Which composer is the most refreshing?

[greg]

When you listen to a certain composer, which one seems to have a voice that is very much unrelated to anything else?

I vote for Bartok, often listening to his music it makes me wonder, "now how did he come up with that?" 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Bartok is good...

But I'd go with Sibelius. And island if ever there was one.

[mahlertitan]

Hugo Wolf, any of his works are definitely "unique".

[btpaul674]

Einojuhani Rautavaara or Per Nørgård

[Mozart]

Mozart gives your body electrolytes back, which water alone can't do.

[Bogey]

Instead of composer, I would offer a tandem.  Hogwood and AAM.  They may not always be my first choice, but I always find them refreshing.  I would include Consortium Classicum and Emma Kirkby in this conversation as well.

[lukeottevanger]

When I saw the thread title, I thought 'Nielsen'. Though obviously Janacek too of course (       ) though he isn't particularly refreshing for me personally, as he is pretty much home turf....

[EmpNapoleon]

I vote for Bartok, often listening to his music it makes me wonder, "now how did he come up with that?" 

I agree.  He's most refreshing.

[71 dB]

Carl Nielsen

[BachQ]

Per Nørgård

[Renfield]

Nielsen and Sibelius, indeed; hard to choose between them. And also Brahms, for me, believe it or not!

[Grazioso]

Bruckner in particular sounds unique. I've only heard a few pieces that sound remotely similar to his work, and two of those were written well after his death.

[BachQ]

And also Brahms, for me, believe it or not!

I was going to say Brahms ....... but no one would believe me........ 

[Renfield]

I was going to say Brahms ....... but no one would believe me........ 

Their problem. 0:)

[MN Dave]

"Which composer is the most refreshing?"

Herbie von Lifesaver

Actually...

I'm sure it's some modern composer, but I don't know which one.

[karlhenning]

Well, a number of composers whose work I often find refreshing:

Chopin
Tchaikovsky
Saint-Saëns
Stravinsky
Hindemith
Chávez

[Hector]

Malcolm Arnold.

Serious with a seriously humorous side to him.

[greg]

Nielsen, Sibelius, Norgard.... runners-up for me 
the second runner-up, right before Bartok would be Prokofiev and after him, my list would definetely include Henze, Gorecki, and Glass...

in fact, i'm about to throw on some Gorecki since now that i think about it, that would be most refreshing!  0:)

[Don]

I find the inward-looking Froberger very refreshing, but I can't handle more than one hour of him at one sitting.

[Mark]

Um ... yeah ... all of the above, actually.