Top 10 most famous composers on the internet

Johannes Brahms

(7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897),
Starting with number 10 and also one of the hardest number on the list with a lot of competition from other famous composers like Tchaikovsky, Joseph Haydn and George Frederic Handel which were all very close on becoming number 10.

Most popular on the internet are his symphonies which he wrote 4 and off course his Hungarian dances which were also his most profitable compositions.

While being number 6 on most ‘famous composer’ lists on the internet Johannes Brahms is number 10

Franz Liszt

(October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886)
Frans Liszt sets himself at place 9. The Hungarian composer also known as one of the most technically advanced pianist of his age started taking music lessons at the age of 6 from his father Adam Liszt which was also the main sponsor of Liszt’s career.

Franz Liszt was an important composer, piano teacher and a conductor who contributed significantly to the modern development of art. He was also a friend of many other important composers like Richard Wagner and Frederic Chopin.

Most popular on the internet is his piano work Liebesträume (German for Dreams of Love) , the symphonic poem ‘Les préludes‘ which was also directed by himself and off course the Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 which is also frequently used in animated cartoons.

Robert Schumann

(8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856)
The German composer Robert (Alexander) Schumann started taking piano lessons at the age of 7. His intentions were to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist but after a hand injury which prevented this he decided to focus his career on composition, he wrote his first compositions at the age of 12.

In 1834 he published Die Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (German for: New Journal for Music). In the music magazine Robert Schumann also supported young composers of his time like Johannes Brahms and Frederic Chopin.

Most popular on the internet are his piano works Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) especially the piece Träumerei (German for Dreaming) , also very popular are his symphonies.

Franz Schubert

(January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828)
Franz Schubert was born in Vienna where he was also musically educated at the “Hofkapelle”. At the age of 17 he wrote his first successful composition ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’. Although Franz Schubert died at an early age he wrote more than 600 songs, 9 symhonies, operas and a large body of chamber and solo piano music.

Most popular on the internet is Schubert’s song “Ave Maria” (Ellens dritter Gesang) which was also used in the animated film Fantasia by Walt Disney. Schubert’s piano sonatas are also very popular.

Antonio Vivaldi

(March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741)
Vivaldi started playing the violin in his early years. He started studying to become a priest when he was 15 and was ordained in 1703 at the age of 25. In September 1703 Vivaldi became a violin teacher at an orphanage where he started writing concertos and sacred vocal music for the oprhans. Later on he became responsible for all the musical activity of the institution.

Around 1717 Vivaldi was offered a new position as Maestro di Cappella (in charge of music in a chapel) of the governor of Mantua. During this period Vivaldi wrote his famous four violin concertos the Four seasons.

There  is no doubt that the The Four seasons are his most popular work on the internet.  But to be more specific Spring wins following by Winter, Summer and Autumn seems to be the less popular piece on the internet.

Richard Wagner

(22 May 1813  – 13 February 1883)
Wagner fills the 5th place on the most famous composer on the internet list. The German composer Wilhelm Richard Wagner was best known for his operas. He started started studying the piano at the age of 7 and at the age of 15 he wrote piano transcriptions of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and orchestral overtures.

Wagner’s first operas did not really had any success and after financial difficulties Wagner and his wife had to escape from creditors. From 1839 to 1842 Wagner worked in Paris mostly as an arranger but he was also able to complete his third and fourth operas Rienzi and the Flying Dutchman.
After several years and little success Wagner began composing ‘Das Rheingold’ (German for: The Rhine Gold) in 1853 following by ‘Die Walkure’ (German for: The valkyrie) in 1854.

Most popular on the internet is his opera Tristan und Isolde and Ride of the Valkyries the term for the beginning of act 3 of Die Walkure which is also commonly used in movies.

Frederic Chopin

(1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849)
Frédéric François Chopin was born in Zelazowa Wola in Poland and was mostly known as one of the great masters of Romantic Music.  At the age of 5 Chopin sneaked out in the middle of the night to play piano songs which he heard from his mother.  At the age of 6 Chopin studied piano under professional musician Wojcech Adalbert Zywny and he wrote his first  composition at the age of 7.  In 1820 at the age of 10 Chopin moved with his parents to Warsaw where he was also known as the second Mozart.

In 1824 he composed his famous piece ‘ Mazurka in A minor’ and after a few years studying at the Warsaw Conservatory Chopin gave solo concerts in Vienna and premiered his ‘Piano Concerto No. 1 in F minor’. After many mostly successful  years Chopin gave his last concerts in 1848 in Paris.
Shortly before he died Chopin requested that ‘ Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’ will be the sung at his funeral service.

On the internet his ‘nocturnes’ are the most popular followed by his etudes and preludes.

Ludwig Van Beethoven

(17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827)
The third place on this list goes to Ludwig van Beethoven, for many people the greatest composer that have ever lived and also considered the most crucial figure in the transitional period between the classical and romantic eras and still remains one of the most influential and famous composers of all time.

Beethoven started getting piano lessons at the age of 4 from his father but also other local teachers. Beethoven did his first public performance at the age of 7.

A few years later Beethoven began taking lessons from the most important teacher in Bonn, Christian Gottlob Neefe who also helped him writing his first composition.
In 1792 Beethoven moved to Vienna where he worked under Haydn’s direction and established a reputation as an improviser. Around 1796 Beethoven began to lose his hearing and over time his hearing loss became profound. This however did not prevent his composing music, Beethoven’s first symphony was published in 1801 and his famous 5th symphony was published in 1808 7 years later when Beethoven was 31. His last 9th symphony was premiered on 7 may 1824 and a story tells that Beethoven had to be turned around to see the applause of the audience, since he didn’t hear anything he wept.

Most popular on the internet are Beethoven’s symphonies and his sonatas. The 9th and 5th symphony are the most popular and from the sonatas his Moonlight Sonata

Johann Sebastian Bach

(21 March 1685 – 28 July 1750)
The second place goes to German composer Johann Sebastian Bach which is also a really deserved place. Bach influenced such great composers as Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn and many other great composers.

At the age of 14 Bach walked 300 kilometers to the famous St. Michael’s school near Hamburg. There he sang a Cappella at the boys chorale and studied organ, harpsichord and singing.
When Bach was 17 he walked about 400km to the Northern city of Lubeck where he studied with Dietrich Buxtehude which was probably the best organist of that time. Bach wrote his first masterpiece ‘Toccata and Fugue in D Minor’ in 1702.

Bach wrote over 1100 music compositions in all genres and fathered a total of 20 children including his sons Friedermann, Johann Christoph and Carl Philip Emanuel which became important composers in the Rococo style.

The piece ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor‘ is the most popular on the internet and also his concertos and preludes.

Wolfgang Amadeus mozart

(27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791)
A well deserved place on the list. While being number 2 on most top composer lists, on the internet Mozart is number 1.

Born in Salzburg the great composer showed his musical talent at the age of 3, already playing the keyboard and violin Mozart started composing at the age of 5. His father took him with his sister on a concert tour to Munich, Paris, London, Italy and other countries. Mozart was celebrated as a wonder child everywhere because of his piano playing and his improvisations and was also knighted by the Pope in Rome.

In 1781 Mozart moved to Vienna and started his friendship with Joseph Haydn and sometimes they even played together. There he also worked on some masterpieces for example “Die Zauberflöte”.
When Haydn was visiting Mozart’s father Leopold Mozart he told him ‘I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition’.

Although his great success Mozart died in poverty at the age of 36 still working on a “Requiem”.

Mozart’s most popular works on the internet are the Piano Concerto No. 21 – Adante, Symphony 40 in G min, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Symphony No. 25 in G minor and off course his last masterpiece a “Requiem”