Tomoko asserts that pianists should get acquainted with the composers of the piano pieces they are performing. Fall for these ten great piano composers who were born in November.
November 2, 1729: Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf was an
Austrian violinist and composer for several instruments, including the piano.
He was a friend of Mozart and Haydn.
November 6, 1860: Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a Polish music teacher
and composer; he was also an internationally popular piano performer. He served
as Poland’s prime minister in World War I, and signed the Treaty of Versailles.
November 7, 1810: Ferenc Erkel was a Hungarian pianist and
composer. He is known as the father of Hungarian opera, and composed Hungary’s
national anthem.
November 11, 1668: Francois Couperin was a French Baroque
composer and organist. His most famous books was The Art of Harpsichord Playing,
and he composed four volumes of harpsichord music.
November 14, 1900: Aaron Copland was an American composition
teacher and conductor, and well as being called the Dean of American Composers.
He is known for his populate style.
November 22, 1913: Benjamin Britten. One of Tomoko’s favorite
composers, Britten was an English pianist, conductor and composer. Besides
writing operas, he wrote solo pieces. He was also interested in writing music
for children, the most notable piece being Noye’s Fludde.
November 24, 1868: Scott Joplin was an African American pianist
and composer. He has been called the King of Ragtime, and considered this musical
genre a form of classical music.
November 25, 1785: Franz Gruber was a German organist and
composer. He is best known as the composer of Silent Night.
November 25, 1897: Virgil Thompson was an American He studied piano at Harvard, and composed
for that instrument – as well as composed operas and film music. He was awarded
that National Medal of Arts by President Reagan.
November 28, 1829: Anton Rubinstein was a Russian performing
pianist, conductor and composer. He was
also Tchaikovsky’s composition teacher.
