I have always been fascinated with the relationships and connections between composers. I have spent many hours thinking about what one composer was up to during a period of time for another composer. Could this composer have been aware of this other composer and his music? What kind of historical perspective would this composer have had?

In the process of answering these questions in my head, I came up with the chart that you see above this text. It has been a useful tool for me to reference whenever a certain idea pops into my mind, and it is also simply fun to browse up-and-down the chart looking for relationships.

Notes on the Composers

How did I decide on which composers to include in this?

This chart consists of composers that are indisputably significant and/or famous (Mozart, for instance), that are lesser known, but still historically significant (Buxtehude, for example), or composers that I am simply a big fan of, regardless of their fame or significance (Jacques DuPhly is one of these). My primary instrument is the keyboard, so that is also a bias that likely shows up in my selection of composers.

If there are any composers that you feel should have absolutely been included, be sure to let me know. If I get several suggestions, or even indignant demands, I will likely update the chart to include them (sadly ruining the roundness of “150 Composers” in the process).

Interesting Relationships

Clementi’s keyboard sonatas have always been a very neat collection of music in my mind. He lived so long, and composed keyboard sonatas so young and so late in his life, that his keyboard sonatas are themselves a sort of historical archive.

He wrote keyboard sonatas in the respective primes of Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn, Haydn and Chopin, and Schubert and Boccherini. He wrote keyboard sonatas during that the later years of C.P.E. Bach’s life, as well as during the early careers of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.

He really is in a unique historical position, and I urge any pianists out there to dive into his sonatas. It’s amazing that this and this were written by the same composer.

See below for a chart revolving around Clementi:

Please don’t hesitate to share any thoughts or observations you may have as well!

I have included downloadable PDFs at the bottom of this page, but if I can provide any other formats that would be helpful to you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me using the contact information on this website.

Happy Exploring~