The name Dvorák is pronounced 'Devor-jacques.' ¹⁾

Dvorák studied organ, violin, and piano. ²⁾

Dvoák composed three of his most renowned pieces while in America: the String Quartet No.12, known as the 'American,' the Cello Concerto in B minor, and the 'New World Symphony. When he first performed the symphony, commentators debated whether it was an all-American work or simply more of Dvorák's regular Bohemian fare. ³⁾

The most recent discovery of lost work, Vivaldi's opera Argippo, which was last performed in 1730, took place in 2006. ⁴⁾

Vivaldi was tasked with writing music for European aristocracy and nobles. Gloria, a well-known Cantata, was composed for the celebration of Louis XV's marriage in 1725. Vivaldi received the title of a knight from Emperor Charles VI of Vienna, and further pieces were written for the birth of the French royal princesses. ⁵⁾

Bach had seven children with his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach. His sons, Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel followed in their father's footsteps as composers and musicians. ⁶⁾

Bach's next position was as court organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst at Weimer in 1708. It was here that he wrote his well-known Toccata in D Minor. ⁷⁾

The first of Frederic Chopin's nocturnes from opus nine is written in the key of B flat minor, the second in E flat major, and the third in B flat major. Fryderyk Chopin wrote them when he was only twenty, dedicating them to the French pianist and composer Marie Pleyel. ⁸⁾

Despite being a virtuoso and unique composer, Frederic Chopin hated giving concerts - he was shy and did not like crowds. ⁹⁾

A characteristic element of Chopin's works is a deep expression and drawing on stylistic patterns of Polish folk music. He never composed a symphony. ¹⁰⁾

Richard Strauss resorted to a more rich, lyrical late-Romantic style for his later operas. Among these compositions were the massively popular Der Rosenkavalier (1911), Ariadne auf Naxos (1912), and Arabella (1932.). ¹¹⁾

In 1874, Richard Strauss heard his first Wagner operas, Lohengrin and Tannhäuser. Initially, his father forbade the boy from learning Wagner's music. Richard did not receive a Tristan und Isolde score until he was 16 years old. Wagner's music had a significant influence on his musical growth. ¹²⁾

The Flight of the Valkyries from Die Walküre is undoubtedly one of Wagner's most famous works. But, aside from the opera, where do we get this information? That's correct, it's the scary helicopter sequence from Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. ¹³⁾

It is estimated that Wagner worked on the music for Der Ring des Nibelungen from 1848 to 1874, and it did not receive its full debut until 1876 at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. ¹⁴⁾

Handel's works have been praised by Ludwig Van Beethoven, who remarked of them, “Go to him to learn how to achieve great effects, by such simple means”. ¹⁵⁾

Beethoven had a number of contentious love affairs despite the fact that he never married. Beethoven reportedly wrote the Moonlight Sonata for his student Julie Guicciardi. ¹⁶⁾

Beethoven's ability to write while being entirely deaf is one of the most remarkable Beethoven facts. He could picture harmony and music in his thoughts without even hearing the instrument because of his absolute pitch. One of the more unusual ways he used was to put a wooden spoon between his teeth while playing so he could feel the vibrations of the piano. ¹⁷⁾