Top 5 Favorite British composers besides Elgar, VW, Holst, Britten and Walton

[AnthonyAthletic]

Flawed, yes...I could only judge this one on say 25 or so composers whom I have heard most of their works on.

Left me with 50% or so unheard and 10% unknowns/new.

I wish the persons good luck and happy listening if you have most of the works by all the composers mentioned in this poll.   

[Sergeant Rock]

Sorry, but I feel more from this symphony than anything Delius composed now. I've been doing a lot of thinking on Delius over the past months and, while I certainly admire his individuality, I cannot help but think there's just something so inherently wrong in his music to my ears. I mean he really doesn't sound like he's had much compositional training at all. All of his works move at a snail's pace...

While I applaud your ability to reevaluate composers, rethink your beliefs, move on to other passions, it is a more than a little disconcerting to see how radically you can change! From being the guy who claimed he'd never change his Delius avatar; from being the guy who wrote this

Delius was a genius! The man could coax more emotion out of three notes than most composers could with 15.

to being the guy who now says "there's just something so inherently wrong in his music" is shocking.

Anyway, nice to see Delius doing reasonably well in the poll. Some of us remain loyal 

Sarge

[jochanaan]

Malcolm Arnold.  Some amazing chamber music for the oddest combinations!  (He wrote during WWII, when lots of musicians were "missing in action," thus necessitating music for whoever was available.)

Richard Rodney Bennett.  I only know the oboe sonata that I've played, but it's an awesome piece!  (And awesomely difficult to rehearse and perform. )

Frederick Delius.  For obvious reasons.

Michael Tippett.  Only heard his Symphonies 2 and 4, but they're worthy masterworks.

Parry isn't bad, but I can't quite put him at the top of any lists.  Other than that, I either don't know enough of their works, or I'm not particularly fond of them.  (John Ireland is on the latter list; I've heard a few of his over the radio and have been distinctly unimpressed.)

[kyjo]

Tippett, Ireland, Finzi, Dowland, Purcell

BTW, I assume you meant to put John Tavener in the poll, not Taverner, since the poll focuses on the more recent ones.

Yes, I did. Glad I could rely on your eagle eye!

[kyjo]

Nyman.

That's it? I shall add Nyman to the list.

[kyjo]

Without Ferneyhough this poll is useless.

Well, maybe not useless, but I'll add him.

[kyjo]

All right, where's Sorabji?  You've added Sally blooming Beamish, but there's still no Sorabji??!!         

Ah, Sorabji's a strange bird. I'm not surprised I forgot him!

[Mirror Image]

While I applaud your ability to reevaluate composers, rethink your beliefs, move on to other passions, it is a more than a little disconcerting to see how radically you can change! From being the guy who claimed he'd never change his Delius avatar; from being the guy who wrote this

to being the guy who now says "there's just something so inherently wrong in his music" is shocking.

Anyway, nice to see Delius doing reasonably well in the poll. Some of us remain loyal 

Sarge

Yes, I suppose it is quite shocking to read my high praise for Delius many months ago to reading what I wrote yesterday on this thread. As I mentioned, I'm in constant evolution as a classical listener and I've only been listening seriously for five years. I'm sure more changes are yet to come...

[kyjo]

Thomas Adès

Cornelius Cordew

Added.

[Mirror Image]

I'm not really into the "spectralist" composers (I've tried Murail and Dusapin and haven't liked either of their music), so I think I'll pass on Harvey. Thanks for mentioning Lutyens. She is known, more than anything, for inventing the derogatory term "the cowpat school" to categorize composers such as VW, Finzi and Howells. I haven't heard any of her music, much of which is 12-tone. I have a feeling that her music is going to be more like Webern than Schoenberg or Berg, though.....hopefully I'll prove to be wrong!

P.S. I've added Oliver Knussen, a fantastic composer and conductor.

I feel you on the spectralists and Lutyens. I've actually heard a few works (forget the titles) by Lutyens and remain unimpressed. Like you mentioned, she's closer to Webern than Schoenberg and Berg and I'm no fan of Webern's music.

[kyjo]

I feel you on the spectralists and Lutyens. I've actually heard a few works (forget the titles) by Lutyens and remain unimpressed. Like you mentioned, she's closer to Webern than Schoenberg and Berg and I'm no fan of Webern's music.

Yeah, I was afraid so. I'll pass on Lutyens as well.

[kyjo]

Despite there still being no Adès choice, I managed to find five composers on the list that I actually like:

Benjamin
Lutyens
Harvey
Ferneyhough
Cordew



So much cowpat music among the British.

Don't know what happened with Ades ; I have added him again.

[springrite]

I looked all over for Frank Bridge before I decided to put McEwen at #5.

[kyjo]

I looked all over for Frank Bridge before I decided to put McEwen at #5.

Apologies. I shall duly add Bridge.

[kyjo]

i voted for Arnold, Bax, Delius, Finzi & Stanford.

It could well change, as there's an awful lot of Brit composers on this list whom I haven't discovered yet, and one or two names who are totally new to me.

You'll find much to enjoy when exploring the byways of British music! Just let me know if you need any help with recommendations.

[Karl Henning]

Voted for:

Tippett (Really, I should have cast him up in the same rank as Elgar, RVW, Holst, Britten & Walton!)
Howells (both on the strength of some toothsome Anglican service music, and the keyboard CD touted by our Luke)
Stevenson (for that magnificent DSCH Passacaglia alone!)
Sorabji
Bridge (deserves to be known on his own work's merits, and not simply as Britten's teacher)

[Sammy]

I'm afraid I can't find one redeeming quality about Delius now to warrant putting him on my list of favorites.

So you've gone from praising Delius as if he occupied hallowed ground to throwing him under the bus.  You were apparently premature in your praise.  In the future, it might be best for you not to go "nuts" over a composer until you've reached a final verdict.  I'm not concerned about how this affects you; I have no empathy for anti-Bach guys.  It's just that many members here likely have put significant weight on your pronouncements.

You say that you engage in "constant evolution", but I think that you should instead concentrate on reliability.

[Daverz]

So you've gone from praising Delius as if he occupied hallowed ground to throwing him under the bus.

Crunch!

There is one Delius work that I've enjoyed: Appalachia.  It has some exciting and dynamic bits.  I have it on this Beecham compilation:

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I also missed Tippett in my choice of second tier composers, probably because I tend to think of him as first tier, even if he has pissed me off at times (e.g. Songs for Dov; we are not amused Mr. Tippett).

[kyjo]

I also missed Tippett in my choice of second tier composers, probably because I tend to think of him as first tier, even if he has pissed me off at times (e.g. Songs for Dov; we are not amused Mr. Tippett).

Don't forget the horrendous New Years' Suite!

[Sergeant Rock]

I tend to think of him as first tier, even if he has pissed me off at times (e.g. Songs for Dov; we are not amused Mr. Tippett).

The Songs are in my Top 5 Tippett works. They amuse me 

Sarge