Greatest composer of the 20th century?

[Cato]

Greatest I dunno, but biggest, surely this guy.

Is that Segerstam these days?!

These days, those days and all days. 

Well, conducting is obviously not enough exercise for old Leif!  He has spent too much time sitting around and composing his 300 symphonies!

"Conduct more, compose less" could be good advice in all kinds of ways!   

[North Star]

Well, the man is 71 years old, holds a professorship and is a principal conductor of Turku Phil. Not to mention the workload of Santa Claus...

[(poco) Sforzando]

These days, those days and all days. 

Even in tails, he looks like a slob.

[(poco) Sforzando]

You have too much time on your hands.

With 9000 posts to your credit, surely the pot is calling the kettle black here.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Igor, of course, in terms of innovation, interest, and influence.  I am shocked - shocked, I tell you  - that he has but two votes to date!   Will future generations of listeners look back on us (assuming these binary concatenations are preserved) with bewilderment or worse, distaste?

[Cato]

Igor, of course, in terms of innovation, interest, and influence.  I am shocked - shocked, I tell you  - that he has but two votes to date!   Will future generations of listeners look back on us (assuming these binary concatenations are preserved) with bewilderment or worse, distaste?

And only one for Schoenberg on those same terms!    0:)

[ritter]

I'm a "conscientious objector" in this vote, but understand your points, Zauber and Cato (particularly the former's).

But in a similar vote in a Spanish-language forum some time ago, the winner was.....DSCH!!!  ...future generations would not look at us in bewilderment and distaste, they would look at us in horror and disgust  ...

[Moonfish]

Thank you for taking the time to point that out.

[San Antone]

I heartily applaud the single Debussy voter for recognizing the importance of his music.  However, I can not support his candidacy since he did not live long enough into the 20th century (which I think should be past 1950) to have the kind of chronological presence I think is necessary.

[San Antone]

So what metric should be used to measure greatness?

I offer these:

Lifetime falls squarely within the 20th century
Influence is significant and demonstrative
Music is performed often and of works from all periods of his life

[Ken B]

The case can be made, at least.

I spy votes!

[Karl Henning]

No! Not voting!

[Ken B]

I heartily applaud the single Debussy voter for recognizing the importance of his music.  However, I can not support his candidacy since he did not live long enough into the 20th century (which I think should be past 1950) to have the kind of chronological presence I think is necessary.

He was one of my honorable mentions.

So what metric should be used to measure greatness?

I offer these:

Lifetime falls squarely within the 20th century
Influence is significant and demonstrative
Music is performed often and of works from all periods of his life

Yes, all good criteria. I assume you have or will vote Igor.

No! Not voting!

I count that as an Igor vote!

[Ken B]

Igor, of course, in terms of innovation, interest, and influence.  I am shocked - shocked, I tell you  - that he has but two votes to date!   Will future generations of listeners look back on us (assuming these binary concatenations are preserved) with bewilderment or worse, distaste?

GOOD MAN!
er, lizard.

[San Antone]

He was one of my honorable mentions.

Yes, all good criteria. I assume you have or will vote Igor.

I count that as an Igor vote!

I voted Other since my choice (John Cage) was not listed.

[NJ Joe]

I've been a member since 2005 and I can assure you, most of it is content. I certainly don't have time to bicker over minute grammar and bullshit like that ..

The ellipsis should be 3 dots.

[NJ Joe]

Bartok is certainly my favorite of those listed, followed by Stravinsky, Debussy, and Ravel.  Unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough with the work of many of the other composers to even subjectively declare a "greatest".

[NJ Joe]

You forgot the little dash above the "o" in Bartók's name.

Excellent! 

[Sergeant Rock]

I heartily applaud the single Debussy voter for recognizing the importance of his music.  However, I can not support his candidacy since he did not live long enough into the 20th century (which I think should be past 1950) to have the kind of chronological presence I think is necessary.

So what metric should be used to measure greatness?

I offer these:

Lifetime falls squarely within the 20th century

So Beethoven would not get your vote as the greatest 19th Century composer because he didn't live until at least 1850? 

Sarge

[San Antone]

So Beethoven would not get your vote as the greatest 19th Century composer because he didn't live until at least 1850? 

Sarge

Beethoven is a exceptional case since he is unquestionably a great composer, but his life was almost equally split between the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th, with most of his adult life occurring in the 19th.   I could accept him as a 19th c. composer easier than Debussy or Mahler as 20th c. composers, because their lives occurred mainly in the 19th c. 

But back to Beethoven, I  consider him a Classical period composer (agreeing with Charles Rosen), a style which mainly occurred in the 18th century, so I'd put him more into that period.