Contrapunctus
Coda

Lifelines

Lifespans of every composer in the atlas, set against the events and artworks of their times, drawn to scale. Schubert lived thirty-one years, Mozart thirty-five, Lili Boulanger twenty-four.

165017001750180018501900195020001700 Cristofori’s first pianos, Florence1719 Defoe, Robinson Crusoe1759 Voltaire, Candide1776 American Declaration of Independence1784 David, The Oath of the Horatii1789 Storming of the Bastille1808 Goethe, Faust Part One1815 Waterloo; Congress of Vienna1819 Friedrich, Two Men Contemplating the Moon1848 Revolutions across Europe1857 Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du mal1861 Emancipation of the Russian serfs1874 First Impressionist exhibition, Paris1877 Edison’s phonograph1897 Vienna Secession founded1905 Revolution of 1905, Russia1911 Der Blaue Reiter, Munich1914 First World War1917 Russian Revolutions1922 Joyce, Ulysses; Eliot, The Waste Land1933 Nazis take power in Germany1936 Pravda: “Muddle instead of music”1939 Second World War1948 Zhdanov decree on music1950 Pollock’s poured paintings1969 Moon landing1971 Rothko Chapel, Houston1989 Fall of the Berlin WallBarbara Strozzi, 1619–⁠1677Barbara Strozzi 1619–⁠1677Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, 1665–⁠1729Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre 1665–⁠1729François Couperin, 1668–⁠1733François Couperin 1668–⁠1733Antonio Vivaldi, 1678–⁠1741Antonio Vivaldi 1678–⁠1741Jean-⁠Philippe Rameau, 1683–⁠1764Jean-⁠Philippe Rameau 1683–⁠1764Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685–⁠1750Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–⁠1750George Frideric Handel, 1685–⁠1759George Frideric Handel 1685–⁠1759Domenico Scarlatti, 1685–⁠1757Domenico Scarlatti 1685–⁠1757Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, 1714–⁠1788Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach 1714–⁠1788Joseph Haydn, 1732–⁠1809Joseph Haydn 1732–⁠1809Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756–⁠1791Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–⁠1791Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770–⁠1827Ludwig van Beethoven 1770–⁠1827Gioachino Rossini, 1792–⁠1868Gioachino Rossini 1792–⁠1868Franz Schubert, 1797–⁠1828Franz Schubert 1797–⁠1828Hector Berlioz, 1803–⁠1869Hector Berlioz 1803–⁠1869Fanny Hensel, 1805–⁠1847Fanny Hensel 1805–⁠1847Felix Mendelssohn, 1809–⁠1847Felix Mendelssohn 1809–⁠1847Frédéric Chopin, 1810–⁠1849Frédéric Chopin 1810–⁠1849Robert Schumann, 1810–⁠1856Robert Schumann 1810–⁠1856Franz Liszt, 1811–⁠1886Franz Liszt 1811–⁠1886Giuseppe Verdi, 1813–⁠1901Giuseppe Verdi 1813–⁠1901Richard Wagner, 1813–⁠1883Richard Wagner 1813–⁠1883Clara Schumann, 1819–⁠1896Clara Schumann 1819–⁠1896Anton Bruckner, 1824–⁠1896Anton Bruckner 1824–⁠1896Bedřich Smetana, 1824–⁠1884Bedřich Smetana 1824–⁠1884Alexander Borodin, 1833–⁠1887Alexander Borodin 1833–⁠1887Johannes Brahms, 1833–⁠1897Johannes Brahms 1833–⁠1897Camille Saint-⁠Saëns, 1835–⁠1921Camille Saint-⁠Saëns 1835–⁠1921Georges Bizet, 1838–⁠1875Georges Bizet 1838–⁠1875Modest Mussorgsky, 1839–⁠1881Modest Mussorgsky 1839–⁠1881Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840–⁠1893Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840–⁠1893Antonín Dvořák, 1841–⁠1904Antonín Dvořák 1841–⁠1904Edvard Grieg, 1843–⁠1907Edvard Grieg 1843–⁠1907Nikolai Rimsky-⁠Korsakov, 1844–⁠1908Nikolai Rimsky-⁠Korsakov 1844–⁠1908Gabriel Fauré, 1845–⁠1924Gabriel Fauré 1845–⁠1924Leoš Janáček, 1854–⁠1928Leoš Janáček 1854–⁠1928Edward Elgar, 1857–⁠1934Edward Elgar 1857–⁠1934Giacomo Puccini, 1858–⁠1924Giacomo Puccini 1858–⁠1924Gustav Mahler, 1860–⁠1911Gustav Mahler 1860–⁠1911Claude Debussy, 1862–⁠1918Claude Debussy 1862–⁠1918Richard Strauss, 1864–⁠1949Richard Strauss 1864–⁠1949Carl Nielsen, 1865–⁠1931Carl Nielsen 1865–⁠1931Jean Sibelius, 1865–⁠1957Jean Sibelius 1865–⁠1957Erik Satie, 1866–⁠1925Erik Satie 1866–⁠1925Amy Beach, 1867–⁠1944Amy Beach 1867–⁠1944Alexander Scriabin, 1872–⁠1915Alexander Scriabin 1872–⁠1915Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–⁠1958Ralph Vaughan Williams 1872–⁠1958Sergei Rachmaninoff, 1873–⁠1943Sergei Rachmaninoff 1873–⁠1943Charles Ives, 1874–⁠1954Charles Ives 1874–⁠1954Arnold Schoenberg, 1874–⁠1951Arnold Schoenberg 1874–⁠1951Maurice Ravel, 1875–⁠1937Maurice Ravel 1875–⁠1937Manuel de Falla, 1876–⁠1946Manuel de Falla 1876–⁠1946Béla Bartók, 1881–⁠1945Béla Bartók 1881–⁠1945Igor Stravinsky, 1882–⁠1971Igor Stravinsky 1882–⁠1971Anton Webern, 1883–⁠1945Anton Webern 1883–⁠1945Alban Berg, 1885–⁠1935Alban Berg 1885–⁠1935Florence Price, 1887–⁠1953Florence Price 1887–⁠1953Heitor Villa-⁠Lobos, 1887–⁠1959Heitor Villa-⁠Lobos 1887–⁠1959Sergei Prokofiev, 1891–⁠1953Sergei Prokofiev 1891–⁠1953Lili Boulanger, 1893–⁠1918Lili Boulanger 1893–⁠1918George Gershwin, 1898–⁠1937George Gershwin 1898–⁠1937Francis Poulenc, 1899–⁠1963Francis Poulenc 1899–⁠1963Aaron Copland, 1900–⁠1990Aaron Copland 1900–⁠1990Dmitri Shostakovich, 1906–⁠1975Dmitri Shostakovich 1906–⁠1975Olivier Messiaen, 1908–⁠1992Olivier Messiaen 1908–⁠1992John Cage, 1912–⁠1992John Cage 1912–⁠1992Benjamin Britten, 1913–⁠1976Benjamin Britten 1913–⁠1976Leonard Bernstein, 1918–⁠1990Leonard Bernstein 1918–⁠1990Iannis Xenakis, 1922–⁠2001Iannis Xenakis 1922–⁠2001György Ligeti, 1923–⁠2006György Ligeti 1923–⁠2006Pierre Boulez, 1925–⁠2016Pierre Boulez 1925–⁠2016Morton Feldman, 1926–⁠1987Morton Feldman 1926–⁠1987György Kurtág, b. 1926György Kurtág b. 1926Sofia Gubaidulina, 1931–⁠2025Sofia Gubaidulina 1931–⁠2025Arvo Pärt, b. 1935Arvo Pärt b. 1935Steve Reich, b. 1936Steve Reich b. 1936Philip Glass, b. 1937Philip Glass b. 1937John Adams, b. 1947John Adams b. 1947Kaija Saariaho, 1952–⁠2023Kaija Saariaho 1952–⁠2023Thomas Adès, b. 1971Thomas Adès b. 1971
  1. Barbara Strozzi1619–⁠1677
  2. Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre1665–⁠1729
  3. François Couperin1668–⁠1733
  4. Antonio Vivaldi1678–⁠1741
  5. Jean-⁠Philippe Rameau1683–⁠1764
  6. Johann Sebastian Bach1685–⁠1750
  7. George Frideric Handel1685–⁠1759
  8. Domenico Scarlatti1685–⁠1757
  9. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach1714–⁠1788
  10. Joseph Haydn1732–⁠1809
  11. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart1756–⁠1791
  12. Ludwig van Beethoven1770–⁠1827
  13. Gioachino Rossini1792–⁠1868
  14. Franz Schubert1797–⁠1828
  15. Hector Berlioz1803–⁠1869
  16. Fanny Hensel1805–⁠1847
  17. Felix Mendelssohn1809–⁠1847
  18. Frédéric Chopin1810–⁠1849
  19. Robert Schumann1810–⁠1856
  20. Franz Liszt1811–⁠1886
  21. Giuseppe Verdi1813–⁠1901
  22. Richard Wagner1813–⁠1883
  23. Clara Schumann1819–⁠1896
  24. Anton Bruckner1824–⁠1896
  25. Bedřich Smetana1824–⁠1884
  26. Alexander Borodin1833–⁠1887
  27. Johannes Brahms1833–⁠1897
  28. Camille Saint-⁠Saëns1835–⁠1921
  29. Georges Bizet1838–⁠1875
  30. Modest Mussorgsky1839–⁠1881
  31. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky1840–⁠1893
  32. Antonín Dvořák1841–⁠1904
  33. Edvard Grieg1843–⁠1907
  34. Nikolai Rimsky-⁠Korsakov1844–⁠1908
  35. Gabriel Fauré1845–⁠1924
  36. Leoš Janáček1854–⁠1928
  37. Edward Elgar1857–⁠1934
  38. Giacomo Puccini1858–⁠1924
  39. Gustav Mahler1860–⁠1911
  40. Claude Debussy1862–⁠1918
  41. Richard Strauss1864–⁠1949
  42. Carl Nielsen1865–⁠1931
  43. Jean Sibelius1865–⁠1957
  44. Erik Satie1866–⁠1925
  45. Amy Beach1867–⁠1944
  46. Alexander Scriabin1872–⁠1915
  47. Ralph Vaughan Williams1872–⁠1958
  48. Sergei Rachmaninoff1873–⁠1943
  49. Charles Ives1874–⁠1954
  50. Arnold Schoenberg1874–⁠1951
  51. Maurice Ravel1875–⁠1937
  52. Manuel de Falla1876–⁠1946
  53. Béla Bartók1881–⁠1945
  54. Igor Stravinsky1882–⁠1971
  55. Anton Webern1883–⁠1945
  56. Alban Berg1885–⁠1935
  57. Florence Price1887–⁠1953
  58. Heitor Villa-⁠Lobos1887–⁠1959
  59. Sergei Prokofiev1891–⁠1953
  60. Lili Boulanger1893–⁠1918
  61. George Gershwin1898–⁠1937
  62. Francis Poulenc1899–⁠1963
  63. Aaron Copland1900–⁠1990
  64. Dmitri Shostakovich1906–⁠1975
  65. Olivier Messiaen1908–⁠1992
  66. John Cage1912–⁠1992
  67. Benjamin Britten1913–⁠1976
  68. Leonard Bernstein1918–⁠1990
  69. Iannis Xenakis1922–⁠2001
  70. György Ligeti1923–⁠2006
  71. Pierre Boulez1925–⁠2016
  72. Morton Feldman1926–⁠1987
  73. György Kurtágb. 1926
  74. Sofia Gubaidulina1931–⁠2025
  75. Arvo Pärtb. 1935
  76. Steve Reichb. 1936
  77. Philip Glassb. 1937
  78. John Adamsb. 1947
  79. Kaija Saariaho1952–⁠2023
  80. Thomas Adèsb. 1971

Red markers: historical events. Gold markers: painting, literature and theatre. Bars are coloured by chapter; each name links to the composer’s chapter.