Our favorite classical composers

Psychedelic Paul wrote: Hrychu wrote: I personally enjoy the works of Liszt and Chopin. I'm not a huge classical music geek, so there's probably a lot of exceptional composers whose works I haven't heard. Philip Glass is the only classical composer who's ever been on my Chopin Liszt.

omphaloskepsis wrote:  My favorite three are Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler, and Mozart.  Rounding out my top fifteen-    Dmitri Shostakovich Antonio Vivaldi Bela Bartok Johann Sebastian Bach Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Richard Wagner Franz Liszt Giuseppe Verdi Sergei Rachmaninoff Franz Schubert Ludwig van Beethoven Johannes Brahms

Lewian wrote: Saperlipopette! wrote: To me Schostacovich, Penderecki, Bartok, Messiaen, Vasks etc... belongs to the same ongoing tradition. But I do think some 20th century composers mainly as Modern Classical while others mainly as Avantgarde. But our language isn't perfect and very few composers belong excusively in one category anyway. Besides the original classical era is lasts from 500 to 336 BC. Classical music means more than just the classical period in music. I'm really just trusting that most people understand what I mean - given the context. That's fair enough and I didn't mean to criticise it. I am however curious where you put the line between "modern classical" and "avantgarde".

The simple answer is: I don't. Most composers can represent both. Pendereckis early "cutting edge" works are very different to his later, more traditionally based works. Still there's traditional influences to be found in his early compositions and the Modernist approach isn't totally abandoned in later works. But in general I think of 20th Century Modernism as a somewhat radical break with previous traditions. For simplification and cataloging artists I suppose I use a scale of sorts where Part, Silvestrov and Vasks are filed under Modern Classical - while in various ways Nono, Stockhausen and Scelsi etc... mainly represent the Avantgarde. With others, like those mentioned in my previous post it's a little more complicated. But it's not really important - or a problem. It's just natural. No matter how "new and unique" all artists are a mixture of influences, and the b*****d child of someone or something. It's really not that different than how we look at Miles Davis or King Crimson.

presdoug wrote: my all time favourite composers are Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler. Their symphonies are for me the pinnacle of all music.

Jared wrote: presdoug wrote: my all time favourite composers are Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler. Their symphonies are for me the pinnacle of all music. throw in a few Strauss tone poems and I'm right there with you...

Thanks so much for mentioning him. I revere Strauss's tone poems, especially Ein Heldenleben and the Domestic Symphony, as well.

presdoug wrote: DamoXt7942 wrote: presdoug wrote: I actively listen to over 40 classical composers, from Bach to Stravinsky, but my all time favourite composers are Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler. Their symphonies are for me the pinnacle of all music. Bruckner and Mahler are my favourites too. Especially Sym 9s by both.  Thanks. Ah, the 9ths; I love those so much, especially the recordings of them by Bruno Walter and Otto Klemperer.

Me TOO! Walter's Mahler collection should be awesome. 

Jared wrote: BrufordFreak wrote: I LOVE Ralph V-W: would've put him on my list by was aiming to cover composers that weren't on Rollon's original list. Great to hear Drew. You don't find too many Brits who rate him as highly as his music is quintessentially English.

I suppose I still don't get it, but I'm not English.

Saperlipopette! wrote: Jared wrote: BrufordFreak wrote: I LOVE Ralph V-W: would've put him on my list by was aiming to cover composers that weren't on Rollon's original list. Great to hear Drew. You don't find too many Brits who rate him as highly as his music is quintessentially English. I suppose I still don't get it, but I'm not English. (he wasn't on my original list, btw)

Saperlipopette! wrote: ^That's all very interesting. You "always" had Henry Purcell though (+ also Dowland and Byrd). Who is among my favorite baroque composers. I don't know, maybe he (or they) were largely forgotten or not considered as great - or relevant. -All this make me want to revisit Vaughan Williams. I'm only familiar with a couple of his most known works (The Lark Ascending, Symphony no. 5 and a few more). It didn't leave the strongest impression on me in my early 20's, but I've changed since then. Reading up on him now he certainly sound like my cup of tea. And any collector of folkmusic/songs is a "friend of mine".