Representative composers of the Western hemisphere

[arkiv]

In your opinion, who are the most representative dead composers of the "New World"?
Include underrated authors.

I propose some of them:

Sumaya - Salas - Nunes García - Villalobos- Chávez - Ginastera - Williams - Revueltas - Sandi - Ponce - Moncayo - Uribe_Holguín - Ives - Copland - Barrios Mangoré - Allende - Valcárcel - Guastavino


https://www.youtube.com/v/j9zTGiUBz1Q



Probably, one of the most popular light classical pieces from the Americas:

"Over the waves", by Juventino Rosas

https://www.youtube.com/v/N2YvhEv7ykM

[some guy]

I'll probably regret asking this, but "representative" of what?

(OK, since it's too late now to matter: "'Popular' to whom?" There. I'm done.)

[Mirror Image]

I don't know about 'representative' but my favorites from Latin America are: Villa-Lobos, Chavez, Revueltas, Ginastera, Guarnieri, and Piazzolla. These composers seem to be under my radar the most often anyway.

[Maestro267]

Why do they have to be dead composers? I'm sure there are many fine living composers in that part of the world.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Ginastera, Kagel, Revueltas?
Coates, Oliveros, Carter?

I'm not sure how to represent the Americas in music, but I hope those six composers would suffice.

[aukhawk]

I really like Ives, but I'm not sure I'd call him 'representative'.
Hovhaness, then.

[James]

I'll probably regret asking this, but "representative" of what?

(OK, since it's too late now to matter: "'Popular' to whom?" There. I'm done.)

A reflection of the modern zeitgeist of course. Art does reflect the times and the people of it to a degree, although the truly great stuff (eg. J.S. Bach) does tend to transcend time and context, continually gathering and growing in meaning, stature and resonance.

All of the composers mentioned in this thread thus far are huge failures IMO. The older guys say much more musically and in-turn speak to a larger group of people too.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

A reflection of the modern zeitgeist of course. Art does reflect the times and the people of it to a degree, although the truly great stuff (eg. J.S. Bach) does tend to transcend time and context, continually gathering and growing in meaning, stature and resonance.

All of the composers mentioned in this thread thus far are huge failures IMO. The older guys say much more musically and in-turn speak to a larger group of people too.

So basically what you're saying is.....


Elliott Carter is a huge failure even though he is a massively famous composer in his own right with his own technique and garnered many commissions and has been heard by many more people in his lifetime than Bach in his lifetime?

Composers like Bach, the 'older guys,' were treated as servants, Elliott Carter was a classical music celebrity in his own lifetime (and still is!) as far as I can tell.

[James]

So basically what you're saying is.....


Elliott Carter is a huge failure even though he is a massively famous composer in his own right with his own technique and garnered many commissions and has been heard by many more people in his lifetime than Bach in his lifetime?

Composers like Bach, the 'older guys,' were treated as servants, Elliott Carter was a classical music celebrity in his own lifetime (and still is!) as far as I can tell.

Hate to say it, but Elliott Carter was a massive failure, his music speaks to virtually no one. It can be easily dismissed and will be forgotten for the most part. No one really knows who he is, or cares. The stuff just isn't that musical either, btw. Try this simple test, walk down virtually any street in the U.S. and ask someone at random if they know him, and if so .. ask them to name a piece and  go even further and ask them to hum or whistle some of it, any of it.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Hate to say it, but Elliott Carter was a massive failure, his music speaks to virtually no one. It can be easily dismissed and will be forgotten for the most part. No one really knows who he is, or cares. The stuff just isn't that musical either, btw. Try this simple test, walk down virtually any street in the U.S. and ask someone at random if they know him, and if so .. ask them to name a piece and  go even further and ask them to hum or whistle some of it, any of it.

So what you're saying is that success is equal to popularity with the masses? I didn't realise you were a Stalinist when it comes to issues of artistic expression. I apologise. I can't argue with someone's strongly held beliefs when it comes down to things like this. I shall continue to hold my own viewpoints rather than try to convince you to think like me, how about that?

[James]

So what you're saying is that success is equal to popularity with the masses? I didn't realise you were a Stalinist when it comes to issues of artistic expression. I apologise.

What I was saying is that most of the composers being mentioned don't really say much to most people of 'our time' as per the thread (if I understand it's intentions correctly) certainly not Elliott Carter (a composer few really understand or care about, to be realistic).

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Me playing Carter https://soundcloud.com/composerofavantgarde/shard-by-elliott-carter

[Brian]

Try this simple test, walk down virtually any street in the U.S. and ask someone at random if they know him, and if so .. ask them to name a piece and  go even further and ask them to hum or whistle some of it, any of it.

Name a composer who would NOT fail this test.

[James]

Name a composer who would NOT fail this test.

A helluva lot more people know the big ones, so your chances are a lot better.

[SimonNZ]

A helluva lot more people know the big ones, so your chances are a lot better.

Like your avatar Bach? Step outside right now and ask one hundred random people to hum something by Bach. Then come back and tell how despite the terrible - probably zero - result you're still going to double down on your previous statement.

[James]

Like your avatar Bach? Step outside right now and ask one hundred random people to hum something by Bach. Then come back and tell how despite the terrible - probably zero - result you're still going to double down on your previous statement.

Simply not true (and YES, I've actually tried it!). It won't take long to eventually run into someone who knows it. AND the stuff is packed with so much memorable melody that the average person can at least take that with them. Something to SING!

[SimonNZ]

Simply not true (and YES, I've actually tried it!). It won't take long to eventually run into someone who knows it. AND the stuff is packed with so much memorable melody that the average person can at least take that with them. Something to SING!

Really? And which Bach works do they hum when you interview them?

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Air on the Victoria's Secret catalogue

[James]

Really?

Yes really ..

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Really really?