Sir Thomas Beecham was born on the 29th of April 1879. He was a conductor as well as a impresario. He was mainly associated with the Royal Philharmonic and the London Philharmonic, although he was a part of other orchestras. His father was Joseph Beecham and his mother was Joséphine, maiden name Burnett. Beecham's family was quite rich, living off of a laxative factory built by Thomas Beecham's grandfather, who carried the same name, i.e, Thomas Beecham. Thomas (the conductor, not the grandfather) was born in Lancashire, but moved to a bigger home in Huyton, near Liverpool with his family. After his education at school, Beecham wanted to go to a music conservatoire in Germany, but when it was forbidden by his father, he attended Wadham College. He dropped out soon after after convincing his father, and began to learn composition and conduction on his own.
Beecham's first concert with a public was in October 1899, in St. Helen's. He had a few more conductions after, steadily rising in the arts. At just about the same time, Beecham's father had secretly placed his wife (Beecham's mother) in an asylum, and together with his older sister, Beecham released her and made his father pay annual alimony. The father was quite angry, so both children were disinherited.
Beecham joined the Imperial Grand Opera Company, and although the company wasn't as grand as its name, Beecham conducted five operas, as well as starting to write his own music, but he wasn't pleased with his work, so he focused on conducting. He was invited to join the New Symphony Orchestra, which he joined, and he proposed works that he enjoyed, rather than what the public knew and wanted. Beecham preferred less-known artists and operas during his entire career, and often promoted them. The New Symphony Orchestra grew and played in larger halls until Beecham parted ways with the orchestra because of differing opinions on artistic control. The orchestra still prospered without Beecham, and it would eventually become the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra.
Beecham started his own company, but instead of attracting players from previously existing orchestras, he recruited new musicians fresh out of music school, or from local bandrooms. This made for a very young orchestra, with an average age of 25. Beecham named his company the Beecham Symphony Orchestra.
Because of his tastes in unknown music that the public didn't necessarily want to see, the orchestra quickly lost money, and his limitations to the family fortune because of his father made the profits even less than what they were. In 1909, Beecham had finally made peace with his father, and the orchestra instantly went better, as did Beecham's career. He started on operas and conducted to his heart's content until he was longer performing but struggling to keep music important during the first World War.
When the war ended, he was faced with severe financial problems, mostly from the money spent on promoting music during the war, and he put his conduction on hold to get out of the mess he was in.
He came back in 1923 and resumed business as usual. His popularity grew and his relationships with orchestras grew too, until he even became known internationally, having tours in America and Canada.
He died of coronary thrombosis, a blood clot in simpler terms, at the age of 81, in his London flat. He died on the 8th of March 1961. He had been married three times. He married Uticia Celestina Welles in 1903, but divorced her in 1943. He married Betty Humby, a pianist 29 years younger, the same year. She died in 1958, and in 1959, Beecham married Shirley Hudson, his former secretary. Beecham died two years later. He had also had plenty of affairs, the most 'loyal' one being with Maud Alice (later Lady Cunard) which started in 1909 or 10, and ended when Maud was angry that when given the chance, Beecham hadn't married her but a girl younger than him in 1943.
Beecham had two sons with his first wife and one son with Dora Labbette, a misstress.

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Gerardo Matos Rodríguez

La Cumparsita is a very recognizable tango song. It was written in Uruguay by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez in 1917. He was approximately seventeen when he composed it, so he wouldn't have realised how famous his song would get. 'La Cumparsita' means 'The Little Parade'. Gerardo first played his tune in a coffee shop called Confitería La Giralda in Montevideo, Uruguay. Some seven years later, Gerardo found himself in Paris and found out that his song was a massive hit. He also found out that Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi, two lyricists, had added different lyrics and renamed the tune 'Si Supieras'. Gerardo Rodriguez spent a long time afterwards in courts, trying to gain the original author's rights to the music. He eventually did, but there are still debates on whether his version or Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi's version were the actual hits.

La Cumparsita is considered to be the anthem of Tango, and it is almost always used as the tango music in tango dance scenes in movies. There have been many different versions, some simplified, some with different instruments, and I find that two different versions can sound completely different.
Here is what it should sound like in general played on the piano:

La Cumparsita

Audio from here. Image from here:

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Left to right: Carlo Mastrangelo, Freddie Milano, Dion DiMucci, Angelo D'Aleo

It was a minor regional hit. The Belmonts was a group of doo-wop vocalists. They got their name from Belmont Avenue in the Bronx. The Belmonts first recorded with Mohawk Records, where singer Dion was also recording. Dion joined the group as lead singer and it was then known as 'Dion and the Belmonts' in 1957. The new group signed to Laurie Records and their first real breakthrough was from their single: 'I Wonder Why', and for the first time, they appeared on American Bandstand. Their success won them their first major tour in 1958. This tour was followed by 'The Winter Dance Party', with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. There was a special plane for the performers of The Winter Dance Party, but there was a fee of $36, and Dion couldn't and wouldn't pay it. After a first show in Clear Lake Iowa, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper headed to the airport and took their special plane to Fargo, North Dakota. Unfortunately, their plane crashed and all three singers, including the pilot, were killed. The tour still continued with replacements. In March 1959, a next single was released by Dion and the Belmonts. 'A Teenager in Love' made #5 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #28 in the UK Singles Chart. This was followed by their first album, 'Presenting Dion and the Belmonts' as well as their biggest hit, 'Where or When', which was #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In early 1960, Dion was administered to hospital for heroin addiction, apparently since his mid teens. He also had musical and financial disputes with the Belmonts. In October 1960, Dion quit and started a solo career. The Belmonts continued recording, but with less success. The group tried reuniting in 1966, but separated again when their album, 'Together Again', was unsuccessful. They sang together again in 1972, for a once-off show, which was recorded and released as a live album. In 2000, Dion and the Belmonts were integrated into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

In 'Peggy Sue got Married', there are many references to Dion and the Belmonts. It shows actual footage of Dion and the Belmonts performing 'A Teenager in Love', while two characters watch part of the live show on television. There is also a girl saying "Wow! Charlie can really sing! (other girl) Yeah, Maybe he's gonna be the next Dion and the Belmonts!", and during that same scene, Charlie sings 'I Wonder Why' with his friends, reenacting almost the same performance that the actual group did.

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'La Marseillaise' Instrumental

The music from 'La Marseillaise' was also used in many other things. In Russia, in 1875, Peter Lavrov, wrote Russian lyrics to the tune (not a translation) and it was used as revolutionary song. The Beatles used it as an introduction to their song 'All you need is love'. Frank Sinatra partly used it in his song 'Foreign French Legion'. Different versions of the tune are also used as themes for numerous rugby and football teams. It has been used in cartoons, games, movies and even featured in Monty Python sketches.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Marseillaise

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As the composer grew more sick every day, Sand was less and less a lover, and became more of a nurse. When she had problems with her daughter, she couldn't stand Chopin anymore and in 1847, she published a novel called 'Lucrezia Floriani'. The main characters are a rich actress and a prince in poor health. The prince was not loved in the novel and it is easily recognised as Sand and Chopin. Chopin knew of the afflictions on him as he helped Sand edit the book. This ended their relationship in 1847, which had lasted ten years. Chopin became less popular and he moved to London, where he made his last performance as background music at a party. In 1848, he moved back to Paris and was now very sick. He stopped performances and classes because of the pain it caused him but he continued composing. He died of pulmonary tuberculosis in his apartment on the morning of the 17th of October, 1849.

Chopin had a fear of being buried alive, and in his last Will and Testament he stated he want to have his heart cut out and preserved (probably in brandy) and it was to be sealed in a pillar in his church in Poland. It still remains there to this day.

Chopin is most known for his waltzes, and most of his compositions are for solo piano.

Chopin Waltz

Almost all composers wrote a Funeral March, but I think Chopin's one may be the most known.

Funeral March - Chopin

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frédéric_Chopin

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