Your Top 10 Favorite Composers

[Madiel]

Who 'vanished' after all? 

Leaving with a melodramatic flourish is not vanishing.

[SymphonicAddict]

Leaving with a melodramatic flourish is not vanishing.

[Moonfish]

Not too much has changed since last time I pondered this particular question, but there is definitely more in my mind's eye. It's evil to be forced to pick 10. We did a list of 21 at one point in time!   

JS Bach
Elgar
Mozart
Verdi
Wagner
Sibelius
Weiss
Marais
Bruckner
Beethoven

[vandermolen]

New and revised:

1  Bach
2  Mahler
3  Beethoven
4  Brian
5  Haydn
6  Brahms
7  Feldman
8  Schubert
9  Berg
10 Rubbra

Nice to see Rubbra mentioned. I'm tempted to include him as well.

[Mirror Image]

I suppose a new is order:

My 'Top 3'



The Other 7 (in no particular order) -

I'm still content with this list. Perfectly suits my tastes and really presents the composers with whom I've spent the most amount of time with because I have been moved by so much of their work.

[kyjo]

Lately have been these:

My absolute top 3:

Nielsen
Brahms
Shostakovich


The remaining 7:

Beethoven
Martinu
Strauss
Arnold
Lutoslawski
Janacek
Mozart

It's the first time I didn't include either Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Sibelius or VW! 

I never thought I'd see Mozart on your list!

[kyjo]

Currently...

Top 3:

Braga Santos
Dvořák
Sibelius

Remaining 7:

Atterberg
Barber
Damase
Lloyd
Nielsen
Prokofiev
Rachmaninoff

[Mirror Image]

Currently...

Top 3:

Braga Santos
Dvořák
Sibelius

Remaining 7:

Atterberg
Barber
Damase
Lloyd
Nielsen
Prokofiev
Rachmaninoff

Quite surprised to see Atterberg not in the 'Top 3'. Very delighted to see Barber on your list. Have you seen the documentary on his music and life, Absolute Beauty? It's definitely worth a viewing. Quite informative.

[SymphonicAddict]

I never thought I'd see Mozart on your list!

Some important rediscoveries were the cause of it, albeit these lists change constantly over the time. 

[vandermolen]

Currently...

Top 3:

Braga Santos
Dvořák
Sibelius

Remaining 7:

Atterberg
Barber
Damase
Lloyd
Nielsen
Prokofiev
Rachmaninoff

Great to see Damase making an appearance here! 

Let's see - today's list:

Vaughan Williams
Miaskovsky
Shostakovich
Sibelius

Bruckner
Bax
Copland
Moeran
Tubin
Malcolm Arnold

[kyjo]

Quite surprised to see Atterberg not in the 'Top 3'. Very delighted to see Barber on your list. Have you seen the documentary on his music and life, Absolute Beauty? It's definitely worth a viewing. Quite informative.

Well, if I were to listen to an Atterberg piece right now, I'd probably change my mind and move him up! Since there's so many composers I love, a lot of it just has to do with whose music I've spent the most time with recently. And no, I haven't seen that Barber documentary. I'll definitely have to check it out!

[Florestan]

My list hasn't changed but I'll arrange it differently (by geography, not by order of preference, mind you!):

1. The Viennese Connection: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms
2. The German Connection: Mendelssohn, Schumann
3. The Russian Connection: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff
4. The Odd Man Out: Chopin

I'm still happy with this list.

[Christo]

Another 'blind' attempt, but I wonder if there are any differences with previous ones. Out of the top of my head:

1. Ralph Vaughan Williams
2. Vagn Holmboe
3. Eduard Tubin
4. Joly Braga Santos
5. Manuel de Falla
6. Samuel Barber
7. Ottorino Respighi
8. Malcolm Arnold
9. Leoš Janáček
10. Hendrik Andriessen

[mc ukrneal]

Machaut
Dufay
Ockeghem
Bach
Haydn
Mozart
Beethoven
Liszt
Schumann
Brahms

Biggest change is the disappearance of 20th - 21st century composers.  I hardly listen to music beyond these ten composers, or that of their periods, anymore.  I would have included Gregorian chant and troubadour/trouvere music, but "anonymous" seemed a waste of two slots when I had a solid ten.

I don't think I have any machaut. Maybe as a filler somewhere - will have to check. Is there a good introductory disc to his music that you would recommend?

[San Antone]

I don't think I have any machaut. Maybe as a filler somewhere - will have to check. Is there a good introductory disc to his music that you would recommend?

It depends if you want to begin with his magnum opus, the Messe de Nostre Dame, or his songs.  I'd suggest the Andrew Parrott recording of the messe and any of the Orlando Consort recordings of his songs. 

This is the best almost complete compilation:

[mc ukrneal]

It depends if you want to begin with his magnum opus, the Messe de Nostre Dame, or his songs.  I'd suggest the Andrew Parrott recording of the messe and any of the Orlando Consort recordings of his songs. 

This is the best almost complete compilation:

Thanks! Will do some research over the winter break!

[ChopinBroccoli]

Leaving aside other genres and sticking to the umbrella of so-called "Classical Music"

No order:

Beethoven
Ravel
Debussy
Tchaikovsky
R. Strauss
Mozart
Schubert
Prokofiev
Stravinsky
Dvorak

My interests are primarily orchestral and piano music

I have no interest in vocal music or opera ... I have limited interest in chamber music (but am generally open to it completely)

[Mirror Image]

Leaving aside other genres and sticking to the umbrella of so-called "Classical Music"

No order:

Beethoven
Ravel
Debussy
Tchaikovsky
R. Strauss
Mozart
Schubert
Prokofiev
Stravinsky
Dvorak

My interests are primarily orchestral and piano music

I have no interest in vocal music or opera ... I have limited interest in chamber music (but am generally open to it completely)

Just out of curiosity, how long have you been listening to classical music? I can sympathize with the ambivalence towards vocal music and opera as I was this way myself, but not anymore. I have an appreciation for all genres within classical, but I'd say if pushed into a corner and forced to choose, I would pick ballet, chamber, and solo piano as the genres I'm most drawn to, but, interestingly enough, so much of the music I've listened to over the past two or so years has been vocal music, especially songs/lieder/mélodies, requiems, and cantatas. I've also listened to more solo piano music than I ever have before.

[ChopinBroccoli]

Just out of curiosity, how long have you been listening to classical music? I can sympathize with the ambivalence towards vocal music and opera as I was this way myself, but not anymore. I have an appreciation for all genres within classical, but I'd say if pushed into a corner and forced to choose, I would pick ballet, chamber, and solo piano as the genres I'm most drawn to, but, interestingly enough, so much of the music I've listened to over the past two or so years has been vocal music, especially songs/lieder/mélodies, requiems, and cantatas. I've also listened to more solo piano music than I ever have before.

Around 25 years or so... I'm the pickiest bastard on Earth.  I'm a jazz lover as well and have the same bias there when it comes to singers.  No tolerance for them. 

Pop music, R&B, Rock n Roll, folk, bluegrass, whatever you like - I like singing just as much as the next person but the best you'll get out of me in classical or jazz is a musician's respect for the skill and talent of the vocalist.  I've explored these realms (listened to the great operas, lieder from Schubert, Schumann, Mahler etc, Cantatas) but they are simply unappealing to me.  A wordless choir (along the lines of Daphnis et Chloe) is a different story.  Used to good effect (as it certainly is in that dazzling masterpiece) I can enjoy something like that immensely.

[Mirror Image]

Around 25 years or so... I'm the pickiest bastard on Earth.  I'm a jazz lover as well and have the same bias there when it comes to singers.  No tolerance for them. 

Pop music, R&B, Rock n Roll, folk, bluegrass, whatever you like - I like singing just as much as the next person but the best you'll get out of me in classical or jazz is a musician's respect for the skill and talent of the vocalist.  I've explored these realms (listened to the great operas, lieder from Schubert, Schumann, Mahler etc, Cantatas) but they are simply unappealing to me.  A wordless choir (along the lines of Daphnis et Chloe) is a different story.  Used to good effect (as it certainly is in that dazzling masterpiece) I can enjoy something like that immensely.

Very interesting to read. I'm also a huge jazz fan. I listened to jazz for about 15 years straight before venturing into classical music. My love for classical is predominantly for the Romantic Era and 20th Century. I especially am quite fond of the last decade of the 1890s up to around 1930. This 40 year period is absolutely incredible and the reason why I got into classical in the first place. No love for Debussy's mélodies or his opera, Pelléas et Mélisande? How about Ravel's Trois poèmes de Mallarmé or Shéhérazade?