First Compositions of the Masters

J.S. Bach - No authentic record of his first composition has been kept.

L. von Beethoven - Said to have written a Funeral Cantata at the age of ten. This, however, was not preserved and Grove's Dictionary states that this composition is doubtful.

Francois Adrien Boieldieu - Wrote a complete opera La Fille Coupable at the age of eighteen.

Cherubini - Wrote a Mass and Credo sometime between the ages of nine and sixteen.

Frederic Chopin - Wrote his Rondo Opus 1 in C minor at the age of fourteen.

Muzio Clementi - Wrote several contropuntal works including a mass at the age of fourteen.

Czerny - Wrote Twenty Variations at age of fourteen.

Claude Debussy - Wrote the Cantata L'Enfant prodigue for the Prix de Rome at the age of twenty two. This is considered the most notable of modern "student exercises".

Donizetti - Wrote an opera Enrico de Borgogna at the age of twenty one.

Dvorak - Wrote a polka for full orchestra at the age of fourteen. This work is said to have produced such frightful effects from wrong scoring that the composer was greatly discouraged.

Gounod - Wrote a cantata Marie Stuart e Rizzio which won him the second Prix de Rome at the age of nineteen.

Edvard Grieg - Wrote variations on a German melody at the age of twelve.

Handel - Wrote a Mass at about the age of thirteen.

Liszt - Started to compose at a very early age. His first printed work was probably the variation on a valse by Diabelli, which appeared when Liszt was about twelve.

Mendelssohn - At the age of ten Mendelssohn had produced about fifty works, which had attracted attention. It is not definitely known just when he wrote his first composition.

Mozart - Composed a very creditable minuet, which was first written at his dictation when he was between the ages of three and four years.

Purcell - Wrote memorable music to Shakespeare's Macbeth when only fourteen.

Rheinberger - When eight years old he wrote a three part Mass with organ accompaniment.

Rossini - Wrote an opera, when he was fifteen.

Saint-Saens - When sixteen wrote his first symphony.

Franz Schubert - His first known composition was a fantasia for piano (four hands). He commenced to compose when he was thirteen.

Robert Schumann - Began to compose at the age of seven.

Spohr - Wrote his first violin duet when he was seven.

Richard Strauss - Began to compose at the age of six.

Svendsen - Wrote a solo for violin when he was eleven.

Tschaikowsky - Wrote a cantat called An Ode to Joy at the age of twenty five.

Wagner - First efforts were so prodigious that it is difficult to determine just what was his first real attempt at musical composition. However, a quartet, a sonata, and an oratorio were associated with his thirteenth year.