The Amadeus Principle: The Second 100 Greatest Composers

The Late Baroque

At the beginning of the 18th century, all the pieces of the western musical system were in place, and great composers rose to exploit them. J. S. Bach was the most prominent, but six others, including Telemann, Handel, Rameau, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, and Couperin, also made the top-100 list. It was an extraordinarily productive period of music, which lasted just about half a century, before the next generation, including some of Bach's own sons, would emerge to form the equally short Classical Period.

Polyphonic music prevailed, but with better instruments and tuning techniques, larger ensembles came to the fore. With equal- tempered tuning, championed especially by J. S. Bach, music become more complex. A melody could be played in any Key, and one could modulate from one Key to another, in both major and minor modes, within the same piece. Chromaticism – the free use of all 12 tones within an octave added to the color of late Baroque music. No one exploited the possibilities more extensively and successfully than Bach:

Wohltemperierte Klavier;

Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in d minor, BWV 903

Fantasy and Fugue

Many other composers wrote in the Baroque style, and six of them have been found worthy of the second-100 list.

15. Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751)

[Italian] (B24)

Albinoni was known in his time for his operas, of which, by his own account, there were over 80. Most have disappeared as Baroque opera in general gave way to the livelier styles of Mozart and the romantics. His fate in this regard is similar to the composers of other operas of the time: Handel, Vivaldi, and so on. For fans of Baroque opera, however, any of Albinoni’s works that can be found will be delights. I was able to find one complete performance of his opera Pimpinone, along with several arias and sinfonias (early form of opera overture).

He is known today primarily for his instrumental works, of which the Adagio in G minor is a fixture of the standard repertoire. It is indeed an example, along with Pachelbel’s Canon, of the masterpieces that can come from little known composers. Albinoni was a pioneer and champion of concertos for oboe, of which he wrote at least 24.

Adagio in G Minor (the famous one!)

Pimpinone (complete opera)

Sinfonia from Opera Zenobia

'Se avessi più d’un core' Aria from Opera «Ardelinda»

Oboe Concerto #2 in D Minor Op. 9

16. Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)

[Czech] B24) (D4) (D5)

Sometimes referred to as the “Czech Bach,” Zelenka was highly respected by his contemporaries, including Bach himself. His mastery and use of complex counterpoint rivaled that of Bach, but his style had a distinctive personality, characterized by great instrumental clarity and adventurous harmonic shifts. His work was neglected for over a century, revived by fellow Czech composer Bedrich Smetana.

Miserere, ZWV 57

Gloria, ZWV 30

In exitu Israel

Missa Paschalis in D major ZWV 7

17. Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762)

[Italian] (B24)

Geminiani was highly respected in his day, but largely forgotten afterwards. During his life, the musical world was already shifting to the new styles we known refer to as classical, and overlooked when Bach and other Baroque masters were revived in the 19th Century. He was a violinist, teacher, and theorist, as well as a composer. He is known primarily for his three sets of concerto grossi, which were heavily contrapuntal in line with Baroque tradition. He was criticized in his time, however for breaking the conventional rules of harmony.

Concerto Grosso in E Minor Op. 3 No. 3

18. Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770)

[Italian] (B24)

Tartini wrote almost exclusively for the violin, as solo instrument, in concertos with orchestra, or as part of a few other chamber combinations. His Stabat Mater is an exception. His style is transitioned from the Baroque to the Classical Period. His Devil’s Trill Sonata is famous as one of the most difficult violin pieces ever written.

Devil's Trill Sonata (for violin)

Stabat Mater [Hymn] for 2 sopranos, 2 altos & b.c. (1769)

19. Johann Adolf Hasse (1699-1783)

[German] (B24)

In his religious music, such as the Mass sample below, you will recognize in Hasse the grand Baroque style of Bach and others. Hasse, however, was best known for his seventy some Italian language operas, which were quite popular in his day. Unlike Bach, he traveled extensively and worked for years in Italy. After his death, his operas were completely forgotten until some were revived in the late 20^th Century. They were in the traditional style emphasizing the virtuosity and improvisation of singers, predictable formulaic plots, and lack of realistic characters and human drama. That style was swept away by the reforms of Gluck and the brilliance of Mozart.

Messe in d (1751)

Alcide al Bivio (opera,1760)

20. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)

[Italian] (B24)

Pergolesi was a gifted composer, one of many who died tragically early. In his short career, however, he was quite prolific, with about 40 works including 6 operas, a number masses and other sacred works, orchestral works, concertos for flute, violin, harpsichord and organ, and chamber works. I find his Stabat Mater particularly beautiful.

Pergolesi was a young contemporary of J. S. Bach, but one hears a freshness and more originality in his works than someone like Hasse. Also unlike Hasse, Pergolesi's work became more widely known and respected after his death. He would likely have been held in even higher esteem (and ranking) had he lived a full life.

Stabat Mater

Ah, Serpina" from Pergolesi La serva padrona

La Serva Padrona, intermezzo in two parts complete

Sinfonia (1735, overture to the opera, Olimpiade

Sinfonia for Double bass and Piano (1730-36)

Sinfonia for Trombone

Two keyboard Sonatas, F major and A major