Success can be defined as an accomplishment someone aims or has aimed to achieve. Success can be measured qualitatively in numbers as well as quantitatively through praise. Many composers throughout history have lacked success. Mozart for instance is renowned today for his work, despite the opposite during his time.
Here are 10 examples of composers who did not reach success in their careers.
1. Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote 600 compositions during his short 35 years on earth, including 41 symphonies. He began composing and playing music at the age of 5. He traveled throughout Europe, playing music for royalties and the nobles since he was 6.
Throughout his life Mozart was not celebrated as much as he is today. He died penniless and left his friends and family in considerable debt. This was because he spent more money than he was earning. As was common at the time, he had a simple burial in an unmarked grave.
2. Franz Schubert
Schubert only lived for 31 years. Despite the short life, he composed a total of 1000 compositions. The man was shy and not appreciated until decades after he had died. He was also often rejected by schools including Gessellschaft der Musikfreunde and Kappelmeister at Laibach.
3. Antonio Salieri:
Many remember this composer’s name in the film Amadeus. The composer was indeed a rival of Mozart. Salieri was a Venetian classical composer, conductor and teacher. He was also a loyal subject to the Habsburg monarch. In 1774, he was appointed to the position of director of Italian opera by the Habsburg court, a position he held until 1792.
His reputation disappeared in 1800s. No one heard of him until 20th century.
4. George Bruns:
Many children and also teenagers love watching Pirates of the Carribean. The plot is fantastic and the music is riveting. Hardly anyone knows who is behind the music. George Bruns is the name and he was a multi-instrumental and virtuoso tubaist. Throughout his lifetime he worked with many bands and studios, most notably Walt Disney Studios. He worked to compose the megahit for Sleeping Beauty.
5. Dmitri Shostakovitch
Shostakovitch was largely unrecognized for his achievements as a composer. Specifically in 1948, he and many other composers were criticized for formalism in the Zhdanov decree. He was believed to have written inappropriate music which was “Western”.
What many do not realize is that he was a mixture of everything we heard in the past from Bach to Beethoven to Mahhler to Berg. Many of his symphonies were musically conservative as well.
He towers over everyone else with his musical genius. He gave us words which embodied the pathos and angst of his generation and where the listeners identified themselves with the feelings and emotions which were a part of the song. He is the most influential songwriter of his times and all of us are familiar with his compositions such as The Times they are a-changing and Blowing in the Wind.
The amazing music that the Beatles gave us is the result of songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Music was never the same again after they burst on the scene and each song of theirs seems to be better than the last. Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, the entire album of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, the list just goes on and on. After the group broke up Lennon and McCartney continued to compose songs individually. Lennon’s genius was cut short by his murder but McCartney continues to write songs even today.
A major figure for over 50 years in the field of rock music, David Bowie has not only been a singer, songwriter but also a record producer. The intellectual depth of his work sets him apart from the general run of the mill songwriters and he has been nominated among the Top 50 Rock Artistes of all times. His repertoire includes songs such as Let’s Dance, Ashes to Ashes and Under
A brilliant musician and songwriter, along with Garfunkel he gave us some of the most heart-warming songs of all times. Even after breaking up with Garfunkel he has continued to bring forth great songs. The film The Graduate owes a great deal to their inspiring music and to date we can hear Bridge Over Troubled waters and Sounds of Silence again and again.
The Boss writes music which reflects the angst and frustration of the ordinary folks. He gives us pathos and dreams, he gives us anger and reflection and his songs are for all times. He is his own best performer since his voice seems to suit his words very well, but the fact remains that his words will probably live longer than his own singing.
It was only after his death in 1750 that people realised what a great musical genius Bach really was. Till then he was mainly known as an organist and many considered his music to be old fashioned. He came in at a time when Baroque style of music was just beginning to come into its own and the Renaissance age of music was beginning to flounder. He gave us a synthesis of the two and gave us gems such as The Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations.
German by birth, Beethoven moved to Vienna, Austria to learn and study under Haydn. He is considered to be among the most famous and influential composers of all time. Even though his hearing began to deteriorate by the time he had reached his late twenties, he continued to compose, conduct and perform. He composed in several music genres and for a variety of instrument combinations.
The most famous composer of the Classical era, Mozart composed over 600 works. He showed early promise as a musical genius, since he was performing on the keyboard and as a violinist since the age of 5 and was composing from the age of 6. His style was brilliant and he combined the elements of the dark and passionate with the graceful and light and gave us memorable operas such as The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.
Probably best known for his immortal version of Ave Maria, and his Symphony Number 9, Schubert was a genius who incorporated the vision of Mozart in his compositions. Many consider him to be the greatest songwriter of all times and of melodic, lyrical compositions. He composed masses, symphonies, ballet, string quartets and sonatas.
The inventor of the string quartet, and of the modern symphony, Haydn was also an exceptional opera and mass composer. He created the string quartet when one musician failed to turn up for one his recitals and he had to join in as the second violinist with another violinist, violist and cellist. He went one to give us his famous cello concerto.
