Top (number) composers you haven't heard much (or any) of

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

And also you would like to explore more of. Any number of composers form anywhere. Even famous composers you've heard less than say 50% of their output.

Beethoven
Bach
Sibelius
Thorvaldsdottir
Saed Haddad
Wolfgang Rihm
Dusapin
Mohammed Fairouz
Scelsi
Ginastera
Perotin
Unsuk Chin
Schumann
Schuman
Bernstein
Berio
Saariaho
Nono
Kagel
Mantovani
Messiaen
Ravel



I don't know how many that is, but those are my top composers who seem to fall into the following categories for me:

1. Composers whose names I know but whose music I don't (yet). Often these are composers that I've read about, read reviews about their music, read a biography online etc.

2. Composers whose music I've heard a small number of times and I've been intrigued to explore their output more.

3. Composers who have written music I've heard many many times, but I've only heard less than half (sometimes much much less than half) of their total output and I really want to explore more.


Now your turn.

[Jo498]

I think having heard (the right) 40% of e.g. Bach, Händel, Haydn, Schubert or even many other composers with smaller oeuvres will usually give one adaequate knowledge of the composer.
Of course not if someone e.g. has heard only Schubert's symphonies and piano sonatas, no vocal works. But with the right mix one does not have to listen to most or all of 600 songs and all 10 early string quartets or whatever to claim to know Schubert's music well.

Or take Sibelius. I'd venture a guess that - before that big BIS edition appeared - many listeners who had not read long biographies etc. would have thought that with the symphonies, some tone poems, Kullervo, violin concerto and may the string quartet and a handful of songs they had listened to most/all relevant works by the composer. They might have been right about the "relevance" but quantitatively they were dead wrong.

Beethoven: probably around or >90%. I have even heard a lot of the Irish/Scottish songs and have a complete recording of them

Bach: I'd say I have heard/know all the major works but quantitatively probably around 60-70% as I have only heard about half or so of the cantatas and do not know many of the "smaller" organ and keyboard pieces.

Sibelius: see above. I miss several tone poems, most theater music, songs etc. so in quantity a lot might be missing but I have heard all well known works.

Thorvaldsdottir: never heard name
Saed Haddad: never heard name
Wolfgang Rihm: Have about two pieces on disc but only heard once or twice
Dusapin: only heard name
Mohammed Fairouz: never heard name
Scelsi: only heard name and maybe a few pieces on the radio
Ginastera: maybe two pieces on anthologies but do not know well.
Perotin: about one disc worth or a little less on Gothic Era anthologies
Unsuk Chin: nothing
Schumann: most major works known and probably >70% heard (missing a few lieder and several ouvertures and choral works)
Schuman: 1-2 pieces, do not know well
Bernstein: Know West Side Story, Candide, a few more Theatre/film pieces (On the waterfront), have the symphonies on disc, not sure if I heard them...
Berio: a few pieces heard, don't know well
Saariaho: nothing
Nono: One disc (Pollini/Abbado on DG) heard about once, maybe another piece or two on anthologies
Kagel: not sure, recently heard a single movement from a piano trio which I liked but recordings seemed expensive, so postponed
Mantovani: nothing
Messiaen: the Quatuor is the only piece I know well enough to recognize it. But I have on disc and heard Turangalila and a few more pieces, both orchestral and piano solo.
Ravel: small oeuvre, I have probably heard >70% at least once. Missing a few songs and do not know the operas well (although have them on disc)

[springrite]

If we use 50%, then from the list, I have heard more than 50% of the output of Beethoven and possible Schumann. Ravel may be close. Bach I have no idea.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Well, which composers, any composers at all, would you consider exploring any time soon? That's basically what I am asking above all else.

[James]

I've pretty much checked out all the major works & composers known in all of the various eras. I tend to hone in on the best works of world famous composers. If those speak to me in a big way, then I explore further .. which could lead to every possible nook & cranny. Looking back in hindsight, very rarely is that required though, as a very small percentage of individuals warrant it in my experiences. Generally, the greater the composer, the longer the rap sheet of artistic excellence to check out. When I was much younger and had more time on my hands, was totally inexperienced, I wasn't as discerning .. and would endlessly explore work .. often with less than pleasing results.

[ritter]

Beethoven: probably around or >90%. I have even heard a lot of the Irish/Scottish songs and have a complete recording of them

But not the English and Welsh songs? Unforgivable! You really can't say you know your Beethoven until you have an intimate knowledge of those...

In my case, I would say I am fairly knowledgeable of more than 90% of the output of a number of composers that interest me. Wagner (including the early operas, the piano music, the songs and the orchestral or choral pieces--some of them quite dreadful, I must admit), Stravinsky (probably everything of his that's been recorded), Debussy, Ravel and Boulez likewise. Schoenberg, Varèse, Webern, Berg and Falla must be close as well. With other 20th century classics such as Berio and Maderna, we're probably at around 75% to 80%. Elliott Carter perhaps in the 60% area (these are guesstimates, of course). And, yes, I know about every note by Reynaldo Hahn that's made it to recorded media  . Poulenc & Honegger about 50% I would say (even if I own the "complete works" of the former). Of Milhaud, I can't say (he composed sooo much  ).

As for Beethoven and Mozart, my acquaitance probably falls to ca. 40 to 50%, with Bach and Haydn that falls further (30ish?). Apart from the fact that these composers have huge outputs, the fact that I'm not really into chamber music (with a particular--irrational?--aversion to the "violin sonata" as a genre  and to the harpsichord as an instrument--with honourable exceptions in both cases, of course) prevents me from actively wanting to push the boundaries of my exposure to them.

Usually, when I discover a composer that "clicks" with me, I want to get to know his oeuvre more and more (and fairly quickly). Sometimes, as well, this process is suddenly cut short (temporarily?) when I encounter somthing by him / her that I dsilike. It happened recently to me with Nielsen (a very late disvovery in my case): prompted mainly by the accolades read here in GMG, I explored the symphonies (great!), the concertos (great!), the operas (nice), but then, when I listened to Springtime in Funen I said to myself "Goodness! I don't like this at all" . And I haven't ventured any further (for the time being--I know there's hidden gems waiting to be discovered by me). A similar experience happened to me with Stockhausen (much longer ago): carefully avoiding the more bizarre and "recherché exotica" parts of his oeuvre, I found much to admire in each new piece of his that I discovered, until I hit the third (in chronological order) of the Licht operas, Montag  . Again, this work really cooled things down for me..

Then there's some composers whose music I explpored many years ago with enthusiam (Shostakovich, Lutoslawski, or Verdi, Britten and other opera folk), but then abandoned and have not felt the faintest urge to reestablish contact with...

[Mirror Image]

I can't say there are too many composers left that I would like to explore more in-depth. Usually what happens is if I dislike a work I heard of a newly discovered composer, this almost automatically halts my exploration of the composer's music. I would think "I'm not going to waste my time right now hearing anything else." Sometimes I can get past the mental block, but, in most cases, I find myself returning to their music later on and trying a different work to see if I can get into their music. Messiaen was like this for me. I believe the first work I heard of his was Turangalila-Symphonie and I disliked it. I thought it was just a garbled mess at that time. When I returned to his music, I chose a different work to listen to and this was L'ascension (an earlier work). I was completely mesmerized by it. Such majestic sounds! As a result, I returned to Turangalila-Symphonie and it enjoyed it more, but even now I still have difficulty appreciating the work in it's entirety.

[James]

A byproduct of all the exploration/learning, to get to where I am now, have been for years now .. was an amassed library of music that I could re-visit. My shelves are packed with major composers & works of all eras that don't really speak to me much, or that I've outgrown a taste for. Only a very, very tiny percentage of all name composers have longstanding status for me. And even a smaller number of works actually have great significance & meaning for me.

[Sergeant Rock]

A byproduct of all the exploration/learning, to get to where I am now, have been for years now .. was an amassed library of music that I could re-visit. My shelves are packed with major composers & works of all eras that don't really speak to me much, or that I've outgrown a taste for. Only a very, very tiny percentage of all name composers have longstanding status for me. And even a smaller number of works actually have great significance & meaning for me.

In other words, you don't really like music. That certainly explains your obsession with Stockhausen 

Sarge

[James]

In other words, you don't really like music. That certainly explains your obsession with Stockhausen 

Sarge

Nice. But seriously, I love music .. or I wouldn't have even bothered wasting so much of my time and money doing that. I would have probably listened to the latest flavor of the month delivered via some shitty pop-oriented radio station and nothing more. But no, I even have a studio, with recording equipment, instruments & gear, endless books & videos etc.  .. so it inspired me to want to play & create music of my own (my stuff sucks mind you, but it gives me great peace of mind and further insight into the creative process and some major perspective on what it takes to be "great").

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Am I right in assuming that for some people, they don't really feel inclined to learn about more music any more?

[EigenUser]

Am I right in assuming that for some people, they don't really feel inclined to learn about more music any more?

I think you are right. People should look at not liking something as an opportunity to learn more.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I think you are right. People should look at not liking something as an opportunity to learn more.

I'm not going to judge them for it....but I thought that people generally like to learn in this way for this reason. But then again, I'm young, naïve etc. 

[Chronochromie]

Messiaen

My own list would be:

Britten
Berio
Scelsi
Pintscher
Dean
JS Bach
CPE Bach
Beethoven!
Stockhausen
Lachenmann
Charpentier
Mondonville
Campra
Kurtag
Feldman
Sorabji
Honegger
Poulenc
Milhaud
Tailleferre
Durey
Auric
Xenakis
Palestrina
Carter
Glass
Chabrier
Roussel
Caplet
Takemitsu
Jon Leifs
Dufourt
Penderecki
Josquin
L. Andriessen
J. Anderson
Ferneyhough
Finnissy
López López
Francisco López
Janacek
Myaskovsky
Brahms
Berwald
J. Haydn
M. Haydn
Mozart
Cherubini
Biber
Schutz
Gombert
Handel?
Buxtehude
Purcell
Tallis
Byrd
Dvorak
Elgar?
Grieg
L. Couperin
Glazunov
Balakirev
Gershwin
Hindemith


And probably more...

I've heard a lot of music by some of these (Beethoven, Poulenc, JS Bach) and very little by others (Dufourt, Buxtehude, Lachenmann) but all of these I want to get to know well/better.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

^^^What Elliott Carter pieces have you heard? A lot of his late chamber music pieces are quite short and sweet and very much worthwhile exploring.

[James]

But then again, I'm young, naïve etc. 

True.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

True.

Can you recommend me some Nono?

[Chronochromie]

^^^What Elliott Carter pieces have you heard? A lot of his late chamber music pieces are quite short and sweet and very much worthwhile exploring.

A couple of string quartets, the cello concerto, the Concerto for orchestra, I didn't like them at the time but they were interesting...It's been a while though. Maybe now that I've gotten into more difficult stuff it will be easier to get into his work.

[James]

Can you recommend me some Nono?

I have quite a lot of Nono in my library, and spent a lot of time listening to his stuff. Try his cantata .. Il canto sospeso, a "dark-corner" masterpiece, but you may want to program the few reading bits out, or even try the instrumental Polifonica-monodia-ritmica or Canti per 13.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I have quite a lot of Nono in my library, and spent a lot of time listening to his stuff. Try his cantata .. Il canto sospeso, a "dark-corner" masterpiece, but you may want to program the few reading bits out, or even try the instrumental Polifonica-monodia-ritmica or Canti per 13.

Thank you I'll be sure to listen to these.