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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| Thomas Attwood |
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Thomas Attwood, an English composer, the son of a coal merchant, was born in 1767. At the age of nine years he entered the Royal Chapel as choir boy, and studied under Drs. Nares and Ayrton. After he had been in this school five years, he chanced to sing before the Prince of Wales, who took him under his protection, and sent him to study composition and singing in Naples. From Naples he went to Vienna, where he took lessons of Mozart till 1786. On his return to England, he was employed as music teacher of the royal family, and organist of St. Paul's Church. 1796 he succeeded M. Dupuis as composer of the Royal Chapel; and in 1821 he was made member of the King's Chapel at Brighton. Among the many operas which he wrote we will mention "Poor Sailor," "Smugglers," "Castle of Sorrento," "Old Clothes Man," "True Friends," and more. Besides these works Mr Attwood composed sonatas for the piano, and church music. His music which was performed by the choir and orchestra at the coronation of King George IV. is exceedingly fine. His style is tasteful and pure, and the music is very effective. It seems a pity that so good a composer should have been forced to teach, instead of pursuing the career of glory for which Nature seemed to have intended him. |