Classical music plays a vital role in developing cells of the brain of the child and is also known to make one smarter in many fields of life. There might be different views as regards music but one fact cannot be ignored that it has a great effect on our emotions. When a child takes birth, it starts reacting to the various sounds in its surroundings such as toys, human voice and others. At times, when you see someone shouting or screaming with joy, it simultaneously affects you and fills you with joy.

Bach, Johann Sebastian Born: Eisenach (Germany), 21 March 1685 Died: 28 July 1750 One of the greatest Baroque composers along with Handel. His most famous works are probably the Brandenburg Concerti, the Well-tempered clavier, The art of fugue, his Mass in B-minor, and the St. Matthew Passion. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend each and every one of the above works. From what I’ve read and heard, Bach is now considered somewhat atypical as far as Baroque composers go. His “obsession” with the fugue was apparently rather anachronistic; most other composers of the same era held that the fugue was an out-dated form.

Beethoven, Ludwig van Born: Bonn, 16 December 1770 Died: Vienna, 26 March 1827 Without doubt, one of the true greats. Just awesome, man. Beethoven didn’t write as much as Mozart or Schubert, but what he produced is all worth listening to. (The stereotype has it that he sweated over every note in a way that Mozart didn’t. This makes light of Mozart unduly however; letters of his describe how he found the composition of works such as his later quartets very hard.)I can recommend all of Beethoven’s symphonies but in particular, the third (Eroica), the fifth, the sixth (“Pastoral”), the seventh and the ninth (“Choral”). The last three piano concerti (nos. 3, 4 and 5), the Missa Solemnis, the triple concerto (for violin, piano and cello) and the string quartets are also all well worth listening to.Apart from the triple concerto mentioned above, a wonderful violin concerto, and a Choral Fantasy for piano, orchestra and choir, I believe that Beethoven didn’t write any other concerti for orchestral instruments. Though this seems a shame, I suspect it was probably because he had little experience of other instruments. (Beethoven was primarily a pianist, having earned his living for a while in Vienna from performing, but did also play the viola). My own theory is that perhaps this came about because concerti for instruments for other instruments seemed unduly “light”.

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Born: Salzburg, 27 January 1756 Died: Vienna, 5 December 1791 Along with Haydn, one of the first classical composers. Wrote music of many different genres. Major works would include his Requiem, the operas Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte, the clarinet concerto, the string quartets, the later piano concerti (nos. 20 onwards) and the later symphonies (numbers 36, 38, 39, 40 and 41). There does seem to be a tendency among some people to label Mozart as nothing more than the composer of “pretty tunes” or little twiddles. I couldn’t disagree more. In particular, I think his religious music exhibits a great deal of feeling, and transcends mere “twiddles”. In my opinion, the problem is probably that people tend to know things like Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and because this particular piece is eminently hummable, not particularly “deep”, and played to death in Muzak-like environments, people assume that all of Mozart’s music is like that.The best Mozart site on the web is probably The Mozart Project. But you may also find the online site for the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe fascinating. This is an online presentation of authoritative editions of all of Mozart’s music, freely available for personal use. For more information on Mozart’s home-town, and some biographical details about Mozart, see the Visit Salzburg site.

• Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyitch • Born:Born: Votkinsk, 7 May 1840 Votkinsk, 7 May 1840 • Died:Died: St. Petersburg, 6 November St. Petersburg, 6 November

1893 1893 • Tchaikovsky is probably most famous Tchaikovsky is probably most famous

for ballet music (for ballet music (The Nutcracker SuiteThe Nutcracker Suite, , Swan LakeSwan Lake and the like) and the and the like) and the 1812 1812 OvertureOverture. However, his work in the . However, his work in the standard forms is definitely worth a standard forms is definitely worth a listen. I have heard the violin concerto listen. I have heard the violin concerto and the and the PathétiquePathétique symphony symphony live, live, and these are both great works. The and these are both great works. The first piano concerto with its initial first piano concerto with its initial crashing chords is also very famous. crashing chords is also very famous.

Chopin, Frederic (Fryderyk) Born: Zelazowa Wola (Poland), 1 March 1810 Died: Paris, 17 October 1849 A composer famed for his ability at the piano, who in turn wrote the vast majority of his music for that instrument. Many of his pieces are quite short (being Rondos, Mazurkas and the like) but they are all beautiful. Not being a piano player myself, it is difficult to appreciate their comparative difficulty, but I am assured that most of Chopin’s music is very difficult to play. Played well, it doesn’t sound it. Though born in Poland, Chopin spent the last half of his life in Paris, arriving there in 1831. In Paris, he came to know the novelist George Sand, and was her lover for a time. The Vancouver Chopin Society have an interesting web-site with more information on Chopin and his works.

Mendelssohn, (Jacob Ludwig) Felix Born: Hamburg, 3 February 1809 Died: Leipzig, 4 November 1847 Another composer who was famous as something of a child prodigy, Mendelssohn didn’t manage to achieve the fame of composers such as Mozart or Beethoven. He wrote five symphonies (the last of which, the Reformation symphony, I particularly recommend), a famous violin concerto and some famous theme music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the Wedding March from this is often used at real weddings). Mendelssohn also wrote a number of religious works, including the St. Paul oratorio.

• Schubert, Franz Peter Schubert, Franz Peter • Born:Born: Vienna, 31 January 1797 Vienna, 31 January 1797 • Died:Died: Vienna, 19 November 1828 Vienna, 19 November 1828 • Famous song composer. :-) But seriously, Schubert Famous song composer. :-) But seriously, Schubert

also wrote a number of symphonies (the so-called also wrote a number of symphonies (the so-called GreatGreat is in fact very good, if not great), piano is in fact very good, if not great), piano sonatas, chamber music in general, including the sonatas, chamber music in general, including the famous famous Trout QuintetTrout Quintet, operas (26 of them!), , operas (26 of them!), masses and much else. He was probably even masses and much else. He was probably even more prolific than more prolific than MozartMozart. .

• Schubert died just a year after Beethoven, and it Schubert died just a year after Beethoven, and it was thought quite tragic that Vienna should lose was thought quite tragic that Vienna should lose two great composers so close upon each other’s two great composers so close upon each other’s heels.heels.

• Tomoko Yamamoto has a published a Tomoko Yamamoto has a published a page celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary opage celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schubert’s birthf Schubert’s birth. Bart Berman has some . Bart Berman has some notes on Schubertnotes on Schubert, with , with particular reference to some of his piano music. particular reference to some of his piano music.

Shostakovich, Dimitri Born: St. Petersburg, 25 September 1906 Died: Moscow, 9 August 1975 One of my current favourite composers, Shostakovich would certainly lay claim to my Greatest of the 20th century crown. All of his music that I have heard is full of feeling, though the feeling expressed is often bitterness, sadness, or sardonic "humour". Stravinsky apparently said of Shostakovich that he was one of the most frightened men he had ever met (this reported comment may in fact have been something similar made by Robert Craft), and this feeling of fear (terror, even) is something one can often hear in Shostakovich’s music. This is not to imply that all of his work is irredeemably grim. The second movement of the second string quartet is beautifully sad and sweet, for example. Significant works include his fifth and tenth symphonies, the eighth quartet, the two cello concerti and the 24 preludes and fugues. Shostakovich had a strong musical education. He entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory at a young age and was taught there by Glazunov, among others. His first symphony was his graduation piece (composed in 1925), and was well received. He supported himself and his mother in this period by playing the piano at silent movie screenings. In later works, Shostakovich made frequent use of a D-Eflat-C-B theme. Written using the German notation this reads D-S-C-H, his “initials” (given another Romanization of his name; Dimitri SCHostakovich). There are a large number of other music pages and resources on the Web devoted to Shostakovich, so I’ve collected them together into a Shostakovich links page

Vivaldi, Antonio Lucio Born: 4 March 1678 Died: 28 July 1741

Very prolific Baroque composer. Composed a large number of concerti, inspiring Bach to the

same form. He composed much of his work for the orchestra at the girl’s orphanage in Venice where he was music master.

His most famous work is undoubtedly the Four seasons,

but his flute concerto La Notte is also well-known and very good

listening.