Classical Composers, Part Three

Greeting, dear readers (and listeners)!

Alas, our elite November series has come to an end. Check out parts one and two of the Classical Composers series below! And let me know in the comments if there are other artists I missed, classical or otherwise, who would merit another post...

Classical Composers, Part One

Classical Composers, Part Two

Andiamo!

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Still one of the most popular classical musicians, Tchaikovsky was also notable for his ability to combine different musical styles into his own cohesive style. He had great international appeal in Western countries, and is considered a great influence on Russia's entry into the West in the nineteenth century. Pyotr, however, doesn't have quite the cross-cultural appeal - stick with the classic Peter. Ilyich comes from Ilya, a fantastic Russian variant of Elijah.

Giacomo Puccini (Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini)
Puccini probably wins for the most middle names of any classical composer. In a more worldly sense, he's regarded as a giant in Italian operatic history. Tosca, Madame Butterfly (below), and La bohème (later inspiring the musical Rent) are still among the most popular operas performed today. Out of all his names, Giacomo and Domenico are my favorite - Giacomo is the Italian variation of James or Jacob, and Domenico is a variation of Dominic. Both are great alternatives to their popular versions, and fit in with the current Italian trend.

Hector Berlioz
Berlioz was a huge contributor to the modern orchestra, and a central figure in musical Romanticism. He's become more popular in recent years - since 2003, the bicentenary of his birth, many books, recordings and films have been released about Berlioz. The name Hector comes from Greek, meaning "holding fast", and is currently at #291 on the US charts. It's even more prominent in Spanish-speaking countries, giving it a lot of cross-cultural appeal. The name Berlioz was also featured in Disney's The Aristocats!

Georges Bizet (Alexandre César Léopold Bizet)
A French operatic composer, his compositions are also widely recognized today - Carmen has become one of the most popular operas to date. Bizet died young, but even the works during his short career have made him a favorite. Léopold might be a great alternative to the Leo family of names, while still keeping the cute nickname. And Bizet is short enough to make a nice unusual middle name. But of course, Carmen would be a fantastic homage!

Felix Mendelssohn (Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy) - Midsummer
Originally a musical prodigy, this German composer become very popular in the UK - today, he's especially known for the "Wedding March" played at most weddings. He's considered to be very faithful to the classical style and almost conservative in his compositions, which is either great or awful depending on your music tastes! I've expounded on the merits of the name Felix in the past, and I really do think Mendelssohn would make a fantastic middle name.

Johannes Brahms - Lullaby
Grouped with Bach and Beethoven as the "Three B's", Brahms composed "traditional and innovative" compositions during the nineteenth century. He inspired many later composers, and toed the line between classical perfection and personal imagination. Johannes is an elegant alternative to John, and gets to keep the cute nickname Joe or Joey. Brahms wouldn't be too out of place either, especially next to Graham, Bram or Hans.

That's it for today!

Classical Composers, Part One

This post will hopefully add a "classy" element to the blog :)

Inspired by my many musical friends, I'll be using three posts over the next few weeks to focus on the first, middle, and last names of classical European composers! While many of the last names might not work so well in front, they could be a cute middle - Adrian Mendelssohn, anyone?

I'll also be including a music accompaniment for each composer, courtesy of YouTube.

Allons-y!

Franz Liszt (Liszt Ferencz)
At one point considered the greatest pianist of all time, Franz Lizst was an Hungarian composer in the 19th century, famous for his "Années de pèlerinage" (below). Franz is the German variation of Francis - "free man" or "Frenchman" - while Ferencz is the Hungarian variation (pronounced "fair-ENTS). Definitely unusual - neither name is in the top 1000 - and could make a cool honorific or heritage choice.

Frédéric François Chopin (Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin)
A personal favorite, Chopin was a major composer for the piano during the Romantic era. His turbulent life included an affair with French author George Sand (Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin) as well as periodic serious illnesses. Frédéric and François are established French names, with easy English equivalents, but I think Chopin could be a usable name for any gender: the -in ending, two-syllable form and similarity to Colin or Shannon make it at least recognizable.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart)
Arguably one of the most famous classical composers, Mozart composed over 600 pieces before his death at age 35. He was a musical prodigy and larger-than life personality, with an influence still visible today. As for the many names attached to him, my picks are Amadeus and Theophilus. Both follow the current ends-in-s trend - Jonas, Elias, Miles - and each has a great religious meaning - Amadeus means "lover of God" and Theophilus means "friend of God".

Ludwig von Beethoven
Famous for going deaf but continuing to compose, Beethoven is one of the most recognized composers today. He worked in the Austrian empire during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, creating dozens of works. Though Ludwig means "famous warrior", I think this name is probably best left alone.

Antonio Vivaldi
Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer, famous for his Four Seasons. He was highly influential on later composers as well. While Antonio is a classic, Vivaldi could be another all-gender standout - it's close to Vivian and Vincent, but much more lively and dynamic. And the current trend of Italian names might not make this such a unique choice in later years.

George Frideric Handel (Georg Friedrich Händel)
Regarded as one of the best composers of the Baroque era, the German-born Handel was a fixture in London during the first part of the 18th century. His music is still used today at every British coronation ceremony. George, meaning "farmer", has jumped in popularity recently due to another British royal family member, and I think this classic and cute name deserves to keep rising.

Tune in soon for more posts in the series!