Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

Born on December 16, 1775 in Rouen, the Frenchman Francois Adrien Boildieu was a son of an Archdiocesan secretary. At the age of 18, he started composing cheerful and amusing lyrical dramas and operas. In Paris, the piano constructor Sebastian Erard (1752-1831) became Boildieu's mentor. Etienne Nicolas Mehul (1763-1817) and Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842) were Boildieu's very closed friends. He composed 38 operas, which remained as pearls of the so-called Opera Comique. I like to mention just only a few such as "Der Kalif von Bagdad" from 1800 (a kalif was an Arabian governor and Mohammed's follower), "Johann von Paris" (1812), and, especially "La Dame Blanche" (The White Lady, 1825) - just aired in my show last Sunday. Boildieu's piano compositions amuse through wonderful but superficial gleam. The great composer passed away in Paris on October 8, 1834.

The German Leo Blech was born in Aachen on April 21, 1871. He was a real great opera composer and conductor, who is perhaps most famous at his works from 1893-1899, when be became a conductor in his home town Aachen. Later he moved to Prague in the former CSSR. In 1906, Blech became First Conductor of Berlin's Royal Opera House (Koenigliches Schauspielhaus) - later the Berlin State Opera (Staatsoper Unter den Linden). In 1925 in Vienna State Opera, then in Berlin 1936-1941, Riga in Lativa, then Stockholm in Sweden - what a career and what a fulfilled life for Leo Blech, who was known for his reliable, dear and elegant performances and for his sensitivity as an accompanist. Besides apt and practical children's songs, Blech's comic operas deserved sympathy: "Das war ich" (That was me, 1902) and "Versiegelt" (Sealed, 1908). Leo Blech passed away in Berlin on August 24, 1958.

What makes Stradivarius violins so special? Made by Antonio Stradivari and his family, these instruments are among the most valuable violins in the world, highly regarded by performers and audiences. Take a look at pictures from the Stradivarius exhibition at Oxford's Ashmolean museum, uncovering the beauty of these musical works of art. The Alard Stradivarius Antonio Stradivari is one of the most famous makers of stringed instruments (otherwise known as luthiers) of all time. His instruments are highly regarded and often sell for six figure sums at auction thanks to their unique sound and esteemed history. Created in 1715, in Stradivari's 'golden period' this violin takes its name from French violinist Jean-Delphin Alard, its most famed owner. The instrument sold at auction in 1981 to a collector in Singapore for $1.2 million. Look at the ornate carving on the tailpiece.

Eugen d'Albert was born on April 10, 1864 in Glasgow/Scotland. His father was the very known dance composer Charles d'Albert (1809-1886), an Italian grand duke's descendant. D'Albert studied in London, then in Vienna with Hans Richter (1843-1916) and in Weimar with the unforgettable Franz Liszt. As a blessed pianist, he went on several concert tours. D'Albert admired very much Ludwig van Beethoven (by the way: me too!), whom he gave the real monstrous pathos, which Beethoven really deserves. Johannes Brahms became an intimate friend. From his compositions are still known and part of stage performances such as "The Concerto for Cello in c-major" from 1899 and "The Concerto for Piano in e-major" from 1893. Out of 21 operas the following pieces are more then remarkable: "Die Abreise" (The departure, 1898), "Die toten Augen" (The dead eyes, 1916), and most especially "Tiefland" (The Plain, 1903). Eugen ...

Born on November 7, 1866 in Berlin, the German Paul Lincke has become a popular composer. Lincke's father was a known and successful municipal authorities civil servant. In Wittenberg's Piper College in Eastern Germany, Paul Lincke studied violin and bassoon play. Then, Linncke became the Director General of the Berlin Apollo Theater. 1897 marked Lincke's first big stage success with a during those times so called "equipment revue" entitled "Venus on Earth". National traditions mixed with a unique and real "Berlinian operetta sound" has been the reasons of Lincke's entire success: "Frau Luna" (Madame Luna, 1899), "Lysistrata" (1902, with the evergreen "The glimmering glow-warm", one of my late grandmother's favourites), or "Casanova" (1914, badly on stage, because World War I just started). "Berliner Luft" (Air from Berlin) remained as unofficial anthem of Berlin till ...

What are the greatest moments in classical music history? The bits that make you immediately rewind and play them again? Simply, the most surprising, shocking, beautiful or weird bits in classical music? Here are 10 moments that will make you say 'OMG'…  1. The top C in Allegri's Miserere There you are, just chilling out with a bit of 17th century choral music like any self-respecting person would do, and then all of a sudden, BAM! High C! Emotional overload! Skip straight to it by pressing play below… 2. The climax of Beethoven's 9th Symphony Everyone sing along! "Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium!" This is such a fist-pumping moment. How fist-pumping? Well, it's supposed to encapsulate the joy of humanity, of being alive, Germanic might, the brotherhood of man and basically all worldly positivity, which is a pretty tall order. Does Beethoven manage it? Take a listen… (the answer's...

Lassus, also known by the Italian form of his name Orlando di Lasso, belonged to the Franco-Flemish school of composers whose work was of supreme international importance in the 16th century. He was born at Mons, in Hainaut, in 1532, and as a boy entered the service of a member of the Gonzaga family (hereditary dukes of Mantua). Employment elsewhere in Italy and a stay in Antwerp was followed by a position in the musical establishment of Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria in Munich, where Lassus remained from 1556 until his death. With Palestrina and Victoria, he is one of the most important composers of the period. Church Music Lassus wrote a considerable quantity of church music, including over 70 settings of the Mass, settings of the Passions from the four evangelists, and a very large number of motets. From this considerable body of high-quality work, selection is invidious; but mention may be made of the Requiem for four voices, the Missa Qual donna , motets suc...