“Contesting the rubbish of effeminate song” It might be difficult to believe, but at one time the art of counterpoint was considered “the child of ancient aberration.” Bach’s Art of Fugue was seen as hopelessly out of date, with the

300th Birthday In June 1717, the Bohemian settlement of Německý Brod recorded the birth of Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz (1717-57). Son of the town organist, Johann received his early education at a Jesuit grammar school—known for its excellence in music

The Original Barber of Seville In 2016, we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Giovanni Paisiello’s death (1740-1816). One of the most successful and influential opera composers of his time, he wrote music for 94 operas that cultivated a comic, simple,

Music is an innocent Luxury Charles Burney (1726-1814) may only have been a relatively minor composer, but he was definitely a giant as a writer about music and the music scene of his time. In fact, his four-volume General History

The joys of Civil Service! If you really think that being a composer in the 18th and 19th centuries was an easy way to make a living, just ask Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752-1814). Born into a highly musical family in

“No rights reserved” Vanhal, Violin Concerto in B-flat major If you have ever wondered about the competitive nature of the music business in the 18th Century, Johan Baptist Vanhal (1739-1813) would be a good person to ask. He rubbed shoulders

Harp Concerto Sonata for 2 organs in G major During the first half of the nineteenth century, the piano became all the rage as a powerful and expressive concert instrument as well as the parlor instrument par excellence. Technical changes

Cello Concerto in D major, Badley D3 Flute Concerto in G major, Badley G2 Concerto for Oboe and Harpsichord in F major, Badley F1 Leopold Hofmann (1738 – 1793) was an Austrian church musician and composer of instrumental music. His