Whether you're looking for composer biographies, historical music articles or public domain sheet music, Music of Yesterday has what you are looking for. We update content daily and link the best articles on this page weekly to keep you up to date on what's new.
Our content consists of article extracts from newspapers, magazines and books written and published prior to 1923 bringing to you the flavor of early music history as it was presented by prominent people in the music industry at that time including articles written by famous composers about other famous composers as well as articles written by opera stars and the top music educators of the time.
Also included in our archive are articles concerning the teaching of various musical instruments as well as music theory and what the best methods were for teaching students of all ages.
Most of our biographies include not only birth dates and places but more personal information on the lives and times of the person being studied and in some cases the interaction between composers of their time. Learn about their struggles, successes and more.
Are you interested in information about a particular opera? Read a short description of some of the most famous operas; feel the drama.
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| Johann Joseph Abert |
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Born Sept 21, 1832, at Kochwitz in Bohemia, began his musical education as a chorister in the church of Gastdorf. in his eighth year he was transferred to the Augustine convent at Leipa, and remained there till his fifteenth year, when he ran away to Prague, and through the assistance of an uncle entered the Conservatorium there. Several of his compositions were performed at the concerts of the school, and in 1852, having attracted the attention of Lindpaintner, then capellmeister at Stuttgart, he received the post of contrabassist in the theatre orchestra of that town. Shortly after this, two symphonies were written. These were followed by a symphonic poem 'Columbus' (Crystal Palace, March 4, 1865), and by four operas, 'Anna von Landskron' (1859), 'Konig Enzio' (1862), 'Astorga' (1866), 'Ekkehard' (1878), an dDie Almohaden (1890), besides many works of smaller calibre. On the retirement of Eckert in 1867, Abert succeeded him as capellmeister, retiring in 1888. His 'Fruhlingssymphonie' is dated 1894. |