Greatest composer of the 20th century?

[Mirror Image]

Agreed.  However, of all the styles used in the 20th c. I think the Late Romantic is least representative since it is more associated with the late 19th c.  Since the 20th c. has so much stylistic variety and experimentation why would the style which is the least experimental be seen as uniquely representative of the 20th c.?

Because Romanticism didn't die at the end of the 19th Century. All styles of the 20th Century are representative of this era in music, but not one of them is more important than the other. Each of them, I believe, have their own place.

[Florestan]

The question I posed is more challenging meaningless, oft vainly asked, and requires more thought intellectual masturbation.

Fixed.

[San Antone]

Because Romanticism didn't die at the end of the 19th Century. All styles of 20th Century are representative of this period. Each of them, I believe, have their own place.

They all have their place; but in order to represent the period there has to be more than simply a fact of their existence.  IMO. 

[Cato]

If you had a little more wit, you would understand that "because James says so" is not an argument.

But it sure does cause arguments! 

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[Mirror Image]

They all have their place; but in order to represent the period there has to be more than simply a fact of their existence.  IMO.

So the lineage of composers that Sarge mentioned in his previous post doesn't count as a good representation of how Romanticism still influenced composers?

[Florestan]

Not funny

Of course not. I am dead serious.

[Mirror Image]

Anyone else see how this thread is mired down by a lot of parasitic activity. God, forums are FULL of losers, who have NO brains and lots of free time.

Pot calling the kettle black.

[Florestan]

It has a lot relevance on here .. as I currently think you do NOTHING.

As opposed to you, who do, what, copy-pasting press releases and starting polls?

[Mirror Image]

It has a lot relevance on here .. as I currently think you do NOTHING.

Actually, it doesn't, and the fact that you believe it does, speaks volumes of your inadequacy and how you'll never make any friends here with your childish, take-no-prisoners attitude and rampant superiority complex.

[Karl Henning]

God, forums are FULL of losers, who have NO brains and lots of free time.

"If you disagree with me, you have NO brains."

LOL

[Mirror Image]

Why do I even bother ..

A question I'm sure most of us are wondering as well.

[San Antone]

From my blog

However, the hallmark of the 20th century is the many styles that were used by composers.  For every serialist there were neo-romantics or actual romantics.  For every minimalist there were composers writing music of the new complexity.  Composers created works from a pastiche of styles bridging world music, popular music, various classical styles and periods into a gumbo of post-modern expression which both referenced the past and spoke for a generation which refused to view the world, much less art, in hierarchical terms.

Depending upon our taste preferences, the composer whom looms the largest could be any of the names mentioned.  What the 20th century ushered in is the freedom to appreciate all the different styles composers choose to work in and receive the music without filtering it through a cultural judgment of whether it is great or not and mitigating the idea of any single composer  as "the greatest".

[Karl Henning]

Forgive a trivial corrigendum:  . . . who looms . . . .

Good blog post, thanks.

[San Antone]

Forgive a trivial corrigendum:  . . . who looms . . . .

Good blog post, thanks.

Thanks for the correction - I should really proof these better.

[Karl Henning]

It's the erstwhile copy editor in me    Glad that it can at times be of service to a friend.

[knight66]

Any more invective or sniping and I will close the thread to allow for certain people to calm down. Let's discuss music please, not the folk who post about it.

Knight

[Dancing Divertimentian]

To me it's pretty straight forward, although I'm certain the OP won't be happy with my answer.

Prokofiev is the man. Hands down. Why? Using the "Scale of Musical Prowess" Prokofiev rates at or near the top of a wide variety of mediums. Just as e.g. Mozart excelled at, well, everything (opera, symphonic/orchestral, chamber, concerto, solo piano, incidental music, choral, etc...), Prokofiev too excelled similarly. Hence "The Scale®".

Mozart/Prokofiev of course aren't the only composers to have attempted works in each of these mediums. Not to mention other composers can stake claims to greatness without ever going near any number of these mediums. But to rate highly on The Scale® medium-hopping with ease and producing consistent gold is requisite. Tough standards but since we're talking about the GREATEST of a particular century we gotta go big.

So applying The Scale® to Prokofiev:

√ opera
√ symphonic/orchestral
√ chamber
√ concerto
√ solo piano (Sarge likely will have words with me, here)
√ incidental music
√ choral

Checklist in good shape. Add to that a uniformly high standard of quality in each medium and The Scale® tops out in the 20th c. with the man Prokofiev. 

[Mirror Image]

Prokofiev is definitely a candidate, but, as I mentioned before, I could never be objective with this kind of thing. The 20th Century is just so stylistically diverse that choosing one seems pointless.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Prokofiev is definitely a candidate, but, as I mentioned before, I could never be objective with this kind of thing. The 20th Century is just so stylistically diverse that choosing one seems pointless.

Yeah, I'm with you. I'm not much for this kind of thing really but it can be fun kicking it around.