The GMG Top 100 of the 20th Century

[Pierre]

Having quickly scrolled through, I'm surprised not to see a single vote for any Puccini Tosca  was first performed in 1900 and was followed by such others as Madama Butterfly, la Fanciulla Del West and Turandot. Neither Berg's Wozzeckor Lulu get a mention either. Did I just miss them?

Well you missed a couple of votes for Wozzeck, including one from me. O:)

[jlaurson]

What an absurd idea. Ridiculous. Preposterous.

OK. here we go.

(I've adapted Sarge's 1-Composer rule, to make it more realistic.)


Sibelius Symphony No.7
Bartok String Quartet No.3
Mahler Symphony No.X
Britten Billy Budd
Shostakovich String Quartet No.1
Berg Violin Concerto
Strauss Elektra
Schoenberg Verklaerte Nacht
Webern 6 Orchestral Pieces
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3
Prokofiev Symphony No.3
Schmidt The Seven Seals
Ligety String Quartet No.2
Berio Rendering
Fabio Maffei The Little Prince
Nielsen Symphony No.X
Stravinsky Firebird
B.A.Zimmermann Die Soldaten
Shchedrin The Sealed Angel
F.Martin Polyptyque


Must not leave out Hartmann... Ives' Concord Sonata... Saariahu... Janacek... Aaaaaargh!

[jlaurson]

Perhaps we can come up with a list of about 250 pieces; no more than 200 composers...

and then list them and vote.

I think it would be a helpful rule if we made the following limitations:

1.) No more than two works per composer. When it comes to deciding who makes and who doesn't make the Top-100, a composer with more pieces nominated wins over one with fewer.
2.) No more than 2/3 of the works in the Top-100 may be from before 1955.



here are further nominations from lists already submitted:

Hartmann, Concerto funèbre
Rakhmaninov, All-Night Vigil, Op.37
Schnittke, Concerto for Viola
Ives, Concord Sonata
Carter, ___________
Puccini, Turandot
Strauss, Salome
Pierre Boulez, Pli Selon Pli
Lutoslawski, _________
Steve Reich, _________
Britten, Peter Grimes (1944)
Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire (1912)
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring (1912-1913)
Berg, Lulu + Wozzeck (1922)
Lachenmann: Gran Torso (1971)
Riley, In C (1964)
Bartók, The Miraculous Mandarin (1918-1924)
Debussy, Préludes, Books 1 and 2 (1909-13)
Janáček, Káťa Kabanová (1919-21)
Ligeti, Atmosphères (1960)
Martinů, Double Concerto (1928)
R. Strauss, Four Last Songs
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 4
Varèse: Amériques
Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Messiaen, Turangalila

[mc ukrneal]

I've been thinking about how to answer this and what factors to include. In the end, I just decided to pick 20 favorites. I kept myself to 2 maximum from one composer so that I could include a bit of breadth. Most other lists were far too depressing and serious, so I have also aimed to add a bit of happiness and lightness to the list (though not always successfully  ). I suspect I will get a bit of flack for some of my choices, but that's ok. Every piece I listed can take it. I've ordered them roughly in order of preference, thought sometimes the difference is minor.

Godowsky: Studies on Chopin's Etudes
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
Lehar: Merry Widow
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
Holst: Military Suites for Band (#1 and #2)
Rachmaninov: Symphony #2
Elgar: Symphony No. 2
Husa: Music for Prague 1968
Grainger: Country Gardens
Puccini: Turandot
Copland: Billy the Kid
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Shostakovich: Gadfly (Suite)
Bernstein: West Side Story
Granados: Goyescos
Gliere: Red Poppy
Britten: Turn of the Screw
Orff: Carmina Burana
Coates: By the Sleepy Lagoon

[madaboutmahler]

What an absurd idea. Ridiculous. Preposterous.

How very kind of you to say! 

Thank you all for your responses.

[Bulldog]

Perhaps we can come up with a list of about 250 pieces; no more than 200 composers...

and then list them and vote.

I think it would be a helpful rule if we made the following limitations:

1.) No more than two works per composer. When it comes to deciding who makes and who doesn't make the Top-100, a composer with more pieces nominated wins over one with fewer.
2.) No more than 2/3 of the works in the Top-100 may be from before 1955.

Your no. 1 is a bit fussy, and no. 2 is a ridiculous limitation.  I don't think I'll be paying attention to either of them.

Further, madaboutmahler initiated this thread.  It's best to go with his rules; anyone not okay with that can start his/her own thread.

[Bulldog]

That's a touch testy as a response to something I introduced as: "it might be helpful"... and "Perhaps we can..."

For that matter, "No.1" has been implemented in some form by several responders.
"No.2" isn't ridiculous but aims at avoiding a early 20th Century cluster only because those pieces have been in the repertoire longer. Without having codified it, that, too, has been taken into consideration by some responders.
Nor am I trying to hi-jack this thread... I'm just making suggestions on how we might work towards an interesting "Top 100" for the entire f&#^(*ing century (the most diverse in [notational] music, ever!) that is representative of the entire 20th century, not just the first 20 years of it.

If most folks prefer early 20th century music, that's the way it goes.  You're talking about manipulating the process to alter the results.  But do what you want.  Fact is that madaboutmahler has done a poor job of focusing on and controlling this thread.

[TheGSMoeller]

Fact is that madaboutmahler has done a poor job of focusing on and controlling this thread.

I think this thread was just fine, and madaboutmahler seems to be enjoying it.

[Bulldog]

Geez-louise... you see agendas and malice everywhere, huh? I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade... just making suggestions which you should probably try do a better job ignoring if they so upset you. This might help your blood pressure: Account Settings --> Modify Profile -> Buddies/Ignore List -> Edit Ignore List > Add To Ignore List "jlaurson".

I would never ignore you or any other board member.

For the record, I don't think there's any malice in what you've written on this thread.

[Tsaraslondon]

So this is my list today. It could be completeoly different tomorrow. I make no apolgies for the fact that it is completely personal, nor fo the fact that most of my list emanates from the period before the second world war.

Here (in roughly choronological order) it is.

Debussy Pelleas et Melisande
Debussy La mer
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no.3
R Strauss Der Rosenkavalier
Sibelius Symphony no 4
Stravinsky Rite of Spring
Elgar Cello Concerto
Warlock The Curlew
Puccini Turandot
Ravel Piano Concerto in G
Prokoviev Romeo and Juliet
Shostakovich Symphony no 5
Barber Violin Concerto
Britten Serenade for Tenor Horn and Strings
Messiaen Trois Petites Liturgies de la Presence Divine
Britten Peter Grimes
Messiaen Turangalila
R Strauss Vier letzte Lieder
Finzi In Terra Pax
MacMillan Seven Last Words from The Cross

If I chose Turandot in preference to Madama Butterfly, it is because its influences point more clearly towards the 20th century and if I chose Der Rosenkavalier in preference to Salome or Elektra, it is because it always seems to me the last of what could truly be called grand opera, summing up the end of an era.

[madaboutmahler]

Further, madaboutmahler initiated this thread.  It's best to go with his rules; anyone not okay with that can start his/her own thread.

Thank you.

Fact is that madaboutmahler has done a poor job of focusing on and controlling this thread.

I am very sorry.

I think this thread was just fine, and madaboutmahler seems to be enjoying it.

Thank you Greg, and yes, I certainly am!

In terms of applying points to the different pieces, and having them in order - this is certainly a difficult task, that not many people have attempted anyway. It seems that there is a good enough variety to just have one 'point' for each for the final result. The top 100 itself doesn't have to be in order anyway does it? Just needs to include all the pieces that scored highest here. Maybe so that people can have an idea who which are the most popular, I'll do a top 20 or so based on points, but doing a top 100 would be nearing impossible....
I'll start adding up the votes in a few days, I still haven't posted my vote yet!

Thanks again to everyone who has voted.

[North Star]

No need to hurry compiling the list, more people will have time to post their lists.

[madaboutmahler]

No need to hurry compiling the list, more people will have time to post their lists.

True, I suppose I am just excited about seeing the results.
I'll give it longer.

[madaboutmahler]

After a long time of debating with myself, I finally came up with this list. I felt bad leaving out many works I love so much, but I could not get rid of any of the works I have listed!
Mahler Symphony no.6
Mahler Symphony no.7
Mahler Symphony no.8
Mahler Symphony no.9
Berg 3 Pieces for Orchestra
R.Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie
Elgar Symphony no.2
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
Shostakovich Violin Concerto no.1
Stravinsky Rite of Spring
Sibelius Symphony no.3
Nielsen Symphony no.4
Ravel Daphnis et Chloe
Debussy La Mer
Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra
Grainger The Warriors
Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Adams Harmonielehre
MacMillan Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

[North Star]

What? I would have thought Mahler would have filled at least half of your list

[madaboutmahler]

What? I would have thought Mahler would have filled at least half of your list

It would have - but somehow luckily for me, Mahler's symphonies 1-5 were written just before the 20th century.

[Lisztianwagner]

I'll re-write the complete list, the previous one was cut into two posts:

Mahler - Symphony No.6
Mahler - Symphony No.9
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.3
Strauss - Eine Alpensinfonie
Shostakovich - Symphony No.10
Holst - The Planets
Sibelius - Symphony No.5
Nielsen - Symphony No.4
Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet
Respighi - I Pini di Roma
Debussy - La Mer
Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Mahler - Symphony No.8
Bortkiewicz - Symphony No.2
Elgar - Symphony No.2
Stravinskij - The Rite of Spring
Berg - Violin Concerto
Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra
Schönberg - A survivor from Warsaw

[North Star]

It would have - but somehow luckily for me, Mahler's symphonies 1-5 were written just before the 20th century.

Mahlernoob: the 5th is from 1902, and then Kindertotenlieder 1904, and DLVDE from 1909

Though Mahler would still hold only seven places on your list with those.

[madaboutmahler]

I'll re-write the complete list, the previous one was cut into two posts:

Thank you Ilaria!

Mahlernoob: the 5th is from 1902, and then Kindertotenlieder 1904, and DLVDE from 1909

Though Mahler would still hold only seven places on your list with those.

I would have added all three of those.....

[Tsaraslondon]

What? I would have thought Mahler would have filled at least half of your list

How on earth did I miss Mahler off mine. I'd have to include at least Symphonies 6 and 9 and Das Lied von der Erde, which now means I have 23 composistions on my list.