Composers, Artists and Groups

CONTENTS.
Page 4.
Page 12.
Page 20.
Abba
Ac/Dc.
Adam and the Ants
Adolphe Adam
Alan Price
Bobby Vee
Bobby Womack
Boney M
Boy George
Bros
Bucks Fizz
Domenico Scarlatti
Don McLean
Doris Day
Dr Hook & The Medicine Show
Duran Duran
Page 5.
Page 13.
Page 21.
Alessandro Stradella
Alessandro Scarlatti
Alexander Borodin
Alexander Glazunov
Buck Owens
Camille Saint-Saens
Carl Maria Von Weber
Carl Nielsen
Carlo Gesualdo
Dusty Springfield
Earth, Wind & Fire
Eddie Grant
Edward Elgar
Edvard Grieg
Page 6.
Page 14.
Page 22.
Alexander Zemlinsky
Alison Moyet
Antoine Brumel
Anton Bruckner
Antonin Dvorak
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Cesar Franck
Cat Stevens
Charles Gounod
Electric Light Orchestra

Elkie Brooks
Elton John (Hercules)
Elvis Costello
Emmanuel Chabrier
Page 7.
Page 15
Page 23.
Antonio Vivaldi
Aram Khachaturian
Archangelo Corelli
Aretha Franklin
Cher
Christoph Strauss
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Chubby Checker
Chuck Berry
Engelbert Humperdinck
Enrique Granados
Erik Satie
Esther Phillips
Page 8.
Page 16.
Page 24.
Arnold Schoenberg
Arther Sullivan
Bad Manners
Bananarama
Barbara Strozzi
Cilla Black
Claude Debussy
Claudio Monteverdi
Cliff Richard
Ethel Smyth
Faran Young
Fats Domino
Felix Mendelssohn
Ferruccio Busoni
Page 9.
Page 17.
Page 25.
Barry Mann
Barry White
Bedrich Smetana
Bela Bartok
Bette Midler
Connie Francis
Conway Twitty
Cream
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
David Bowie
Ferruccio Busoni
Francois Couperin
Franz Lehar
Franz Liszt
Page 10.
Page 18.
Page 26.
Big Bopper
Bill Withers
Billy Fury
Billy Idol
Billy Ocean
David Essex
Deep Purple
Def Leppard
Diana Ross
Dietrich Buxtehude
Franz Schreker
Franz Schubert
Franz von Suppe
Freddie & The Dreamers
Frederic Chopin
Page 11.
Page 19.
Page 27.
Billy Preston
Bing Crosby
Black Sabbath
Blondie
Blur
Dionne Warwick
Dire Straits
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dolly Parton
Frederick Delius
Gabriel Faure
Garry Glitter
Garth Brooks
Gene Pitney
Page 28.
Page 36.
Page 44.
George Bizet
George Frideric Handel
George Gershwin
George Jones
Igor Stravinsky
Isaac Albeniz
Jacques Offenbach
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Luigi Boccherini
Lulu
Luther Vandross
Madonna
Malcolm Arnold
Page 29.
Page 37.
Page 45.
George Philipp Telemann

Gerry & The Pacemakers
Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Puccini
Gioachino Rossini
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean Sibelius
Jerry Lee Lewis
Joaquin Rodrigo
Joe Walsh
Manhattan Transfer
Manuel De Falla
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marmalade
Martha & The Vandellas
Page 30.
Page 38.
Page 46.
Gilbert OSullivan
Giovanni de Palestrina
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Pergolesi
Giuseppe Tartini
Johannes Ockeghem
Johann Nepomuck Hummel
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Sebastian Bach
Maurice Ravel
Max Bruch
Meat Loaf
Merle Travis
Michael Praetorius
Page 31.
Page 39.
Page 47.
Giuseppe Verdi
Glen Campbell
Gloria Gaynor
Grazyna Bacewicz
Johann Strauss II
Johannes Brahms
John Adams
John Adson
John Barry
Mikhail Glinka
Mily Balakirev
Modest Mussorgsky
Mozio Clementi
Page 32.
Page 40.
Page 48.
Gregorio Allegri
Gretano Donizetti
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume Dufay
John Denver
John Dowland
John Dunstable
Johnny Cash
Mud
Nat King Cole
Natalie Cole
Nazareth
Neil Diamond
Page 33.
Page 41
Page 49.
Gustav Mahler
Hector Berlioz
Heinrich Biber
Heinrich Schutz
Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mercer
Johnny Nash
John Taverner
Joseph Haydn
Jules Massenet
Neil Sedaka
Neil Young
New Kids on the Block
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nicolo Paganini
Page 34.
Page 42.
Page 50.
Henri Duparc
Henryk Gorecki
Henry Purcell
Hermans Hermits
Kate Bush
Kitty Wells
Leo Delibes
Leos Janacek
Nina Simone
Olivia Newton-John
Orlando Gibbons
Patsy Cline
Page 35.
Page 43.
Page 51.
Hildegard of Bingen
Hot Chocolate
Hubert Parry
Hugo Wolf
Lesley Garrett
Lionel Richie
Lonnie Donegan
Louis Andriessen
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Paul Dukas
Paul Young
Peggy Lee
Perotin
Perry Como
Page 51.
Page 59.
Page 67.
Paul Dukas
Paul Young
Peggy Lee
Perotin
Perry Como
Sylvius Leopold Weiss

Take That
Tears for Fears
The Bay City Rollers
The Beach Boys
Thomas Ades
Thomas Luis de Victoria
Thomas Tallis
Tina Turner
Page 52.
Page 60.
Page 68.
Peter Tchaikovsky
Pete Seeger
Pet Shop Boys
Phil Collins
Pier Francesco Cavalli
The Beastie Boys

The Beatles
The Bee Gees
The Carpenters
The Chiffons
Tomaso Albinoni
Tom Jones
Tommy Steele
Tony Hatch
Umberto Giordano
Page 53.
Page 61.
Page 69.
Pietro Mascagni
Pulp
R.E.M.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Richard Strauss
The Commodores
The Cure
The Dave Clark Five
The Drifters
The Eagles
Val Doonican
Vincenzo Bellini
Whitesnake
Whitney Houston
William Byrd
Page 54.
Page 62.
Page 70.
Richard Wagner
Richie Valens
Right Said Fred
Robert Schumann
Rod Stewart
The Hollies
The Mamas & Papas
The Monkees
The OJays
The Pretenders
William Lawes
William Walton
Willie Nelson
Wilson Pickett
Page 55.
Page 63.
Page 71.
Roger Whittaker
Roland de Lassus
Roy Orbison
Roy Rogers
Ruggero Leoncavallo
The Righteous Brothers

The Searchers
The Seekers
The Shangri-Las
The Spice Girls
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Zoltan Kodaly
Zz Top
Page 56.
Page 64.
Rush
Samuel Barber
Sammy Davis Jr.
Scott Joplin
Shakin Stevens
The Stranglers
The Supremes
The Sweet
The Temptations
The Three Degrees
Page 57.
Page 65.
Shirley Temple
Showaddywaddy
Simply Red
Sinead OConnor
Sister Sledge
Slim Whitman
The Thompson Twins

The Tornados
The Trogs
The Tubes
The Tremeloes
Page 58.
Page 66.
Smokey Robinson
Spirit
Squeeze
Status Quo
Stone Roses
Supertramp
The turtles
The Walker Brothers
The Yardbirds
The Zombies
Thin Lizzy
Abba
A Swedish group, which enjoyed massive commercial success in the 1970s. Founded in 1973 and
winner of the Eurovision Song Contest at the second attempt in 1974 with Waterloo, the group
derived its name from the first letters of its four members names: Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus,
Benny Andersson and Annifrid Lyngstad. Subsequent hits include Mamma Mia (1975), Dancing
Queen (1976), Knowing Me Knowing You (1977), and The Winner Takes It All (1980), all of which
reached number one in the UK. The group finally disbanded in 1983, by which time the marrieges of
the two couples had come to an end, but was revived in the shape of various tribute bands in the early
1990s.
Ac/Dc.
Australian heavy metal band which emerged as one of the more influential hard rock groups in the
mid-1970s. Led by singer Bon Scott. Ac/Dc came together in Sydney in 1974 and rapidly earned a
reputation as one of the most theatrical live acts of the era. The bands stage show was enhanced by
Youngs adoption of a mock schoolboy costume complete with cap and short trousers. Hit albums
included Highway to Hell (1979), the last album on which Scott appeared before his death in 1980.
Englishman Brian Johnson, former lead singer of the rock band Geordie, took Scotts place as lead
vocalist, and the band retained its status as one of the most successful heavy metal outfits with albums
like The Razors Edge (1980), for Those About to Rock (1981) Blow Up Your Vidio (1988) and
Ballbreaker (1995). The expression Ac/Dc (borrowed from the terminology of electricity) is widely
used of bisexuals or of those homosexuals who take both passive and active roles in a sexual
encounter.
Adam and the Ants.
British pop group, which enjoyed repeated chart success in the early 1980s. The band led by singer
Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard), achieved stardom in 1981 with the number one hit single Stand and
Deliver. A raunchy, colourful song about highwaymen. The accompanying album kings of the wild
frontier was equally successful blending elements of punk with the rolling drum rhythms (called the
burundi beat) of african Tribal Music. Two more UK number ones Prince Charming and Goody
Two Shoies followed in the next 12 months or so before the groups success faltered, later singles
being credited to Adam Ant alone. Goddard later concentrated on acting.
Adolphe Adam.
Born 24th July 1803 in Paris, son of a pianist, composer and teacher Louis Adams.
In 1820 he enters the Paris Conservatory, where he is taught by opera composer
Francois Boieldieu. In 1825 he wins second prize in the Prix De Rome. In 1826 in
Geneva meets the famous dramatist and opera librettist Eugene Scribe who helps to
get Adams early opera staged in 1832. After the revolution of 1830, moves from
Paris to London and sees several of his stage works produced. In 1839 he visits
Russia for a successful opera and ballet season. The next revolution in France in 1948 forces his own
opera house to close and he is financially ruined. In 1849 he is appointed professor of composition at
the Paris Conservatory. Dies 3rd May 1856 in Paris, aged 52.
Alan Price.
British singer and keyboard player who recorded a number of hits in the 1960s and 1970s. He
established his reputation as a founder-member of The Animals but went solo in 1965, going on to
release such hit singles as I Put a Spell on You, Simon Smith and his amazing dancing bear and
Jorrow Song. He also made some popular recordings with Georgie Fame and wrote scores for such
films as O Lucky Man (1973) and Alfie Darling (1974) as well as the musical Andy Capp (1982).
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Alessandro Stradella. 1644-1682

Alessandro Stradella was a notorious womanizer whose sexual adventures led to his murder in Genoa
at the age of 37. This tended to obscure the fact that he was also a notable composer of opera and
oratorios. In both his oratorios and his purely instrumental works Stradella was one of the first
composers to employ the concerto grosso form in which the music was divided between the full
ensemble and a small group within it, for the purpose of dramatic contrast. He was born in Rome into
the minor nobility. His patrons included the powerful Colonna and Pamphili families as well as
Queen Christina of Sweden who was living in Rome in voluntary exile and in whose household
Stradella served from the age of 14 until he left in 1669. In 1680 having been hired by Alvise
Contarini to give music lessons to his young mistress, Stradella instead eloped with her to Turin.
After a failed murder attempt in 1678 he fled to Genoa where he was assassinated four years later.
Alessandro Scarlatti. 1660-1725
Alessandro Scarlatti has become the obscure Scarlatti, but he was a figure of historical importance.
One of the major composers of opera before the generation of Hande a Cluck, he was immensely
successful during his lifetime. He began his musical studies in Rome with Carissimi, under whose
guidance he composed his first opera in 1679. During the next 46 years he composed more than one
hundred stage works (the precise number isnt known) and became a seminal figure in the world of
opera seria. Scarlattis sacred works form a relatively small but important part of his output, were
composed during his time in Rome. As well as oratorios, he also composed a number of masses and
about one hundred motets.
Alexander Borodin. 1833-1887
Alexander was the illegitimate son of a Georgian Prince and by the tradition of such things was given
the name of one of the Princes serfs. Despite displaying a childhood passion for music, he trained as
a chemist and physician. Although he had been attempting to compose since his teens, he began to
exploit his compositional skills only when, as a young man, he came under the influence of Mily
Balakirev, the figurehead of a group of radical musicians based in St. Petersburg. His symphony No.
1 took him five years to complete. Characteristically, he worked on the opera Prince Igor for some
eighteen years. Like many of his Russian contemporaries, Borodin was essentially on amateur
composer, in the sense that he had a flourishing career and so composed in his spare time which
accounts for both his relatively small output and the high proportion of works that he never found the
time to finish before his death in 1887.
Alexander Glazunov. 1865-1936
His first mature works date from the 1880s, when he produced the first two of his eight symphonies.
Three more date the 1890s as do the two ballets which brought him more acclaim than anything else
he wrote, Raymunda (1897) and The Seasons (1899). In the year of the latter work he was appointed
Professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, there he remained until 1930, having become its director
in 1905. In the early years of the century he produced the violin concerto (1904) and the symphony
No. 8 (1906) and from then on composed little of any consequence, concentrating instead on his
academic responsibilities, thereby managing to stay in favour with the regimes both before and after
the revolution. He settled in Paris in 1932 where he died four years later.
Alexander Zemlinsky. 1871-1942

Zemlinsky was a typical example of Viennese multiculturalism. His father was Slovakian, his mother
from a Bosnian Jewish family in Sarajevo and Zemlinsky went on to become one of the Cabal of
Viennese musicians who formed around Gustav Mahler, the reforming force in the citys musical life.
When he left the Conservatoire in the 1890s, opera and songs were to comprise the greater part of his
output: Sarema, the first of his eight completed operas, was performed in Munich in 1897. His career
as a conductor developed in parallel: with his composing his orchestral music and string quartets.
When the Nazis started surpressing his work he fled first to Vienna and then, in 1938, to America,
where he died a forgotten man.
Alison Moyet.
British rock singer, nicknamed Alf, who launched a successful solo career in the 1980s after initial
success in partnership with Vince Clarke as Yazoo. After splitting with Clarke in 1983, she enjoyed
success with the solo album Alf. Hits since then have included That ole devil called love (1985),
Weak in the presence of beauty (1987) and Raindancing (1987), Hoodoo (1991) and Essex (1994).
Antoine Brumel. 1460-1520.
Born near Chartres around the middle of the fifteenth century. He was one of the most respected
musicians and composers of his time. Like many of his contemporaries he travelled widely, probably
beginning his career in the choir of Chartes Cathedral, he was last heard of in Italy, where he settled in
Rome for some time. He was valued for Alphonso I of Ferrara, as an important patron, to make more
than one attempt to hire him. The Duke finally succeeded in enticing him to his court in 1505 with
the offer of a large salary augmented by a travel allowance. He remained there for five years before
his move to Rome. Neither the date nor the place of his death is known.
Anton Bruckner.
Born 4th September 1924, at Ansfelden, near Linz, Austria, the son of a
schoolmaster and organist. In 1828 begins to learn the violin. His father dies in
1837. Admitted as chorister to St. Florians Monastery School. In 1840 he begins
training as a school teacher in Linz. Returns to St. Florian in 1845 to join the
teaching staff. In 1855 he is appointed organist at Linz cathedral. Resumes music
studies, now in Vienna. Meets Wagner at the first night of Tristan and Isolde in
1865. In 1868 he becomes a professor at the Vienna Conservatory. Disappointing premiere of
symphony No. 1. In 1875 he is appointed professor of music at Vienna University. Symphony No. 7
finally brings him success in 1884. Dies 11th October 1896, in Vienna, while still working on
symphony No. 9.
Antonin Dvorak.
Born 8th September 1841, at Nelahozeves, Bohemia, the son of the village
innkeeper and butcher. In 1850 he sings in choir and plays violin at local
functions. In 1855 he is sent to nearby town of Zlonice, for lessons in German and
music. In 1857 he enters organ school in Prague. Joins orchestra of Prague
National Opera in 1862, playing the violin; befriended by the conductor Smatana.
In 1873 he marries his pupil Anna Carmakova and begins serious composition. In
1876 he is befriended by Brahms, and gains fame with Slavonic Dances. In 1892
he becomes first director of National Conservatory of Music in New York. Remains in U.S.A. for 3
years. Appointed director of the Prague Conservatory in 1901. Dies in Prague, 1st May 1904.
Antonio Vivaldi.
Born 4th March 1678, in Venice, the son of a violinist in the Orchestra of St. Marks
basilica, Venice. In 1703 he was ordained a priest, becomes musical director of the
Ospedale delle Pieta, Venice, an orphanage for girls, a position he holds for almost
40 years. His first works are published in 1705, a set of trio sonatas. 1713 saw the
production of his first opera, Ottone in Villa. In 1725 he publishes The Four
Seasons. In 1734 he begins operatic collaboration with the famous venetion
playwright Carlo Goldoni. He visits Amsterdam in 1738 to direct performances of his music. Leaves
Ospedale in 1740: his contract is not renewed partly because of absences. In 1741 he travels to
Vienna, hoping for a court appointment. Dies 28th July in Vienna; buried in a paupers grave.
Aram Khachaturian.
Born in 1903 at Tbilisi, Georgia, to parents from Armenia. Both regions later
become part of the Soviet Union. In 1920 he moves to Moscow with his family.
Abandons plans to be a biologist and studies music. In 1929 he enters the Moscow
Conservatory and begins to study composition. His clarinet concerto establishes his
reputation in 1932. His piano concerto brings him international fame in 1936. In
1939 he is awarded the Order of Lenin for services to Soviet music. Wins a Stalin
Prize for his ballet Gayaneh in 1942. Censured by the Soviet State in 1948 for writing music too
highbrow for the masses. Appointed a professor at the Moscow Conservatory in 1950. Awarded
honorary title of peoples artist of the U.S.S.R in 1954. Tours the U.S.A. in 1968 conducting his own
music. Dies in Moscow, 1st May 1978.
Archangelo Corelli. 1653-1713
Though instrumental music was becoming increasingly important by the middle of the seventeenth
century, Corelli is still unusual in that he wrote absolutely no music for the voice. Instead he worked
exclusively in three genre which he helped to establish and refine: the concerto Grosso, the trio
sonata, and the solo sonata. His published output was small but his influence was enormous. Corelli
was born in Fusignano, between Bologna and Ravenna, into a family of well-to-do landowners. He
reputedly studied with the local priest but his main musical education took place at the Accademia
Filarmonica at Bologna. From 1675 he was based in Rome, where he gradually established himself as
one of the citys leading violinists, playing in church ensembles but also in three orchestras.
Aretha Franklin.
Born 1942, black rhythm and blue singer nicknamed The First Lady of Soul or The Queen of Soul,
who emerged as a leading star in the late 1960s and eventually released more million-selling singles
than any other female artist. The daughter of a celebrated Baptist preacher and gospel singer, she
established her reputation with such hits as Respect (1967) and the album I Never Loved a Man
(The Way I Love You) (1967). Among her prolific output of top hits were Chain of Fools (1968),
the album Lady Soul (1969), Think (1968), a startling soul version of The Star Spangled Banner
(1968) and Angel (1973). Her album Amazing Grace (1972) saw her return to her early experience
as a gospel singer, while other releases included collaborations with Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.
Her music was somewhat eclipsed with the rise of funk in the late 1970s. More recent releases
include another gospel album, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987).
Arnold Schoenberg.
Born 13th September 1874, in Vienna. In 1890 he Become a bank clerk to support
his widowed mother; studies music in the evenings. In 1901 marries Mathilde, the
sister of his friend, the composer Alexander von Zemlinsky. His novel Musical
Ideas begin to attract other composers in 1903, notably Alban Berg and Anton
Webern. In 1912 revolutionary song-cycle Pierrot lunaire creates furore. In 1915
he joins the Austrian army during the first world war; is invalided out a year later.
Founds Society for Private Musical Performance in 1918, to help protect avant-garde composers from
ridicule. On the death of his first wife in 1924, marries Gertrud Kolisch. Appointed professor at the
Berlin Academy of Arts in 1925. In 1933 Nazi regime forces him, a Jew to leave Germany. Settles in
the U.S.A. Dies 13th July 1961, in Los Angeles.
Arther Sullivan. 1842-1900
Arther Sullivan was born in Lambeth, and was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music. In 1867
he visited Vienna, he also met W. S. Gilbert that same year. The first fruits of their partnership,
Thespis, closed to mixed reviews. Sullivan returned to teaching and religious composition including
Onward Christian Soldiers. His permanent reunion with Gilbert was brought about by the impresario
Richard dolyly Carte, who suggested the plot of what became Trial by Jury (1875), a work so
successful that a string of collaborations followed, including The Sorcerer (1877), HMS Pinafore
(1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1880), Patience (1881), and Iolanthe (1882). In 1882 Sullivan was
knighted. His frustration at his diet of musical frivolity came to a head with Princess Ida (1884).
After a lot more bickering with Gilbert The Mikado took shape, within four years The Gondolier and
The Yeomen of the Gaurd were to follow. Sullivan died ten years later, in his own estimation a
shadow of what he should have been.
Bad Manners
British pop group of the late 1970s, which enjoyed commercial success with its brand of lighthearted
music. Led by the somewhat overweight, shavenheaded and manic Buster Bloodvessel (Douglas
Trendle), the band attracted media interest with its extravagant costumes and anarchic humour. Hit
singles included Lip up Fatty, Special brew (written in praise of Carlsberg lagar), Lorraine
(which was addressed to an inflatable doll) and Can Can, while the album Gosh its Bad Manners
(1981) also did well in the charts.
Bananarama.
British pop trio, whose series of hit singles in the 1980s made them the most successful UK allfemale group in pop history. Sarah Dallin, Keren Woodward and Siobhan Fahey came together in
1981 and enjoyed their first hits in collaboration with the Funboy Three (notably with It Aint What
You Do). Other hits included Na Na Hay Hay. Kiss Him Goodbye, Robert De Niros Waiting,
Venus, I Heard A Romour and I Want You Back. Fahey left in 1988 and went on to form the
successful duo Shakespears Sister with Marcella Detroit. She was replaced by Jacquie Sullivan. The
band was among the stars recruited for the Band Aid effort of 1984. Sullivan left in 1992 and the
group continued as a duo.
Barbara Strozzi. 1619-c.1677
Barbara Strozzi was one of the periods most prolific composers of Cantasa. She also wrote
Madrigals and Arias, eventually publishing seven volumes of secular pieces and one of sacred music.
A virtuoso singer and lutenists, she was born illegitimately to Isabella Garzone, a servant in the
household of the venetian poet and librettist Giulio Strozzi, who may well have been her father.
Giulio adopted her and seems to have planned a musical career for her, sending her to Francesco
Cavalli to learn composition, an unusual move for a woman in the early seventeenth century. When
Barbara was about eighteen Giulio founded the Accademia degli Unisoni, an offshoot of the freethinking Accademia degli Incogniti. Strozzis collection of religious pieces, mostly motets, was
published as Sacri Musicali Affetti in 1655.
8
Barry Mann.
U.S. songwriter, who wrote many hits of the 1960s in collaboration with his wife Cynthia Well as one
of the teams recruited by the Brill Building Organization. Among their most successful compositions
were Uptown, recorded by the Crystals in 1962, On Broadway, recorded by the drifters in 1963,
We Gotta Get Out of This Place, recorded by the Animals in 1965, Walking in the Rain, recorded
by Jay and the Americans in 1969 and Here You Come Again, recorded by Dolly Parton in 1977.
Barry White
Black U.S. singer, nicknamed The Prophet of Love, who enjoyed a series of transatlantic hits in the
mid-1970s. He established his reputation as writer of the hit Walkin in the Rain with the One You
Love for Love Unlimited in 1972 and then embarked on a solo career. His biggest hits included Im
Gonna Love You Just a Little Bit More Baby (1973), Youre the First the Last My Everything
(1974), Cant Get Enough of Your Love Babe (1974) and You See the Trouble With Me (1976).
Bedrich Smetana.
Born 2nd March 1824 in Litomysl, Bohemia, son of a brewer. In 1830 he was a
child prodigy, playing piano before the Austrian Emperor. In 1843 moves to Prague
to study with pianist Joseph Proksch. Takes part in failed uprising against Austrian
rule in 1848. Founds his own music school in Prague. Marries pianist Katerina
Kolarova in 1849; they have 4 daughters, of whom only Zofie survives childhood.
In 1856 moves to Sweden. In 1860 he marries Bettina Ferdinandova after the death
of Katerina. Returns to Prague in 1861, where he helps found the Provisional Theatre, Society of
Artists, and Philharmonic Society. 1866 saw the premiere of masterpiece The Bartered Bride.
Becomes conductor at Provisional Theatre. In 1874 he was beginning to lose his hearing. Dies 12th
May 1884, in a mental asylum in Prague, aged 60.
Bela Bartok. (1881 1945)
He produced music in which the Germanic tradition was given a new life. His early music was a
product of years of studying the German tradition at the Budapest Academy. In 1902 he was inspired
by a performance of Strausss also Sprach Zarathustra, to write his own tone poem Kossuth, but for all
his composing ambitions he spent the next five years pursuing the career of a travelling piano
virtuoso. His own music was persistently rejected and in 1907 recognizing the futility of life as a
composer. His discovery of Debussys impressionism encouraged him to look beyond the confines
of purely tonal expression. He put this into practice after his opera Duke Bluebeards Castle (1911).
His other works included two stage ballets, The Wooden Prince and The Miraculous Mandarin. He
also wrote piano concertos one in 1926 and a second in 1931, he also started a third, but this was
completed by a former student in 1946. His works also included violin concertos, music for strings,
percussion and celesta, string quartets, violin sonata and solo piano music.
Bette Midler.
Born 1945, a U.S. singer and film actress, nicknamed The Divine Miss. M, who owes her first name
to her parents admiration of Bette Davis. She began her career as one of the chorus in Fiddler on the
Roof in New York and The Rose as leading lady before building a reputation as a somewhat raunchy
entertainer and singer of mixed blues, ballads and rock n roll. Her early hits being produced in
collaboration with Barry Manilow. Her film roles have included the Oscar-nominated lead part in
The Rose (1979), which was loosely based on the life story of Janis Joplin.
Big Bopper.
Rock n Roll singer who was a star was a star on both sides of the atlantic in the 1950s. Having
started out as a disc jockey and consolidating his fame by establishing a record of non-stop
broadcasting for over 122 hours, he branched out as a star in his own right with such hits as Chantilly
lace and Big Boppers wedding (both 1958). The Big Bopper died at the peak of his success in the
disastrous air crash in which Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens were also killed.
Bill Withers.
U.S. soul singer, who established himself in the 1970s. Among his biggest hits were Aint No
Sunshine (1971), Lean on me (1972) and Just the Two of us (1981). His albums have included
Just As I Am (1971), Live At Carnegie Hall (1973) and Watching You, Watching Me (1985).
Billy Fury.
Ronald Wycherley was born in 1941. He was a British rock n roll star, who was one of the most
successful rivels to Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Born in Liverpool, he sprang to fame
overnight after slipping backstage at a Marty Wilde concert and persuading Wilde to listen to his
songs. The following evening Fury was opening the show. Maybe Tomorrow, his first single,
reached the charts in 1959 and his third single, Colette, was the first to break into the top 10. A
string of rock n roll hits followed, and he established a reputation as a live performer. Outraging
many with his suggestive performances. The hits continued with such singles as Halfway to
Paradise (1961) and Jealousy (1961). By 1965 he and reached the top 10 no fewer than 11 times.
Fury had suffered from rheumatic fever as a child and was never in robust health, he died of a heart
attack in 1983 aged of 42 while recording a comeback album (released as the only one after his
death).
Billy Idol.
British rock singer, born William Broad in 1955, resident in the USA since the early 1980s, who
emerged as one of the leading lights to come out of the punk rock movement of the late 1970s.
Having co-founded the glam-punk band generation x in 1977. Idol was frontman on a series of hits
before the group broke up in 1981 and he relocated to the USA. There he experimented with a
rhythm-and-blues style and eventually had a huge hit with Rebel Yell (1983). Hit singles since then
have included White Wedding, Catch My Fall and Eyes Without a Face. He survived a
motorbike accident in 1990 and had another hit with the single Cradle of Love. Subsequent releases
have included the album cyberpunk (1993).
Billy Ocean.
A British singer-songwriter, born 1950 in Trinidad, who released a series of disco and soul hits in the
1970s and 1980s. Having trained as a tailor, he established his reputation as a favourite with disco
audiences with Love Really Hurts Without You (1975); among the follow-ups were Red Light
Spells Danger (1977), Caribbean Queen (1984), When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get
Going (1986) and Get Outta My Dreams (1987). Oceans best-selling albums include Suddenly
(1984), Love Zone (1986) and Tear Down These Walls (1988).
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Billy Preston.
Born 1946, a black U.S. keyboard player and singer, who won acclaim both for his work with The
Beatles in the 1960s and for his solo hits of the 1970s. Preston began his career as a backing
musician, playing for singers such as Little Richard and Sam Cooke before meeting up with The
Beatles and becoming the first outside musician to participate on their recordings (starting with Get
Back). As a result of this he became one of those identified as the fifth beatle. He also developed a
career as a solo star, releasing such hit singles as Thats the way God Planned It (1969), Outa
Space (1972), Will It Go Round in Circles (1973), Nothing From Nothing (1974) and with Stevie
Wonders ex-wife Syreeta, With You Im Born Again (1980).
Bing Crosby.
Born in 1904, Harry Lills Crosby was a singer and light comedian, nicknamed the Old Groaner (by
himself). He was the first and most popular of the crooners of the 1930s and 1940s. Bing Crosby
began as a member of a trio, but by 1931 he was already establishing himself as a solo star.
Subsequently he enjoyed worldwide success as a recording artist, a live performer and as a filmstar in
a long series of comedies. In 1960 he was awarded with a platinum disc to mark his achievement in
selling some 200 million copies of the 2,600 singles and 125 albums he had recorded; in 1970 he was
presented with another platinum disc as his sales allegedly passed 300 million. He died in 1977 from
a heart attack after finishing a round of golf.
Black Sabbath.
British rock band, which established a big following in the 1970s with its brand of satanic metal.
Group members vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Terry Geezer Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and
drummer Bill Ward started out under the name Earth, but in 1969 they changed this to Black Sabbath.
Such early albums as Black Sabbath (1970) and Paranoid (1970) established the bands credentials for
heavy, pessimistic rock with occult overtones. Keyboard player Rick Wakeman guested in 1977 for
the album Sabbath bloody Sabbath, but the band went into decline a year later with the departure of
Osbourne. Attempts to replace Osbourne with Ian Gillan were not well received, and a new version
of the group formed for Live Aid in 1985 retained only Iommi from the original line-up. Recent
albums include Headless cross (1989), Dehumanizer (1992) and Forbidden (1995).
Blondie.
US pop group of the late 1970s that prospered on the visual and musical appeal of lead singer Debbie
Harry. Before achieving stardom as a singer Debbie Harry had a varied career in and around the
fringes of music and at one time worked as a Bunnygirl at the New York Playboy Club. On one
occasion she may have come close to a premature and grisly end when she offered a lift from a man
who later turned out to be a serial killer. Having appeared with the folk-rock group The Wind in the
Willows and then with the Stilettoes. Harry founded Blondie in 1975 with guitarist Chris Stein. The
band emerged as one of the most commercially viable expressions of the New Wave and enjoyed
chart success with such singles as Denis, Denis, Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass and Call Me. The
group broke up in 1981 after internal arguments and Debbie Harry carried on both as a solo singer and
as an actress.
Blur.
British rock group, which rivalled Oasis in the early 1990s. Comprising singer Damon Albarn,
guitarist Graham Coxen, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur formed in 1988.
Attracting attention for their unruly behaviour. Blur won a huge following with such albums as
Leisure (1991), Modern Life is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995) and Blur
(1997). Singles include Country House (1995).
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Bobby Vee.

U.S. pop singer, who emerged as a star after filling in at engagements for Buddy Holly after the
latters death. Vee had big chart hits with such singles as Devil or Angel (1960), Rubber Ball (1960),
Take Good Care of my Baby (1961), Run to Him (1961) and The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
(1963). He staged a minor comeback in 1967 with Come Back When You Grow Up.
Bobby Womack.
U.S. soul singer-songwriter and guitarist, who established a lasting reputation in the 1960s. Womack
won recognition as a solo star with such releases as What is This?, Looking For Love, Thats the
way I Feel about cha and Harry Hippie. He adopted a country style for a while before returning
with the acclaimed R n B albums The Poet (1981), which spawned the single If You Think Youre
Lonely Now and The Poet II (1984).
Boney M.
German-based group, which enjoyed massive international success as a top disco band in the late
1970s. Singers Marcia Barrett and Liz Mitchell. Both from Jamaica, West Indian Bobby Farrell and
Monserrat born Maizie Williams. They released a series of nine top 10 hits, beginning with Daddy
Cool (1976). The groups biggest hit was Brown girl in the ring. The hits stopped after 1981, but
the group re-formed in 1989.
Boy George.
Stagename of singer-songwriter George Alan ODowd, the British pop star who enjoyed huge
commercial success in the UK in the 1980s. Boy George established his reputation as front man for
the group Culture Club and reached number one with the single Karma Chameleon (1983). Much of
his success depended on the deliberately flamboyant image, which incorporated the use of heavy
make-up and pretty dresses. His career faltered somewhat towards the end of decade when his
addiction to drugs was publicly revealed. In 1987 however, he triumphed over the setbacks to reach
number one with Everything I Own. Recent albums include cheapness and Beauty (1995).
Bros.
British pop group of the late 1980s, which enjoyed huge commercial success as teen-idols, acquiring
their own army of devoted fans, dubbed Brosettes. Vocalist Matt Goss, drummer Luke Goss and
bassist Craig Logan first came together as Caviar, then adopted the name Gloss before finally settling
on Bros. The groups hit singles, which depended largely on the clean-cut image of its members,
included When will I be famous? (1988) and without Logan Too much (1989). The duo broke
up Bros rather bitterly in 1990 in the wake of financial problems and the rise of rivals, New Kids on
the Block.
Bucks Fizz.
British pop group that sprang to fame with victory in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. The group
was formed after hundreds of applicants were auditioned for the UK entry for the contest, in which
they sang Making your mind up. Modelled on ABBA, the group Mike Nolan, Bobby G, Jay
Aston and Cheryl Baker won a large middle-of-the-road following with such singles as Land of
make believe (1981) and My camera never lies (1982), both of which reached number one in the
British charts.
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Buck Owens.
U.S. country singer, guitarist and bandleader, who emerged as a top country star in the early 1960s.
A former truck driver, he worked as a session guitarist before recording his first hit Second Fiddle in
1959. Numerous up-tempo country classics followed over the years, and he had no fewer than 19
number ones in the country charts in the 1960s, among them Act Naturally (1963) and Ive Got a
Tiger by the Tail (1965). His hits petered out in the 1970s and 1980s but he made something of a
return to form in the late 1980s with such albums as Hot Dog! (1988).
Camille Saint-Saens. 1835-1921
A lot of composers began as freakish children, but by any standards Saint-Saens was an extreme case.
As a two year-old he could read and write, and was picking out melodies on the piano. Shortly after
his third birthday he began composing, and by the age of five had given his first recital. As an encore
after his formal debut as a concert pianist, the ten year-old Camille offered to play any of Beethovens
32 Sonatas from memory, in short, his childhood suggested Mozartian potential, and yet it was a
potential that was never realized. Saint-Saens once remarked he lived in music like a fish in water.
By the time Saint-Saens reached his mid-fifties, the past had won the upper hand over the present.
Embittered and ill-tempered, he became an arch-traditionist, opposing the progressive music of
Debussy and Ravel.
Carl Maria Von Weber. 1786-1826
He was born near Lubeck in northern Germany, into a musical and theatrical family (he was a cousin
of Mozarts wife Constanze). He soon learned to play the piano. At the age of 12 he wrote his first
compositions. The following year he composed his first opera, the manuscript of which was
destroyed by fire shortly after its completion. As a 17 year-old he secured the post of Kapellmeister at
the theatre in Breslau, where he stayed for a couple of years. His career as a travelling virtuoso
pianist then took up most of his time until 1813, where he was put in charge of the Prague Opera
House. Weber made one opera that was performed in Berlin in 1821. Its success was instant. He
made two more operas one in 1823 and the other in 1826 but neither lived up to the promise of their
predecessor. While in London to conduct the premiere of Oberon, his years of ill health caught up
with him and he died the day before he was due to return home to his family.
Carl Nielsen. 1865-1931
Carl Nielsen, Denmarks most celebrated composer, was born into a peasant island community of
Funel in Eastern Denmark. The son of a painter and a village musician, as a child Carl played in the
village dance band and in the local amateur orchestra. A scholarship took him to Germany where he
met and married the sculptress Ann Marie Brodersen. Nielsens first symphony was premiered by the
orchestra in 1894 and from then on his rise was rapid. His two operas Saul and David (1902) and
Maskarade (1905), were both performed under his direction; then left the orchestra. The rest of his
life was taken up with composing. He once wrote that his life was lived through music rather than out
in the everyday world.
Carlo Gesualdo. C1561-1613.
The music of Carlo Gesualdo is among the strangest ever written. Even in the context of a period
when composers were constantly experimenting with ways of enliving the words they set, his music
startles through its bizarre and almost neurotic sensitivity to meaning. His later madrigals in which
Chromaticism and Dissonance are the norm make for especially fascinating. Gesualdo was a
member of one of the principal families of Neapolitan aristocracy, inheriting the title of Prince of
Venosa on the death of his elder brother in 1586. Shortly after, having obtained special papal
permission, he married his cousin, the twice widowed Maria dAvalos. After the death of his wife he
married again, but remained isolated in his castle in Southern Italy. It was not unusual for members
of the aristocracy to be musically minded, but it was rare for them to pursue their interest as single
mindedly as he did.
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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. 1714-1788

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a very influential composer, creating a bridge between the exuberant
Baroque style of his father and the classical style of Haydn and Mozart. While always acknowledging
a great debt to his father (his only teacher), he eventually came to reject the complexity of polyphonic
music, preferring a much more subjective and dramatic approach. The sheer volume of music that
C.P.E. Bach had to provide for the Hamburg churches inevitably had a deleterious effect on its quality
as well as composing in a hurry, he was also obliged to knock together composite works using
music by his relations and by Telemann. The symphonies of Bach exemplify the empfindsamer still
just as much as his keyboard pieces. They are intense, compact works. He wrote some 150 sonatas
and a slightly lesser number of shorter pieces. The three delightful cello concertos that he composed
around 1750s.
Cesar Franck. 1822-1890
He was born in the Walloon city of Liege to a Flemish family: hence the mixture of French and
Flemish in his name. At the age of 11 he made his first tour as a virtuoso pianist and two years later
the whole family moved to Paris so he could study there. He left home in 1848 in order to marry his
pupil Felicite Desmousseaux and shortly after took up the post of organist at the church where he had
been married. Francks earliest compositions were chiefly vehicles for his piano tours, followed by a
series of religious works. His reputation rests primarily on his instrumental pieces the best of which
are his piano quintet, violin sonata and organ music, most of which comes from the years of his
maturity, whereas the piano pieces are mainly the product of his years as a touring virtuoso, when his
compositional technique lagged some way behind his dexterity. Franck died in 1890 after being
knocked down by a bus.
Cat Stevens.
British singer-songwriter, who had huge success in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a series of
folk-style pop singles. Usually remembered for the hit single Morning has Broken, he also visited
the upper reaches of the charts with the likes of Matthew and Son, Im Gonna Get Me A Gun, The
First Cut is the Deepest, Moonshadow and Cant Keep It In. His albums included Teaser and the
Firecat (1971), Catch Bull at Four (1972), Foreigner (1973) and Buddha and the Chocolate Box
(1974).
Charles Gounod.
Born 17th June 1818, in Paris, the son of a painter. He enters the Paris
Conservatory in 1836. Travels to Italy in 1839 after winning the Prix De Rome.
In 1846 he studies for the priesthood, but later gives up this idea. Writes first
opera, Sapho in 1851. In 1852 he marries Anna Zimmerman and is appointed
conductor of the Paris Orpheon Choral Society. Premiere of first version of
Faust in 1859, not a great success. The year 1869 saw a triumphant production
of new version of Faust. At the outbreak of the France-Prussian war in 1870,
flees to London with his family. In 1871 he becomes first conductor of Royal Choral Society.
Returns to France in 1874; composes mainly religious music from now on. In 1883 Faust inaugurates
New York Metropolitan House. Dies 18th October 1893, while working on Requiem Mass.
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Cher
Born Cherilyn La Pierre Sarkisian; in 1946. She was a US pop singer and actress who first achieved
fame in the 1960s in partnership with her husband Sonny Bono. Her first release, a duet with Sonny
Bono on which she was credited as Bonnie Jo Mason, was the single Ringo I love you (1964), fans
hearing her low-pitched voice assumed it was a boy singing and most decided against buying it. As
Sonny and Cher, the two singers established a reputation as major stars with such hits as I got you
babe (1965). They eventually broke up to pursue separate careers (divorcing in 1974). Glamorous
and strong-minded, Cher enjoyed three solo number one singles in the USA in the early 1970s and
made a come-back in the late 1980s with the album Heart of stone. Cher has suffered more than her
fair share of harassment from deranged fans. She was once the target of a madman who had already
murdered his own brother. On another occasion was posted a fans own ear, cut off with a butchers
knife.
Christoph Strauss. 1575/80-1631
Born in Vienna somewhere between 1575 and 1580. Austrian composer. He served the Habsburg
Court from 1594, becoming organist at the court church by 1601 and later serving briefly as director
of court music. From at least 1626 he was musical director at St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna. He
was one of the leading Austrian composers of his day his 36 motets (1613) and 16 masses (1631)
include both modern textures (with contrasting vocal and instrumental groups) and polyphony. Died
in Vienna 1631.
Christoph Willibald Gluck. 1714-1787
German-born, Gluck was educated in Prague then moved to Vienna in 1736, where he played cello in
a noblemans private orchestra. In 1737 he took lessons with Sammartini in Milan, under whose
guidance he composed his first opera. Its success led to the completion of a further seven operas
before he left for London in 1745 and, although his two London operas failed, his friendship with
Handel was to prove of inestimable musical benefit. Upon leaving London in 1746, Gluck spent the
next four years in travel, during which his operas were well received, and then settled in Vienna. At
the end of 1752 he was appointed Kapellmeister to the Prince of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a position that
cemented his dominance of Viennas musical life. In 1779 Gluck retired, living in regal splendour in
Vienna, where he died after refusing his doctors orders that he drink no alcohol after dinner.
Chubby Checker.
Born Ernest Evans in 1941, a rhythm and blues star, who enjoyed a series of classic hits in the early
1960s. Checkers career in music was the result of the proverbial lucky break, which came after he
was heard singing over the pa system of the store where he plucked chickens. Given the stagename
Chubby Checker in the deliberate imitation of that of Fats Domino, he went on to record such hits as
The class (1959), The Twist (1960 and Lets twist again (1962). At one point he had no fewer
than five albums in the US top 15 at the same time. Later hits included a number of singles that were,
like The twist, associated with a current dance craze. His career fizzled out with the advent of the
British invasion and he switched to soul and ultimately to disco music.
Chuck Berry.
(Charles Edward Anderson Berry. Born 1926). Rhythm-and-blues star of the 1950s, nicknamed
crazy legs because of the famous duck walk he always performs during live appearances, whose
distinctive guitar sound had a profound influence on the development of early rock n roll. His most
successful recordings included the classic numbers Maybelline (1955) Sweet little sixteen (1958),
Johnny B. Goode (1958) and Roll over Beethoven which have since been covered by
innumberable artists.
15
Cilla Black.
Born in 1943 (Priscilla Maria Veronica White). British singer and entertainer, born in Liverpool, who
was a pop star of the 1960s before developing her career as a television presenter. Capitalizing on
her cheeky Liverpublian humour and benefiting from the success of fellow Liverpyblians the Beatles
(she was briefly a cloakroom attendant at the cavern club before being taken up by Brian Epstein).
She enjoyed chart success with such strident love songs as Anyone who had a heart (1964) and
Youre my world (1964), which both reached number one in the UK, and such hits as Alfie and
Step inside love. She acquired the name Cilla Black early in her career when an enthusiastic
journalist got her name wrong in his review.
Claude Debussy.
Born 22nd August 1862, at St. Germain-en-Laye, France. In 1872 Enters the Paris
Conservatory, aged 10. In 1880 he travels to Russia, to join the musical circle of
Madame von Meck. Wins the conservatorys highest award the Prix De Rome for
composition in 1884. Completes his first real masterpiece in 1894, Prelude a
lapres-midi dun faune. Marries Rosalie Texier in 1899, but later abandons her for
Emma Bardac. Premiere of his only completed opera in 1902, Pelleas et Melisande.
Composes his last major orchestral work in 1913, for the ballet Jeux. Already seriously ill with
cancer at the outbreak of the first world war in 1014. Completes his last work, a violin sonata in
1917. Dies 25th March 1918 in Paris.
Claudio Monteverdi. 1567-1643.
Monteverdis career coincides with a period of profound change in European music. His greatest
works, the operas and the vespers, combine a range of musical methods from Monody to
Madrigalian Choruses which succeed in creating an exuberantly varied and, above all, dramatic
whole. He was born in Cremona in Northern Italy, the son of a pharmacist-cum-barber-surgeon. He
joined the Ducal Court of the Gonzaga family at Mantua, where he was employed for over twenty
years. In 1599 Monteverdi married one of the court singers Claudia de Cattaneis, and by 1601 had
become Maestro di Cappella at the Ducal Chapel of Santa Barbara. His first opera, Orfea was
performed in 1607. The death of his wife sent him into deep depression. In 1608 he wrote a new
opera, Arianna. The opera was an enormous success but, unlike Orfeo, it was never published. His
famous vespers of 1610 was published with a dedication to the pope. Following a terrible plague that
hit Venice in 1630 he became a priest. For the remaining years of his life he wrote regularly for the
opera.
Cliff Richard.
Born Harry Roger Webb in India in 1940. Now a British pop singer, who has
enjoyed one of the longest and most successful careers in the history of British
pop. He came to the UK when he was seven years old eventually finding
employment as a factory clerk. The young Harry Webb made his first
appearances as a singer with an amateur skiffle group called The Drifters with
which he won a booking for a Butlins summer season in Clacton. When he
was 17 he made his recording debut as a budding rock n roll in the mould of
Elvis Presley with Move It (1958). This was an immediate hit and made
Richard and his backing band, later renamed the Shadows, an overnight sensation. Also known as the
Peter Pan of pop. Cliff Richard has many more hits over the years, these include Living Doll
(1959), The Young Ones (1961), Summer Holiday (1963). Richard and the Shadows had parted
company by 1968, the year that Richard represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with
Congratulations.
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Connie Francis.
U.S. singer, born 1938. She was the most commercially successful female recording artist of the late
1950s and the early 1960s. Having signed her first recording contract when she was just 16 years
old. She failed to make any impression on the charts with her first few releases, but then established
her reputation in 1958 with the 1923 song Whos Sorry Now, which reached number one in the UK
charts. She made U.S. top 10 22 times and the UK top 20 18 times and a further number one hits with
Carolina Moon/Stupid Cupid, Everybodys Somebodys Fool, My Heart has a Mind of its own
and Dont Break the Heart That Loves You. In all, these and such other enduring standards as
Lipstick on Your Collar notched up some 40 million sales before her career went into decline during
The Beatles era. She gave up music in 1974 when she was robbed and raped after a concert but
resumed live performances in the 1980s. A collection of her hits reached number one in the album
charts in 1977.
Conway Twitty.
U.S. singer who became a top country star with a record tally of number ones to his credit. Having
started out as a country artist, he won a contract with Sun Records and went on to adopt a rock n roll
style. He had early hits with such singles as Its Only Make Believe (1958), which reached number
one on both sides of the atlantic, Story of my Love (1959), Lonely Boy Blue (1959) and Mona
Lisa (1959). He reverted to a more conventional country style and became a long standing favourite
with country fans. The pseudonym Conway Twitty is said to have come about after the star passed
through towns called Conway and Twitty during an early tour.
Cream.
A British supergroup, which was formed in 1966. The members were guitarist Eric Clapton,
drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce won instant acclaim for their unrivalled blues-oriented
rock and for their prowess as a live band that thrived on improvisation. The band released three
albums, Fresh Cream (1966), Disraeli Gears (1967) and Wheels of Fire, as well as such singles as I
feel free and Sunshine of your love before finally folding in 1968.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
A British pop group of the 1060s which had some success with a series of novelty beat singles. Led
by former policeman Dave Dee (David Harman), and completed by Trevor Dozy Davies, guitarist
John Beaky Dymond, Michael Mick Wilson and Ian Tich Amey. The band reached the top 10 in
several European countries with such hits as Hold Tight, Hideaway, Bent it, Save Me and
Legend of Xanadu (their only number one) before splitting up.
David Bowie.
Born David Robert Jones, British pop star, nicknamed the thin white duke, who has maintained his
position as one of the UKs biggest rock artists over a period of some 30 years. As David Bowie he
sprang to fame in 1969 with the single Space Oddity. Bowie went on to cultivate a highly individual
public persona, which combined the controversial, the bizarre and the musically adventurous. The hit
album Hunky Dory (1971). Bowie continued to indulge his taste for the dramatic in a series of
albums that ranged in style from glam rock to funk and new wave, the best of them including Aladdin
Sane (1973), Diamond Dogs (1974), Young Americans (1975), Station to Station (1976), Heroes
(1977), Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (1980) and Lets Dance (1983) and in the process stamped
his influence on a whole generation of rock musicians. In 1988 he formed his own hard rock band.
Tin Machines, with whom he made three albums. He has also enjoyed a lengthy alternate career as an
actor appearing in a number of films and stage rolls.
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David Essex.
Albert David Cook; born 1947. A British pop singer and actor, who was a popular teen-idol of the
early 1970s. He began his musical career in the 1960s, as a Jazz drummer and finally achieved
national fame after starring in the musical Godspell (1971) and in the Rock N Roll film Thatll Be
The Day, from the soundtrack of which came his first hit as a solo singer, Rock on (1973). Among
the hits that followed were Lamplight (1973), Gonna Make You a Star (1974) and Hold Me
Close (1975).
Deep Purple.
A British hard rock band, which achieved legendary status among heavy metal fans in the 1970s.
Deep Purple came into being in 1968 and, after various changes in personnel, won fame with the
celebrated line-up of singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Roger Glover, keyboard
player Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. The album Deep Purple in rock (1970) was a landmark in
the development of heavy metal. Other releases included such hit singles as Black Night and
Strange Kind of Woman, although the quintessential Deep Purple track remains Smoke on the
Water, an epic inspired by an incident during a Frank Zappa concert in 1971, when a fire broke out in
the Lakeside Montreux Casino.
Def Leppard
British hard rock band, which built up a massive following in the 1980s. Guitarist Pete Willis,
bassist Rick Savage, drummer Rick Allen, Vocalist Joe Elliot and guitarist Steve Clark first came
together in 1978 and played early rehearsals in a small room at a spoon factory in Sheffield having
attracted attention as a support band. Def Leppard won more fans with such early albums as On
Through The Night (1980) and Pyromania 1983, bringing in Phil Collen as a replacement to the
unreliable Willis. The group suffered a setback in 1984 when drummer Allen lost an arm in a car
crash, but he stayed with the band after he learned how to play the drums using his remaining arm and
his feet. Hysteria (1987) proved a huge success, and the band toured widely before the death from
alcohol and drug abuse of Steve Clarke in 1991. The band stayed together, however, and released a
further hit album Adrenalize, in 1992. Slang followed in 1996.
Diana Ross.
Black singer, who established herself as an enduring favourite with both soul and pop audiences in the
1960s. As one of the Supremes, Ross gradually established herself as the leader of the trio by 1965
and eventually embarked on a highly successful solo career in 1970. Among her many chart hits have
been Aint No Mountain High Enough (1970), Remember Me (1970), Im Still Waiting (1971),
Touch Me in the Morning (1973), Do You Know Where Youre Going To? (1973), Love
Hangover (1976), Upside Down (1980) and (with Lionel Ritchie) Endless Love (1981). Im Still
Waiting was released in Britain, where it got to number one, only after radio one disc jockey Tony
Blackburn badgered Tamla Motown; Ross herself was startled when British fans went wild when she
sang it, because the single had fared much less well in the USA.
Dietrich Buxtehude. C.1637-1707
Not much is known about Buxtehudes early life. He may have been born in Helsingorg, in Sweden,
where his father Johannes was organist at the church of St. Mary. In the early 1640s the family
moved to Elsinore in Denmark. The young Dietrich almost certainly received his musical training
from his father and probably studied at the Latin school in Elsinore. Buxtehudes sacred vocal works
survived because they were sent to and copied by his friend Gustav Duben. His most celebrated vocal
work, Membra Jesu Nostri, may have been commissioned by Duben who was known to have liked
Latin settings. Membra Jesu Nostri combines Biblical quotations with a medieval text. Buxtehude
also wrote secular music for keyboard instruments, mostly suites and variations.
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Dionne Warwick.
Black U.S. soul singer, who had numerous hits in the 1960s and 1970s. Having been reared on
gospel, she had big hits with such records as Ill Never Love This Way Again, Anyone Who Had A
Heart, Walk On By and with The Detroit Spinners Then Came You, which reached number
one in 1974. She made a comeback in the 1980s with Heartbreaker (1982), Friends (1985) and Love
Songs (1990) and with the Aids charity single Thats What Friends are for (1985).
Dire Straits.
British rock band, which enjoyed enormous commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s. The
band was formed in 1977 by respected guitarist Mark Knopfler, and it developed a country rock style
put Knopflers cool and distinctive giotar work to the fore. The bands first album, Dire Straits
(1978), was well received, and the track Sultan of Swing became a hit single and ultimately, the
bands signature tune. Subsequently with such albums as Communiqu (1979), Making Movies
(1980), Love Over Gold (1983), Brothers in Arms (1985), which sold of 15 million copies and
reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic, and On Every Street (1991). The band took a firm
hold on melodic middle-of-the-road rock and toured widely with consistent success, becoming the
best-selling band of the decade. Hit singles included the epic Private Investigation, which reached
number two in 1983, and Money for Nothing, which got to number one in 1985.
Dmitri Shostakovich.
Born 25th September 1906, in St. Petersburg, Russia, son of two talented
musicians. In 1919 he enters the Petrogad (St. Petersburg) Conservatory. In
1925 he composes internationally acclaimed first symphony. Marries Nina
Varzara, a scientist in 1932; children: Maxim (later a conductor and pianist) and
Galya. In disgrace in 1936 after Stalin objects to his opera The Lady Macbeth of
the Mtsensk District. By 1940 he was back in favour, wins Stalin Prize for piano
quintet. Experiences siege of Leningrad during the second world war in 1942; writes Leningrad
symphony. In 1948 he was attacked with Prokofiev for formalism for writing music not
conforming to Stalinist political dogma. After Stalins death in 1956, is awarded Order of Lenin.
Dies 9th August 1975, in Moscow.
Dolly Parton.
Born Rebecca Parton in 1946, a U.S. country singer-songwriter and actress, who emerged as one of
the most popular of all country entertainers in the 1970s. Famous for her figure and bubbly
character, she rose to the top of the country charts on the strength of her many acclaimed albums and
such hits as Dumb Blond (1967), Joshua (1971), Jolene (1974), Love is Like a Butterfly (1974),
Here You Come Again (1978), Two Doors Down (1978), Baby, Im Burning (1978), Nine to
Five (1980) and Islands in the Stream (1984), several of which did well in the pop charts. She
launched a successful second career as a film actress in 1980 with Nine to Five, and the follow-ups
included The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). The success of Here You Come Again
audiences made Parton the first female country artist to receive a platinum record award.
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Domenico Scarlatti.
Born 26th October 1685 in Naples, son of Alessandro Scarlatti, a famous opera
composer. In 1701 he is appointed organist and composer at the Royal Chapel in
Naples. Travels to Venice in 1705, seeking new patrons and positions. Becomes
court composer in 1709 to the exiled Polish Queen Maria Casimira in Rome, where he
meets Handel. In 1715 he becomes director of music at St. Peters Rome. Moves to
Lisbon in 1719 to act as court harpsichordist to the king of Portugal. On a visit to
Rome in 1728, marries Maria Caterina Gentili. After settling at the Royal Court in Madrid, the couple
have 5 children. Honoured as a knight of the Spanish Order of Santiago in 1738. Following the death
of Maria in 1742, marries Anastasia Maxarti Ximenes. Dies 23rd July 1757 in Madrid.
Don McLean
.
U.S. singer-songwriter, whose folk-influenced songs won a huge audience on both sides of the atlantic
in the 1970s. His classic hit American pie (1972), a lament about the death of Buddy Holly,
established him as a star, and it was followed by the equally admired Vincent. He also wrote hits for
other artists among them And I love you so for Perry Como and Wonderful baby for Fred Astaire,
while he himself was the subject of Roberta Flacks Killing me softly with his song. He topped the
pop charts once more in 1980 with a cover version of Crying, but he has since concentrated on
country music.
Doris Day.
Born in 1922 she was a U.S film actress and singer. She was a popular singing star of the 1940s and
1950s, capitalizing on her image of stainless cheerfulness. Day sang with dance bands in the early
1940s and included among her biggest hits My Dreams are Getting Better and Sentimental
Journey, both of which reached number one. She appeared in numerous Hollywood movies, in the
course of which she sang such hits as the Oscar winning Secret Love (1954) and Que Sera, Sera
(1956) both of which reached number one. She hosted her own TV series in the late 1960s but has
been in virtual retirement from show business since the mid-1970s.
Dr Hook & The Medicine Show.
U.S. pop group which enjoyed transatlantic success with a series of hit singles in the 1970s. Singer
Ray Sawyer, who wore a distinctive black eyepatch, guitarist Dennis Locorriere, keyboard player Bill
Francis, George Cummings and drummer John David formed the group in 1968. The groups satirical
line in pop songs attracted immediate attention, and the single Sylvias Mother, which was intended
as a send-up of country music in general, was a huge hit in both the UK and the USA in 1972.
Subsequent releases, which trod a similarly eccentric path, included The Cover of Rolling Stone
(1973, before the group adopted a more straightforward pop image and returned to the charts with
such hits as Only Sixteen (1976), When Youre in Love With a Beautiful Woman (1979) and
Sexy Eyes (1980). The group broke up in 1985.
Duran Duran.
British pop group, nicknamed The Fab Five in imitation of The Beatles (The Fab Four), which was
among the most successful bands to emerge from the new romantic movement in the early 1980s.
Founded in Birmingham in 1978. Duran Duran took its name from the villain in the sci-fi movie
Barbarella (1967). Lead vocalist Simon Le Bon, keyboard player Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor,
guitarist Andy Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor (all unrelated) had their first chart success with
Planet Earth in 1981; among the hits that followed were Girls on Film (1981), Save a Prayer
(1982), Hungry Like the Wolf (1982), Is There Something I Should Know (1983), The Reflex
(1984) and Wild Boys (1984).
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Dusty Springfield.
British pop singer, who enjoyed considerable commercial success in the 1960s. She started out with
her brothers Tom and Tim as the Springfields but established herself as a solo star with such hits as I
Only Want to be with You (1963), You Dont Have to say You Love Me (1966) and Son of a
Preacher Man, from the hit album Dusty in Memphis (1968). She made something of a comeback in
1987 singing with the Pet Shop Boys on What Have I Done to Deserve This although new solo
releases received a mixed response.
Earth, Wind & Fire.
U.S. soul and Jazz funk band, which enjoyed great commercial success in the 1970s. Singer Maurice
White and his brother bassist Verdine White, singer Philip Bailey, keyboard player Larry Donn,
guitarists Johnny Graham and Al McKay, saxophonist Andrew Woolfolk and drummer Ralph
Johnson came together in the early 1970s and were led by Maurice; a third white brother, drummer
Freddie White, joined in 1975. Head to the Sky (1973), which established the group as a top
attraction, was followed by the even more successful albums Open Your Eyes (1974) and Thats the
Way of the World, which reached number one in 1975 and produced the number one single Shining
Star. The group continued to top the charts on both sides of the atlantic with a Best of ... album and
such singles as Got to Get you into my Life (1978) and Boogie Wonderland (1980) before
breaking up. The band reunited in the late 1980s, releasing such albums as Touch the World (1987)
and Millenium (1993).
Eddie Grant.
Born in 1948, this British pop singer-songwriter and producer, who emerged as the leading AngloCaribbean star of the 1970s and 1980s. Having arrived in the UK in 1960, Grant first attracted
attention as the charismatic lead singer (complete with dyed white hair) of the multiracial pop group
The Equals, which reached number one with Baby Come Back (1968) and had further hits with
Grants Viva Bobby Joe (1969) and Black Skinned Blue-Eyed Boy (1970). Grant subsequently set
up his own studios and recording label and embarked on a solo career. The album Walking on
Sunshine (1979) yielded the hit single Living on the Front Line and was followed by such successes
as I Dont Wanna Dance and Electric Avenue (both 1982). His most recent hits include the album
Born Tuff (1986) and the single Gimme Hope JoAnna (1988).
Edward Elgar.
Born 2nd June 1857, at Broadheath, near Worcester, the son of a piano tuner and
music shop owner. In 1867 he composes his first musical piece aged 10. He takes
a job in a lawyers office in 1872. Becomes church organist. Marries Caroline
Alice Roberts, daughter of an Army Officer in 1889. In 1890 he composes his first
important work the overture Froissart. In 1899 The Enigma Variation brings him
fame. Writes music in 1902 for the corination of Edward VII. 1904 sees the first Elgar Festival in
London, and he recieves a Knighthood. Visits the U.S. in 1905 and receives honorary doctorate from
Yale University. In 1911 he is awarded Order of Merit. In 1912 he is deeply depressed due to the
death of his wife. Dies 23rd February 1934, at his home near Worcester.
Edvard Grieg.
Born 15th June 1843, in Bergen, on Norways coast. His mother gives him his first
piano lessons in 1849. Enters Leipzig Conservatory in 1858. In 1865 he visits
Italy; works on first important composition. Marries cousin Nina Hagerup in
1867, a gifted singer. Moves to Oslo to conduct and teach. He makes a second
visit to Italy in 1869, meets Liszt. Granted government pension in 1874 in
recognition of his work. In 1885 he settles in a new home at Troldhaugen. In
1889 he visits Paris for concert of his music, elected to French Academy of Arts. Visits England in
1894; given honorary doctorate by Cambridge University. Dies at home, 4th September 1907.
Electric Light Orchestra.

A British pop group of the 1970s which enjoyed a number of hits mixing pop with a light classical
sound. Three members of E.L.O. were players with the London Symphony Orchestra; other
members, all from Birmingham included guitarist Jeff Lynne, who was the bands leader, drummer
Bev Bevan and vocalist Roy Wood, who soon left. No fewer than 26 numbers reached the UK top 40;
these included 10538 Overture, Mister Blue Sky, Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Talking Woman,
Livin Thing, Telephone Line, Shine a Little Love and (with Olivea Newton-John) Xanadu
(1980), the only occasion on which they reached number one. The groups most successful albums
were Eldorado (1974) and A New World Record (1983). The band ceased operation in 1983 but was
revived in 1986 and again in 1991. When Out of the Blue was released the recording company
marked the event be erecting the most costly advertising billboard ever constructed on Hollywoods
Sunset Boulevard.
Elkie Brooks.
Born Elaine Bookbinder in 1945. British pop singer, nicknamed Manchesters Brenda Lee at the start
of her career, who enjoyed success as a solo star in the 1970s and 1980s. She sang in cabaret and
with rhythm and blues and jazz rock bands in the 1960s and in the rock group Vinegar Joe before
establishing her solo career with such hit songs as Pearls a singer and Lilac wine and with the
albums Pearls (1981) and Pearls II (1982). After a lull, she returned to the top of the charts with the
album No more the fool (1986), Bookbinders kid and Nothing but the blues followed in 1994.
Elton John (Hercules).
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947. British singer-songwriter and pianist, calling himself Elton
John in reference to fellow musicians Elton Dean and Long John Baldry, who became a pop superstar
of the 1970s and 1980s. He joined the ranks of pops superstars as a glam rocker in the early 1970s
on the strength of such albums as Tumbleweed Connection (1970), Honky Chateau (1972), Dont
Shoot Me, Im Only the Piano Player (1973) and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and such hit
singles as Your Song (1970), Rocket Man (1972), Crocodile Rock (1973) and Daniel (1973).
He became well known for his vast collection of exotic spectacles and for his interest in Watford
Football Club.
Elvis Costello.
Born in 1955, he was a British singer-songwriter, who emerged from the New Wave phenomenon in
the late 1970s sharing the aggressive anti-establishment stance of other successors of punk rock,
Costello attracted attention with his first album My aim is true (1977) and went on to release a series
of musically varied albums with his band, the attractions. The lp Armed forces reached the top 10 on
both sides of the atlantic, while such singles as Watching the detectives and Olivers army were
also huge hits. Later releases ranged even more widely. Get happy (1980) bearing the influence of
soul and Almost blue (1981) venturing into country. More recent albums have included Mighty like a
rose (1991), The Juliet letters (1993) and All this useless beauty (1996).
Emmanuel Chabrier.
Born 18th January 1841, at Ambert, France, the son of a lawyer. He starts piano
lessons in 1847. Enters law school in 1858. Takes a post in the French Ministry of
the Interior in 1861, but continues to study music and to compose. In 1865 he
meets the impressionist artist Edovard Manet, who later paints his portrait. Both his
parents die in 1869 within days of each other. Marries Marie Dejean in 1873, who
later bears him 2 sons. Composers Faure, Saint-Saens and Duparc meet regularly at his home. In
1880 he leaves his ministry post to concentrate on composing. After visiting Spain in 1883, composes
his most popular piece, the Rhapsody Espana. 1886 sees a successful Brussels premiere of his opera
Gwendoline. Dies 13th September 1894 in Paris from general paralysis, probably syphilis, aged 53.
22
Engelbert Humperdinck. 1854-1921

Humperdinck was a highly gifted child and began composing operas before formal studies at Cologne
University, where he won dozens of prizes. It was there that he fell under the spell of Wagners
music, joining a Wagnerite Student Society. He met the man himself in Naples in 1880. After
Wagners death in 1883, Humperdinck returned to Cologne, worked for the music publishers Scott.
Then in 1890 he returned to composition and three years later Humperdincks friend and champion
Richard Strauss then the Enfant Terrible of German music conducted the first performance of
Hansel and Gretel in Weimar. The operas popularity was enormous, and it made the composer a
household name. The royalties allowed him to devote the remaining years of his life to composition.
Enrique Granados. 1867-1916
Enrique Granados was taught by the eminent musicologist Felipe Pedrell, who inspired him to forge
an individual style based on indigenous folk music. Granados made the de rigueur student trip to
Paris, hotbed of the European avant-garde. He became one of the masters at taking native folk
melodies and overlaying them with a highly spiced chromatic idiom, more often than not French in
derivation. Granados was a concert pianist of international repute who chose to write primarily for
the piano. Among his earliest piano works are the delightful Danzas Espanolas (Spanish Dances),
written between 1892 and 1900. Granados, well aware of prevailing fashions, knew that the best way
to get noticed in Spain was to write a zarzuela (a distinctly Spanish type of operetta), and in 1891 he
composed the highly successful Maria Del Carmen, which gained him a commendation from the
King. During the early 1900s he composed a variety of works, most of which are now unknown.
Erik Satie. 1866-1925
Erik Satie was one of the most influential figures in the twentieth century music. Satie became famed
among the cognoscenti of Paris chiefly for his quirky piano pieces, with their mystifying titles and
whimsical performances direction. From the mid-1910s Satie was championed as the supreme antiromantic by that arch-trend-setter Jean Cocteau, with whom he collaborated on a ballet, 1917. Satie
mysteriously poignant piano pieces, which make up about three-quarters of his output, are his most
representative music. If you think that all there is to Satie is laconic galic wit and engaging cafe
chansons, then you should listen to socrate for voice and piano is a cantata in three parts. Sadly, just
as his star was really on the rise his health began to fail him, due in no small part to strong drink in
vast quantities over the years. He died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 59.
Esther Phillips.
She was a blues, jazz and pop singer, who had a number of hits in various styles in the 1950s and
1960s. Phillips worked as a backing singer for Johnny Otis when she was 13 years old, but went on
to establish herself as a top rhythm-and-blues star with such hits as Double Crossing Blues (1950),
Cupids Boogie (1950) and Mistrusting Blues (1950). She returned to the charts in a big way in
1963 with Release Me and went on to star at jazz festivals into the 1970s. Her last major hits
before her death, which was hastened by her drug problems, was What a Difference a Day Makes
(1975).
23
Ethel Smyth. 1858-1944

Ethel Smyth is finally beginning to achieve the attention she deserves, with of her music now
available on cd. The daughter of an army general. When her orchestral works, the serenade in d and
overture to Anthony and Cleopatra (both written in 1889), were first performed in London, several
critics expressed surprise that a woman had written such powerful and dramatic music. The only
readily available large-scale work by Ethel Smyth is the mass in d (1891) which was written while the
composer was infatuated with the devoutly catholic Pauline Trevelyan, and first performed in January
1893. Most of Smyths chamber music was written while she was at Leipzig in the 1880s and the
best of her work from this period is represented by the Brahmsian String Quintet (1883) and a violin
sonata (1887), which a contemporary reviewer found deficient in the feminine charm that might
have been expected of a female composer.
Faran Young.
U.S. country singer, nicknamed The Singing Sheriff, who emerged as a top star in the 1950s through
appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and Louisiana Hayride programmes. His hits included Country
Girl (1959), Hello, Walls (1957) and Its Four in the Morning (1931). He committed suicide in
Nashville, with a career total of 42 top ten hits.
Fats Domino.
Antonio Domino, born 1928. He was a black U.S. singer and pianist, who perfected the marriage of
rhythm and blues and rock n roll in the mid-1950s. Domino began his musical career playing
boogie in the bars of the southern USA and New Orleans in the 1040s and he gradually built up a
loyal following with black audiences. Already established in the R n B charts with such hits as The
Fat Man (1949), the singers reputation as a pop star was established after Pat Boone enjoyed a hit
with a cover version of his Aint That a Shame in 1955. Dominos own recording of the song
subsequently spent 11 weeks at number one. He had numerous other hit singles, including such
classics as Blueberry Hill, Blue Monday and Walking to New Orleans, and it was estimated that
in all he sold some 70 million records in his heyday. Called fats in reference to his generous
proportions.
Felix Mendelssohn.
Born 3rd February 1809, in Hamburg, Germany. In 1818 he has a private debut as
pianist. Completes his first opera in 1825. Conducts Bachs St. Matthews Passion
in Berlin in 1829. First concert tour of Britain, including visit to Scotland. In 1833
he is the conductor of Rhine Music Festival in Dusseldorf. Then in 1835 he is
conductor of Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He marries Cecile Jeanrenaud in
1837. In 1842 he receives honorary doctorate from Leipzig University. Last visit
to England, conducting for Queen Victoria. The death of his sister Fanny comes as a major blow. He
dies in Leipzig 4th November 1847.
Ferruccio Busoni. 1866-1924
Ferruccio Busoni is the forgotten man of twentieth century music, a situation largely due to the
diversity of his talents and his resistance to easy classification. The child of professional musicians.
Busoni was born in Tuscany but spent most of his professional life in Germany where, although he
always regarded himself primarily a composer, his early fame was achieved as one of the greatest
pianist of his generation. Ultimately Busoni was hamstrung by his own analytical intelligence and by
his reverence for the past, and is probably most likely to be remembered as a formidable pianist.
Busoni hated the sensalized realism of 25urope25 opera; aspiring instead to create a hieratic music
drama. The results can be turgid in places, but Doktor Faust in particular has moments of great
power, and each of the operas is clearly the product of questing intelligence.
24
Ferruccio Busoni. 1866-1924

Ferruccio Busoni is the forgotten man of twentieth century music, a situation largely due to the
diversity of his talents and his resistance to easy classification. The child of professional musicians.
Busoni was born in Tuscany but spent most of his professional life in Germany where, although he
always regarded himself primarily a composer, his early fame was achieved as one of the greatest
pianist of his generation. Ultimately Busoni was hamstrung by his own analytical intelligence and by
his reverence for the past, and is probably most likely to be remembered as a formidable pianist.
Busoni hated the sensalized realism of 26urope26 opera; aspiring instead to create a hieratic music
drama. The results can be turgid in places, but Doktor Faust in particular has moments of great
power, and each of the operas is clearly the product of questing intelligence.
Francois Couperin 1668-1733
Francois Couperin, known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from his various musical relations,
was the outstanding France composer of the period between Lully and Rameau. The Couperins were
a musical dynasty to rival the Bachs. Indeed Francois Couperins first job, as organist at the Paris
church of St. Gervais, had been held by his father and uncle before him, and was to remain in the
family until 1826. At the age of 25 he succeeded his teacher, Jacques Thomelin, as organist to the
King. The wit and inventiveness which is characteristic of much of Couperins music gives way in
his sacred vocal pieces to something much more simple and direct, though still with an emphasis on
melody. Couperins four books of harpsichord pieces are organized into 27 suite which he called
26eceiv. Though based on dance forms, most of the individual pieces within these suites have
fanciful titles.
Franz Lehar. 1870-1948
The son of a military bandmaster, Lehab spent his childhood stationed with his fathers regiment in
various towns across the Austro-Hungarian empire and for a short while he studied with Dvorak at the
Prague Conservatory. He had already composed a couple of fairly successful operettas by the time he
was given the Libretto of Die Lustige Witwe by Oscar Leon and Leo Stein. After a couple of flops he
hits a winning streak with Der Graf Von Luxemburg (1909), and Zigeunerliebe (1910), both of which
had highly successful worldwide runs and are still regularly performed in central 26urope. Lehars
last international triumph, Das Land des Lachelns (The Land of Smiles), premiered in Berlin in 1929.
At Christmas 1930, Lehars sixtieth birthday year. His last major work, Giuditta was premiered at the
Vienna State Opera in 1934, the only operetta to have been given that honour, and the show was
relayed internationally by 120 radio stations. He died in his villa in Bad Ischi, in 1948.
Franz Liszt. 1811-1886
Born Ferenc Liszt, the son of a miner Hungarian court functionary, he became the greatest pianist of
his age indeed possibly of any age. His contribution to the development of nineteenth century
music was immense. On a practical level, he was an uncommonly generous man who gave freely of
his time and money to champion the music of other composers. As for his own compositions, the
fireworks represent just the surface. Liszt invented the piano recital and the career of travelling
virtuoso. In 1847, after nearly thirty years as Europes most revered pianist, Liszt met and fell in love
with the Princess Carolyne von Sayn-Wittgenstein. Liszt renounced his career as a roaming virtuoso
and in 1848 accepted an invitation to become Kapellmeister to the Grand Duke of Weimar. During
his ten years at Weimar he wrote or revised most of the pieces for which he is now best known. In
1860 he moved to Rome, where five years later he took minor orders. In the 1870s his music entered
its final and most radical phase, and he remained active as a composer and performers right to the end
of his life.
25
Franz Schreker.
Born 23rd March 1878 in the principality of Monaco of Austrian Jewish parents. In
1892 he enters the Vienna Conservatory to study violin and composition. In 1908 his
ballet, Der Gerburtstag der Infantin (The Infantas Birthday) meets with huge success.
Founds the Philharmonic choir. In 1912 opera, Der Ferne Klang (The Distant Sound)
establishes Schreker at the forefront of progressive composition. He accepts
appointment as director of the Berlin Hochschule fur Musik in 1920. He cancels premiere of opera
Christophorus in 1931 in response to Nazi threats. Forced to resign as director of the Hochschule in
1932 by anti-semitic elements. Dies of a heart attack in 1934 after dismissal from the Prussian
Academy of Arts following Nazi accession to power.
Franz Schubert.
Born 31st January 1797, Himmelp-fort grund (a suburb of Vienna), the son of a
teacher and choirmaster. In 1808 he joins Imperial Boys Choir. In 1811 he makes
first attempts at composition. In 1812 he studies with the Vienna court composer
Antonio Salieri. He Joins his father as a school master in 1814, while beginning to
compose seriously. In 1816 he abandons school teaching for a musical career. In
1819 he tours upper Austria with the singer Johann Vogl, who inspired many of
his songs. In 1825 he joins the committee of the prestigious Viennese music institution Gesellschaft
der Musikfreuhde. He is a pallbearer at Beethovens funeral in 1827. One of his few successful
public concerts. Dies in Vienna, 19th November 1828 probably from typhus.
Franz von Suppe.
Born 18th April 1819, in Spalato (now split), Dalmatia, to an Austrian mother and a
Belgian father, a civil servant. Baptised Francesco Ezechieli Ermenegildo
Cavaliere Suppe-Demelli. In 1830 he learns to play the flute, and soon begins
composing. On the death of his father in 1835, moves to Vienna. In 1840 he is
appointed conductor at the Josefstadt Theatre in Vienna, where he writes the
incidental music for several plays. Appointed conductor at the Theatre an der Wien
in 1845. His light opera Des Madchen vom Lande (The Country Girl) in 1847 brings his first big
stage success. Appointed musical director in 1865 at the famous Carl Theatre (formerly the
Leopoldstadt Theatre). Dies 21st May 1895, in Vienna from cancer.
Freddie & The Dreamers.
A British beat group, which enjoyed a series of light-hearted hits in the mid-1960s. Based in
Manchester, the band consisted of vocalist and former milkman Freddie Garritty, guitarists Derek
Quinn and Roy Crewsdon, bassist Pete Birrell and drummer Bernie Dwyer. The groups hits between
1963 and 1965 included If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody, Im Telling You Now, which
reached number one in the USA in 1965, You Were Made for me and Thou Shalt not Steal.
Frederic Chopin.
Born 1st March 1810, at Zelazowa Wola, near Warsaw, the son of French father
and Polish mother. Starts piano lessons in 1816; first attempts at composition. In
1823 he takes advanced studies with Joseph Elsner, director of the Warsaw
Conservatory. In 1829 he leaves Warsaw Conservatory and begins concert tour of
Europe. Arrives in Paris in 1831; meets Liszt. In 1836 he suffers the onset of
tuberculosis. First visit to England in 1837. Begins love affair in 1883 with
novelist George Sand. Spends the winter of 1839 in Majorca with George Sand at
time of increasing ill health. 1847 sees the end of his affair with George Sand. Concert tour of
British Isles, which leaves him mortally ill. Dies on return to Paris, 17th October 1849.
Frederick Delius.
Born 29th January 1862, in Bradford, Yorkshire, son of a German wool merchant.
He reluctantly enters the family business in 1881. In 1884 he abandons this and
sails for Florida to manage on orange grove. Returns to Europe in 1886 to study
music in Leipzig befriended by Grieg. Moves to Paris in 1894; meets Ravel and
artist Paul Gauguin; begins serious composing. In 1897 he settles in Grez-surLoing, a Village near Fontainebleau. Marries German artist Jelka Rosen in 1904.
In 1907 he meets English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, his greatest champion.
1922 saw the first signs of illness, caused by syphilis, leading to blindness and paralysis. Continues to
compose in 1928 by dictating to Eric Fenby. Dies 10th June 1934 at Grez; buried in Limpsfield,
Surrey.
Gabriel Faure. 1845-1924
Like Delius, Faure is a composer whose music does not seem to travel well: revered in his native
France above all as a composer of songs he is known elsewhere almost solely for his hugely
popular Requiem. Unfortunately this excludes a wealth of highly refined and beautiful music. Faure
the youngest of six children (possibly an unplanned addition to the family), proved to be an extremely
precocious talent. When he was 9 he was sent to Ecole Niedermeyer, a Paris music school. In much
of Faures music throughout his life, there are hints of the church modes that he would have learned
there. Faures career began as an organist, firstly at Rennes and then, after serving in the FrancePrussian war of 1870, at the Paris church of St. Honore dEylau. He composed a verity of works,
these include choral music, orchestral music, chamber music and piano music before his death in
1924.
Garry Glitter.
Born Paul Gadd in 1944. British pop star, nicknamed The King of Glam Rock, who emerged as one
of the most outrageous of the Glam Rock stars of the early 1970s. In fact his recording career began
as early as 1959, when as Paul Raven he covered Frankie Vaughans Tower of Strength and in the
process created what many critics called one of the worst singles of all time. It was not until 1973,
however, that he reached the charts with the largely instrumental single Rock n Roll Part 2.
Glitters lively stage presence and visial appearance, complete with huge platform heels and sequined
glitter jackets, won him a huge following and he had 11 top 10 hits, of which his theme song Im the
Leader of the Gang (I am) (1973), I Love You Love Me Love (1973) and Always Yours (1974)
all reached number one.
Garth Brooks
Born in 1962 this US country singer who emerged as a top star in the 1960s. The son of a country
singer, he burst onto the scene in 1990 with Garth Brooks, which appealed to both country and pop
audiences. Subsequent releases have included No Fences (1990), Ropin the wind (1991), In Pieces
(1995) and Fresh Horses (1995). His phenomenal success in the USA has not been matched in
Europe.
Gene Pitney.
A pop singer-songwriter, nicknamed The Rockville Rocket, who became a top international star with
numerous hits in the 1960s. Specializing in epic ballads, he got to the top of the charts with such
numbers as Town Without Pity (1961), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), 24 Hours
From Tulsa (1963) and Somethings Gotten Hold of my Heart (1967). In all 23 songs by Pitney
reached the top 20 between 1961 and 1969. He also wrote hits for other artists, among them Hello,
Mary Lou, which was recorded with huge success by Ricky Nelson, and Rubber Ball, which was
taken up by Bobby Vee. He also guested as pianist on the Rolling Stones hit Little by Little (1964).
He retired from music to concentrate on his business interests.
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George Bizet.
Born 25th October 1838, in Paris. Baptised Alexandre Cesare Leopold, but
universally known as George. In 1847 he enters the Paris Conservatory aged 9.
Wins the Prix De Rome in 1857. Premiere of operetta Le Docteur Miracle. 1863
sees the premiere of opera La Jolie Fille de Perth. Marries Geneviere Halevy,
daughter of the composer Jacques Halevy in 1869. He joins the National Guard in
1870, at the time of the Franco-Prussian war. 1872 sees the birth of son Jacques.
Composes music for LArlesienne. Awarded the Legion of Honour. Controversial premiere of opera
Carmen. Dies 3rd June 1875, just before Carmen becomes a big success.
George Frideric Handel.
Born 23rd February 1685, in Halle, Saxony, the son of a barber-surgeon. In 1694
he begins musical studies with organist-composer Friedrich Wilhem Zachow. In
1702 he is appointed organist at Halle Cathedral. Writes his first opera, Almira in
1705, for the Hamburg opera. Travels to Italy where he meets Arcangelo Corelli
and Alessandro Scarlatti. Visits England for first time in 1710 and settles in
London. Welcomed by Queen Anne and granted a pension. In 1714 he enjoys
patronage of newly crowned King George I. Suffers a serious stroke in 1737, but makes an almost
complete recovery. Visits Dublin in 1741, and writes Messiah. In 1751 he begins to go blind. Dies
14th April 1759, London.
George Gershwin.
Born 26th September 1898, as Jacob Gersvin in New York City, the son of RussianJewish immigrants. In 1910 he learns to play the piano. In 1912 he studies music
with composers Henry Cowell and Wallingford Riegger. In 1914 he becomes
pianist and song plugger in Tin Pan Alley. 1919 sees him write first show La La
Lucille; song Swanee is made a hit by Al Jolson. Bandleader Paul Whiteman
commissions Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, which is a sensational success. In 1927 he
takes up painting. In 1928 he meets Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Ravel in Paris. Of Thee I Sing (with
lyrics by brother Ira) in 1032 becomes the first stage musical to win a Pulitzer Prize. 1935 sees the
first performance of opera, Porgy and Bess. Dies 11th July 1937 of a Brain Tumour, in Hollywood.
George Jones.
Born 1931, he was a country singer, who became one of the legends of country music over the course
of a prolific career. He made his recordings in the early 1950s, establishing his reputation with such
hits as Why Baby Why (1955), Treasure of Love (1958), White Lightning (1959) and Tender
Years (1961). Among his many hits since then have been She Thinks I Still Care (1962), Walk
Through This World With Me (1967), Loving You Could Never be Better (1972) and a series of
duets with his wife Tammy Wynette. His private life was much disruption by alcoholism and
financial problems. But his fortunes improved in the early 1980s, when I Am What I Am (1980)
proved to be his bestselling album so far. More recent releases include Too Wild Too Long (1988).
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George Philipp Telemann. 1681-1767

Telemann was the greatest German composer of the first half of the eighteenth century. Telemann
was born at Magdeburg into an affluent middle-class family. His father and brother, like several of
his ancestors, were clergymen, and despite showing musical aptitude from an early age (he wrote his
first opera aged 12. In 1701 he went to the university of Leipzig to study law, but once his musical
talents were discovered by others it was impossible for him to do anything else. Telemann left
Leipzig in 1705, and after positions at Sorau and Eisenach became music director of the city of
Frankfurt and Kapellmeister of the Barfusserkirche. Telemann published an enormous amount of
chamber music for a wide range of musical combinations and several different styles, including
sonatas, quartets and trio sonatas. Of a relatively small amount of solo instrumental music that he
wrote, the twelve fantasies for the flute and twelve fantasies solo violin are outstanding.
Gerry & The Pacemakers.
A British pop group, which was among the most popular outfits to emerge from Liverpool in the
shadow of The Beatles. Led by skiffle player Gerry Marsdon and managed by Brian Epstein, the
group completed by pianist Les Maguire, bassist Les Chadwick and drummer Freddie Marsden
switched to rock n roll in 1959. In 1963 Gerry and The Pacemakers set a record as the first group to
reach number one with its first three releases, How Do You Do It?, I Like It and Youll Never
Walk Alone, which became the anthem of Liverpool football club fans and topped the charts once
more in 1985 in the aid of the Bradford City disaster fund. Among the groups later hits were Im
The One (1964), Dont Let The Sun Catch You Crying (1964), Ferry cross the Mersey (1964)
and Ill Be There (1965).
Giacomo Carissimi. 1605-1674
Giacomo Carissimi, a name now almost forgotten, was the leading oratorio composer of the midseventeenth century. Despite several prestigious job offers, including that of successor to Monteverdi
at St. Marks in Venice, he spent most of professional life as Maestro di Cappella at the powerful
Jesuit Centre. Carissimis most celebrated work, Jepthe, so impressed Handel that he borrowed its
final chorus for his own oratorio Samson.
Giacomo Puccini.
Born 23rd December 1858 in Lucca, Tuscany, the son of a choirmaster and organist.
In 1872 he follows in his fathers footsteps as local church organist. Enters Milan
Conservatory of Music in 1880, where he is taught by Amilcare Ponchielli. 1884
sees a successful premiere in Milan of first opera, Le Villi. In 1886 he has a son
with mistress Elvira Gemignani. 1893 sees the triumphant premiere in Turin of
Monon Lescaut. In 1900 he buys country estate near Lucca, at Torro Del Lago.
During composition of Madame Butterfly in 1903 he is badly injured in a car accident. In 1904 he
marries Elvira Gemignani after death of her husband. Goes to New York in 1906 for rehearsals of
Madame Butterfly. Attends New York premiere in 1910 of La Fanciulla del West. Dies 29th
November 1924 after surgery for throat cancer, leaving Turandot unfinished.
Gioachino Rossini.
Born 29th February 1792 in Pesaro, Italy, the son of a musician. In 1804 he enrols in
Bologna Liceo Musicale. In 1806 he composes his first opera Demetrio e Polibio.
First operatic success in 1810 with La Cambiale di Matrimonio. In 1814 he becomes
music director of San Carla Opera, Naples. 1816 sees the premiere of comic opera
The Barber of Seville. In 1822 he marries his long-term mistress, the singer Isobella
Colbran. Visits Beethoven in Vienna. In 1823 he makes a successful visit to London. In 1824 he
becomes director at the Theatre-Italian in Paris. 1829 saw the premiere in Paris of his last and most
ambitious opera, William Tell. In 1846 he marries Olympe Pelissier, after the death of Isobella. In
1855 he settles in Paris; builds a villa in the suburb of Passy. Dies 13th November 1868, aged 76.
Gilbert OSullivan.
Irish singer-songwriter, who enjoyed a brief but spectacular career at the top in the early 1970s. He
made his first impression on the charts in 1970 with Nothing Rhymed and subsequently got to
number one with Clair (1972), from the number one album Back to Front, and Get Down (1973)
the former single was addressed to a small, giggly girl and the latter to a dog. He returned to the
charts in 1980 with Whats in a Kiss.
Giovanni de Palestrina. C1525-1594.
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina wrote music for the Catholic Church during one of the most traumatic
periods of its history. The function of church music was one of many subjects discussed at the
Council of Trent, which sat from 1545-1663. Palestrina is often credited as the composer who singlehandedly saved polyphony. He was requested to compose a mass that would show that the
polyphonic style was not irreconcilable with clarity of meaning or a truly devotional spirit. The
result, the Missa Papae Marcelli (Mass of Pope Marcellus), swayed the critics and saved the day.
Palestinas name derives from the hill town near Rome where he was born. He wrote a hundred
masses, although only a handful of them are performed with any regularity.
Giovanni Gabrieli. C1553-1612.
Not much is known about Giovanni Gabrielis life, he studied with his uncle Andreak and like him,
spent some time at the Munich Court of Albrecht V, where he would have worked with Lassus. He
succeeded Merulo as organist at St. Marks Church in Venice in 1585, and when his uncle died the
following year he became the churchs principal composer of ceremonial music. Much of Gabrielis
music was published in 1597 in a collection titled Sacrae Symphoniae, and his subsequent fame led to
him being saught out as a teacher, especially by pupils from Germany. The greatest of these was
Schutz who assimilated Gabrielis style and perpetuated it in Germany long after it had been forgotten
in Venice. He was obviously a favourite pupil of Gabrieli, since he received a ring from him on his
deathbed.
Giovanni Pergolesi. 1710-1736
Though only a moderately successful composer during his short life, Pergolesi managed to write two
works that not only brought him posthumous fame but significantly influenced the direction of vocal
music in the eighteenth century. The first, La Serva Padrona (The Maid as Mistress), was an early
example of comic opera, or opera buffa. Pergolesi worked mainly in Naples. He composed at least
five operas in his lifetime. La prigioneir superbo, introduced a more naturalistic tone, bit its notoriety
came about after the composers death, when a performance in Paris in 1752 instigated a furious
theoretical debate about the respective merits of Pergolesis opera buffa as opposed to the more
formal and serious French opera.
Giuseppe Tartini. 1692-1770
Tartini was Born in Pirano, on the Adriatic coast (then on the edge of the venetian republic, now part
of Slovenia,) the son of a merchant in the salt trade. His parents intended him for the church, but in
1708 he left his native region to study law at Padua University. Two years later, shortly after his
fathers death he moved to Assisi, he remained there for three years, improving his violin playing and
studying composition. From around 1714 he started earning a living as a violinist in churches,
academies and opera houses. Tartini wrote more than 130 violin concertos, 50 of which exist in
manuscript form: Tartini was even more prolific as a composer of sonatas than he was of concertos,
writing at least 170 examples.
30
Giuseppe Verdi.
Born 10th October 1813, at Le Rocole near Parma, Italy an innkeepers son. In 1825
he is sent to study in nearby Busseto; learns the organ. In 1832 he moves to Milan
for private music lessons, having been turned down by Milan Conservatory as too
old. Marries Margherita Barezzi in 1836. Following the deaths of his wife and 2
children, and the failure of his first 2 operas in 1841, enjoys success with his next
opera, Nabucco. In 1848 he buys a country estate at Sant Agata, near Busseto. In
1851 he scores another triumph with Rigoletto. Marries mistress, soprano Giuseppina Strepponi in
1859. Elected as a deputy to the first Italian Parliament in 1860. 1871 sees the premiere of Aida in
Cairo. 1887 sees the premiere of Otello. 1893 saw the premiere of his last opera, Falstaff, at La
Scala, Milan. Dies in Milan, 27th January 1901.
Glen Campbell.
Born in 1956 Glen (Travis) Campbell, a US country singer and guitarist, who was associated with
some of the most celebrated pop groups of the 1960s and 1970s. Before establishing himself as a
star in his own right, Campbell played guitar for a wide range of leading artists, including Nat King
Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Monkees, the Mamas and the Papas and the Beach Boys. His
solo hits included Turn around and look at me (1961) Gentle on my mind (1967) and By the time
I get to Pheonix (1967). The single Rhinestone Cowboy proved him with another hit in 1975.
Among his many best-selling albums are Gentle on my mind (1967), I remember Hank Williams
(1974) and Still within the sound of my voice (1988). His film appearances have included True Grit
(1969).
Gloria Gaynor.
Born in 1949 she became a U.S. pop singer, who was known as the Disco Queen in the mid-1970s
before her career was eclipsed by that of Donna Summer. Gaynor established herself as a favourite
with such hits as Honey Bee (1973), Never Can Say Goodbye (1974), Reach Out Ill be There
(1975) and I Will Survive, which revived her fortunes by reaching number one. She returned to the
charts in 1983 with I Am What I Am, from the musical La Cage aux Folles, but she remains best
known for her earlier hits. More recently she has worked as a Gospel singer and radio presenter.
Grazyna Bacewicz. 1909 1969
Polands most important composer between Szymanowski and Lutoslawski, she was born in Lodz
into a musical family, her brother Kiejstut was a fine pianist. Began studying at the Warsaw
Conservatory in 1928. She continued her musical education in Paris with the two most influential
teachers of the period, Carl Flesch for violin and Nadia Boulanger for composition. She went on to
have an outstanding career as a soloist. Unsurprisingly much of her best writing is for the violin and
sonatas for the violin and piano. Her other works include string quartets, No. 1 (1938), No. 3, written
in Paris in 1947, in 1951 her string quartet No. 4, written the previous year, won first prize at the
International Composers Competition in Liege. Violin pieces, sonata No. 2 for solo violin (1955).
There were also five others for both violin and piano.
31
Gregorio Allegri.
1582-1652.
An obscure composer of his time, Gregorio Allegri whose setting of the Miserere Mei (psalm 51 in
the English Bible) was performed three times during Holy week from the year of its creation
until1870. So renowned did this work become that its music was a closely guarded secret and illicit
copyists were threatened with excommunication, although this didnt stop the 14-year old Mozart
transcribing if from memory after hearing it once. Allegris musical career began in 1591 as a
chorister at Romes San Luigi dei Francesi where he took lessons with Giovanni Bernardino Nanino,
a follower of Palestrina. About 1605 he took Holy Orders and left Rome, taking up positions as
composer and singer at the Cathedrals of Fermo and Tivoli. Allegri joined the Papal choir at the end
of 1629. He retained the position until his death some 22 years later.
Gretano Donizetti.
Born 29th November 1797, into a poor family in Bergamo, northern Italy. In 1806 he enrols in a local
choir school founded by the composer Simon Mayr. Continues his studies in Bologna in 1814 with
the eminent teacher Padre Mattei. Reluctantly joins the army in 1817 and writes operas in his in his
free frame. In 1818 A female admirer pays for him to leave the army. In 1824 he marries Virginia
Vasselli daughter of a Roman lawyer, His opera Anna Bolena brings him international fame in 1830.
In 1837 he is appointed director of the Naples Music School. Moves to Paris after the death of his
wife during a cholera epidemic in 1838. His opera Poliuto is banned. Shows increasing signs of
mental disorder and paralysis, caused by syphilis in 1845.
Guillaume de Machaut. C1300-1377.
He was the outstanding Ars Nova Composer, exploiting new musical techniques that make much of
his work sound startlingly modern. He was almost certainly born in Rheims, a city where he spent
most of his later years. Around 1323 he joined the household of John of Luxembourg, the King of
Bohemia, serving as his secretary on many military and diplomatic expeditions. Machauts Fame
during his lifetime was gained as much by his skills as a poet as by his musicianship. In his later
years, he fell in love with a woman much younger than himself and he tells their story the source of
much biographical detail in a long poem, Le Voir Dit (The Tale of Truth). Nearly all his
compositions are secular songs about love, the country, spiritual love of the middle ages. One of his
favoured song forms is the virelais. His most important work for the church was the four-part Messe
de Notre Dame.
Guillaume Dufay. C1400-1474.
Dufay is one of an outstanding group of Franco-Flemish composers that emerged from the Dukedom
of Burgundy. Dufay was born near Cambria, an important centre of religious music, and he began his
career there in 1409 as a chorister at the cathedral. While still a young man he went to Italy to work
for the Malatesta family at Pesaro before joining the Papal Chapel Choir until 1437, based firstly in
Rome, then at Bologna and Florence. He returned to Cambria in 1440. In preparation for his death in
1474 Dufay paid for no less than three sung masses (including his own setting in honour of St.
Anthony), thirteen low masses and an annual ceremony to be held in his memory. Such expenditure
was far from excessive and is one of the reasons why the fifteenth-century church grew so
phenomenally rich.
32
Gustav Mahler. 1860-1911

Until little more than forty years ago, Mahlers heady, epic compositions were regarded with a degree
of suspicion similar to that which still dogs many of his contemporaries, such as Zemlinsky and
Schreker. In his own time he was known far more for his conducting than for his music. Mahler was
born into a Jewish-Bohemian family at a time when official attitudes to Jews were relaxing after years
of residence restrictions. He 34received his education in Prague and later at the Vienna conservatory;
where his fellow pupils included Hugo Wolf and Hans. Just as he was beginning to find his voice as a
composer in the dramatic cantata Das Klagende Lied (1880) and other early songs, Mahler discovered
his talents as a conductor. As Mahler became disenchanted with life in Hamburg he set his sights on
Vienna where he was appointed principal conductor in 1897. In 1907 a serious heart disease began to
manifest itself. His last compositions, the ninth and tenth symphonies. He died on May 18th 1911 on
the way back from his final American trip.
Hector Berlioz. 1803-1869
The life of Hector Berlioz as related in his dazzling, if over-imaginative, memoirs is a classical
musics Byronic epic. Berlioz learned neither the piano nor the violin, though he did develop an
enthusiasm for the flute and, later, the guitar. His father insisted that he enter the medical profession.
Berlioz did as he was told, but in 1822, while studying at the Paris Medical School, he began to take
serious music lessons for the first time. Berlioz hesitated over making a serious break until 1826,
when he mustered the courage to leave the medical school and enter the music conservatory. His
subsequent development was bewilderingly fast, and was actually aided by his inability to play the
piano well. Other composers tended to work out their ideas at the piano, but Berlioz found himself
free of such creative limitations and soon realized that the orchestra and large ensembles were his true
metier.
Heinrich Biber. 1644-1704
Biber was born in Warttenberg in Bohemia but probably received his early training in Vienna under
Johann Schmelzer. Some time around 1668 he entered the service of Archbishop Karl von
Liechtenstein-Kaskorn. In 1670, while on official business, Biber mysteriously abandoned his
position while in Salzburg and entered the employ of another powerful churchman. He was to remain
there for the rest of his life: beginning as a court violinist and rising to the rank of Court Kapellmeister
and Cathedral Choirmaster in 1684 before his eventual Ennoblement in 1690. In his later years his
duties included writing a substantial amount of large-scale choral music for the Cathedral. Despite his
renown as a performer, there is no evidence to suggest that he travelled anywhere much further than
Munich. Nor was there any known contact with other major composers, apart from his colleague at
Salzburg, George Muffet, who shared Babers enthusiasm for writing sonatas.
Heinrich Schutz. 1585-1672
Heinrich Schutz was the greatest German composer before J.S. Bach, a status that has a lot to do with
four years he spent in Venice, assimilating the polychoral style of Giovanni Gabrieli. Schutz took his
declamatory and dramatic style back to Germany. Schutz was born in Kostritz in Saxony into a
family of legal officials. In 1628 Schutz returned to Venice to recruit new musicians for Dresden and
to familiarize himself at first hand with the new style of Monteverdi. Much of Schutz time was spent
petitioning for funds to pay the few court musicians who remained. He finally retired when he was
72, to his sisters house at Weissenfels. Where he spent the final years of his life occasionally
composing but mostly studying and reading the Bible.
33
Henri Duparc. 1848-1933

Duparc was born in Paris into a well-to-do family and educated at the Jesuit Collage of Vaugirard,
where Cesar Franck taught music. Duparc was a regular visitor to Germany and first heard Wagners
music performed at Munich in 1869, and was introduced to the composer by Liszt in the same year.
His first published work, Feuilles Volantes for piano, appeared in 1869. Many of the first
performances of his works were given by the Societe Nationale de Musique, an important forum for
new music which Duparc helped to set up. After leaving Paris in 1885, Duparc moved to South-West
France and then to Switzerland. His life became extremely quiet and uneventful. In 1906 a visit to
Lourdes led to an intensifying of religious faith. Apart from a few brief sketches for Roussalka
(which he later burned) he never composed another note.
Henryk Gorecki.
Born 6th December 1933, in Czernica, Poland, the son of a railway worker. His mother dies suddenly
in 1935. In 1943 he begins to learn violin. In 1955 he enrols on a 5 year course in composition at the
Katowice Conservatory. Then he pursues his studies in Paris in 1957, with the eminent French
composer Olivier Messiaen. In 1960 he wins first prize in the competition of the Polish composers
union for his solo vocal piece Monoghi. In 1973 he is awarded a first prize in the Unesco competition
in Paris. In 1975 appointed rector of Katowice Conservatory. Beatus Vir is performed at Krakow in
1979, during Pope John Paul IIs visit to Poland. In 1992 he receives the award of the ministry of
foreign affairs. Awarded honorary doctorate from the University of Warsaw.
Henry Purcell. 1659-1695
Henry Purcell is the greatest composer England has ever produced, and his premature death, at the age
of 36, was a terrible blow which curtailed the development of a specifically English musical identity
until the emergence of Elgar. Parcel came from a family of professional musicians. His father, also
named Henry, and his uncle Thomas were both musicians at the court of Charles II, and his brother
Daniel was a composer and organist. He succeeded Matthew Locke as court composer for the violins
in 1677, and with John Blow, whom he succeeded as organist of Westminster Abbey in 1679. Purcell
spent all of his life in the environs of Westminster; and his principal places of work Whitehall
Palace, the Chapel Royal at St. James, and Westminster Abbey were all within walking distance of
his home.
Hermans Hermits.
British pop group, which enjoyed huge success in the singles charts in the 1960s. The Hermits
sprang to fame after being taken up by the producer Mickie Moss, who reshaped the group around the
singer and former Coronation Street actor Peter Noone in 1964. The other members were guitarists
Derek Lek Leckenly and Keith Hopwood, bassist Karl Green and drummer Barry Whitwam. The
group topped the British charts with Barl Jeans Im Into Something Good (1964) and consolidated
its popularity with such lively hits as Mrs Brown Youve Got A Lovely Daughter, Im Henry VIII I
Am and My Sentimental Friend before breaking up in 1971.
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Hildegard of Bingen. (1098 1179)

The tenth child of a noble family. She was sent, at the age of 8 to live in an enclosed cell with the
anchoress Jutta at the Benedictine Monastery of Disibodenberg in Southern Germany. Jutta died in
1136 and Hildegard became the leader of a small group of nuns attached to the monastery. Between
1147 and 1150, against the wishes of her Abbot, she left with her 18 nuns and her secretary the
monk Volmar to found an independent convent on the Rupertsberg near Bingen and remained there
for the rest of her life. Hildegard was an ecstatic mystic and from 1141 she had a series of 26 visions
which were dictated to Volmar and recorded in a book, Scivias (know the ways). The language of
these visions, and of the religious poetry that she set to music, is highly personal and full of startling
images, both apocalyptic and sensual. In the 1150s she gathered together her 77 liturgical songs
(Antiphons, Responsories, Sequences and hymns) into a collection she called Symphonia Harmoniae
Caelestium Revelationum. Which were used for worship at the convent.
Hot Chocolate.
Multi-racial British pop group which enjoyed numerous hits in the 1970s. Led by Jamaican-born
singer Errol Brown and (until 1976) Trinidadian bassist Tony Wilson, the band came together in 1970
and was encouraged in the early days by John Lennon, who also approved the groups choice of name
and allowed it to perform a reggae version of Give peace a chance as a debut recording. Hot
Chocolate reached the charts on some 26 occasions with such hits as Brother Louise (1973), You
Sexy Thing (1975), So You Win Again (1977), Everyones a Winner (1978) and It Started with a
Kiss (1982). Brown left to pursue a solo career in 1987.
Hubert Parry. 1848-1918
Parry was a sufficiently gifted child to gain an Oxford B. Mus while still a pupil at Eton. He went on
to read law and modern history at Pembroke Collage, Oxford, and then following family pressure
became an underwriter at Lloyds of London. He continued with his music studies. Parrys first
piano concerto was performed in 1880 but it was the premiere, seven years later, of his cantata Blest
Pair of Sirens that established him as one of Englands leading composers. Parry was an avowed
agnostic yet he produced some of Britains finest sacred choral music. Apart from the hymn
Jerusalem and the Coronation anthem I Was Glad, his best-known choral work is the cantata Blest
Pair of Sirens (1887). Its success led to the commissioning of the oratorio Judith, now forgotten. His
orchestral symphonys of which he composed at least five starting with symphony No. 1 in 1882 and
finishing with symphonic variations, first performed in 1897. His final piece Elegy for Brahms,
written in the same year and given a posthumous premiere in 1918.
Hugo Wolf. 1860-1903
Born in Slovenia, Hugo Wolf was taught by his father until 1875, when he entered the Vienna
Conservatory, where one of his contempories was Gustav Mahler. He was a fractious student, and in
1877 the year he contracted the syphilis that was to kill him he was expelled from the
conservatory. For the next decade he made his money chiefly from teaching, but in 1884 his songs
aroused the interest of the greatly influential critic Edvard Hanslick, who recommended Wolf to two
publishers, neither of whom was prepared to back the young composer. Until the great explosion of
songwriting that began at the age of 28. Wolf had composed extensively for chamber groups, solo
piano and orchestra. His most important work dates from the years between 1888 and 1898, and falls
into several large groups.
35
Igor Stravinsky
Born in Lomonosov, Russia, 17th June 1882, his father a singer in the St.
Petersburg Imperial Opera. In 1901 he begins a university law course. Meets
Rimsky-Korsakov in 1902, and thereafter devotes most of his time to music
studies. In 1906 he marries Katerina Nassenko. 1910 sees the Paris premiere of
the ballet The Firebird, commissioned by Diaghilev, brings him fame. Paris
premiere in 1913 of ballet The Rite of Spring. Moves to Switzerland in 1914 after
start of first world war. Settles in France in 1920, divides his time between composing, conducting
and performing his own works on piano. Following the death of his wife and daughter in 1939 from
tuberculosis, leaves France for the U.S.A. in 1940 he marries Vera de Bosset and settles in Los
Angeles. 1962 sees a triumphant visit to U.S.S.R. Dies 6th April 1971, is buried in Venice, near
Diaghilev.
Isaac Albeniz. 1860-1909
A crucial figure in the creation of distinctively Spanish classical musical idiom. Associated primarily
with works for the piano. Born into a musical family. Made his public debut at Barcelonas Teatro
Romea, aged 4. At 7 he auditioned at the Paris Conservatoire but was considered too young. In 1869
he enrolled at the Madrid Conservatory but aged 10 he ran away from home and supported himself by
giving concerts. A couple of years later he topped that escapade by stowing away on a ship to south
America, playing piano in so- called places of entertainment. He spent much of his time moving
between Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and London. On a trip to London he made an agreement with the
banker Francis Money-Coutts to set his English librettos to music. The results were four operas, the
last being Merlin (1886). His other works most of which for the piano. Written when he was 26, the
Suite Esanola. His assimilation of folkloric elements reaches a greater level of sophistication with
Iberia.
Jacques Offenbach. 1819-1880
Jacob, as he was named was born in Cologne, seventh of ten children. He was taught music in his
native city, then in 1833 the family resettled in Paris, allowing him to study at the conservatoire.
Joining the orchestra of the Opera-Comique, he published waltzes and concert pieces for his own
instrument, the cello. Throughout the 1840s he survived as a virtuoso performer. In 1850 he was
made conductor of the Theatre Francais, where in 1855 he gained the success he needed, and gave
him the cash and the credibility to set up as a composer and stager of his own music. From 1877 he
was occupied with the work that would become his masterpiece. When he died, in 1880, much of it
was still in piano-score but was completed and orchestrated by Ernest Guiraud and received a
triumphant premiere early in 1881.
Jean-Baptiste Lully. 1632-1687
Rarely has a composer so dominated a cultural environment as Lully dominated the French Court in
the reign of Louis XIV. He was extremely talented: he wrote sprightly and energetic dance music
which, collected together as suites, exerted a strong influence on European orchestral music until the
middle of the eighteenth century. Lully was born an Italian but went to France at the age of 14 as a
servant to a cousin of Louis XIV. Though an outstanding violinist, he first attracted attention as a
dancer and a mime, performing alongside the young King in a court ballet in 1653. In the same year
he joined the royal household as composer of the Kings instrumental music, and composed a number
of ballets that were performed by his own orchestra. During the 1660s he produced a series of
comedies-ballets in collaboration with the playwright Moliere. Lullys increasing control of French
theatre music was consolidated in 1672 by his purchase of the exclusive right to produce opera. His
death was a strange accident, while conducting, he jabbed one of his toes with the stick he was using.
He developed blood-poisoning and died a wealthy man.
36
Jean-Philippe Rameau. 1683-1764

Rameau achieved fame as a composer relatively late in his career. In 1733, when he was fifty years
old, his first opera created a storm of controversy because it dared to challenge the model for French
opera established by Lully some fifty years earlier. Rameau was born in Dijon, the seventh of eleven
children. His father who taught him music was the organist of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in
Dijon, a post to which Jean-Philippe succeeded in 1709. In 1722 he published his treatise on
harmony, in which he examined the origins of harmony and the relationships of chords. Rameau is
little known, even in France, as a composer of operas, he wrote some motets, also some keyboard
music of which two or three books were published in his lifetime.
Jean Sibelius.
Born 8th December 1865, in Hameenlinna, Finland, the son of an Army doctor.
Starts Violin Lessons in 1874. Writes first piece in 1875, Water Drops, for violin
and cello. In 1885 he enters Helsinki University as a law student; moves to
Academy of Music to study violin and composition. In 1889 he continues his
studies in Berlin. In 1892 he marries Aino Jarnefelt; they have five daughters. A
state pension in 1897 allows him to do less teaching and give more time to
composition. Becomes a national hero in 1899 after writing Finlandia. In 1904 he
builds his family home, named Ainola, near Helsinki. Finnish independence from Russia in 1918 is
followed by civil war in Finland. In 1926 he composes Tapiola, his last major work. Dies 20th
September1957, at Ainola, aged 92.
Jerry Lee Lewis.
U.S. rock n roll singer and pianist, nicknamed The Killer, who was one of the figureheads of the
rock n roll era of the 1950s. He began his career playing piano in the brothels of Louisiana and
established himself as a star after entering a studio for the first time in 1955. Famed for his furious
delivery of such classics as Great Balls of Fire (during which he once set fire to his piano at the
climax of his performance). He created a wholly new sound, mixing elements of both black and white
music.
Joaquin Rodrigo.
Born 22nd November 1901, at Sagunto, near Valencia on Spains eastern coast. In
1904 he loses his sight, after catching diphtheria. In 1910 he begins serious musical
studies in Valencia. Already composing hard; goes to Paris in 1927 where he studies
with the French composer Paul Dukas and meets Manuel de Falla, who encourages
him in his work. In 1933 he marries the Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi. In 1936 he
remains in Paris as civil war breaks out in Spain. Returns to live in Madrid in 1940;
premiere of Concierto de Aranjuez brings him fame. In 1941 daughter Cecilia is born. Appointed
professor of music at Madrid University in 1944. Visits Argentina in 1949 for a festival of his music.
In 1967 Sagunto Town Council founds Joaquin Rodrigo Prize for Choral Composition.
Joe Walsh.
U.S. rock guitarist and singer-songwriter, nicknamed Prince Roving Hand, who has enjoyed a long
career both as a star performer with various top bands and on a solo basis. A former member of The
James Gang, Barnstorm and The Eagles, from 1975, he has also had success with such solo albums as
But Seriously, Folks (1976), There Goes the Neighborhood (1981) an lp originally titled Days of
Lines and Noses Got any Guns? (1987) and Ordinary Average Guy (1991).
37
Johannes Ockeghem. C1420-1497.

Considering that he lived so long and was so revered, Ockeghem was a curiously unprolific composer.
About twenty secular songs have survived, just four motets that can be confidently ascribed, and some
fifteen masses, including the earliest surviving polyphonic setting of the Requiem. As a songwriter he
continued the manner of Machaut and Dufay, using the traditional forms of Ballade, Rondeau and
Virelai (all of which employed textual refrains). Each form was thought appropriate for different
moods. Thus we have Fors Seulement, a Rondeau of unrequited love, the Virelai Tant Fuz
Gentlement, which again deals with love but in a more ambivalent fashion, and the solemn ballade
(favoured for serious themes) which Ockeghem employs for his moving lament on the death of
Binchois, Mort to as navra.
Johann Nepomuck Hummel. 1778-1837
Hummel began his career as an infant prodigy, impressive enough to be given free lessons by Mozart.
Like Mozart he was touted around Europe by an ambitious father, and it was during a trip to England
in 1790 that he got to know Haydn, through whom he later obtained the position of Konzertmeister at
the court of Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy (Haydn was still the princes Kapellmeister, in title if not in
practice). In 1811 he returned to Vienna. Thereafter his career alternates between that of a jobbing
composer and a concert pianist until his death in 1837. The trumpet concerto is Hummels most
recorded work. Even better are the concertos he wrote for his own instrument, the piano.
Johann Pachelbel.
Born in Nuremberg, Bavaria, about 30th August 1653. Enters University at Altdorf in 1669 where he
also plays their organ at the Lorenzkirche. After poverty forces him to leave Altdorf in 1670, he wins
a scholarship to the Gymnasium Poeticum in Regensburg. Goes to Vienna in 1673, where he is
appointed Deputy Organist at St. Stephens Cathedral. In 1677 he is appointed organist at the court in
Eisenach. In 1681 he marries Barbara Gabler. Barbara and their baby die during a plague in 1683.
Marries Judith Drommer in 1684. In 1686 son Wilhelm Hieronymus (later to become a notable
composer) is born. Appointed organist at the Wurttemburg court in Stuttgart in 1690. French
invasion forces him to flee from Stuttgart in 1692. Dies in Nuremberg, 7th March 1706.
Johann Sebastian Bach.
Born 21st March 1685 at Elsenach, in North Germany, the son of Johann
Ambrosius Bach, court musician. Became a chorister at St. Michaels Church,
Luneburg 1700; taught by organist Georg Bohm. In 1703 he is appointed organist
at the new Church at Arnstadt. In 1707 he marries his cousin Maria Barbara Bach;
they have 7 children, including later composers Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl
Philipp Emanuel. In 1708 he becomes organist to the Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
Appointed Kapellmeister to the court of Anhalt-Cothen in 1717. Maria Barbara dies in 1720; Bach
marries Anna Magdalena Wilcken; 13 children follow, including Johann Christian (later the London
Bach). In 1723 he is appointed Kantor at the Thomasschule, Leipzig. In 1740 his eyesight begins to
fail. Dies in Leipzig, 28th July 1750.
38
Johann Strauss II.

Born 25th October 1825, in Vienna, eldest son of orchestra leader and composer
Johann Strauss I. In 1831 he writes his first waltz tune. Begins violin lessons, in
secret because of his fathers opposition. In 1842 his father abandons wife and
family for another woman, Emilie Trampusch. After an unhappy period as a
bank clerk in 1844, Strauss forms his own dance orchestra. On the death of his
father in 1849, merges the latters orchestra with his own. Brother Josef first
conducts the Strauss orchestra in 1853. Marries Jetty Treffe in 1862, the first of three wives. In 1871
brother Eduard takes over as director of court balls. In 1872 he conducts 20,000 singers and orchestra
with 10,000 players in Boston, U.S.A. In 1874 he composes Die Fledermaus. Dies 3rd June 1899, in
Vienna.
Johannes Brahms.
Born 7th May 1833, in Hamburg, the son of a humble orchestral musician. In 1843
he gives first public concert as a pianist. 1853 saw a concert tour of Germany.
Meets the celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim. In 1857 he is appointed teacher and
conductor at the German Court of Detmold. In 1862 he settles in Vienna. Death
of his mother in 1865. In 1872 he becomes conductor of Viennese Concert
Society, the Gesellschaft der Musik Freunde. In 1879 he is given honorary
doctorate by Breslau University. Elected member of Berlin Academy of Arts in 1886. Recieves
freedom of the city of Hamburg in 1889. Dies 3rd April 1897, in Vienna from cancer of the liver.
John Adams.
Born in England in 1947, son of a dance band saxophonist. Arrived at Harvard in the 1960s.
Fascinated by William Burrows. An even greater influence was composer John Gage. After
graduation in the 1970s, he headed west to San Francisco, where he encountered the works of Steve
Reich, Terry Riley and Philip Glass for the first time. Three act opera, Nixon in China, premiered at
Houston. Adams really hit his stride. Continues to work on a large scale through 1985, concertos for
violin, clarinet and piano. His work include the Death of a Klinghoffer premiered March 1991. El
Nino (The Child), composed 1999-2000 Harmonium came about as a result of Adams relationship
with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Shaker Loops appeared in 1978, was also used in the film
Barfly. Violin concerto, co-commissioned by the New York City ballet and the Minnesota Orchestra.
John Adson.
Born in the late 16th century and died in London 1640. English composer. He was a court musician
and from 1634 music teacher to Charles I. His Courtly Masquing Ayres (1611) contains 31 five and
six part dances for various instruments.
John Barry.
Internationally acclaimed James Bond composer John Barry died January 2011 from a heart attack
aged 77. Barry wrote scores for more than 90 films including Out Of Africa, Midnight Cowboy and
Zulu but he is best known for his work on 007. Among others, he composed music for Goldfinger,
Diamonds Are Forever and You Only Live Twice. The melody from the latter was sampled, at great
expense, for the Robbie Williams hit Millennium. Barry loved sweeping orchestral sound and would
often work all through the night to perfect a score. He regarded himself as a dramatist as much as a
composer. In his 50-year career, he won 5 Oscars and garnered 2 other nominations. But he never
won for bond. Originally from New York, he lived in Oyster Bay, New York, with wife Laurie for
more than 30 years but he never lost his Yorkshire accent. Broadcaster Stephen Fry tweeted: John
Barry has died. How sad. One of the greats and a real mensch. TV presenter and classically trained
pianist Myleene Klass wrote: Terribly sad. The world has lost a genius of a man, John Berry. A
memorial service was held later that same year.
39
John Denver
Born John Henry Deutschendorf; in 1933. A singer-songwriter, who became one of the top U.S. stars
of the early 1970s. Naming himself after the city of Denver, Colorado, he was regularly in the upper
reaches of the charts with such hits as Rocky Mountain High, Take Me Home Country Roads and
Annies Song. He also wrote such hits as Leaving on a Jet Plane for Peter, Paul and Mary and
continued to prosper both as a singer and as a TV presenter through the 1980s. Annies Song
provided Denver with his only significant UK hit, reaching number one in 1975; it was inspired by his
wife Ann Martell and was composed while Denver was riding on a ski-lift.
John Dowland. 1563-1626.
The lute was the most popular solo instrument in Europe at the end of the sixteenth century and John
Dowland was one of its most skilful practitioners. But, despite his prowess, he repeatedly failed to
gain the position he so coveted at the English Court, a failure he felt strongly in spite of a highly
successful career abroad. Perhaps his Catholicism, to which he had converted while resident in
France in the 1580s, had hindered him at the English Court. At any rate he abandoned his new faith
in 1597 prior to returning briefly to England from Italy where, as an itinerant performer, he had fallen
in with a group of disaffected English Catholics whose treasonable plans had considerably alarmed
him. The following year he obtained an extremely lucrative position to King Christian IV of
Denmark, remaining there until 1606. One of his trips to London to visit his wife and son he was
appointed as one of the kings lutenists in 1612, his inspiration at least as a composer seems to
have deserted him.
John Dunstable. C1390-1453.
Very little is known about the English composer John Dunstable (or Dunstaples), but there is no doubt
that his music exerted a profound and far ranging influence throughout fifteenth century Europe.
While in France Dunstable may have written music for the Coronation of Henry VI in Paris a possible
French connection further strengthened by the fact that he was granted lands in France on the Duke of
Bedfords death. His major patrons in England were the Dowager Queen Joan and the Duke of
Gloucester. Both had links with St. Albans Abbey, for which Dunstable wrote at least one motet
(Albanus roseo rutilat), although he does not seem to have held a position there, nor ever to have
taken holy orders. It seems likely that his later years were devoted to the study of the quadrivium
(arithmetic, astronomy, geometry and music). Dunstable also wrote a good deal of sacred music
during the musical golden age in England several of these were motets.
Johnny Cash.
Born in 1932 he was a US rockabilly and country-and-western singer, nicknamed the Man in Black,
who became one of the legendary figures of country music in the 1950s and 1960s. Cashs
beginnings were humble in the extreme; he was born in a railroad shack to be impoverished cotton
farmer and could claim part-Indian ancestry. He served in the US Air Force in Korea and then,
backed by the Tennesse Three. He established a big following both within country music and in
popular music generally with such hits as I walk the line. Ballad of a teenage Queen, Ring of fire
and A boy named Sue. He recorded many more classics, including duets with Bob Dylan and with
his second wife June Carter. The best of his 50 or so albums include At San Quentin (1969).
40
Johnny Mathis.
Black U.S. singer born 1935, who first as a top international star in the style of a latterday crooner in
the late 1950s and eventually became the USAs first black millionaire. A talented athlete, who was
invited to try for the Olympic games in 1956, he first reached the charts in 1958 and subsequently
enjoyed nine hits over the next two years with such numbers as Twelfth of Never (1957) and Misty
(1959). His hits since then have included several best-selling albums and such singles as Im Stone
in Love With You (1975) and When a Child is Born, which got to number one at Christmas in
1976. In 1979 he provided the singing voice of Miss Piggy in the Muppet Movie.
Johnny Mercer.
U.S. lyricist, composer and singer, who emerged as one of the leading lyricists of his generation in the
1930s. He contributed to over 1,000 hit songs between 1930 and his death, collecting no fewer than
four Academy awards, and he worked with such prominent composers as Harold Arlen, Hoagy
Carmichael, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini and Andre Brevin on numerous acclaimed films and stage
shows. Among his most successful hits were Whatll they think of next?, Any place I hang my hat
is home, Lazybones, Too marvellous for words, Hooray for Hollywood, On the Atchison
Topeka and the Santa Fe, You must have been a beautiful baby, That old black magic and Moon
river.
Johnny Nash.
Born 1940, black U.S. singer-songwriter, who established a reputation as a teen-idol in the late 1950s
and subsequently emerged as a soul and reggae star in the 1970s. Among his best-selling singles
were A Very Special Love (1957), The Teen Commandments (1958), which he recorded with Paul
Anka and George Hamilton, Lets Move and Groove Together (1965), Hold Me Tight (1968),
which marked his conversion to reggae, I Can See Clearly Now (1972), which reached number one
in the USA, and Tears on my Pillow (1975), which got to the top of the British charts. His cover
versions of songs by Bob Marley did much to promote the latters career.
John Taverner. C1490-1545.
John Taverner was the outstanding talent of pre-reformation English music and one of the greatest of
all polyphonists. To a large extent his music was the culmination of an extremely rich English
polyphonic tradition. To this tradition Taverner added the continental device of imitation, whereby a
phrase sung by one voice would be repeated by another, thus giving his works a greater sense of shape
and direction than those of his English predecessors. Taverner was probably born in Lincolnshire, the
earliest record of his musical activities is in 1525 as a lay clerk at Collegiate Choir of Tattershall,
northwest of Boston. Eight of Taverners masses have survived, of which the most beautiful is the
early six-part Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas.
Joseph Haydn.
Born 31st March 1732, at Rohrau, Austria-Hungary. In 1740 he joins the choir and
school of St. Stephens Cathedral, Vienna. In 1749 he was struggling to pay his way
as a humble musician. In 1753 he becomes accompanist to Italian composer and
teacher Nicola Porpora. In 1758 he is appointed Kapellmeister (director of music) at
the court of Count Karl Marzin. In 1760 he marries Maria Anna Keller. Appointed
court musician to Prince Paul Esterhazy in 1762, and then to his brother Prince
Nikolous. Becomes Kapellmeister at the Esterhazy Court in 1766. Prince Nikolous dies in 1790.
Haydn is retained, but in effect is a free man. First visit to England in 1791. Second concert tour of
England in 1794-5. Dies in Vienna, 31st May 1809.
41
Jules Massenet. 1842-1912

With the advent of Wagner, French composers such as dlndy, Chausson and Charrier reacted by
creating their own vast gothic operas. Jules Massenet, nineteenth-century Frances finest prolific
composer of opera, offered an alternative by redefining the lyrical French tradition. In the light of
Wagners advances in dramatic structure. Massenet was uninterested in profundity of any sort. After
studies with Ambroise Thomas, Massenet won the Prix De Rome in 1863, then spent three years in
Italy, where he visited Liszt and got married. He had his first opera performed in 1867. In 1892 he
came up with his masterpiece, Werther. For a while Massenet produced Verismo operas, but he
finally settled back into his natural style of light, lyrical and saccharine music. After Sapho 1897,
only Don Quichotte produced in 1910 brought Massenet any reminder of past glories, and he died
bitter at the direction in which, in Debussys hand, French music was now heading.
Kate Bush.
British singer-songwriter, who leapt to fame in the late 1970s and has maintained her status as one of
the more original pop stars of the 1980s. Bush first indulged her taste for music by knocking out
tunes on an ancient harmonium in the family barn but she had to find another instrument after its
inner working fell victim to the teeth of resident mice. She enjoyed success with her debut album The
kick inside (1978). Always performing her own material, she enjoyed particular success in the lp
market, three of her records Never foe ever (1980), Hounds of love (1984) and The whole story
(1986) reaching number one in the UK. She has only toured once, in 1979; the demands of 17
costume changes and intensive rehearsals of dance routines proved too much and she vowed never to
tour again.
Kitty Wells.
U.S. country singer nicknamed The Queen of Country Music, who established herself as a top star in
the early 1950s. Her husband, country star Johnny Wright, gave her the pseudonym Kitty Wells after
a well-known folk-song and accompanied her first on the radio and then on the Grand Ole Opry and
other top country shows. Her biggest hits included the likes of It Wasnt God Who Made HonkyTonk Angels (1952), Makin Believe (1955) and Jealousy (1958).
Leo Delibes.
Born 21st February 1836, at Saint-Germain-du-Val, in North-West France. In 1847
he and his mother move to Paris after the death of his father, a civil servant. Enters
Paris Conservatory in 1848 at the early age of 12 where he is taught by Adolphe
Adam the composer of many popular stage works. In 1852 he joins the musical staff
of the Theatre-Lyrique, Paris. 1855 saw his first work for the stage, the operetta
Deux Sous de Charbon, is well received. In 1863 he is appointed accompanist then assistant chorus
master at the Paris Opera. His first ballet, La Source, composed with Louis Minkus in 1866, is also a
hit. In 1870 he writes the ballet Coppelia for the Paris Opera. Becomes professor of composition at
the Paris Conservatory in 1881. Dies 16th January 1891, aged 55.
Leos Janacek. 1854-1928
Although he was born halfway through the nineteenth century, Janaceks best music belongs
decisively to the twentieth. His finest works the last four operas, the sinfonietta, Glagolitic Mass,
The Diary of one who Disappeared and the two string quartets. Janacek was the fifth of nine children
born into a poor teachers family in Hukvaldy, northern Moravia. He was educated in Brno, the
Moravian Capital, and spent most of his life there. The National Theatre in Brno premiered the
operas that are the basis of his reputation, and the Czechs reluctance to place him alongside their
beloved 43eceive and Dvorak is perhaps due to his being perceived as too Moravian. In 1888 he set
of to tour Northern Moravia with the ethnographer Frantisek Bartos, Janaceks work can be seen as a
fight against the German domination of his country.
Lesley Garrett.
Born in 1955. British opera singer, nicknamed The Darling Diva, who emerged as a popular star of
the early 1990s, when she created a sensation with her unconventional and sensuous approach to her
roles. The daughter of a headmaster, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music and won the
prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Prize before establishing herself as one of the best-known
opera singers of her generation, appearing regularly at such leading venues as Glyndebourne and
Covent Garden.
Lionel Richie.
Born 1949, a black U.S. singer-songwriter who established himself as a soul superstar in the early
1980s. As lead singer of The Commodores. Ritchie was already famous before starting out on a solo
career in 1982 (he had also had a number one hit singing the duet Endless Love with Diana Ross in
1981). Lionel Richie (1982) was followed by the best-selling Cant Slow Down (1984), from which
came the hit single Hello. Other hits have included All Night Long (1983) and Say You, Say Me
(1983), which won as Oscar. He was one of the organizers behind the USA for Africa charity effort
in the mid-1980s. Co-writing We Are the World with Michael Jackson. Recent releases have
included Back to Front (1992) and Louder than Words (1996).
Lonnie Donegan.
Anthony Donegan, born in 1931. He was a British singer and guitarist, born in Glasgow and
nicknamed The King of Skiffle, who shot to fame in the mid-1950s as a Skiffle star. Adopting the
name Lonnie in imitation of bluesman Lonnie Johnson. Donegan played guitar and banjo with the
Tony Donegan Jazz Band, Ken Colvers Jazzmen and with Chris Barber before establishing himself
as a solo star. In 1956 Rock Island Line, which has been described as Britains first home-grown
pop breakthrough, became the first British pop record to reach the U.S. top 10 (ironically it was first
released as a novelty record). He later released a further 26 hit singles, 10 of which reached the top
10 in just 18 months, and made skiffle the dominant musical form. His best-known songs included
Midnight Special, Gamblin Man/Putting on the Style, Railroad Bill, Cumberland gap, Does
your chewing-gum lose its flavour (on the bedpost overnight) and My old mans a dustman.
Louis Andriessen. 1939
Hollands foremost living composer, has a reputation as a musical iconoclast. He was one of the
European composers to break with modernism. During the past twenty years he has combined his
work as a composer and pianist with a teaching post in the Hague. Born in Utrecht he studied at The
Hague Royal Conservatory. During the 1970s his left-wing politics led him to write for ensembles.
Two pieces, De Volharding (Perseverance, 1972) and Hoketus (1975-77), blurred the distinction
between high and low culture, its searing rhythmic drive. With De Staat (1973-76) he began a
series of pieces for large ensemble. De Materic (Matter, 1985-88) an exploration of the relationship
between spirit and matter in four interdependent non-narrative woks. He also produced pieces such as
Trilogie Van de Laatste Dog (Trilogy of the Last Day, 1998). His largest works are operas. The
Horse Opera 1994.
Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Born 15th or 16th December 1770, in Bonn Germany. In 1778 his father Johann, a
local court musician, arranges his first public recital. In 1782 he studies with court
organist Christian Gottlob Neefe. Visits Vienna in 1787. His mother dies. In 1792
he returns to Vienna to study with Haydn and settles there for life. Gives first
Viennese concert in 1795, finds aristocratic patrons.
In 1802 he writes
Heiligenstadt Testament, confessing to deafness. Lives through Napoleons
bombardment and occupation of Vienna in 1809. Lonely and deaf, secures custody of nephew Carl in
1820 after years of litigation. At premiere of Choral symphony in 1824, he is turned to face the
audience so he can see their applause. Dies in Vienna, 26th March 1827.
Luigi Boccherini. 1743-1805

Though Boccherini was a highly successful cellist and a prolific composer especially of chamber
music he is largely known today for just one work, the minuet from his string quintet in e, a piece
that gained a new lease of life when it was used on the soundtrack of the classic British comedy film
The Ladykillers. He was almost an exact contemporary of Haydn. Boccherini was born in Lucca, the
son of a double-bass player and cellist, who gave him his first lessons. Boccherini went on to write
over a hundred string quintets. Boccherinis quintets mostly employ two violins, two cellos and a
viola. Boccherini wrote six guitar quintets which evoke the sunny, easy-going atmosphere. He also
wrote at least eleven cello concertos. He died in poverty, although ironically his music was to enjoy a
real vogue almost immediately after his death.
Lulu.
Scottish singer, who established herself as a popular star in the 1960s. She was honed as a rival to
Cilla Black and numbered among her early hits Shout (1964), To sir with love (1967) The boat
that I row (1967) and Boom bang-a-bang, with which she won the Eurovision Song Contest in
1968. A popular television personality, she worked in cabaret as well as continuing to release the
occasional new record, notably the Bowie single The man who sold the world (1974) and a new
version of Shout (1986). She married Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees in 1968, but they divorced in
1973. In 1993 she released the comeback album Independence.
Luther Vandross.
U.S soul singer, who emerged as a top star in the 1980s after years as a backing singer. He
established a following in the late 1970s with the disco hits searching and The Glow of Love and
developed as a solo artist with the album Never Too Much (1981). Releases since then have included
Forever, for Always, For Love (1982), Busy Body (1983), The Night I Fell in Love (1985), Give Me
the Reason (1986), Any Love (1988), Power of Love (1991) and Songs (1994).
Madonna.
U.S. pop singer and actress, of Italian descent, who became, in the 1980s the best-selling female
singer in music history. After being educated at a convent school and having worked as a waitress,
she embarked on a career as a pop singer, drummer and dancer in the late 1970s, first entering a
recording studio in 1982. A year later she had her first hit with Holiday, and, after chart success
with Lucky Star (1984). She triumphed around the world with the album and number one single
Like a Virgin (1984). Videos accompanying Madonnas hits capitalized on her visual appeal and
promoted her secondary career in films. With further hit releases such as True Blue (1986), Like a
Prayer (1989) and the singles Into the Groove (1985), Papa Dont Preach (1986), La Isla Bonita
(1987), Whos That Girl (1987), Vogue (1990), Justify My Love (1991) and Erotica (1992).
Malcolm Arnold.
(1921 -)
One of the most traditional of modern English composers. Although there are traces of jazz (which he
loves) in some of his music. Though now retired from composing. He has produced a vast amount of
orchestral music, including dozens of concertos, overtures and film scores. The biggest patron of
music in Britain, the BBC practically ignored him through the 1960s. The composers own capacity
for self-destruction led to many lean periods; alcoholism caused the collapse of both his marriages and
in 1981 he was hospitalized following a complete mental breakdown. His years as a trumpeter,
principally with the London Philharmonic, gave him grounding in the fundamentals of orchestration.
Only in his Valedictory Symphony No. 9 (1992) does his quicksilver temperament give way to an
utterly unambiguous statement of pain and despair.
44
Manhattan Transfer
.
U.S. vocal group, which enjoyed transatlantic success in the 1970s recording in a nostalgic doo-wop
style. First formed in 1969, the group, which by 1972 consisted of Jim Houser, Janis Siegel, Alan
Paul and Laurel Masse, later to be replaced by Cheryl Bentyne, had big hits with such singles as
Operator (1975), Chanson dAmour (1977), Boy from New York City (1980) and Spice of life
(1984).
Manuel De Falla.
Born 23rd November 1876, in Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain. In 1888 after learning the
piano and music theory, makes his public piano debut. Enrols at the Madrid
Conservatory of music in 1896 and begins to study composition. In 1905 he wins a
competition at the Real Academy de Bellas Artes for his opera, La Vida Brave (The
Short Life). Moves to Paris in 1907. The first production in 1913 of La Vida Brave,
in Nice brings him fame. Premiere in 1915 of his ballet El Amor brujo in Madrid confirms his status
as the new star of Spanish music. In 1922 he settles into a hermits existence in Granada. Appointed
to the institution Cultura Espanola in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1939. Begins his last composition,
Atlntida. Dies, 14th November 1946 in Alta Gracia, Argentina.
Marc-Antoine Charpentier. 1643-1704
Neglected for centuries, Charpentier has recently emerged as one of the greatest French composer of
sacred music in the seventeenth century, arguably superior to his more successful contemporary,
Lully. His music shows more diversity than Lullys, ranging often within the same work from the
stately to the intimate. The key to this achievement with his adoption of a style, based on the new
Italian concerto. Little is certain about Charpentier early life. He was born in Paris and is known to
have been in Rome in the mid-1660s, where he studied with the leading composer Carissimi. He
wrote just one full-length opera, Medee (1693). The most striking aspects of Charpentiers choral
music are the refined elegance of the melodies, and its rich and expressive harmonies.
Marmalade.
A Scottish pop group, which had a series of hits in the 1960s. Singer Dean Ford, guitarists Junior
Campbell and Pat Fairlie, bassist Graham Knight and drummer Alan Whitehead came together in
1966. The groups hits included a cover version of The Beatles track Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da, which
reached number one in 1968, and such lesser efforts as Reflections of My Life and Rainbow. With
various changes in personnel, accelerated in the early 1970s when details of the bands sexual
liaisons while on tour were unfortunately revealed in the press, the group continued to perform into
the 1980s.
Martha & The Vandellas
Black U.S. vocal group, which emerged as one of the top motown all-girl acts of the 1960s. Martha
Reeves, who swapped her job as a secretary with motown for a singing career, formed a trio with
Rosalind Ashford and Annette Sterling, who was later replaced by Betty Kelly and had a string of
dance oriented hits between 1963 and 1972. Among the most successful releases were Come and
Get These Memories (1963), Heatwave (1963), Quicksand (1963), In My Lonely Room (1964)
and Dancing in the Street (1964). Attempts by Reeves to establish a solo career in the 1970s was
not successful.
45
Maurice Ravel.
Born 7th March 1875, in Ciboure, near Biarritz, the son of a Swiss-French engineer
and a Basque mother. Begins music studies after family moves to Paris in 1882. In
1889 he enters the Paris Conservatory. Continues studies in 1897 with the composer
Gabriel Faure. In 1899 he composes first well-known piece, Pavane pour une
47eceiv defunte. In 1909 he meets Stravinsky through the avant-garde musical
group Les Apaches. 1912 sees the Paris premiere of ballet Daphnis and Chloe. Rejected in 1914
for front-line military service in the first world war, Ravel joins the army as a truck driver. In 1921 he
moves to Montfort-lAmaury, west of Paris. Writes his famous Bolero in 1928; concert tour of
U.S.A. A car crash in 1932 worsens his symptoms of dementia. Dies, Paris, 28th December 1937.
Max Bruch. 1838-1920
One of the most prominent German composers of the nineteenth century, he produced a large amount
of lush, tuneful music but his innate conservativism meant that by the end of the century he was
completely out of step with the innovations of Mahler, Reger and Richard Strauss all of whose
music he loathed. Bruchs career was something of a procession along the establishment path,
winning compotitions, studying with well-respected figures, composing for the theatre, concert hall
and church, and accepting various prestigious positions. He had the modesty to recognize himself as
a lesser talent, predicting that fifty years from now Brahms will loom up as one of the supremely
great composers of all time, while I will be remembered for having written my g minor violin
concerto.
Meat Loaf.
U.S. rock singer and guitarist, who emerged as a top heavy metal star in the late 1970s. Nicknamed
Meat Loaf by his football coach because of his considerable bulk, he formed his first rock band in
1967, appearing in hair and several other rock musicals, joined Ted Nugents band and subsequently
established himself as a solo star with the album Bat Out of Hell (1978), which topped the charts in
many countries and ultimately sold some 5 million copies. Subsequent releases were reasonably well
received, although none equalled his sensational first release, the highlight of which was You Took
the Words Right out of my Mouth. Recent albums include Blind Before I Stop (1986), Meat Loaf
Live (1987), Bat Out of Hell II (1993) and Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995).
Merle Travis.
Country singer-songwriter and guitarist, who had numerous hits after the second world war. A former
marine, he established himself as a country legend with such songs as Old Mountain Dew, Dork as
a Dungeon and Sixteen Tons and made several film appearances. It was at Traviss suggestion that
the first solid-body electric guitars were made.
Michael Praetorius. 1571-1627.
Though largely self-taught and something of a late starter, Michael Praetorius was the first great
composers for the Lutheran Church. He wrote a wide range of sacred music, much of it based on the
Chorales Hymns that Martin Luther had established at the heart of the Liturgy. He was also
interested in secular music, and, with the exception of his delightfully simple settings of his carols Es
ist ein Rose entsprungen (A Rose has come to Blossom) and Joseph, lieber Joseph Mein (Joseph,
my dearest), he is best known today for Terpsichore, collection of over three hundred dances that he
published in 1612. In 1614-15 he published Syntagnum Musicum, a three-volume encyclopedia that
provided practical musical instruction as well as descriptions and illustrations of instruments.
Praetorius travelled fairly widely. He published over twenty collections of church music, much of
which comprised sittings of Lutheran Chorales of Hymns. He also wrote motets, psalms and settings
of the Lutheran Mass. His last collection, the Polyhymnia Caduceatrix (1619), illustrated the range of
his later church music.
46
Mikhail Glinka. 1804-1857

Glinka was the father of Russian musical nationalism, the first Russian master of operatic writing, and
the first Russian composer to find acceptance in the rest of Europe. He was born into a wealthy
landowner family, and as a 13 year-old took piano lessons with the Irish pianist-composer John Field,
the creator of the Nocturne. But in 1824 he abandoned his musical studies in favour of a post at the
ministry of communication, and even though he gave recitals as an amateur singer he did not fully
devote himself to music until 1828, when he began full-time composition lessons. Two years later he
moved to Milan. In 1835, he set about writing his first opera A Life for the Tsar, the first serious
attempt at creating classical music with a Genuine Russian character. The operas successful
production in 1836 proved that Glinka had struck a chord. His second opera in 1842 finally secured
his fame outside Russia.
Mily Balakirev.
Born 2nd January 1837, at Nizhny-Novgorod, Russia the son of a low-ranking civil
servant. In 1847 he begins piano studies. Enrols at the university of Kazan as a
mathematics student in 1853, and begins serious musical composition. Visits St.
Petersburg in 1855 and meets the composer Glinka, father of Russian music. Plays
the piano before the Tsar in 1858 and meets the aspiring composer Mussorgsky.
Helps found the Free School of Music in St. Petersburg in 1862, convenes the
composers group The Five. In 1868 he is appointed director of free school of music. After a
nervous breakdown in 1872, works on the railways, but continues to teach music. In 1883 he is
appointed director of the Imperial Court Chapel. In 1894 he leaves the court chapel to concentrate on
composition. Dies 19th May 1910 in St. Petersburg.
Modest Mussorgsky. 1839-1881
Of all the composers in the Russian nationalist school known as The Five or The mighty handful.
Mussorgskys works were invariably ground-breaking, though few in number. Indeed Mussorgskys
music was too innovative. Mussorgsky was born into a land-owning family and led a rather
dilettantish early life. In the late 1850s he began composing in earnest, under Balakirevs guidance.
In 1861 his family lost much of its wealth and he had to find work with the engineering department of
the minestry of communications. As with many of his contemporaries, composition was always a
spare-time activity, though his dipsomania probably a more deleterious effect on his writing than did
his lack of time. He was also gaining a growing reputation for his songwriting abilities.
Mozio Clementi. 1752-1832
Italian born, Clementi was entrusted by his father to the care of Peter Beckford MP, and in 1767 the
15 year old was moved to England, where he made his home, with Beckford in Dorset. In 1774 he
was freed of his obligations to his mentor and went to London where, from 1777, he conducted Italian
opera. Four years later he began to tour Europe. In 1810 he made a semi-permanent return to
London, where he settled down to composing symphonies, concertos, piano sonatas and the famous
Gradus ad Parnassum, a series of one hundred keyboard studies which remains a foundation of piano
technique. After 1810 Clementi made sporadic trips into Europe with the intention of impressing his
symphonic music upon audiences in Paris and Liepzig. He was buried abbey cloisters where his
tombstone describes him as The father of the pianoforte.
47
Mud.
British pop group, which had considerable if short-lived, chart success in the mid-1970s playing a
mixture of glam-rock and up-dated rock n roll. Founded in 1966, the band consisted of singer Les
Gray, guitarist Rob David, bassist Ray Styles and drummer Dave Mount. The rise of glam rock in the
early 1970s enabled the group to make a breakthrough in 1973 with such hits as Crazy, Hypnosis
and Dyan-mite. Among the hits that followed were the number one singles Tiger Feet (1974),
Lonely this Christmas (1974) and Oh Boy (1975). The group returned to the pub circuits where it
had begun and remained active into the 1990s, generally trading on the old hits.
Nat King Cole.
Born in 1917, he was a black jazz singer and pianist, who achieved almost legendary status as a singer
of sentimental ballads in the 1940s and 1950s. He led his first band in Chicago in 1934 and later
won acclaim as a gifted and innovative pianist with the King Cole Trio (finally disbanded in 1951).
Having distinguished himself as a singer with such recordings as Fly right (1944) Its only a paper
moon (1945), Nature boy (1948) and Mona Lisa (1950). Coles enormous success as a crooner
did much to open doors for other black performers, although he himself was the object of considerable
racial harassment during his career. His career ended in 1965 with his death from cancer.
Natalie Cole.
Born in 1950, she was a black soul singer, daughter of Nat King Cole, who inherited her fathers
reputation as a lead-singing vocalist. Such releases as This will be and the album Inseparable (1975)
sold well and were followed by such hit albums as Unpredictable (1977), Thankful (1977) and (with
Peabo Bryson) Were the best of friends (1979). Trouble in her private life and addiction to drugs led
to a decline in the early 1980s, but she bounced back with the album Everlasting (1986) and an
appearance at the Nelson Mandela Concert in 1988. In 1991 she enjoyed a huge hit with the duet
(and album) Unforgettable, in which she sang along with the image of her deceased father.
Nazareth.
Scottish rock group, which was among the leading hard rock acts of the 1970s. Lead singer Dan
McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew and drummer Darryl Sweet began
performing as the Shadettes, but they established their reputation after changing their name with their
first album Nazareth (1971). Roger Glover of Deep Purple, produced such Nazareth albums as
Razamanaz (1973), Loud n Proud (1973) and Hair of the Dog (1975), while subsequent hit singles
included Broken Down Angel, Bad Bad Boy, This Flight Tonight, My While Bicycle and Hot
Tracks. The band subsequently went into decline, although remaining active into the 1990s.
Neil Diamond.
Born in 1941, a well known U.S. singer-songwriter, who recorded many top selling singles in the late
1960s and 1970s. After a tough Brooklyn childhood, he wrote his first songs in the late 1950s; he
emerged as a cabaret star and attracted international attention in 1966 when the Monkees made his
Im A Believer a huge hit. He also wrote A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You for the Monkees.
Diamonds recording of Sweet Caroline (1969) established him as a star performer in his own right,
and it was followed by such hits as Cracklin Rosie (1970), which reached number one, I Am I Said
(1971), Song Sung Blue (1972), the duet You Dont Bring Me Flowers (1978), Forever in Blue
Jeans (1979) and Love on the Rocks (1980). Among his albums were tap Root Manuscript (1970),
Beautiful Noise (1974), Hotel for the Future (1986), Lovescape (1991) and Tennessee Moon (1996).
48
Neil Sedaka.
A singer-songwriter, who combined a reputation as one of the most successful pop songwriters to
work for the Brill Building Team with numerous chart hits as a performer of his own material.
Having trained as a classical pianist. Sedaka established himself as a songwriter in collaboration with
lyricist Howard Greenfield, penning such hits as Stupid Cupid (1958). He also proved to be one of
the most prolific songwriters then active, once writing a song a day every day for a year. I Go Ape,
one of his own songs, provided him with his first big success as a performer and was followed by the
likes of Oh Carol (1959), which was dedicated to Carole King who responded with Oh! Neil
Calendar Girl (1960, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen (1961), Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (1962)
and Laughter in the Rain (1974). His hits for other artists included Puppet Man, recorded by Tom
Jones.
Neil Young.
Singer-songwriter, born in Canada in 1946, who achieved superstar status as part of Crosby, Stills,
Nash and Young and subsequently established himself as a widely admired solo artist. After work
with the band Buffalo Springfield, Young made his recording debut with the albums Neil Young
(1969) and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969), but it was his role in the Crosby, Stills, Nash
and Young album Deja Vu (1970), with his classic ballad Helpless, that confirmed him as a leading
folk-rock star with an international reputation. Creative tensions within the group soon led to Young
concentrating on his solo career: After the Goldrush (1970) and Harvest (1972).
New Kids on the Block.
U.S. pop group, which enjoyed a brief but highly successful career in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Singers Donnie Washberg, Jon Knight, Jordan Knight, Joe McIntyre and Danny Woods came together
in Boston in 1984, originally calling themselves Nynuk before renaming themselves after one of their
first recordings. The group had a commercial breakthrough with the hits Please Dont Go (1988)
and You Got It (the Right Stuff) (1989) and quickly established a huge international reputation as
the top teeny-bop act. Several more hits followed, including the chart-toppers Hangin Tough, Ill
be Loving You (forever) and Step by Step, before the bubble burst. The group launched a comeback in 1994.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Born 18th March 1844, at Tikhvin, near Novgorad, the son of aristocratic parents.
In 1850 he learns to play piano and begins composing short pieces of his own. In
1856 he enters the St. Petersburg Naval Collage. Meets composers Balakirev and
Mussorgsky in 1961, fellow members of The Five. In the Navy in 1862, embarks
on a voyage around the world. Symphony No. 1 performed in 1865 at Balakirevs
free school of music in St. Petersburg. While still in the Navy in 1871, becomes
professor of composition at St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1873 he marries the pianist Nadezhda
Purgold. Becomes director of the free school of music in 1874. Sacked from Conservatory in 1905,
for left-wing symphonies. In 1907 his last opera, The Golden Cockerel, falls foul of censor. Fatal
angina attack, 21st June 1908.
Nicolo Paganini. 1782-1840
Nobody had ever played the violin like Nicolo Paganini. One persistent rumour suggested that his
extraordinary talent was a result of a pact with the Devil. As a boy he mutilated his left hand in order
to increase the spread of his fingers. Like all virtuosos of the time he mostly performed his own
compositions. His party piece was to break three strings on his violin and still keep playing.
Paganinis worldwide reputation as the greatest violinist of the age followed a series of recitals that he
gave in Vienna. In 1834 he retired to Parma. A venture in 1837 to start a casino in Paris bearing his
name lost him name lost him large sums of money, and three years later he died in Nice from a
disease of the larynx, resolutely refusing to see a priest.
49
Nina Simone.
Black U.S. jazz singer and pianist, who established a reputation as a top jazz singer capable of
considerable emotional control intensity in the late 1950s. Her most successful recordings include I
Love You Porgy (1959), To be Young, Gifted and Black (1969) and My Baby Just Cares for me
which was a big chart hit in 1987 after being used in a perfume advert. Her albums include It Is
Finished (1972) and Baltimore (1978). She has built up a particularly strong following in Europe,
while enjoying less success in her native USA, where she was a prominent figure in the civil rights
campaigns of the 1960s.
Olivia Newton-John.
British pop singer and film actress, who had numerous success in a range of pop and country style
through the 1970s and early 1980s. She was brought up in Australia before making her recording
debut in 1971 with If not for you and going on to have minor hits with such singles as Take me
home, country road (1973), and Let me be there (1973). Country fans warmed to her, and I
honestly love you (1974) and Have you ever been mellow (1975) both made number one in the
USA. Her performance in the hit musical Grease (1978) broadened her appeal to a wider pop
audience and the duets with John Travolta Youre the one that I want and Summer Nights shot to
the top of the charts. Further hit singles came from the albums Totally Hot (1978) and Physical
(1980).
Orlando Gibbons. 1583-1625
Gibbons was the outstanding composer of English Church music in the generation that succeeded
William Byrd. He excelled as a writer of anthems (the English equivalent of Latin motets). He was
also a renowned composer of keyboard music, notable for its contrapuntal rigour and inventiveness,
and as a keyboard player he was described by the French Ambassador as (the best hand in England.
He was born in Oxford into a musical family: his father William was a player in the City band and his
brother Edward was master of the choristers at Kings Collage Cambridge. In 1603 he joined the
Chapel Royal in London and became organist there some two years later, a position he held until his
death. His success continued with preferment at court: a gift of 150 in 1615, and four years later an
appointment as one of his Majestys musicians. He played at the funeral of King James I. Gibbons
died suddenly from an apoplectic fit and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.
Patsy Cline.
Born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932. She was a country singer, who was one of the most popular
country stars of her generation until her career was cut short by her early death. Clines reputation
was sealed in 1957, when she won a prestigious television contest, singing her first hit Walkin after
midnight. Cline herself disliked the song and resisted several attempts to persuade her to record it
before she finally gave in (the same was also true of several of her subsequent hits, among them her
1961 single I fall to pieces). Just when she had established herself as a nationwide star and the first
female country singer to appeal to a pop audience. She died when the private aircraft in which she
was travelling crashed on the 5th March 1963. In 1981, in somewhat dubious taste, recordings made
by Cline were dubbed with others made by the late Jim Reeves to create new duets with the two
deceased stars apparently singing together.
50
Paul Dukas. 1865-1935

Dukass career parallels that of his slightly older contemporary, Debussy. Both men studied
composition with Guiraud at the Paris Conservatory (in 1888 Dukas narrowly missed winning the
prestigious Prix De Rome). Before Lapprents Sorcier (The Sorcerers Apprentice) brought him
overnight fame in 1897, Dukas had written two substantial orchestral works. Completed in 1891.
From the time of his last major orchestral work, La Pari (1911), until his death in 1935. Dukas
composed no more major works that have survived. Instead he spent much of his time as an editor of
earlier French composers (including Rameau and Couperin) and as a conservatoire teacher of future
ones most notably Olivier Messiaen.
Paul Young.
British pop singer, who became a top star in the 1980s. Having worked as lead singer with various
unknown bands. Young shot to fame after going solo. His soul-influenced hits included Wherever I
Lay My Hat (Thats My Home), (1983) Love of the Common People (1983), Every Time You Go
Away (1985) and Dont Dream Its Over (1991). His album No Parlez (1983) topped the charts,
but his career faltered somewhat in the late 1980s after a break caused by throat problems, although
Other Voices (1990) saw a partial return to form.
Peggy Lee.
U.S. singer, actress, composer and author, who first emerged as a leading star in the 1940s. After a
hard childhood and several false starts, her singing career took off in the early 1940s after she was
recruited by Benny Goodman, and she went on to enjoy commercial success with such hits as
Somebody Else is Taking My Place (1942) and Why Dont You Do Right? (1943). She then went
solo and made many more successful recordings, among them Waitin For The Train To Come In
(1945) and Fever (1958), as well as appearing in films and building a reputation as a songwriter with
her husband. Her compositions included contributions to the scores for the films Lady and the Tramp
(1952) and Tom Thumb (1985).
Perotin. (c.1170 c1236)
One of which was part of an extraordinary flowering culture that took place in Paris in the late twelfth
century. Almost nothing is known of his life, the scant information came from an English monk, now
referred to as anonymous 4, who studied for a while at the University of Paris. They probably had
some connection with the New Cathedral of Notre Dame, but the theory that perotin was taught by
Leonin and succeeded him as choir-master is now generally discredited. He wrote in three and
sometimes four parts, creating strange but utterly compulsive music. Perotin reworked many pieced
of the Christian church in a more lively and exciting style, and adding many compositions of his own.
Two of his known works are viberunt omnes and sederunt principles.
Perry Como
Born in 1812, a US singer, nicknamed the singing barber in reference to the barber shop he originally
ran, who enjoyed a succession of light, popular hits in a career that extended over some 30 years.
Como first attracted attention with Deep in the heart of Texas (1942) and after the war he released a
series of hits, notably Till the end of time Dream along with me, which became his signature tune,
Dont let the stars get in your eyes, Catch a falling star, Magic moments and Its impossible.
Famed for his relaxed and charming personality (personified by his celebrated cardigans), by the mid1950s he was the worlds highest-paid television entertainer, particularly noted for hugely popular
Christmas specials.
51
Peter Tchaikovsky.
Born 7th May 1840, Kamso-Votkinsk, Russia. In 1850 he is sent to law school in St.
Petersburg.
Death his of mother in 1854, and first attempts at composition.
Abandons the law in 1863 for study with Anton Rubinstein at the St. Petersburg
Conservatory. Joins Nicholai Rubinstein in 1866 on the staff of the New Moscow
Conservatory. The wealthy widow Madame Nadezhda von Meck becomes his
patron in 1877; disastrous marriage to Antonina Milyukova. In 1878 he resigns from the Moscow
Conservatory. 1888 sees his European concert tour. In 1890 the end of association with Madame
von Meck causes deep depression. In 1891 he does a concert tour of the U.S. Dies 6th November
1893 in St. Petersburg; it is likely that he committed suicide.
Pete Seeger.
Singer-songwriter, nicknamed Americas Tuningfork, who was one of the most acclaimed pioneers of
the post-war folk revival. Seeger, one of the founders of the celebrated Almanac Singers in 1940,
went on to further success with The Weavers and while facing persecution as a suspected
communist in the McCarthy era embarked on a solo career. Among his most celebrated songs were
If I Had A Hammer (1949), Where Have All The Flowers Gone? (1956)) and Turn! Turn! Turn!
(1962).
Pet Shop Boys.
The British pop duo, who emerged as a top-selling chart act of the 1980s. Singer Neil Tennant and
keyboard player Chris Lowe came together in 1981 and had their first hit in 1985 with West End
Girls. They claimed that there was no particular reason they chose the name Pet Shop Boys they
just knew someone who worked in one. Subsequent chart success included two more number ones,
Its a Sin (1987) and Always on my Mind (1987); the albums Please (1986), Actually (1987),
Introspective (1988), Behaviour (1990), Very (1993) and Alternative (1995) also did well. Other
projects have included collaborations with Dusty Springfield and Liza Minnell.
Phil Collins.
Born in 1951 he was a British singer and drummer, who emerged as a leading commercial solo pop
star after succeeding Peter Gabriel as frontman with the rock group Genesis. Collins joined Genesis
as a drummer (on a salary of 10 a week) in 1970 and played an increasing role in providing the
vocals on a series of concept albums before Gabriel left in 1975. With Collins at the helm, the band
adopted a more commercial style, while Collins established a separate solo career. While keeping in
contact with Genesis, he continued to issue further commercial solo albums and singles through the
1980s the most notable albums included Hello, I must be going (1982), No jacket required (1985),
But seriously ... (1989) and both sides (1993). He was the only artist to appear in both the UK and US
live aid concerts in 1985. He finally quit Genesis completely in 1996.
Pier Francesco Cavalli. 1602-1676
Cavalli, a pupil of Monteverdi, was one of the first to sign a contract in 1639 with the Teatro San
Cassiano which involved him in running the company as well as composing for it. Cavalli was the
first composer to set out to produce an accessible, repeatable operatic formula. Cavallis first teacher
was his father. Cavalli gradually rose through the ranks at St. Marks, beginning as a fifteen-year-old
singer, becoming second organist in 1639. Cavallis early operas are still dominated by recitative. By
1660 his fame was great that he was invited to Paris to write an opera for the wedding of Louis XIV to
Maria Teresa of Austria. He retained his position at St. Marks until his death, however, by which he
had amassed a considerable fortune. His surviving sacred compositions are surprisingly few. Of his
two published collections the most significant is the Musiche Sacre of 1656 which contains 28 works,
including a setting of the mass, psalms and hymns for vespers.
52
Pietro Mascagni.
Born 7th December 1863 in Livorno, Italy, a bakers son. By 1881 the age of 18 has
already written a symphony, a mass and a cantata. In 1882 enters Milan
Conservatory, where he shares lodgings with a young Puccini, both are taught by
composer Amilcare Ponchielle. In 1884 he joins a travelling opera company as a
conductor. In 1887 he marries and settles down as a music teacher. Wins first prize
in a competition in 1889 for one-act operas sponsored by music publisher Eduardo Sonzogno, with
Cavalleria rusticana. 1890 sees his Cavalleria rusticana staged in Rome, with huge success. In 1891
he completes Lamico Fritz, his best-known opera after Cavalleria rusticana. In 1895 he is appointed
director of the Pesaro Conservatory. 1902 sees his concert tour of the U.S.A. Dies 2nd August 1945,
in Rome.
Pulp.
British rock group, which emerged as one of the leading bands of the mid-1990s. The group was
formed, as Arabacus Pulp, in Sheffield in 1979 by singer Jarvis Cocker but only attracted significant
interest from 1993, with a line-up of Cocker, guitarist Russell Senior, keyboard player Candida Doyle,
bassist Steve Mackey and drummer Nick Banks. Pulpintro The Gift Recordings (1993) did well and
was followed by the hit albums His N Hers (1994), Different Class (1995) and Countdown 19921983 (1996). The hit singles included Common People (1995).
R.E.M.
U.S. rock band, which established a huge international following from the mid-1980s comprising of
singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. They came
together in 1980 and achieved cult status with such albums as Murmur (1983), Reakoning (1984),
Lifes Rich Talent (1986), Document (1987), Out of Time (1991), Automatic for the People (1992)
and Monster (1994).
Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Born 12th October 1872, in Gloucestershire, his mother was related to Charles
Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood. His father, a clergyman, dies in 1875 and the
family moves to Leith Hill Place, Surrey. Begins music studies in 1890, first at
the Royal Collage of Music, London, then at Trinity Collage, Cambridge. Marries
Adeline Fisher in 1897. Publishes anthology of English Folk Songs in 1903;
intensifies folk music research, with Gustav Holst and folk music collector Cecil
Sharp. In 1906 he edits the English hymnal. Following the outbreak of the first world war in 1914,
sees action as a medical orderly and soldier. In 1929 he settles in Dorking, Surrey. In 1935 he is
awarded Order of Merit. Marries Ursula Woods in 1953, after the death of Adeline. Dies 26th August
1958; buried in Westminster Abbey.
Richard Strauss. 1864-1949
Richard Strauss was the last great German romantics. Born in Munich Strauss was the only son of
Franz Strauss, the brilliant principal horn player in the Bavarian Court Opera who instructed him in
musics fundamentals. Strauss junior took piano lessons from the age of 4, began composing two
years later. He required no formal musical tuition. After the composition of his Brahmsian
symphony No. 1 in 1880 he scored something of a success with his serenade for wind instruments.
Strauss struck international success as a composer in 1880 with Don Juan, establishing him as the
most exciting composer in Germany. The major part of Strausss life was dedicated to opera. His
first opera, Guntram, was a Wagnerian experiment. He composed fifteen operas in total his last one
being Capriccio in 1942.
53
Richard Wagner. 1813-1883

Wagner was the archetypal romantic artist, with a life story as fantastic as his plots. His true
parentage has never been fully established: his father was either his mothers husband, Carl Friedrich
Wagner, or her lover, the actor and painter Ludwig Geyer. Whatever the truth, Carl Friedrich died a
year after Richards birth, and his widow married Geyer. He started writing plays in his teens. His
need for incidental music for these dramas sent him in search of composition teachers, and his first
musical works (now lost) date from 1829, when he was 16. His first complete opera, Die Feen, dates
from only four years later, a period when he was gaining his first experiences of working in the
theatre as chorus-master. He composed a number of operas between 1840 and 1882. His final drama,
the sacred stage festival play Parsifal, occupied him from 1877 to 1882. A little over six months
later he died of a heart attack in Venice.
Richie Valens.
U.S. pop singer, of part-Mexican descent who had a brief career at the top in the late 1950s. He owed
the recording contract he won in 1958 to his good looks, but he quickly established himself as a
popular star with such classic hits as Come On Lets Go (1958), Donna (1958) and La Bamba
(1958). His career ended prematurely when he was killed in the same air crash that claimed the lives
of the Big Bopper and Buddy Holly.
Right Said Fred.
British pop trio, who had considerable chart success in the early 1990s. The trio, which consisted of
the brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass with guitarist Rob Manzoli, was named after a 1960s novelty
hit by actor Bernard Cribbins. The trio came together in 1990 and captured a big audience with the
self-mocking Im Too Sexy. Follow-ups included Dont Talk, Just Kiss and Deeply Dippy,
which got to number one in 1992. Cribbins himself made an appearance on one of their videos.
Robert Schumann.
Born 8th June 1810, in Zwickau, Germany, the son of a book publisher and writer.
Starts piano lessons in 1816. Enters Leipzig University in 1828 to study law, and
continues music studies. Abandons the law for music in 1830, but badly injures his
hand playing the piano. Founds music journal, the Neue Zeitschrift fur 55ecei in
1834. After bitter opposition from her father in 1840, marries young pianist Clara
Wieck. Teaches composition at Leipzig University in 1844, then moves to Dresden,
where he meets Wagner. In 1850 he is appointed Music Director to the City of Dusseldorf. Forced to
give up as Music Director in 1853. Befriends the young composer Brahms and violinist Joachim.
Becomes ill in 1854, probably from syphilis. Confined to an asylum. Dies 29th July 1856 near Bonn.
Rod Stewart.
Nicknamed Rod the Mod, he achieved superstar status in the 1970s. Having toyed with professional
football, he instead learned to play the guitar but subsequently made a mark as a vocalist with his raw
gravelly voice. He collaborated with Jeff Beck before taking over as lead singer with The Faces in
1969 and went on to establish himself as a solo star in the glam rock era of the early 1970s, finally
leaving the band in 1975. Maggie May reached number one on both sides of the atlantic in 1971,
and he subsequently added to his list of hits such classics as Sailing (1975), Tonights the Night
(1976), I Dont Want to Talk About It (1977), Hot Legs (1977), Do Ya Think Im Sexy (1978)
and Downtown Train (1990). His albums included Every Picture Tells a Story (1971), Never a Dull
Moment (1972), atlantic Crossing (1975) and A Spanner in the Works (1995).
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Roger Whittaker.
British singer-songwriter and guitarist, who established himself as a favourite balladeer in the 1960s.
Transatlantic hits have included Steel Man, I Dont Believe in If Anymore, If I Were A Rich
Man, Durham Town, The Last farewell and The Skye Boat Song.
Roland de Lassus. 1532-1594
Roland de Lassus was a contemporary of Palestrinas and, like him, was one of the truly outstanding
composers of the sixteenth century. Lassus travelled throughout Europe. Both men wrote polyphonic
music. Lassus was born at Mons, in the Franco-Flemish province of Hainaut. From the middle of the
sixteenth century the term musica reservata (reserved music) was applied to those composers who
were concerned with trying to convey the meaning of the words they set. Of Lassus a contemporary
wrote that he could make ...the things of the text so vivid that they seem to stand actually before our
eyes. Devices such as chromaticism, whereby the melody was made more expressive by employing
notes apart from those from the key it was written in, became increasingly common at this time, and
in his early work-especially in his songs and madrigals.
Roy Orbison.
U.S. pop star of the early 1960s, nicknamed The Big O, who recorded a number of classic rock
ballads. Always performing in a pair of sunglasses (which he used for all his concerts after the British
media identified them as his trademark). Orbison enjoyed chart success with such singles as Only
the Lonely (1960), Blue Angel (1960), Runnin Scared (1961), Crying (1961), In Dreams
(1963), Its Over (1964) and Oh, Pretty Woman (1964), which reached number one on both sides
of the atlantic. Ironically the shy Orbison decided to record Only the Lonely himself only after it
had been turned down by both Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers.
Roy Rogers.
U.S. country and western singer and cowboy actor, nicknamed The King of the Cowboys and the
singing cowboy who stared in numerous musical westerns of the 1040s, usually in company with his
horse Trigger (1932-65) and heroine Dole Evans, whom he married in 1947. A former truck driver
and fruit picker, he starred in his first western in 1938. Among the hits to emerge from his popular
matinee movies were the likes of Hi-yo, Silver (1938) and his theme tune Happy Trails to You.
After Trigger died, Rogers had the horse stuffed and installed in a place of honour in his home.
Ruggero Leoncavallo.
Born in Naples, 8th March 1857, the son of a magistrate. Begins music studies in
1866 at the Naples Conservatory, aged 9. Enrols at Bologna University in 1876,
and also studies literature. Works as a cafe and cabaret pianist during 1880,
while struggling for recognition as a composer. First performance, on 21st May
1892 of Pagliacci in Milan, brings overnight fame. Then in 1897 his first
performance of his La Boheme fails after Puccinis version wins acclaim. Shortlived success of his opera Zaza, first produced in Milan in 1900. The great tenor Caruso records his
song Mattinata in 1904. Travels to London in 1912 to attend the premiere of his opera Zingara.
Italys entry into the first world war in 1915 wrecks further operatic plans. Dies in Bagni de
Montecatini, 9th August 1919, aged 62.
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Rush.
Canadian rock band, which established itself as the leading Canadian heavy metal outfit. Singer and
bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer John Rutsey, later replaced by Neil Peart,
came together in 1969 and the group established itself with the eponymous debut album (1974). The
bands gutsy guitar sound and sci-fi inspired lyrics won a huge following, and such albums as A
Farewell to Kings (1977), Permanent Waves (1980), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Hold Your Fire
(1987), Roll the Bones (1991) and Counterparts (1993) were big chart successes. The Canadian
Government awarded the band the title Ambassadors of Music in 1979.
Samuel Barber.
Born 9th March 1910 in West Chester Pennsylvania, U.S.A. into a cultured musical
family. Begins piano lessons in 1916, and starts composing. In 1924 he enters Curtis
Institute of music, Philadelphia. Receives a Pulitzer Travelling Scholarship in 1935
and, on a visit to Italy makes friends with the great conductor Arturo Toscanini.
Following the entry of the U.S.A. into the second world war in 1943, conscripted into
the army air force. Dedicates his symphony No. 2 to them. Wins the New York
Music Critics Circle Award in 1947 for his cello concerto. His opera Vanessa wins another Pulitzer
Prize in 1958 and is the first American opera to be staged at the Salzburg Festival. Dies 23rd January
1981, in New York.
Sammy Davis Jr.
Born in 1925 he was a singer, actor and dancer, who emerged as an enormously popular all-round
entertainer, appearing with equal success in cabaret, films, television and the theatre throughout his
long career. The son of Vaudeville Performers, he made his stage debut at the age of eight and came
to rank alongside such international stars as Frank Sinatra. His most successful Broadway appearance
included roles in Mr Wonderful (1956) and Golden Boy (1964), both of which were written for him.
Hit recordings included The Way You Look Tonight (1950), Somethings Gotta Give (1954) That
Old Black Magic (1955) and Candy Man (1972). Having lost an eye in a car crash in 1954, he
often joked that he was the worlds only one-eyed Jewish nigger. After his long career he died in
1990.
Scott Joplin.
Born 24th November 1868, in Texarkana, Texas, U.S.A., the son of a former slave.
First taught piano in 1874 by his musically talented parents. Leaves home in 1883 to
pay his way playing in bars and brothels. By 1893 he is famous enough to play at the
Chicago Worlds Fair and sets up his first band. In 1895 he studies music at George
R. Smith Collage for Negroes in Sedalia, Missouri. Maple Leaf Rag published in
1899, which makes his name selling over a million copies. Forms the Scott Joplin
Ragtime Opera Company in 1903 to stage his opera, A Guest of Honor (now lost). Settles in New
York City in 1907 where he starts work on his new opera, Treemonisha. Dies 1st April 1917, in a
mental hospital in New York City, severely depressed by lack of interest in Treemonisha. First
staging of Treemonisha in 1972.
Shakin Stevens.
Born in 1948 this welsh singer enjoyed a string of hits in the 1980s singing in rock n roll revival
style. He began his career as a latterday rock n roller in the late 1960s and enjoyed a reputation as a
live performer for a number of years before making his first big hit, Hot Dog, in 1980. Among the
hits that followed were covers of such rock n roll standards as This Ole House (1981) and Green
Door (1982) as well as the occasional new song.
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Shirley Temple.
U.S. film actress and singer, who became the quintessential Hollywood child star in the 1930s. The
curly haired Temple was first seen on the big screen when she was four years old, and she had her
first big movie hit with Stand Up and Cheer in 1934, in which she won a special academy award.
Films such as Little Miss Marker (1934), Curly Top (1935) and Heidi (1937) were designed as
vehicles for her undoubted talent as a dancer and singer. Among her most popular songs were On the
Good Ship Lollipop, Animal Crackers in my Soup and At the Codfish Ball.
Showaddywaddy.
British pop group, which had some success in the pop charts in the 1970s. Formed by the merger of
The Hammers and The Choice and consisting of singers Dave Bartram and Buddy Gask, drummers
Romeo Challenger and Malcolm Allured, guitarist Trevor Oakes and Russ Field and bassist Rod Deas
and Al James. Showaddywaddy triumphed on televisions New Faces talent programme and
subsequently specialized in pop versions of rock n roll classics. The group had hits with the likes of
Hey Rock and Roll (1974), Three Steps to Heaven (1975), Under the Moon of Love, which
reached number one in 1976 and Pretty Little Angel Eyes (1978).
Simply Red.
British pop group, which rose to star status in the late 1980s as one of the leading British white soul
outfit. Led by gifted red-haired singer Mick Hucknall, Simply Red came together in Manchester in
1982 and had huge hits with such singles as Holding Back the Years (1986), Evry Time You Go
Away (1987) and If You Dont Know Me By Now (1989), which came from the highly acclaimed
album A New Flame (1989). Stars topped the album charts in 1991, as did Life in 1995 and Greatest
Hits in 1996.
Sinead OConnor.
Irish rock singer, who emerged as one of the most original and controversial stars of the early
1990s. A naturally contrary nature has got OConnor into trouble on more than one occasion.
Attempts to persuade her to adopt a more feminine image only resulted in her changing to her now
famous cropped hairstyle to the initial horror of her record company. A characteristic decision not to
sing any Dylan songs during a Dylan festival predictably caused an uproar in 1992. Nonetheless,
OConnor established herself as a singer of passionate integrity with such albums as The Lion and the
Cobra (1989), I Do Want What I Havent Got (1990), Am I Not Your Girl (1992) and Universal
Mother (1994).
Sister Sledge.
U.S. all-vocal group, which was among the top disco soul acts of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Debbie, Jonie, Kim and Kathy Sledge made their debut as Sister Sledge in the early 1970s but
established their presence firmly in the charts in the late 1970s. Among the groups hits were We
are Family (1979), All American Girls (1981), Sister Sledge (1981) and Frankie (1985).
Slim Whitman.
Country singer and left-handed guitarist, who emerged as a top star in the 1950s. Whitman gave up
plans to become a baseball professional when his career was interrupted by the second world war, and
he then established a following in country music circles. Rose Marie, from the celebrated musical
of the same name, topped the British charts in 1955. His other hits included Indian Love Call,
Twelfth of Never and Its All in the Game. He enjoyed a come-back in the 1970s, when he was
particularly warmly received by audiences in the U.K.
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Smokey Robinson.
Black U.S. soul singer-songwriter, who became one of the top Motown stars of the 1960s and
1970s. Robinson began his career singing with The Matadors, later renamed The Miracles, and they
were among the first groups signed by Barry Gordy (1958). Robinson quickly established a
reputation as a leading singer-songwriter. Among his hits with The Miracles were Shop Around
(1960), You Really Got a Hold of Me (1962), Tracks of Tears (1965) and Tears of a Clown
(1967).
Spirit.
U.S. rock band, which built up a cult rock following on the west coast in the late 1960s. Guitarist
and singer Randy California, singer Jay Ferguson, bassist Mark Andes, keyboard player John Locke
and drummer Ed Cassidy released such best-selling albums as Spirit (1967), The Family That Plays
Together (1968) and The 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus (1970). Changes in the line-up led to a decline
in the groups fortunes, although new albums continued to appear through the 1970s and 1980s.
Squeeze.
British pop group, which enjoyed success in the late 1970s and early 1980s playing in an appealing
light rock style. The group consisting of singers and guitarists Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook,
keyboard player Julian Jools Holland, bassist John Bentley and drummer Gilson Lavis, came
together in 1974 and had hits with such singles as Take Me Im Yours (1978), Cool For Cats
(1979), Up the Junetion (1979) and Labelled with Love (1981). Without Holland, Squeeze had
further success with the album East Side Story (1981) and Sweets from a Stranger (1982) but then
broke up. The group soon reformed to release such new LPs as Cost Fan Tutti Fruiti (1985),
Babylon And On (1987), Play (1991), Some Fantastic Place (1993) and Ridiculous (1995).
Status Quo.
British rock and pop group, who became enduring favourites of the 1970s and 1980s. Lead singer
and guitarist Francis Rossi, bassist Alan Lancaster, keyboard player Ray Lynes and drummer John
Coghlan started out in 1962 as The Spectres, but became famous after changing their name and
adding singer and guitarist Rick Parfitt in 1967. The psychedelic single Pictures of Matchstick Men
provided the group with its first hit but a golden era beckoned with the departure of Lynes and the
adoption of a harder, yet still optimistic and good-humoured boogie rock sound in the early 1970s.
Among the classic singles that followed were Paper Plane (1972), Caroline (1973), Down Down
(1974), Rockin All Over the World (1977), Whatever You Want (1979), What Youre
Proposing (1980) and Youre in the Army Now (1986).
Stone Roses.
British pop group, which established a large cult following in the 1980s. Hailing from Manchester
and consisting of singer Ian Brown, guitarists John Squire and Andy Couzens, who was replaced by
Gary Manny Mountfield in 1987, bassist Peter Garner and drummer Alan Reni Wren. Stone Roses
came together in 1985 and built up a reputation for such pop hits as Made of Stone, She Bangs the
Drum, Fools Gold and One Love. The group attracted a certain notoriety for its outlandish
behaviour during interviews and for deliberately provocative lyrics. Squire and Wren left in 1996.
Supertramp.
Anglo-U.S. rock group, based in Germany, which enjoyed considerable commercial success in the
1970s. Led by singer and keyboard player Rick Davies and multi instrumentalist Roger Hodgson.
Supertramp began as a progressive rock outfit but gradually adopted a more accessible pop-oriented
sound that brought mass appeal. The groups best selling releases have included the albums Crime of
the Century (1974), Crisis? What Crisis? (1975) and Breakfast in America (1979).
Sylvius Leopold Weiss. 1686-1750

Sylvius Leopold Weiss was the last great star in the story of the lute. He was not only the greatest
player of the eighteenth century, but also the most gifted and prolific composer for the instrument.
Born in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), Weiss was introduced to music by his lutenists father and
gained his first position as a performer in 1706. From 1708 to 1714 he worked in Rome. In 1728 he
visited Berlin, impressing the future King Frederick the Great and giving lessons to Fredericks
lutenists sister. She was greatly impressed, writing in her memoirs that Weiss has never had an
equal, and those who come after him will only have the glory of imitating him. In 1739 he met J.S.
Bach in Liepzig, though it is probable that these two masters were already acquainted. It seems
unlikely that Weiss will ever receive his due as one of the most significant composers of Baroque
Germany.
Take That.
British pop group, which emerged as the latest in a series of teen-idols in the early 1990s. Mark
Owen, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Robbie Williams, who took the name Take
That from a newspaper caption for a picture of Madonna, came together in Manchester in 1990. The
groups hits included the singles It Only Takes a Minute, Could It Be Magic, A Million Love
Songs, Why Cant I Wake up With You? Relight My Fire, Babe, Everything Changes, Sure,
Back for Good and How Deep is Your Love. The band split in 1996.
Tears for Fears.
British rock group, which came to be regarded as one of the top synthesizer pop outfits of the 1980s.
Singer and bassist Curt Smith and singer, guitarist and keyboard player Roland Orzabal came together
after the Ska Group Graduate folded and, with the addition of keyboard player Ian Stanley and
drummer Manny Elias, had early hits with Mad World and the album The Hurting (1983). Later
releases included the albums Songs From the Big Chair (1985), from which came Shout and
Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Seeds of Love (1989) before the band split.
The Bay City Rollers.
British pop group of the 1970s, hailing from Edinburgh, which dominated the UK charts as teenybop idols in a manner reminiscent of the Beatles in their hayday. Group members Leslie Mckeown,
Stuart Woody Wood, Eric Faulkner, Alan Longmuir and Derek Longmuir had their first hit Keep
on Dancing, in 1971, following it with such numbers as Remember (Sha-la-la), Bye Bye Baby,
Give a little love and Saturday Night. Rollermania thrived on the mock Bovver-boy image of
the band, with fans adopting their tartan uniforms, which included trouser legs that ended somewhere
just below the knee and massively heeled boots. Critics of the groups superficial music were,
however, many, and there were accusations finally admitted to be accurate that the band did not
actually play on its own records. The groups popularity suffered further when Alan Longmuir left
after a rumoured suicide attempt (Faulkner also tried to kill himself). Attempts to change the bands
image failed and by the 1908s the group had been consigned to oblivion.
The Beach Boys
US pop group, which enjoyed huge commercial success with its brand of beach music in the 1960s.
The brothers Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and a friend Al
Jardine came together in South California in 1961 through their love of both music and surfing. Brian
quickly proved to be a capable songwriter. Surfin USA (a reworking of Chuck Berrys Sweet little
sixteen) was the biggest of their early hits. The group strengthened its challenge to the Beatles with
such clasics as I get around (1964), Help me Rhonda (1965), California girls (1965), Good
vibrations (1966) and the celebrated album Pet sounds. Denniss death by drowning in 1983
effectively brought the group to an end. It is estimated that The Beach Boys sold some 80 million
copies of their records over a period of 15 years. 59
The Beastie Boys

US rap group of the late 1980s which caused a media sensation by its outrageous behaviour. Led by
Adam Horowitz, the Beastie Boys thrived on public outrage at their live performance (which featured
near-naked go-go dancers). Fans of the band were also the target of criticism when they took to
stealing the grille badges of Volkswagen cars (which, tilted sideways, resembled the groups logo).
The bands hits included the album Licensed to kill (1987) and the single You gotta fight for your
right to party.
The Beatles.
The British pop group from Liverpool, which dominated the charts worldwide throughout the 1960s
and is universally recognised as the most popular and influential pop group of all time. The most
frequently used of the various nicknames that were applied to the group was the fab four, which
caught on after the release of the 1963 album with the beatles. Disc jockeys quickly took up the
phrase. They were also known as the moptops, a nickname particularly heard in the USA, in
reference to the neat, rounded, hairstyle that they sported in the early 1960s. Frowned upon as
efferminate and daring. The Beatles unique contribution to pop music was officially recognized in
1965 when they were awarded MBEs, although Lennon later returned his in protest at UK
involvement in the Biafran war of independence. Romours of a full Beatles reunion were finally laid
to rest with the murder of John Lennon in 1980.
The Bee Gees
British pop group, which had several hits in the late 1960s and later re-emerged as a top disco act of
the 1970s and 1980s. The group, whose members were Barry Gibb and his twin brothers Robin and
Maurice Gibb. They enjoyed their first chart hit with New York Mining Disaster 1041.
Massachusetts reached number one that same year, as did Ive gotta get a message to you a year
later. After a temporary split in 1969-70, the band returned to the US charts with Lonely Days and
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart but then adopted a lively disco sound, which led to such hits as
Jive Talkin (1975), You should be Dancing (1976), Too Much Heaven (1978), Tragedy (1979)
and Love You Inside and Out (1979). The band continued to produce hits in the 1980s.
The Carpenters.
Brother and sister duo Karen Carpenter and Richard Carpenter, who enjoyed huge commercial
success in the 1970s. The duo won fame in the early 1970s with a string of hits that included Burt
Bacharachs Close to you, which had been turned down by Herb Alpert because he objected to the
sentimental lyrics, Goodbye to love Yesterday once more and Please Mr Postman, all of which
made the most of Karens warm, distinctive voice (although she had begun as a drummer). The duo
remained at the top of the charts on both sides of the atlantic for some years but experienced a drastic
decline in fortune when the New Wave signalled a change in taste away from the middle of the road
pop. Karen Carpenter eventually succumbed to a heart attack brought on by anorexia nervosa in
1983, not long after making a come-back with the album Made in America (1981).
The Chiffons
A US pop group, which was among the most successful all-girl vocal groups of the 1960s. Singers
Barbara Lee, Patricia Bennett, Sylvia Paterson and Judy Craig, who had met at school, prospered on
the strength of such hits as Hes so fine (1963), One fine day (1963), I have a boyfriend (1964)
and Sweet talkin guy (1966). Hes so fine returned to the charts in 1972.
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The Commodores
A US soul group, led by vocalist Lionel Richie, nicknamed the Black Beatles, which prospered in the
1970s. The Commodores joined motown in 1971 and released a series of successful soul ballads.
The most popular included Easy, Three times a lady and Still. The group went into decline after
Richie went solo in 1981, although the album Night shift (1985) saw something of a return to form.
The Cure.
A British pop group, which emerged from the New Wave in the late 1970s. Led by singer and
guitarist Robert Smith, the band first came together in 1977 and gradually earned a dedicated
following with such pessimistic but atmospheric albums as Boys Dont Cry (1979), Faith (1981) and
Pornography (1982). After a brief split, The Cure re-formed in 1983 and went on to release a further
series of albums and singles, the most successful of which the album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
(1987) won international recognition. But another split was announced in 1989. The band was back
in action by 1990, however, recent albums have included Mixed Up (1990), Wish (1992) and Paris
(1993).
The Dave Clark Five.
British pop group, which was along the most serious rivals to the Beatles in the mid-1960s with the
Tottenham sound drummer Dave Clark, singer and keyboard player Mike Smith, bassist Rick Huxley,
saxophonist Denis Payton and guitarist Len Davidson enjoyed a string of hit singles including Glad
all over, Bits and Pieces, Cant you see that shes mine and the title track from the groups 1965
film Catch us if you can. The Dave Clark Five was particularly well 62eceived in the U.S.A. where
the group spearheaded the so-called British invasion. Mike Smith wrote most of the groups hits, but
he proved to lack the versatility and imagination of Lennon and McCartney; tastes changed and the
band was finally dissolved in 1970.
The Drifters.
A black vocal group, which recorded many hits over its 40-yearhistory. The group has existed in
many different forms, with over 50 musicians appearing in the line-up since its formation in 1953.
The most famous version of The Drifters was that of the late 1950s and 1960s when the group was
led by singer Ben E. King and recorded such songs as There Goes My Baby (1959) and Save the
Last Dance for me (1960), which reached number one. Among the later hits were Up on the Roof
(1963), Under the Boardwalk (1964) and Kissing in the Back Row of the Movies (1974).
The Eagles.
A U.S. country-rock band, which became one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. The name
The Eagles was carefully chosen to evoke a series of images relevant to street culture. Vocalists and
guitarists Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon, bassist Randy Meisner and drummer Don Henley came
together in 1971 and won immediate Acclaim with The Eagles (1971), from which came three topselling singles, notably the groups signature tune Take it Easy. The band consolidated its
reputation with Desperado (1973), which, like the first album, was recorded in Britain. On the Border
(1974), from which came the number one single Best of my Love, and One of these Nights (1975),
which reached number one in the USA (as did the title track in the singles charts). Guitarist Joe
Walsh replaces Leadon in 1975. Further success came with the albums Hotel California (1976),
which sold 11 million copies, The Long Run (1979) and Eagles Live (1980), before the band split in
1981.
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The Hollies.
British pop group, which enjoyed more hits than almost any other British band of the same era. Based
originally in Manchester, The Hollies formed in 1962. The group consisted of singer Allen Clarke,
singer and guitarist Graham Nash, lead guitarist Tony Hicks, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer
Bobby Elliott. The group enjoyed chart success with such singles as (Aint it) Just Like Me (1963),
Searching, Stay, Here I Go Again, He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother (1969) and The Air that I
Breathe. Haydock left in 1966, being replaced by Bernie Calvert, Nash departed in 1968, his place
being taken by Terry Sylvester. The band continued to win acclaim on regular tours with changing
personnel.
The Mamas & Papas.
Folk-rock vocal group, which was one of the most popular Californian acts of the 1960s. The group
consisted of Mama Cass Elliot, John Phillips, Johns wife Michelle Gilliam and Denny Doherty.
They came together in 1964 and lasted just four years before disbanding. In that time, the group
established itself as a major attraction with stirring live performances and such singles as California
Dreamin (1966) Monday, Monday (1966), Dedicated to the one I Love (1967) San Francisco
(1967).
The Monkees
U.S. pop group, which was deliberately created in 1966 as a response to the Beatles. The Monkees
were brought together for a lively TV series about a fictitious pop group, imitating the zany
cheerfulness of the Beatles films. The line-up, selected more for visual appeal than for musical
ability, consisted of a former U.S. child actor and drummer Mickey Dolenz, fellow Americans and
guitarists Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith and another former child star, British singer Davy Jones. The
series was a huge success on both sides of the atlantic, and several numbers taken from the series
became legitimate chart hits among them such classics as Last Train to Clarksville, Im a
Believer and Daydream Believer, all of which reached number one in 1967.
The OJays.
U.S. all-male vocal group, which enjoyed strings of hits in both the 1960s and the 1970s. The
OJays, which consisted of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Bobby Massey, William Powell and Bill
Isles, evolved from the 1950s band The Triumphs, and the group recorded its first hit, The Lonely
Drifter in 1963. They went on to release a series of modest rhythm-and-blues hits but then fell from
favour. Isles and Massey left, but the rest of the line-up went on to enjoy their biggest hit of all with
the album and single Backstabbers (1972). Among the hits that followed were Love Train
(1972), For the Love of Money (1974), Used to be my girl (1978) and Loving you (1987).
The Pretenders.
Anglo-American rock group, which was among the most commercially successful rock acts of the
early 1980s led by rock singer Chrissie Hynde, The Pretenders made an immediate impact with Stop
Your Sobbing and then with the chart topping eponymous debut album (1979), from which came the
number one hit single Brass in Pocket. The group had further chart hits with songs such as Talk of
the Town (1981), Message of Love (1981), Back on the Chain Gang (1982), 2000 Miles (1983)
and I Got You Babe (1985).
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The Righteous Brothers.

U.S. pop duo, nicknamed The Blue-eyed Soul brothers, who had huge commercial success in the
1960s. Singers Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield were not brothers at all but found that their
contrasting voices suited each other perfectly as part of the group The Paramours and later as The
Righteous Brothers. Their biggest hit by far was the classic Youve Lost That Lovin Feeling
(1965). Lesser follow-ups included Just Once in My Life, Unchained Melody, Ebb Tide and
(Youre My) Soul and Inspiration, which got to number one in 1966. They fell out in the late 1960s
and pursued solo careers, ultimately reuniting in 1974 with a new hit, Rock n Roll Heaven, and
then splitting once more in 1987.
The Searchers.
British pop group, which was among the leading Mersey Beat bands to emerge in the wake of The
Beatles. The group which consisted of lead singer and guitarist Mike Pender, guitarist John NcNally,
bassist Frank Allen, who replaced Tony Jackson and drummer Chris Curtis, had chart success
between 1963 and 1965 with such hits as Sweets for My Sweet, Sugar and Spice, Needles and
Pins, Dont Throw Your Love Away, Someday Were Gonna Love Again and When You Walk
in the Room. Derivatives of the original band continued to perform for many years afterwards.
The Seekers.
Australian vocal group, which became a top pop act of the 1960s. Judith Dunham, Keith Potger,
Bruce Woodley and Athos Guy came together as The Seekers in Melbourne and arrived in Britain in
1964. The groups biggest hits included Ill Never Find Another You and The Carnival is Over
both of which reached number one in 1965. The group broke up after a number of lesser hits and
Potger established a new line-up under the name The New Seekers. This reincarnation of the group
had transatlantic hits with Id Like to Teach the World to Sing (1972), Beg, Steal or Borrow
(1972) and You Wont Find Another Fool Like Me (1974). The other members of The New Seekers
were Eve Graham, Lyn Paul, Peter Doyle, Marty Kristian and Paul Layton.
The Shangri-Las.
U.S. vocal group, which was among the most popular all-girl acts of the 1960s. Sisters Mary and
Betty Weiss together with Mary Ann and Margie Ganser had their first success with Whats Wrong
with Ringo? (1964) and consolidated their reputation with the classic Remember (Walking in the
Sand) (1964). The melodramatic Leader of the Pack, about the death of a teenage biker, got to
number one in the USA in 1965, and it was followed by numerous lesser singles among them Give
Us Your Blessing and Dress in Black before the hits ended and they were obliged to eke out a
living trading on their old standards.
The Spice Girls.
British pop group, notable for their Girl Power attitude. Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Victoria
Adams, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisolm came together in 1994, after an advertisement was
place in the Stage. Their first single Wannabe was number one for seven weeks in Britain in 1996,
swiftly becoming number one in 36 countries, including the U.S.A. They followed with the number
ones Say Youll Be Their, Two Became One and their debut album Spice.
63
The Stranglers.
British rock band, which emerged as just about the only major punk rock outfit with real musical
ability in the late 1970s. Lead singer and guitarist Hugh Cornwell, drummer Jet Black, bassist JeanJacques Burnell and keyboard player Dave Greenfield came together in 1974. Such albums as Rattus
Harvegieus (1977) and No More Heroes (1977) together with such singles as Peaches and No More
Heroes established the groups credentials as a punk band with real musicality, and it gradually won
acceptance with a wider new wave audiences. Later releases adopted a rather more moderate stance
and included such commercial hits as Golden Brown (about heroin), (1982). Other albums included
The Raven (1979), Feline (1982), Aural Sculpture (1984), Dreammtime (1986) and 10 (1990).
The Supremes.
Black U.S. vocal group, which was one of the most successful all-girl line-ups of the 1960s.
Founded in the late 1950s as The Primettes, The Supremes Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and
following the departure of Betty Travis, Dianna Ross were signed by Motown in 1961 and enjoyed
huge success with such soul classics as Where Did Our Love Go (1964), Come See About Me
(1964), Stop! In the Name of Love (1965), Back in My Arms Again (1965) and I Hear a
Symphony (1965), all of which reached number one. Other hits included You Cant Hurry Love
(1966), You Keep Me Hanging On (1966), Love is Here and Now Youre Gone (1967) and The
Happening (1967).
The Sweet.
British pop group, which had a string of hits during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. Lead singer
Brian Connolly, guitarist Frank Torpy, who was replaced by Andy Scott in 1971, bassist Steve Priest
and drummer Mick Tucker came together in 1968 and, after teaming up with Chinn and Chapman
enjoyed their first hit with Co-co (1971). Among the various hits that followed were Wig Wam
Bam (1972), Blockbuster (1973) and Teenage Rampage (1973). The group split up in 1981, reforming in 1985 but failed to capture past success.
The Temptations.
Black U.S. all-male vocal group, which was among the top soul acts fostered by the motown
organization. Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Otis Williams, Paul Williams and Melvyn Franklin had
huge success with such dance-oriented classics as My Girl, one of several of the hits provided for
them Smokey Robinson, Since I Lost My Baby, Cloud Nine, Youre My Everything, Just My
Imagination, I Cant Get Next To You and the 1971 chart-topper Papa Was A Rolling Stone, by
which time both Ruffin and Kendricks had left. Albums included Together (1970), which The
Temptations made in collaboration with The Supremes.
The Three Degrees.
Black U.S. vocal group, which was the most successful all-girl group of their generation. Fayette
Pickney, Linda Turner and Shirley Porter had their first hit back in 1965 but only established
themselves as a top chart act in the early 1970s after Turner and Porter were replaced by Sheila
Ferguson and Valerie Thompson. Among their biggest hits were When Will I See You Again
(1974) and My Simple Heart (1979). No harm was done to the groups popularity when it was
disclosed that they were the Prince of Waless favourite group.
64
The Thompson Twins.

British pop group, exponents of synthesizer pop in the early 1980s. Originally a line-up of seven,
which was later reduced to singer and bassist Tom Bailey, congas and synthesizer player Joe Leeway
and percussionist Ann Currie, The Thompson Twins, named after the comic detective in Tin Tin,
came together in 1977 and finally achieved fame in 1982 with the single Lies. Among the hits that
followed were Quick Step and Side Kick (1983) and the singles Hold Me Now (1983), Doctor
Doctor (1984), Lay Your Hands On Me (1985) and Get That Love (1986). Leeway left in 1986.
The Tornados.
British pop group, which was the first British act to top the U.S. singles charts. Guitarists Alan Caddy
and George Bellamy, keyboard player Roger Lavern, bassist Heinz Burt and drummer Clem Cattini
came together in 1961 and after working as backing musicians for Billy Fury established
themselves as one of the great instrumental groups with such hits as Telstar (1962), which became a
transatlantic number one. The tornados then went into gradual decline, finally breaking up in 1965,
but reuniting briefly in the mid-1970s and again in 1989.
The Trogs.
British pop group, which enjoyed huge transatlantic success in the mid-1960s. At its peak, the group
consisted of lead singer Reg Presley, guitarist Chris Britton, bassist Peter Staples and drummer
Ronnie Bond, and it had massive hits with such classics as Wild Thing (1966), With a Girl Like
You (1066), which got to number one, I Cant Control Myself (1966), Give it to me (1967) and
Love is all Around (1967). The group was subsequently rocked by line-up changes but stayed in
business with the occasional new release, notably the single feels Like a Woman (1972) and the
album Athens to Andover (1881), on which it collaborated with rock group R.E.M.
The Tubes.
U.S. rock band, which established an international reputation with its brand of rock theatre in the
1970s. Bassist Rick Anderson, keyboard players Vince Welnick and Michael Cotton, guitarists
Roger Steen and Bill Spooner, singers Fee Waybill and Re Styles and drummer Frairie Prince came
together in 1972 and rapidly perfected their colourful and daring live act, The Tubes (1975), which
included White Punks on Dope and Mondo Bondage, brought immediate acclaim, and it was
followed by albums like Young and Rich (1976), Remote Control (1979), Outside, Inside (1983),
from which came Shes a Beauty and Love Bomb (1986), which did less well and Marked Bands
Swansong.
The Tremeloes.
British pop group, which had a string of hit singles in the mid-1960s. The group consisted of lead
singer and guitarist Brian Poole, guitarist Graham Scott, who was soon replaced by Rick West,
saxophonist (and subsequently bassist) Ken Howard and drummer Alan Blakely, who switched to
guitar and keyboards with the addition of drummer Dave Munden. The Tremeloes came together in
1959 and won their first recording contract (with Decca) in 1962, in competition with The Beatles.
They had big hits with singles like Twist and Shout and Do You Love Me (1963).
65
The turtles.
U.S pop group, which were regularly in the singles charts on both sides of the atlantic in the mid1960s. Singers Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, guitarist Al Nichol and Jim Tucker, bassist chuck
Portz, who was later replaced by Jim Pons and drummer Don Murray, who was succeeded by John
Barbata, got together as a surfing band but subsequently established themselves as idols of the protest
movement with a cover of Dylans It Aint Me Babe (1966). Among the hits that followed were
Let Me Be (1966), Happy Together (1967), Shed Rather Be With Me (1967), Elenore (1968)
and You Showed Me (1069). The group split up before the end of the decade.
The Walker Brothers.
U.S. pop trio, resident in Britain, who had a string of hits in the mid-1960s. Singer and guitarist John
Maus, heartthrob singer and bassist Noel Scott Engel and drummer Gary Leeds, who changed their
names to Walker on settling in the U.K. had their first big hit with Love Her (1965), which was
quickly followed by the chart topper Make It Easy On Yourself (1966) and My Ship is Coming in
(1966) among other singles The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Anymore got to number one in 1966, but
the trio fell out and broke up a year later.
The Yardbirds.
British rock band, which in was among the most influential exponents of blues-rock in Britain in the
1960s. Initially consisting of lead singer Keith Belf, guitarists Andrew Topham and Chris Dreja,
bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and Drummer Jim McCarty. The group came together in 1963 and
prospered after Topham was replaced by Eric Clapton, who won fame for his blues-oriented style.
The band switched to psychedelic rock after Clapton was succeeded by Jeff Beck. Hits included For
Your Love (1965), Heart Full of Soul (1965) and Shapes of Things (1966). The Yardbirds
disbanded in 1968.
The Zombies.
British rock group, who were among the leading bands to emerge from the beat movement of the
early 1960s. Singer-songwriter Colin Blunstone, guitarist Paul Atkinson, keyboard player Rod
Argent, bassist Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy made their recording debut in 1963 and
subsequently had big hits with such numbers as Shes Not There (1964) and Time of the Season
(1969), which was actually released after the group had disbanded. The band re-formed in the late
1980s and released New World in 1991.
Thin Lizzy.
British rick group, which enjoyed considerable commercial success in the 1970s. Led by Irish-born
singer and bassist Phil Lynott and completed at its peak by guitarists Brian Robertson and Scott
Gorham together with drummer Brian Downey. Thin Lizzy enjoyed its first hit with a rock
interpretation of the traditional Whisky in the Jar. Among the hits that followed were the singles
The Boys are Back in Town (1976) and the albums Jailbreak (1976), Johnny the Fox (1976), Bad
Reputation (1977) and Black Rose (1979). Lynott eventually went solo on the groups demise in
1983.
66
Thomas Ades.
1971
Composer, performer and conductor. Few musicians are capable of taking on all three rolls. Second
prize, piano class in 1989 young musician of the year. Studied piano and composition at Londons
Guildhall School and went on to Kings Collage, Cambridge. The piece he began immediately after
winning the BBC competition was Five Eliot Landscapes for soprano and piano, completed 1990 first
performed in 1993. Works for solo piano (usually premiered by the composer). The success (or
notoriety) of Powder her Face led to an operatic commission from the Royal Opera House. First
orchestral composition, But All Shall Be Well (1993) is a 10 minute piece. No recording yet exists of
his largest orchestral work, America, but Asyla is no less impressive. His only string quartet,
Arcadiana (1994). He also provides the second movement with a heading that quotes from Mozart,
while the third takes its epigraph from the Schubert song, Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen.
Thomas Luis de Victoria. 1548-1611.
Of all the great polyphonists of the sixteenth century, Victoria is the one whose music makes the most
powerful impact. He transforms the polyphonic technique into a vehicle for more fervent and
passionate feelings, which suggest a direct and personal relationship with God. Victoria was born at
Avila, where he later served as a chorister at the cathedral. Around 1565 he was sent to Rome to
complete his education. While there he would almost certainly have come into contact with
Palestrina, who may even have given lessons to the younger man. Victoria held several important
positions during his time in Rome, and was ordained a priest in 1575. He joined the community of
Filippo Neri, the creater of the oratorio form. In the mid-1580s he expressed a wish to return to Spain
and was made the personal Chaplain to Philip IIs sister, the Dowager Empress Marie. Victoria wrote
a mere twenty masses, fifteen of which are parody masses. Died in a convent in Madrid.
Thomas Tallis. 1505-c1585.
Talliss powerful but ethereal sacred music was written during one of the most turbulent periods of
English history. Each of the four Tudor monarchs whom he served possessed widely different
attitudes to religious affairs. This not only meant that he was forced to write sometimes in Latin and
sometimes in English. His earliest music adopts a peculiar English, florid style of polyphony. During
the reforms of Edward VI he was obliged to write much more simple and direct music, in line with the
rationalization of the liturgy, finally in Elizabeth Ist reign, he developed a tighter and more lucid
polyphonic manner. Next to nothing is known of Talliss early life. After brief employment at
Canterbury Cathedral Tallis joined the Royal household in 1543 as a gentleman of the Chapel Royal,
a position he maintained until his death. His duties as composer and organist earned him significant
rewards from his royal patrons: in 1557 the Catholic Queen Mary granted him a 21-year lease on a
lucrative property in Kent.
Tina Turner.
Black U.S. singer and actress, who established herself as a top rhythm and blues star in the 1960s in
company with husband Ike and later forged a second career as a solo artist. Trading on her powerful
vocal capabilities and visual appeal, she married former blues pianist Ike Turner in 1958 and enjoyed
major commercial success with singles Its gonna work out fine (1961), River Deep and Mountain
High (1966). Proud Mary (1971) and Nutbush City Limits (1973) were among the hits that
brought them a huge mixed-race audience. They divorced in 1976, but Tina Turner continued to
prosper with her singing, but also acting in the rock opera Tommy (1975) and in the film Mad Max
Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Her solo albums have included Private Dancer (1984), Break Every
Rule (1987), Live in Europe (1988), Foreign Affair (1989) and Wildest Dreams (1996); among the
singles have been Lets Stay Together (1983) and Whats Love Got to do With It? (1984).
67
Tomaso Albinoni.
Born in Venice, 14th June 1671, the son of a wealthy paper and landowner. Begins his musical
education in 1680 with violin and singing lessons. His first known opera, Zenobia, is staged in 1694
and an early set of 12 trio-sonatas is published. In 1705 he marries the Veronese operatic soprano
Margherita Rimondi who bears him 6 children. Margherita dies in 1721. Following the dedication of
a set of concertos in 1722 to the Elector (Prince) of Bavaria, he is invited to Munich to supervise the
staging of some of his operas on the Royal wedding of Karl Albert and Maria Amalia. In 1741 having
worked for most of his life as an independent, freelance composer, voluntarily retires. Dies in Venice,
17th January 1751.
Tom Jones.
Welsh singer and sex symbol, born 1940 in Pontypridd, who emerged as a top transatlantic middle of
the road star in the late 1960s. Jones became a top attraction in 1965 with his number one hit Its
Not Unusual and subsequently attracted a huge, loyal (and largely female) audiences, singing such
reliable ballads as The Green, Green Grass of Home (1966), Ill Never Fall In Love Again (1967)
and, somewhat more raunchily, Delilah (1968). His success in the U.S. market led to him moving to
the USA in the 1970s when he became the highest paid television entertainer of the day. In the
1980s, however, he staged a significant come-back in the UK under the management of his own son,
winning over many young fans through self-parading appearances with contemporary bands and with
unlikely covers of hits by Prince among others.
Tommy Steele.
British singer and guitarist, nicknamed The British Elvis Presley when he emerged as the leading
U.K. challenger to Presley. He became the U.K.s top rock n roll star in the mid-1950s, when he
and his steelmen were a hugely popular chart act. Steele was a Merchant Seaman with the Cunard
Line when he attracted attention playing with skiffle groups while on leave in London in 1956. His
first record, Rock with the Caveman (1956), was followed by such hits as Singing the Blues
(1956) and The Little White Bull (1959) but he quickly deserted rock n roll for a career as a stage
and film entertainer.
Tony Hatch.
British composer, pianist, singer and arranger, who wrote a string of hit singles in the 1960s. After
early training as a chorister, he enjoyed his first hits in 1960, with Look for a Star and Messing
About on the River, four years later Petula Clark recorded his Downtown with huge success.
Subsequently he married singer Jackie Trent and wrote with her such songs as Where are You Now?
(1965), Dont Sleep in the Subway and Joanna. His theme tunes for television have included those
for Crossroads and Emmerdale Farm.
Umberto Giordano. 1867-1948
Umberto Giordanos name has survived on the strength of a single opera. He was drawn to opera
almost from the start. It was not until 1890 that he graduated from Naples Conservatory, but by then
he had already completed his first opera, the one-act Marina which he had submitted as an entry in the
1889 Sonzogno Opera Competition. His next opera, Regina Diaz, was ditched after only two
performances, but in 1896, having moved to the warmer audiences in Milan, Giordano composed his
masterpiece, Andrea Chenier. Chenier brought the composer considerable acclaim, and two years
later he produced another popular opera, Fedora a work which gave rise to the witticism Fedora Fe
doro (Fedora Made Money). Its success was guaranteed when Caruso, who sang on the first nights,
gave a thrilling performance of the operas only tenor aris amor ti vieta. For the remaining years of
his life he composed nothing but songs and a few light salon pieces.
68
Val Doonican
Michael Valentine Doonican, born 1928. An Irish singer and guitarist, who enjoyed a long career
both as a live and TV performer in the style originally set by Perry Como. Having worked as a
guitarist and drummer, he made his television debut in the early 1950s and later sang chiefly
sentimental ballads on his own TV shows often seated on the rocking chair that became his
trademark as well as in variety and cabaret and on the radio. His first hit was Walk tall (1964).
Vincenzo Bellini. 1801-1835
Born three years before Beethoven completed the Eroica, Bellini lived for only 34 years, leaving his
eleventh opera incomplete. His first great success was II Pirata, commissioned by La Scala in 1827.
In 1831 he wrote his masterpiece, Norma, which ever since has been the vehicle for some of the
worlds greatest sopranos. The passionate ecstasy and elegiac melancholy of Bellinis music, allied
with his fragile good looks led to his idolization as the very personification of romanticism. Bellinis
early death compounded the romantic myth. Exhausted by the effort of composing I Puritani, he fell
ill and died, alone, in a dreary house in a suburb of Paris, where his last opera had just had its
premiere.
Whitesnake.
British heavy metal band who emerged as a top hard rock act in the 1980s. Formed by ex-Deep
Purple singer David Coverdale, who recruited an ever-changing line-up of session musicians and
other former Deep Purple stars. Whitesnake had its origins in his solo albums Whitesnake and
Northwinds in the 1970s. Notable releases since then have included Trouble (1978), Love Hunter
(1979), Ready and Willing (1980), from which came the single Food for Your Loving, Live in the
Heart of the City (1980) and Whitesnake (1987, which spawned the singles Is This Love and Here I
Go Again. The band went into temporary retirement in 1992 while Coverdale worked with guitarist
Jimmy Page.
Whitney Houston.
A black U.S. soul singer and actress. Daughter of the gospel star Cassy Houston and cousin of
Dionne Warwick, who emerged as one of the top-selling artists of the 1980s and 1990s. Having
started out as a model. She became a backing vocalist and had her first hit singing duet Hold Me
(1984) with Teddy Pendergrass. Her first album proved the most successful debut album ever
released and produced a string of hit singles, of which Saving All My Love For You, How Will I
Know and The Greatest Love of All reached number one. Some of her other hits include I Wanna
Dance With Somebody, Didnt we Almost Have It All, So Emotional and Where Do Broken
Hearts Go, establishing an extraordinary record of seven consecutive chart-toppers in the USA.
William Byrd. c1537-1623.
William Byrd was called by his contemporaries Britanniae Musicae Parens, the father of British
music. It was a title he fully deserved: though writing in the golden age of English music. Little is
known about his family background. He may have been the son Thomas Byrd, a gentleman of the
Chapel Royal and a colleague of Thomas Tallis with whom the younger Byrd is thought to have
studied. In 1563 he was appointed organist and choirmaster of Lincoln Cathedral, a post he held until
1572 when he moved to London to become joint organist at the Chapel Royal with Tallis. The two
men also held the exclusive right to print and publish music and in 1575 they published Cantiones
Secrae, a collection dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and containing seventeen motets by each composer.
Byrd was a prolific composer of church music, and of all the great masters of the sixteenth century
only Lassus has a similar range. Byrd is equally important as a composer of secular music with the
exception of lute music. He excelled especially in the composition of solo keyboard music and made
an important contribution to the development of consort music.
69
William Lawes. 1602-1645

Though still relatively little-known, William Lawes composed some of the most compelling and
strikingly original instrumental music of the early seventeenth century. The son of a lay preacher,
Lawes was born in Salsbury in 1602. He was reportedly talent-spotted by the Earl of Hertford, who
obtained him from his father, and tutored him. Lawes breakthrough came in 1633, when he was
commissioned to write the music for the Triumph of Peace. Soon after, he was given an official post
in Charles Court. William spent a highly productive decade in his employment. He wrote many
songs as well as numerous sacred anthems, but his angular contrapuntal style was best suited to
instrumental music. On the outbreak of civil war, Lawes entered the cavalier army. Presumably at
the Kings request, he was given a low-risk position as commissary in the generals regiment. But in
a cruel twist of fate, this very regiment happened to be present at the bloody siege of Chester in
September 1645, when Lawes, along with hundreds of others, was killed by Roundhead muskets.
William Walton.
Born 29th March 1902, Oldham, Lancashire, the son of an organist and choirmaster.
In 1912 he joins the choir school at Christ Church, Oxford. In 1918 he begins to
compose seriously; is taken up by Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell. In 1923 he
has his first public performance of Facade causes a furore, but makes Waltons
name. In 1926 the Performance of his overture Portsmouth Point, in Zurich, adds to
his fame. In 1839 he enlists in the Army Ambulance Corps at the outbreak of the
second world war. In 1947 he was awarded Gold Medal of Royal Philharmonic Society. In 1948 he
marries Argentine-born Susana Gil Passo and settles on the Italian island of Ischia. In 1951 he was
awarded a Knighthood. In 1967 he receives Order of Merit. Dies 8th May 1983, on Ischia.
Willie Nelson.
Singer-songwriter, nicknamed The Red-Headed Stranger, after one of his albums, who of the legends
of country music as an outlaw pop star in the 1970s. Red-Headed Stranger (1975), which was the
first album to go platinum, appealing as it did to both country and pop audiences encapsulated his
rebellious attitude to the slickness of conventional country music of the time. Subsequent hit albums
among them the classics Wanted: The Outlaws (1976) and Stardust (1978) consolidated his
standing as a successful crossover star and included duets with other artists. His most recent releases
include Always on my Mind (1982), A Horse Called Music (1989), Across the Borderline (1993) and
Spirit (1996).
Wilson Pickett.
A soul singer, nicknamed The Wicked Pickett on account of his lively temper, who established a
reputation in the 1960s with a series of hits that made the most of his unique gospel inspired vocal
style. He sang on The Falcons hit I Found a Love (1962) and then launched himself on a solo career
with such hits as In the Midnight Hour (1965), Dont Fight It (1965), Mustang Sally (1966),
Funky Broadway (1967) Hey Jude (1968) and Dont Let the Green Grass Fool You (1971). In
1994 he served a year in Gaol after being found guilty of drink-driving offences.
70
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Born 27th January 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. In 1763 his father Leopold takes him
on a tour of Europe. In 1768 the first three-act opera, La Finta Semplice, was
composed. He visited Italy for the first time. Return visit to Paris. Death of his
mother in 1778. Dismissed from post with the Archbishop of Salzburg in 1781.
Settles in Vienna. In 1782 he marries Constanze Weber. Meets Haydn in 1785, who
praises him as the greatest living composer. Visits Prague in 1787 for production of
Marriage of Figaro. Death of his father also in 1787. Visits Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin with his
future patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky in 1789. Dies in Vienna, 5 December 1791, and is buried in an
unmarked grave.
Zoltan Kodaly.
Born 16th December 1882 as Kecskemet, Hungary, his father a stationmaster and his
mother a keen amateur musician. In 1900 he enrols at the Budapest Academy of
music. Embarks with the composer Bela Bartok on their first tour in 1905 to
research folk music. In 1907 he begins teaching at Budapest Academy of Music. In
1910 he marries the pianist and composer Emma Sander. Appointed deputy director
in 1919 at the Budapest Academy. In 1923 he composes his Psalmus hungaricus of
the union of Pest, Buda, and Obuda. Awarded Order of Merit in 1942 by the Hungarian Government.
Arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 for resistance work, but released on account of his popularity. First
visit to the U.S.A. in 1946 to conduct his music. Dies 6th March 1067, aged 84.
Zz Top.
U.S. rock band, which became established as a top boogie blues act in the 1970s. Formed in 1969 by
singer and guitarist Billy Gibbons and singer and bassist Dusty Hill. The band consolidated its
growing reputation by adopting a distinctive visual image they sported long beards and over-sized
sunglasses (drummer Frank Beard, somewhat ironically, confined himself to a moustache). The
bands best-selling albums have included Rio Grande Mud (1972), Tres Hombres (1973), Fandango!
(1975), Deguello (1979), Eliminator (1983) and Recycler (1990).
71

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CONTENTS.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Electric Light Orchestra

George Philipp Telemann

Sylvius Leopold Weiss

The Beastie Boys

The Righteous Brothers

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Thompson Twins

Alessandro Stradella. 1644-1682

Alexander Zemlinsky. 1871-1942

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. 1714-1788

Electric Light Orchestra.

Engelbert Humperdinck. 1854-1921

Ethel Smyth. 1858-1944

Ferruccio Busoni. 1866-1924

George Philipp Telemann. 1681-1767

Gustav Mahler. 1860-1911

Henri Duparc. 1848-1933

Hildegard of Bingen. (1098 1179)

Jean-Philippe Rameau. 1683-1764

Johannes Ockeghem. C1420-1497.

Johann Strauss II.

Jules Massenet. 1842-1912

Luigi Boccherini. 1743-1805

Mikhail Glinka. 1804-1857

Paul Dukas. 1865-1935

Richard Wagner. 1813-1883

Sylvius Leopold Weiss. 1686-1750

The Beastie Boys

The Righteous Brothers.

The Thompson Twins.

William Lawes. 1602-1645

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

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