent plenty of time in ...
First performed on 21 January 1904 in Brno, Jenůfa was later revised and in 1916 received its first performance in Prague under the direction of Karel Kovarovic. He only agreed to direct the opera after submitting to persuasive pressure from friends and colleagues, but he also insisted on making changes to the orchestration. Kovarovic’s revised Jenůfa became the accepted ...
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