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Aleksandr Borodin was born on November 12, 1833 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was in fact the illegitimate son of the Georgian Prince, Lukas Gedevanishvili, who registered his son under the name of his serf and payed for Borodin's private education in music, languages and sciences.
Young Borodin grew up becoming fluent in German, French and English, besides his native Russian. He later learned Italian and was able to write a technical essay in that language. Borodin studied at the St. Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy from 1850-1856 and graduated with honours as a Medical Doctor. He also earned a doctorate in organic chemistry with his dissertation "On the analogy of arsenic acid with phosphoric acid in chemical and toxicological behaviour." Borodin carried advanced research on aldehydes. In 1872, Borodin discovered the "Aldol-reaction/condensation". He also worked on the chemistry of mineral waters and researched their medicinal properties.
In 1859-63 Borodin lived in Western Europe, where he studied medicine and chemistry and also attended the concerts of Franz Liszt, who became Borodin's friend and admirer of his music. Back in Russia, Borodin continued his music studies as a weekend hobby. He often played piano and flute with his friends, the composers of "The Mighty Handful", which included Mily Balakirev, Cesar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Borodin was a frequent traveller because of his scientific research and invitations from various research centres and Universities. His tone poem for symphony orchestra "In the Steppes of Central Asia" was composed on his impressions from travels.
Borodin started the work on his first symphony in 1862, under the tutelage of Mily Balakirev and completed the work by 1869, when it was premiered under the baton of Mily Balakirev. In 1869, Borodin started on his Symphony No.2 which was premiered in 1877, but Borodin made upgrades to its orchestration for the triumphal performance in 1879 under the direction of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. His lengthy work on each one of his symphonies was caused by Borodin's preoccupation with his second opera "Prince Igor", which became his most important work. Borodin was working on this masterpiece from 1869 to his death in 1877. It contains the famous choral "Polovetsian Dances" which was borrowed for the popular song "Stranger in Paradise" and was also used in many films.
In 1877, Borodin went to Weimar where Franz Liszt worked as a Muskmaster. Though Borodin's European trips were made for the business of his scientific research, Franz Liszt, being a personal friend of Borodin, made arrangements for his Symphony No. 1 to be performed for the first time outside Russia. In Italy, Borodin became engaged and lived with Ekaterina Protopopova, whom he married upon their return to St. Petersburg, Russia. Borodin composed many romantic songs for voice and piano accompaniment, dedicated to his beloved wife, Ekaterina. Some of those romances were composed to the poems by Nikolai A. Nekrasov. Borodin's romances became a staple in the repertoire of many classical vocalists.
Borodin's strong and lyrical String Quartet No.2 in D Major stands out in that genre. It is an intellectual conversation between the four musical instruments, each having a special character, and each shows its development through their delicious harmonic interplay. The popular "Nocturne" movement from this quartet is arguably one of the most lyrical melodies in all music.
Borodin's contribution to science and culture could be even more significant. He left a number of unfinished works, the Symphony No. 3 and a five-part opera on stories from Russian fairy tales. He died on February 27, 1887 during a party in St. Petersburg and was laid to rest at the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia.- Music Department
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Aleksandr Glazunov was born on 10 August 1865 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was a composer, known for Otnovo v zhivota (1947), The Company (2003) and Bolshoi Ballet: Raymonda (2019). He was married to Olga Nikolayevna Gavrilova. He died on 21 March 1936 in Boulogne, France.- Composer
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Amon Amarth is known for Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014), Amon Amarth: Put Your Back Into the Oar (2022) and Full Metal Village (2006).- Soundtrack
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Anneke van Giersbergen is known for &Me (2013), Devin Townsend Project - Bend It Like Bender! (2009) and The Same Place (2014). She has been married to Rob Snijders since 11 February 2003.- Actor
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Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group was considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene during the 1980s and is one of the "Big Four" thrash metal bands with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer; Anthrax is the only one of the four from the East Coast. The band has released 11 studio albums and has sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million.- Music Department
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Being the son of a violinist Vivaldi started playing the violin himself early in his life. In 1703 he became priest and in 1716 the director of a conservatory of the church in Venice. Being a famous violinist he gave concerts all over Europe also composing a lot of violin concerts and other string works. There is not much information about his life only that he died in poverty in Vienna.- Music Department
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Antonin Dvorak was a son of butcher, but he did not follow his father's trade. While assisting his father part-time, he studied music, and graduated from the Prague Organ School in 1859. He also was an accomplished violinist and violist, and joined the Bohemian Theatre Orchestra, which was under the baton of Bedrich Smetana in 1860s. For financial reasons he quit the orchestra and focused on composing and teaching. He fell in love with one of his students, but she married another guy. Her sister was available, so Dvorak married the sister, Anna, in 1873, and they had nine children.
Dvorak's early compositions were influenced by Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms, and with their promotion his music became performed in European capitals and received international acclaim. His performances in 1880s of Slavonic Dances, the Sixth Symphony and the Stabat Mater were a success in England, and Dvorak received an honorary doctorate from Cambridge. He made a successful concert tour in Russia in 1890, and became a professor at the Prauge Conservatory. In 1892 he received an invitation to America from Jeaunnette Thurber, the founder of he National Conservatory of Music in New York City. Dvorak was the Director of the National Conservatory in New York for three years (1892-95), where he also taught composition and carried on his cross-cultural studies.
Dvorak broadened his experiences through studying the music of the Native Americans and African Americans, many of whom became his students and friends. Dvorak was inspired by the originality of indigenous American music and culture, as well as by the spirituals and by the singing of his African American students. Dvorac incorporated his new ideas, blended with his Bohemian roots, into his well-known Symphony No.9 in E minor "From the New World". He worked on this symphony for most of the spring and summer of 1893, and made it's glorious premiere in Carnegie Hall in December, 1893. In America he also wrote the remarkable Cello Concerto and two string quartets, including the Quartet in F ("The American"). Dvorak was doing very well in New York financially, but his heart was in Prague and he left America for his Czech Motherland. He had a big family with his wife and nine children in Prague. He became the Director of the Prague Conservatory in 1901 and kept the position until his death in 1904.- Actor
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Arch Enemy is known for American Assassin (2017), Let's Be Cops (2014) and Lollipop Chainsaw (2012).- Soundtrack
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A musical prodigy, Smetana was encouraged and trained by his father. His move to Prague in 1843 was disheartening when he was unable to generate interest in his abilities; however, he did form a friendship with Liszt, and dedicated several of his works to him. He opened a music school and performed privately for deposed Emperor Ferdinand, and by 1849 he had made enough money to enable him to marry Katerina Kolárová, a former student. Bohemia was torn by revolution, and, beset by financial difficulties, Smetana and his family lived hand-to-mouth for a number of years. Three of his four daughters died between 1854 and 1856, and his wife developed the tuberculosis that would kill her in 1859.
Eventually, in 1856, he went to Sweden to work as a conductor and achieved some success. He returned to Prague in 1861 and helped found a national opera house. Fired with patriotism for his native land, Smetana worked on a number of Bohemian-themed operas and also concentrated on learning the Czech language. Unfortunately, his health deteriorated rapidly in his later years; he became deaf as syphilis ravaged his body. He was confined to a mental asylum where he died in 1888, and is buried in Prague.- Composer
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Black Sabbath were an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968, by guitarist and main songwriter Tony Iommi, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and singer Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define the genre with releases such as Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970) and Master of Reality (1971). The band had multiple line-up changes, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history. On 7 March 2017, Black Sabbath announced they had disbanded.- Director
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Blackfield is known for Blackfield: NYC - Live in New York City (2007).- Actor
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Bullet for My Valentine is known for NHL 14 (2013), Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) and NHL 09 (2008).- Composer
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Cannibal Corpse is known for Bright (2017), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Wallet Sized Photo (2019).- Composer
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Celtic Frost is known for Metal Evolution (2011), Helvete: Historien om norsk black metal (2020) and Welcome to the 80's (2009).- Music Department
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Charles Gounod was born on 17 June 1818 in Paris, France. He was a composer, known for Chronicle (2012), The American (2010) and 28 Days Later (2002). He was married to Anna Zimmermann. He died on 18 October 1893 in Saint-Cloud, Seine-et-Oise [now Hauts-de-Seine], France.- Composer
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Children of Bodom is known for Wild Child (2008), The Book of Fate (2003) and Todd and the Book of Pure Evil (2010).- Composer
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Clawfinger is a rap metal band from Sweden that were formed in 1989 in Stockholm. Clawfinger is known for aggressive but melodic music and tackling political and anti-racist themes in their songs. Clawfinger's debut "Deaf Dumb Blind" has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide and was awarded with two Swedish Grammys. The band has released seven studio albums.- Actor
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Coroner is known for Brütal Legend (2009), Coroner: Masked Jackal (1988) and Coroner: Last Entertainment (1989).- Actor
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Cradle of Filth is known for Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Brütal Legend (2009) and Chikara: Three-Fisted Tales (2009).- Music Department
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Darkthrone is a legendary Norwegian black metal band from Kolbotn, a small suburb of Oslo. In the beginning there was a death metal band under the name Black Death formed in late 1986, whose members were Gylve Nagell, Ivar Enger, Lee Hartney, Ben Mote and Anders Risberget. The band changed their name to Darkthrone and were joined by Dag Nilsen. In the spring of 1988, Ted Skjellum joined the band on guitar and vocals. Darkthrone released their first album, Soulside Journey in 1991.
During 1991, Darkthrone abandoned the death metal style and started to explore the black metal sound instead , the band members started to use corpse paint and worked under pseudonyms. Gylve Nagell became Fenriz, Ted Skjellum became Nocturno Culto and Ivar Enger became Zephyrous. Peaceville Records was very skeptical about releasing the second album, A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) and thought the new album recordings was some kind of a joke at first. Due to the band's extreme diversion from their original death metal style.
Darkthrone became one of the leading bands in the Norwegian black metal scene and the first three black metal albums, A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992), Under a Funeral Moon (1993) and Transilvanian Hunger (1994) are mostly known as the unholy trinity. And are among the most influential albums in the genre. For most of the time, Darkthrone has been a duo consisting of Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, who have sought to remain outside the music mainstream. Since 2006, their sound has strayed from the traditional black metal style and incorporated elements of traditional heavy metal, speed metal and punk rock.- Lord Ahriman was born on 13 November 1972 in Luleå, Sweden.