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.HandelThe art of fugueSt. Matthew Passion 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.Eroica3the Missa Solemnis 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”.violin concerto

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).HaydnDon Giovanni41 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.The Mozart Projectthe Neue Mozart-AusgabeVisit Salzburg

Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyitch Born: Votkinsk, 7 May 1840 Born: Votkinsk, 7 May 1840 Died: St. Petersburg, 6 November 1893 Died: St. Petersburg, 6 November 1893 Tchaikovsky is probably most famous for ballet music (The Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake and the like) and the 1812 Overture. However, his work in the standard forms is definitely worth a listen. I have heard the violin concerto and the Pathétique symphony live, and these are both great works. The first piano concerto with its initial crashing chords is also very famous. Tchaikovsky is probably most famous for ballet music (The Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake and the like) and the 1812 Overture. However, his work in the standard forms is definitely worth a listen. I have heard the violin concerto and the Pathétique symphony live, and these are both great works. The first piano concerto with its initial crashing chords is also very famous.Pathétique symphonyPathétique symphony

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 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.Vancouver Chopin Society

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.MozartBeethoven

Schubert, Franz Peter Schubert, Franz Peter Born: Vienna, 31 January 1797 Born: Vienna, 31 January 1797 Died: Vienna, 19 November 1828 Died: Vienna, 19 November 1828 Famous song composer. :-) But seriously, Schubert also wrote a number of symphonies (the so-called Great is in fact very good, if not great), piano sonatas, chamber music in general, including the famous Trout Quintet, operas (26 of them!), masses and much else. He was probably even more prolific than Mozart. Famous song composer. :-) But seriously, Schubert also wrote a number of symphonies (the so-called Great is in fact very good, if not great), piano sonatas, chamber music in general, including the famous Trout Quintet, operas (26 of them!), masses and much else. He was probably even more prolific than Mozart.Mozart Schubert died just a year after Beethoven, and it was thought quite tragic that Vienna should lose two great composers so close upon each other’s heels. Schubert died just a year after Beethoven, and it was thought quite tragic that Vienna should lose two great composers so close upon each other’s heels. Tomoko Yamamoto has a published a page celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schubert’s birth. Bart Berman has some notes on Schubert, with particular reference to some of his piano music. Tomoko Yamamoto has a published a page celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schubert’s birth. Bart Berman has some notes on Schubert, with particular reference to some of his piano music.page celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schubert’s birthnotes on Schubertpage celebrating the two-hundredth anniversary of Schubert’s birthnotes on Schubert

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.something similar made by Robert Craftfifthtenth 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).name 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 pageShostakovich 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.Bach His most famous work is undoubtedly the Four seasons, but his flute concerto La Notte is also well-known and very good listening.