Johan Helmich Roman
As a composer, Roman preferred the style of light Italian Baroque music. His work includes suites, solo concerts, symphonies as well as chamber and church music. His most famous work is the “Drottningholmsmusic”, a suite in 24 movements, which he composed in 1744 on the occasion of the marriage of the Swedish Crownprince Adolf Fredrik with the Louise Ulrike, the sister of Frederick II of Prussia.
 

Clara’s father was appalled by her decision to marry the unstable, financially unsecured composer Robert Schumann, so she had to win the marriage in court. Within 13 years she gave birth to nine children. In between she gave concerts as often as possible. In 1854, after the first symptoms of illness, her husband came in a mental institution, where he died in 1856. Clara Schumann was a close friend with Johannes Brahms and often gave concerts with him and the violinist Joseph Joachim. In later years she taught at the Conservatory in Frankfurt.
Clara Schumann’s compositions initially served primarily for her own performances and show the progressing virtuoso possibilities of the pianist. She composed 23 works with opus numbers as well as numerous songs, romances, overtures and piano pieces. In addition, she co-worked on several compositions of her husband Robert Schumann. The highlight of her work is the Piano Trio op.17. The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor op. 7, written at the age of 14, which does not formally conform to any of the piano concertos known to her, still elicits admiration today.
 

On August 14, 1969, the movie “Once Upon a Time in the West” started in German cinemas,
to which Ennio Moriccone has composed one of the most famous film scores.

The music is an essential part of Italo-Western “Once Upon a Time in the West” (Original title: C’era una volta il West) directed by Sergio Leone in 1968. The music was completed by Ennio Moricone before the filming began. Sergio Leone then staged entire passages of the film to the rhythm of the music. The almost operatic music was at that time completely uncommon for a film music and especially for the Western genre. Each main character has its own musical theme, which is repeatedly taken up as a leitmotif. The plaintive harmonica (originally played by Franco de Gemini) is the key to understand the story, but it is only presented at the end of the movie. Especially convincing are the wordless vocals of the Italian singer Edda Dell’Orso for the female lead role.

Agustín Pío Barrios is considered one of the first guitar virtuosos in South America. He was probably the first classical guitarist to record his own records and the first guitarist to play a complete Bach lute suite with the guitar at a public concert. Barrios composed around 300 own works. They are considered innovative in terms of their expressiveness and their romantic harmony and exploit the full potential of the guitar. Among guitarists, the works of Barrios have a similar meaning as the works of Chopin for the pianists.
 

Offenbach initially composed smaller romances, waltzes and salon pieces. In 1849 he got a job as Kapellmeister at the Paris Théâtre-Français. Incidentally, he made a name for himself as an outstanding cello virtuoso and played among others with Anton Rubinstein, Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. On the occasion of the World Exhibition in Paris 1855, Offenbach opened his own theater where he premiered several of his operettas.
Offenbach composed 75 pieces for violoncello and 102 stage works. His most famous operettas include “The Beautiful Helen”, “Bluebeard”, “Parisian Life” and “Orpheus in the Underworld” with the famous “Cancan”. In his works, he combined lively, catchy music with a satirical-profound plot with allusions to the customs, people and events of his time.
From 1877 he concentrated on the composition of his last work “The Tales of Hoffmann”, whose premiere on February 10, 1881 in the Opéra-Comique, he unfortunately could not live.
 
The video shows Anna Netrebko and Elīna Garanča with the “Barcarole” from Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”. Emmanuel Villaume conducts the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.