Introduction to Classical Music ~ Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Tchaikovsky

Many of the famous classical music composers that we know of – Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky - are no longer with us.

Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Popular singers, songwriters and musicians like the late Nina Simone, the late Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Alicia Keys have all said they draw inspiration from or have been greatly influenced by these composers. 

The above is regarded by historians as the most accurate surviving likeness of Mozart, painted when the composer was 26 years old. It is a section of an unfinished 1782 portrait by Joseph Lange. The splotchy texture of the composer's cheeks, visible in the original painting on display at the Mozart Museum in Salzburg, was verified by Mozart's contemporaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You heard that most music store owners are tempted to put their classical music selections in a small room at the back of the store; however, it was just a bit of humor. The least we can do is display their masterful works – whether on the store shelves or in your home music library - in plain view so that the memory of these gifted musicians will live on.

Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) in a portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Copy or second Version of his 1746 Canvas, private ownership of William H. Scheide, Princeton, New Jersey, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thinking about experimenting and expanding your musical taste?

You want to listen to classical music, but you don't know where to begin?

Start here.

Classical Music for Beginners

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Fascinating Facts about Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky.

• Beethoven composed his most celebrated works after he went deaf.

• Mozart was writing his own compositions by the age of 6.

• Bach was blinded because of a botched eye surgery.

• Tchaikovsky was constantly and harshly criticized by the “music critics” of his day.

The Health Benefits of Classical Music

There is no doubt that there are benefits to be found in many different genres of music. It can often seem to help when nothing else is able to change our mood or motivate us. For thousands of years, humans have been intrinsically linked to music in all its forms. It is part of our mourning, our celebrations, and our rituals.

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