How many composers do you know anything of?

[Symphonic Addict]

Wise comes with age? If so, the more you stick to your preferences, the deeper you can go and get more enjoyment from your all-time favorite composers or styles? I read that on another thread and sounded interesting, and sounded fairly good, I can work the idea.

But my question is: how many composers have you heard from at least one work or anything? It can be either known or vaguely heard, just the ones you could put on a list. In my personal case I'd say 1000 or so that could come to my mind, and I tend to agree with the statement of sticking to the music with which your soul and brain resonate the most.

A composer a day to reach 1000 dawns. A weird challenge. Not that bad idea, is it? 

[Mirror Image]

I'm not really sure I understand what's being asked?

[accmacmus]

But my question is: how many composers have you heard from at least one work or anything? It can be either known or vaguely heard, just the ones you could put on a list. In my personal case I'd say 1000 or so that could come to my mind, and I tend to agree with the statement of sticking to the music with which your soul and brain resonate the most.

I would say less than 1000 in my case. It is difficult to answer because along with your collection (which you can check with a linear meter) there are festivals, masses, etc. which might increase the number.

[Mirror Image]

Okay, I think I get what's being asked. I don't really keep count.

[71 dB]

I calculated something like this about 10 years ago and I estimated having music of about 100 composers. So, I'd say perhaps 200?

[steve ridgway]

Less than 100 for me. I am finding enough from a dozen composers to keep me satisfied.

[amw]

About 4500 composers in my music library, but probably a few dozen more counting all of the concerts I've been to where I didn't subsequently obtain a recording by the composer involved.

[Florestan]

Okay, I think I get what's being asked.

Yeah, something like asking a working girl how many customers she had. 

I don't really keep count.

Neither do I. Probably somewhere between 100 and 200.

[MusicTurner]

The result of an almost life-long interest, a collection catalogue listing music of around 2270 composers, almost exclusively in the old media of LPs and CDs.

First count, actually.

That said, obviously I wouldn't necessarily recognize some of the more obscure names immediately as composers.

[MusicTurner]

About 4500 composers in my music library, but probably a few dozen more counting all of the concerts I've been to where I didn't subsequently obtain a recording by the composer involved.

Impressive; supposedly comprising a real lot of pre-1800 and/or post-WW II composers? Or do you have any other specialist fields?

[amw]

That's a quick estimate from last.fm. (the actual number of "artists" is 4518 but I've gotta exclude e.g. "Johann Sebastian Bach/Ferruccio Busoni" or "Anonymous" or "Catalan Traditional" etc.)

I do believe most of that is 20th & 21st century—not that I don't also have a lot of pre-1900 composers as well but there's generally less variety available in that category. There's no easy way to check though, I would have to count them by hand, as far as I know.

[The new erato]

By or of? I know lots of music by composers I know little of.

[71 dB]

Less than 100 for me. I am finding enough from a dozen composers to keep me satisfied.

I used to have this kind of sentiment before coming to this forum (a few dozen maybe for me), but now I explore music because I feel inferior to people talking about composers I don't know. For example I would have never explored Atterberg otherwise. Maybe I should go back to the old sentiment 20 years ago and not care about what other people like, know and explore and instead explore my own things on my own terms? Especially when I am clearly not so much into 20th century Symphonic music as most people here seem to be. I seem to get more out of the music of Buxtehude's last pupil Johann Christian Schieferdecker than the Symphonies from 1945 or so people keep discussing here... 

Of course I should tell myself people are just mean when they constantly tell me I don't know anything, but years and years into it has had it's effect and I have started to believe I am the worst person ever. It doesn't help I struggle in everynthing in life. I don't fit anywhere. I am so vulnerable and no matter what I try to boost my self-confidence I fail. But hey, at least I know Atterberg's Symphonies now and I discovered his great Cello Concerto... 

[Christo]

By or of? I know lots of music by composers I know little of.

+1

[vandermolen]

I'm really not too sure.

[Florestan]

I used to have this kind of sentiment before coming to this forum (a few dozen maybe for me), but now I explore music because I feel inferior to people talking about composers I don't know. For example I would have never explored Atterberg otherwise. Maybe I should go back to the old sentiment 20 years ago and not care about what other people like, know and explore and instead explore my own things on my own terms?   

Of course you should do exactly that and screw anybody else, including me.  You like what you like, period; if you try to like something you don't like and find out that you still dislike it, then give up on it and move on. Nobody can, or should, like everything.

Stick to your likings --- there are profound reasons for them.

[71 dB]

I checked all composers starting with "A" I have at least one work on CD and can say I know something about:

ADAMS, John (b. 1947)
ADÈS, Thomas (b. 1971)
AIKMAN, James (b. 1959)
ALAIN, Jehan (1911-1940)
ALBÉNIZ, Isaac (1860-1909)
ALBERT, Heinrich (1604-1651)
ALBERTINI, Ignazio (c. 1644-1685)
ALBINONI, Tomaso Giovanni (1671-1751)
ALBRICI, Vincenzo (1631-1696)
ALFONSO X 'EL SABIO' (1221-1284)
ALWYN, William (1905-1985)
ARNOLD, Samuel (1740-1802)

That's 12 composers. If every 26th surname start with "A" we can approximate the amount of composers I have music of on CD: 12*26 = 312, but some letters are very rare ('O', 'X', 'Y', 'Z' for example) and it seems I have only two composers starting with 'Z': Zelenka and Zwilich. That means the frequency of 'A' is probably higher than 1/26 and I have perhaps 200-250 composers... ...half of them composers I am not really into, but are part of CDs of several composers.

Of course you should do exactly that and screw anybody else, including me.  You like what you like, period; if you try to like something you don't like and find out that you still dislike it, then give up on it and move on. Nobody can, or should, like everything.

Stick to your likings --- there are profound reasons for them.

That's all reasonable and logical, but how am I supposed to express my own taste for example on this forum in order to do it right? I feel like pissing people off with my opinions (just look at the Hasse debate), but you say I should do exactly that and screw anybody else.  So, did I do the Hasse thing right or wrong? It reflects my taste, but all I got was people convincing me Hasse was much weaker composer than Mozart! I enjoy Hasse nearly as much as Mozart so clearly the weakness (lack of Mozart level genius) of Hasse is not an issue for me. Clearly I can enjoy dumb music too if it happens to be enjoyable! Why does everything have to be the smartest thing ever? Dumb can be fun. I like a lot of pop music for example and it's pretty dumb (but has hooks and can be extremely well produced these days). I can jump from J. S. Bach's B minor mass to Katy Perry's new single Daisies and enjoy them both for offering totally different musical things. For me things like "the first movement of this Symphony is written in perfect sonata form" means nothing if I find the harmonies, rhythm, melodies and orchestration dull. So, if your favorite composers are masters of form rather than harmony, rhythm, melody and orchestration chances are I find his/her music dull. Sorry.

[Florestan]

I checked all composers starting with "A" I have at least one work on CD and can say I know something about:

ADAMS, John (b. 1947)
ADÈS, Thomas (b. 1971)
AIKMAN, James (b. 1959)
ALAIN, Jehan (1911-1940)
ALBÉNIZ, Isaac (1860-1909)
ALBERT, Heinrich (1604-1651)
ALBERTINI, Ignazio (c. 1644-1685)
ALBINONI, Tomaso Giovanni (1671-1751)
ALBRICI, Vincenzo (1631-1696)
ALFONSO X 'EL SABIO' (1221-1284)
ALWYN, William (1905-1985)
ARNOLD, Samuel (1740-1802)

No Atterberg?   

how am I supposed to express my own taste for example on this forum in order to do it right?

State your own taste and then don't reply anymore to any post that challenges it. You stated Hasse is almost as good as Mozart and then you replied to each and every post objecting to that. Why? You said what you had to say and that's it. Whoever agrees agrees, whoever disagrees disagrees; in both cases you and your taste remain just the same. Oh, and it might help enormously if you add "in my opinion" or "according to my taste" or whatever formulation you wish that shows that what you write works for you personally but you have no objection whatever if anyone else thinks differently. 

[71 dB]

No Atterberg?   

No, because I just recently ordered my first Atterberg disc and it hasn't arrived yet... 
Anyway soon Atterberg will join the list... ...however it's true I do know about his music already...

State your own taste and then don't reply anymore to any post that challenges it. You stated Hasse is almost as good as Mozart and then you replied to each and every post objecting to that. Why? You said what you had to say and that's it. Whoever agrees agrees, whoever disagrees disagrees; in both cases you and your taste remain just the same. Oh, and it might help enormously if you add "in my opinion" or "according to my taste" or whatever formulation you wish that shows that what you write works for you personally but you have no objection whatever if anyone else thinks differently. 

Yeah, often I am tempted to do just that, but it feels rude to "ignore" the comments of others.

I believe scholars think Hasse was one of the greatest composers of the 18th century which I interpreted "almost as good as Mozart", but apparently Mozart was 100 times better than anyone else so this doesn't apply. That's why I said it with confidence beyond "in my opinion."

All of this is so subjective. What does  "almost as good as Mozart" mean? Who was "almost as good as Mozart"? Haydn? How high does Hasse rank in the list of 18th century composers? Fifth? 10th? 20th? 30th? How high are those who are  "almost as good as Mozart"? I still say in my opinion the difference between the fame and reputation of these two composers is bigger than the difference in quality of music. I would be ok if Hasse had the reputation of Boccherini, but he doesn't, not even close. Is Boccherini better than Hasse? Is HE "almost as good as Mozart"? 

(I enjoy both Boccherini AND Hasse about as much, both great 18th century composers to me.)

[Florestan]

All of this is so subjective.

Of course it is.

What does  "almost as good as Mozart" mean?

You said it, so it's on you to explain. 

(Just kidding, man --- please, please, please don't start explaining it!)

Who was "almost as good as Mozart"? Haydn?

In my opinion and according to my taste Haydn was better than Mozart in some specific areas (symphonies, string quartets, masses) --- with the obvious caveat that he lived much longer than Mozart.

How high does Hasse rank in the list of 18th century composers? Fifth? 10th? 20th? 30th? How high are those who are  "almost as good as Mozart"?

Why does it matter to you so much?

I still say in my opinion the difference between the fame and reputation of these two composers is bigger than the difference in quality of music. I would be ok if Hasse had the reputation of Boccherini, but he doesn't, not even close. Is Boccherini better than Hasse? Is HE "almost as good as Mozart"? 

Ditto.

(I enjoy both Boccherini AND Hasse about as much, both great 18th century composers to me.)

Then you should devote to listening to their music much more time than you devote to writing about their music. It's as simple as that.