Hugo Wolf - His Music and His Life

The Austrian-Slovenian Hugo Wolf was born in Windischgraetz on March 13, 1860 and started music studies at the Viennese conservatory.

He was a "difficult student" because of his egoistic spoils. He became the person he was just out of his strength and powerful will. Wolf was one of the outstanding European composers, who sounded literary works of great poets such as Heinrich Heine or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

His first accepted composition "Das Mausefallenspruechlein" came out in 1882. The symphonic poem "Phentesilia" followed one year later.

From 1884 till 1887, Hugo Wolf became a music critic with many write-ups in different publications. His several unprofessional criticisms resulted in uncounted figures of enemies, mostly respected and known composers during that time.

This hindered Wolf to celebrate his own "great" compositions. Suddenly musical ideas locked. His friends tried to support him, but mostly without success. Operas like "Michelangelo" (1897) flopped.

A melancholy man who never knew how to smile, passed away in Vienna on February 22, 1903.

Max Reger - His Music and His Life

The German Max Reger was born in Brand, Fichtelgebirge on March 19, 1873.

Reger experienced an incredible career up to becoming Court Conducter in Meiningen/Germany. The daily contact with a proficient orchestra trained Reger's sense, mind and meaning for colorful instrumentation.

As piano virtuoso, Reger sent his listeners into raptures because of a wonderful fine and delicate finger touch. 

In my opinion Reger is the most unterrated piano composer ever. "Varations and Fugue on a theme by Bach" is probably his most famous piano work. "Thinking in fugues" - that's why his organ compositions belong to German music treasures. But also his chamber music repertory remained as unsurpassable rich. Even being a devote Catholic, Reger enriched also other creeds with varied church and organ music works.

Max Reger's lifestyle has been described as "full of deeply moral earnestness". He passed away in Leipzig on May 11, 1916.

Henry Purcell - His Music and His Life

The British Henry Purcell was born 1659 in London. He became a Westminster Abbey organist, joined the Royal Orchestra and started as Royal Court Composer in 1683.

Purcell's compositions showed "early English classic music's apex". He composed more then 50 drama plays - among them were Shakespeare's "Richard II", "Storm" or "A midnight's summer dream".

The opera "Dido and Aeneas" (1689) was a simple casual job for a girls boarding school but became a real "great opera" with an overture in French style, a prologue and three acts. "Dido and Aeneas" was his summit and also the end of the so-called Early English Opera.

His "King Arthur" (written in 1691) and "Fairy Queen" (written one year later) premiered only 1964 (!) in Germany.

Purcell's composition work contains welcome songs, anthems, suites for strings and much more. Purcell passed away in London on November 21, 1695.

The Best Conductor Insults

They're refined and sensible on the podium, but these musicians are responsible for some pretty brutal put-downs. Uncover the greatest catty remarks and withering comments from some of the best musical minds in the world. 

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Arturo Toscanini

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Siegfried Ochs - His Music and His Life

The German Siegfried Ochs was born in Frankfurt/Main on April 19, 1858. He initially studied chemistry but later switched to music.

In 1882, Siegfried Ochs formed the Philharmonic Choir Berlin, which is still existing until today. Ochs especially supported choral works of Johannes Brahms.

In 1894, Ochs organized a concert contending of compositions by Anton Bruckner and Hugo Wolf. Both composers attended this event personally.

Literary works such as "Der deutsche Gesangverein" (1923, The German Choral Society") - or "Geschehenes - Gesehenes" (1922, Events and Insights) are also very remarkable. Ochs' humoristic compositions can be listened on air very seldom unfortunately.

Siegfried Ochs passed away in Berlin on February 6, 1929.

What were the daily routines of the great composers?

By Kyle Macdonald 

Night owls or early birds - how did Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss structure their day? Their habits in composing, breakfast, socialising and exercise are plotted against those of other great minds in this look at the daily routines of famous creative people. 

In this infographic, the website podio.com has condensed the daily routines of some of history's great creative minds. The hourly habits of Darwin, Freud, Voltaire, Beethoven and others are broken down and plotted against each other in the ultimate diary of genius. 

Beethoven shows how he can power through a long morning's composition on some strong coffee. It's clear that Mozart's compositional muse often visited late at night, after he had been out drinking wine with friends. 

INFOGRAPHIC: How tall were the great composers?

Richard Strauss had a tightly scheduled and disciplined day. No composer listed here comes close to the disciplined early-riser novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac, who set his alarm clock for 1am. A big fan of Nick Bailey's show, possibly. 

Click on the image for a closer, interactive view...

Want to develop a better work routine? Discover how some of the world's greatest minds organized their days.
Click image to see the interactive version (via Podio).

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Arthur Nikisch - His Music and His Life

Arthur Nikisch was born in Lebeng Szent Miklos/Hungary on October 12, 1855 and became a violine student of Joseph Hellmesberger (1828-1893) at the Viennese Conservatory. For his compositions, Nikisch received several outstanding rewards. He was a real sound magnician without philosophical or rather aesthetical resources.

Through an incredible tone color and sonority, Nikisch reached a unique musical experience. Together with his wife Amelie, his compositions such as "My Aunt, Your Aunt" (1911) or "Daniel in the Lion's Hollow" (1914) remained popular until today.

Nikisch's son Mitja (1899-1936) became a very blessed pianist.

Nikisch passed away in Leipzig/Germany on January 23, 1922.