Top 10 non-Great composers we love

[Pierre]

Here's a lighter variant of the game that's been going on (I don't know if George approves or not, but this was inspired by his request for a more 'fun' version). The idea is to vote for the composer you most love but would never cite as a 'great' composer (ie with the technical awesomeness of the likes of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Schoenberg etc), and give a negative vote for a composer you feel least qualifies for those moments of sheer soft-centred indulgence you cherish as part of your weekly classical music diet.

Rules:

1- One vote a day (a + and -).
2- Once a composer reaches 30 points he goes to the equivalent of candyfloss land, and another composer enters the competition.
3. Once a composer is eliminated, that probably qualifies them to go to the Hall of Fame; anyway, a new composer then enters competition.
4. The last person to vote for the elimination or to promote a composer to candyfloss land is the one who enters the new composer.
5. 10 composers in competition in each "round"

Here goes the first 10 with 10 points each

Aram Khachaturian 10
Ottorino Respighi 10
Alexander Zemlinsky 10
Albert Ketelbey 10
Erich Korngold 10
John Tavener 10
Arnold Bax 10
Arthur Sullivan 10
Richard Rodney Bennett 10
Ferencz Lehar 10


Go!

[greg]

Aram Khachaturian 10
Ottorino Respighi 11  +
Alexander Zemlinsky 10
Albert Ketelbey 10
Erich Korngold 10
John Tavener 10
Arnold Bax 10
Arthur Sullivan 10
Richard Rodney Bennett 10
Ferencz Lehar 9    -

the only problem is, a few of those names are a little bit too obscure...

[Pierre]

the only problem is, a few of those names are a little bit too obscure...

Thanks for voting. Which names don't you know? I'll be very glad to make some suggestions of fun/sweet pieces any of those guys wrote.

[not edward]

Aram Khachaturian 10
Ottorino Respighi 11
Alexander Zemlinsky 11 (+)
Albert Ketelbey 10
Erich Korngold 10
John Tavener 10
Arnold Bax 10
Arthur Sullivan 9 (-)
Richard Rodney Bennett 10
Ferencz Lehar 9

[greg]

Thanks for voting. Which names don't you know? I'll be very glad to make some suggestions of fun/sweet pieces any of those guys wrote.

Aram Khachaturian, John Tavener, Erich Korngold, Arnold Bax- i know and have heard a little of
Ottorino Respighi- i like
Alexander Zemlinsky, Ferencz Lehar- heard of, haven't listened to yet
Richard Rodney Bennett, Arthur Sullivan, Albert Ketelbey- never heard of

i -ed Lehar because i thought he was the guy who wrote an anti-modernist article against Boulez, but it was possibly someone else.

[The new erato]

The problem with this thread is that people will be +ing and -ing composers thay have no knowledge of.

How (Ferenc = Franz) Lehar, the operetta composer, cold have written an anti-Boulez article, is beyond me.  Just goes to show ......

[greg]

How (Ferenc = Franz) Lehar, the operetta composer, cold have written an anti-Boulez article, is beyond me.  Just goes to show ......

see, i knew it! I knew i was wrong! lol

how about a list with slightly more common composers, like Vaughan Williams, Johann Strauss, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, etc. but not Beethoven and Brahms?

[Wendell_E]

Arthur Sullivan... never heard of

Replace the 'Arthur' with 'Gilbert &'.  Ring a bell now?   

If I were participating, I'd give Lehár a '-' as often as possible.

[The new erato]

Lehar was great in a genre not aspiring to greatness - so he's a sure loser here despite having written some delicious music.

[greg]

Replace the 'Arthur' with 'Gilbert &'.  Ring a bell now?   

i suppose so

[Wendell_E]

How (Ferenc = Franz) Lehar, the operetta composer, cold have written an anti-Boulez article, is beyond me.  Just goes to show ......

Lehár did live until 1948, so he could have heard some early Boulez (1st Piano sontata--1946), I suppose.  Somehow, I can't imagine him writing a pro-Boulez article.   

[Don]

A fine starting list.  Here's my input:

Aram Khachaturian 10
Ottorino Respighi 11
Alexander Zemlinsky 12 +
Albert Ketelbey 9 -
Erich Korngold 10
John Tanvener 10
Arnold Bax 10
Arthur Sullivan 9
Richard Rodney Bennett 10
Ferencz Lehar 9

[Siedler]

Oh, this is great! I haven't heard music from all (well...uh most) of the composers on the list, though. 

Aram Khachaturian 10
Ottorino Respighi 11
Alexander Zemlinsky 12
Albert Ketelbey 9
Erich Korngold 11 +
John Tanvener 10
Arnold Bax 10
Arthur Sullivan 9
Richard Rodney Bennett 10
Ferencz Lehar 8 -

[not edward]

I don't suppose we can replace John Tavener with John Taverner, in my opinion a much more interesting composer?

[Brian]

What an odd list!!

[The Emperor]

The only one i know of the list is Tavener, and i'm not that familiar with is work anyway....
Better not to vote in this one

[Sydney Grew]

Aram Khachaturian 10
Ottorino Respighi 11
Alexander Zemlinsky 12
Albert Ketelbey 9
Erich Korngold 11
John Tanvener 10
Arnold Bax 10 + 1 = 11
Arthur Sullivan 9
Richard Rodney Bennett 10 - 1 = 9
Ferencz Lehar 8

[gmstudio]

I was hoping this was just going to be a "list your own top 10," which, IMO, would be much more useful.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Zemlinsky "non-great"?

[springrite]

Aram Khachaturian 10-1=9
Ottorino Respighi 11
Alexander Zemlinsky 12+1=13
Albert Ketelbey 9
Erich Korngold 11
John Tanvener 10
Arnold Bax 11
Arthur Sullivan 9
Richard Rodney Bennett 9
Ferencz Lehar 8