Music Critics

One of the most prominent intellectuals of the 20th century, Theodor Adorno was a pioneer of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and despised the culture industry. Born to a singer mother, the German sociologist grew up amid music and could even play Beethoven on the piano by 12.

E. T. A. Hoffmann was a German author, jurist, artist, composer, and music critic. His stories served as an inspiration and laid the foundation for The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach. The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is also based on Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Hoffmann is among the most influential authors of the Romantic Movement.

Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and conductor. A significant musical figure in the Romantic era, he played a key role in the development of the German Romantische Oper (German Romantic opera). He also made significant contributions to vocal and choral music. He was a music critic as well and wrote music journalism. 

Erin McNaught is an Australian actress, model, television personality, and presenter. McNaught achieved both fame and notoriety when she represented Australia in the 2006 Miss Universe competition where she was one of the most controversial participants. Over the years, Erin McNaught has also taken part in charity campaigns, such as UK's Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

Best known for his masterpiece The Sorcerer's Apprentice, French composer Paul Dukas was admired by both conservative and progressive French musicians. Born to a pianist mother, Dukas had begun composing while recovering from an ailment at age 14. Shortly before his death, he destroyed most of his manuscripts.

Cesar Cui was a Russian composer best remembered for his association with a group called The Five, which worked to create a national style of classical music. Also a well-known music critic of his time, Cui worked hard to promote the music of other Russian composers, especially the works of his co-members from The Five.

Heinrich Schenker was an influential music theorist whose works have had a significant impact on subsequent musical analysis. Based on his theories, a method of analyzing tonal music was developed; the method is now called Schenkerian analysis. Heinrich Schenker's approach was explained in a three volume series titled New Musical Theories and Phantasies.

François-Joseph Fétis was a Belgian composer, musicologist, and teacher. He is also counted among the 19th century's most influential music critics. Apart from musicology, Fétis had a profound influence on music theory as well. As a writer, François-Joseph Fétis is also known for his massive compilation of biographical data which remains a prominent source of information today.

A Cambridge alumnus, Stanley Sadie later not only became a popular music journalist, writing for publications such as The Time and editing The Musical Times but also edited the Grove Dictionary of music. He also headed the Royal Musical Association as its president and wrote predominantly on Mozart and Handel.