Five Founding Fathers in Music History

From waltz to symphony, every beautiful piece of music has its roots somewhere. Look back through your favourite piece’s family tree and you may find one of the following musical forefathers situated on the top branch.

These father figures showed love and adoration for their music, raising their art to be so upstanding that it has continued through generations, sometimes spawning offspring of its own. Here are five notable composers who helped conceive the music you hear at Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert and beyond.

 

The Father of Music: Johann Sebastian Bach

If any composer deserves to sip his coffee from a “No. 1 Dad” mug, it’s Johann Sebastian Bach. This German Baroque-era music master is revered for his innovative takes on harmony and counterpoint (multiple combined melody lines in a composition) and the mathematical clarity and purity of form he brought to his music.

While he of course composed outstanding works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the violin concertos, and many more, it is his overall impact on musical structure that makes him the Father of Music. Bach truly changed music forever.

The Father of the Symphony: Joseph Haydn

What would the symphonic form be without Papa Haydn? This Classical Austrian composer was (very literally) instrumental in developing the string quartet and chamber music. A Viennese celebrity at the turn of the 19th century, Haydn perfected the four-movement structure (fast/slow/dance-like/fast), which has had a lasting impact on how music is written.

He also wrote more than 100 symphonies, as well as his famous trumpet concerto and choral masses, injecting musical flourishes, humour and drama into his works, and influencing the way composers after him approached their compositions.   

The Father of Modern Music: Arnold Schoenberg

Arnold Schoenberg turned many norms of classical music upside down, and the impact this Austrian-American composer had on Western music cannot be overlooked. Beginning as a more traditional musician, Schoenberg later embraced modernism, experimenting with and innovating musical approaches such as the twelve-tone technique and atonality.

Essentially, this Vienna-born composer set aside generations' worth of musical norms and popular forms to break open a new era of musical experimentation and freedom.

The Father of American Music: Stephen Foster

"Oh! Susanna." "Camptown Races." "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair." You’ve likely absentmindedly hummed these classic American folk songs, and it’s possible your own Father did, too. The Father of American Music, Stephen Foster was fittingly born on July 4th in 1826 and became the first American to make a living as a songwriter.

A self-taught musician, Foster’s songs focused on American themes and were heavily featured in minstrel shows. Ahem – yes, about that: Before you start singing these classic diddies to the grandkids you may wish to revisit some of the lyrics. While Foster is still held as having had an incredible impact on American music, many of his lyrics are also considered deeply

embarrassing when looking back at Black American history.

The Father of Viennese Waltz: Johann Strauss I

Perhaps a better father to his songs than his sons, Johann Strauss I’s contribution to music is impossible to overlook. He is, after all, known as the Father of Viennese Waltz. And where would we be without waltzes, such as the Radetzky March?

Strauss I introduced the quadrille to Vienna, established the classic waltz structure, and refined dance music into an art form fit for a queen; in fact, his music was performed for Queen Victoria in 1838 as part of her coronation.

Even estranged son Johann Strauss II had a deep respect and appreciation for his father’s music. And, despite his moniker being “King” and not “Father,” we’ll still give a nod to Johann II, who reshaped the waltz into a form even more popular than his pops’.

Some of these “Fathers” of music created works we are proud to carry forward through the ages, while some of these “Fathers'” choices may make us cringe. Our relationships with these “Fathers” may be as loving or as tumultuous as our friends’ relationships with their own Dads. Regardless of your family's musical makeup, we're sure this year's Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert 30th anniversary programme will be a source of joy for every generation.