Composers and classical music

Bach to Debussy: the lives of the great composers and the pieces to start with.

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• Did Paganini Really Sell His Soul to the Devil? The Truth About the Violin's First Superstar

  No. The pact with the devil was a rumour, but it followed Paganini even after death. The real story: a Genoese virtuoso, 24 Caprices and a wild life.

• How Did Johann Sebastian Bach Turn a Lifetime of Music into Lessons—and Useful English Phrases for You?

  A clear look at Johann Sebastian Bach’s life and works, plus simple English phrases and one practice exercise you can reuse for language learning.

• How Did Schubert Write 600 Songs Before Dying at 31? Vienna's Shy Genius of Song

  Franz Schubert wrote over 600 songs before dying at 31, gave just one public concert of his music, and became truly famous only after his death.

• How Did Tchaikovsky Die? Cholera, Rumour and the Life Behind Swan Lake

  Tchaikovsky died in St Petersburg in 1893, officially of cholera. Suicide theories appeared later, but scholars say we may never know. Here is his life.

• Was Beethoven Completely Deaf When He Wrote the Ninth Symphony? What the Evidence Shows

  Beethoven was severely deaf by the 1820s but, according to the evidence, never totally deaf. How he lived, worked and composed with hearing loss.

• Was Clara Schumann a Composer? The Pianist Who Wrote a Concerto at 14 and Played for 61 Years

  Yes. Clara Schumann wrote a piano concerto at 14, a piano trio and songs, then gave up composing and became Europe's most respected concert pianist.

• What Did Mozart Die Of at 35? The Fevered Last Year Behind the Unfinished Requiem

  Nobody knows exactly what killed Mozart in 1791: researchers have proposed over 100 causes. Here is what the sources say, and what is pure legend.

• What Happened to Robert Schumann? The Composer Who Split Himself Into Two Imaginary Selves

  Robert Schumann was a German Romantic composer and critic. A hand injury ended his piano career, mental crises shadowed his life, and he died at 46.

• Who Was Claude Debussy? The Rebel Behind Clair de Lune Who Hated Being Called an Impressionist

  Claude Debussy was a French composer who broke the rules of harmony with Clair de lune, La mer and Pelléas. Why he rejected 'Impressionism', and how he lived.

• Who Was Felix Mendelssohn? The Prodigy Behind the Wedding March Who Brought Bach Back to Life

  Felix Mendelssohn wrote the Wedding March, a masterpiece Octet at 16 and revived Bach's St Matthew Passion. Why the Nazis banned him, and why he's back.

• Who Was Vivaldi? The 'Red Priest' Behind The Four Seasons and His Orphan Orchestra

  Antonio Vivaldi was a Venetian priest and violinist who wrote over 500 concertos, many for an orchestra of orphaned girls. Why he died poor, then came back.

• Why Did Brahms Take 21 Years to Write His First Symphony? The Perfectionist in Beethoven's Shadow

  Brahms spent at least 14 years on his First Symphony, 21 by his own count: a perfectionist in Beethoven's shadow who destroyed work he found unworthy.

• Why Did Dvořák Write the New World Symphony? A Czech Butcher's Son in 1890s America

  Antonín Dvořák, a Czech composer from a village inn, wrote the New World Symphony in New York in 1893, inspired by American music. Here is his story.

• Why Did Rossini Stop Writing Operas at 37? The Composer of The Barber of Seville

  Gioachino Rossini wrote 39 operas, including The Barber of Seville and William Tell, then quit opera at about 37 and lived almost 40 more years. What happened?

• Why Is Chopin's Heart in Warsaw? The Pianist Who Left Poland at 20 and Never Returned

  Chopin left Warsaw in 1830 and never went back, but he asked for his heart to go home. His life, his piano music, and why Poland guards his heart.

• Why Is Giuseppe Verdi a National Hero in Italy? Grief, 'Va, pensiero' and 300,000 Mourners

  Giuseppe Verdi turned personal tragedy into Nabucco, Rigoletto, La traviata and Aida, and became a symbol of Italian unity. Here is the story, myths included.

• Why Is Handel Famous? The German Composer Who Gave London Messiah

  George Frideric Handel was a German-born Baroque composer who settled in London and wrote Messiah, Water Music and dozens of operas and oratorios.

• Why Is Haydn Called the Father of the Symphony? The Wheelwright's Son Who Shaped Classical Music

  Joseph Haydn wrote over 100 symphonies and shaped the form in decades as court composer to the Esterházys. Hence: Father of the Symphony.

• Why Is Johann Strauss II Called the Waltz King? The Man Behind The Blue Danube

  Johann Strauss II wrote over 500 dance pieces, including The Blue Danube, and made the waltz the sound of Vienna, despite his father.

• Why Was Franz Liszt So Famous? The Pianist Who Caused 'Lisztomania' and Then Walked Away

  Franz Liszt was a Hungarian pianist-composer whose concerts caused 'Lisztomania' in the 1840s. He invented the solo recital, then quit touring at 35.