composers

Featured composer: Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner (Richard Wagner), born May 22, 1813 and died February 13, 1883, was a German conductor, polemicist, dramatic composer and theorist. Wagner had a revolutionary influence over the course of Western music. Unique to most opera composers is the fact that Wagner wrote both the libretto and music for each of his stage… Read More

Featured composer: Amy Beach

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (September 5, 1867 – December 27, 1944) was an American composer and pianist. She was the first successful American female composer, and is also known as the first female composer to have her symphony performed by a major orchestra. Additionally, Amy Beach was the first classical U.S. composer to achieve success… Read More

July Composer Birthdays

We’re celebrating 9 composer birthdays during the month of July. Each composer has a link to our collection of texts for that individual. Gustav Mahler, born 7/7/1860 Texts from our collection:  https://www.ipasource.com/composer/m/mahler-gustav-1860-1911.html Ottorino Respighi, born 7/9/1879 Texts from our collection:  https://www.ipasource.com/composer/r/respighi-ottorino-1879-1936.html George Sainton Kaye Butterworth, born 7/12/1885 Texts from our collection:  https://www.ipasource.com/composer/b/butterworth-george-sainton-kaye-1885-1916.html Gerald Finzi, born… Read More

June Composer Birthdays

We’re celebrating 13 composer birthdays during the month of June. Each composer has a link to our collection of texts for that individual. Sir Edward William Elgar, born 6/2/1857. Texts from our collection: https://www.ipasource.com/composer/e/elgar-sir-edward-1857-1934.html Charles Lecocq, born 6/3/1832. Texts from our collection: https://www.ipasource.com/composer/l/lecocq-charles-1832-1918.html Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, born 6/8/1671. Texts from our collection: https://www.ipasource.com/composer/a/albinoni-tomaso-giovanni-1671-1751.html Robert Alexander… Read More

Perfect for Bass – 8 concert arias as set by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791), born in Salzburg, Austria, was an important and respected composer. As an adult, he referred to himself as “Wolfgang Amadè Mozart,” but it is noted that his name had many variants. As a child, his baptismal record listed his name in Latin as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus… Read More

Featured composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (part 2 of 2)

This is part 2 of a two-part series on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Read part 1 here. Church works and Idomeneo Mozart’s desire to not stay in Salzburg had not diminished, but his need for employment and income won out and he returned in 1779. There, Mozart composed a series of church works,… Read More

Five arias from Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Corsaro

Five texts from Il Corsaro, as set by Giuseppe Verdi, have recently been added to the IPA Source database. The first performance of Il Corsaro was October, 1848. The libretto for Il Corsaro was created by Francesco Maria Piave, who based it upon the poem, The Corsair, by Lord Byron. At the time Il Corsaro was being written by Piave, Verdi… Read More

Featured composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (part 1 of 2)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791), born in Salzburg, Austria, was an important and respected composer. As an adult, he referred to himself as “Wolfgang Amadè Mozart,” but it is noted that his name had many variants. As a child, his baptismal record listed his name in Latin as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus… Read More