100 Greatest Composers!!!

[Opus106]

Well, Rossini has composed more for Warner Bros. cartoons than Nielsen, indirectly influencing the life of many in the future to classical music.

[mn dave]

Well, Rossini has composed more for Warner Bros. cartoons than Nielsen, indirectly influencing the life of many in the future to classical music.

Yes, Rossini is HUGE!

[Kullervo]

Yes, Rossini is HUGE!

Well he could never eat just one chocolate eclair whenever the plate came around.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Yes, Rossini is HUGE!

Rossini is a splendid composer. Seriously.

As for Dundonnell's changes, I would make most of 'em myself. Except to put Respighi at about #400, or maybe #398 if I'm feeling charitable. Havergal Brian - maybe in the top 1000.

[mn dave]

Rossini is a splendid composer. Seriously.

As for Dundonnell's changes, I would make most of 'em myself. Except to put Respighi at about #400, or maybe #398 if I'm feeling charitable. Havergal Brian - maybe in the top 1000.

I agree on Respighi. Does anyone actually enjoy his music?

I haven't heard enough Brian to have an opinion and I probably never will. Music for the chamber is my bag.

[Dundonnell]

I agree on Respighi. Does anyone actually enjoy his music?

I haven't heard enough Brian to have an opinion and I probably never will. Music for the chamber is my bag.

Did you say "does anyone actually enjoy (Respighi's) music?"...??

The answer is 'YES'. Lots of people enjoy Respighi-some of them live here   I am one! Rich, colourful, dramatic, exciting, sensuous...Respighi's music is all of these. He was a masterly orchestrator(both of his own and other people's music). He was respected-indeed revered-in Italian musical circles. He was highly influential.

Whether I would place him in the top 100 is another matter. He MIGHT creep in but certainly not ahead of Nielsen!!!!

[The new erato]

I agree on Respighi. Does anyone actually enjoy his music?

I do. Doesn't mean he does belong in the list.

[ChamberNut]

There isn't anyway anyone can come up with a purely objective list of the greatest 100.  Impossible.  Therefore, I would say this list is as good as anything anyone else might come up with.

The names in particular that struck me as perhaps as a little high or a little low were the following:

Too low:

3.   Bach, JS (he should be # 1)
16. Dvorak
23. Shostakovich
56. Franck

Too high:

9.   Handel
32. Puccini
63. Gershwin
80. Cage

[71 dB]

Too high:

9.   Handel
32. Puccini

Not a fan of operas? If you were you'd understand the value of these composers.   

[tr. pianist]

James,
Some operas are a lots of fun. How about Mozart's operas. His love of life comes so clearly in his operas.
How about Rossine.
People can have fun in their lives.
I am off opera now myself. I love Bach very much.

[drogulus]

There isn't anyway anyone can come up with a purely objective list of the greatest 100. 

      You could make it a blue* list of 100 composers. Then it would be objectively blue and 100.

      You're right that you can't make an objective list of greatness without greatness being something that could be given an objective definition, so it didn't depend on anyone thinking so. Then you could make the list and not worry about what people thought about it, since it would be a statement of fact and not just an opinion.

      _{*For this purpose I think we can postpone the question of what blue objectively is and just use a definition like "blue is this color".}
 
     

[greg]

At least this list has some modernists and Schoenberg is on there......

[(poco) Sforzando]

I get physically ill listening to that. 

You're assuming cause and effect. 

[Lethevich]

All hail the lunatic list!

[tr. pianist]

This is for people who don't like opera. Do you know Beethoven's Fidelio?
How about Katerina Izmailova by Shostakovich or Cunning little vixen by Yanacek. I recently heard Blue Beard's Castle by Barok and I liked it. How about Musirgsky's Boris Godunov?

There are such different operas in style and in content. It is difficult not to like all genre.

[mn dave]

All hail the lunatic list!

Shirley, you jest, Sara. 

[Dundonnell]

All hail the lunatic list!

That is a VERY scary photo

[Dundonnell]

That's the only one I truly love as-a-whole, but it's more of a monodrama than an opera proper imo.

Fantastic work!

The scene where the door is opened and the whole of Bluebeard's kingdom is shown is absolutely magnificent

[karlhenning]

That's the only one I truly love as-a-whole, but it's more of a monodrama than an opera proper imo.

Monodrama is a strange description for a play with two characters.

[tr. pianist]

what about Musirgsky opera like Boris Godunov or Chovanschina.
There are so many different approaches to opera. I don't like Puccini very much, but his Turandot is good.

How about Mondeverdi? He has good operas.