Your favourite classical composer(s)?

aginor wrote: can someone pleace recomend me some Rachmaninov, I have heard that he is very complex and "prog" in he's composing

the best music of Rach's ouput are the symphonies-there are 3  of them-conductor Lorin Maazel has recorded all three in a set which is quite lovely-if you can find it, i would suggest the 3rd Symphony conducted by Dr. Serge Koussevitzky who is a brilliant interpreter of this composer
         Rachmaninov was also a conductor and recorded the 3rd-highly recommended
     many people think highly of his piano music-for me it is ok, but the symphonies are a must
      

The T wrote: but many acts, specially bands like Gentle Giant, I just cant stand anymore.

I never could stand this band.

this is worth reporting-
          today i heard what i feel is the greatest recording of Bruckner's 6th Symphony -a studio stereo one recorded in 1963 conducted by Joseph Keilberth with the Berlin Philharmonic
             it is an example of an absolutely perfect recording in every way

Um, a few in no particularly fussy order

Poulenc (whom noone's mentioned yet : (... his concerto for two pianos is extraordinary)
Saint-Saens
Rachmaninov
Grieg
Bach
Stravinsky, but that's more or less obligatory here

Noak wrote: Giacinto Scelsi

I discovered him about two years ago myself. Seems like his one of the 00's great rediscoveries. If not the best on your list, he is probably the one with the most unique approach. A few of his works leaves me cold, but most of the albums I got by him are pure bliss.

Not a huge classical fan, but Chopin definitely had a lot of wonderful works and I'd consider him my favorite classical compose.   i don't know if Gershwin counts, but I'm a fan of his as well. Hmm, Bach and Debussy are good as well... I feel like I'm forgetting someone... Hans Zimmer has written some wonderful scores, but it seems I'm not much of a classical fan... Oh! Rachmaninoff! He's right behind Chopin.

Gandalff wrote: No vote for Gershwin? No vote for Bernstein? Dear Americans, where is your national pride?

The T wrote: Gandalff wrote: No vote for Gershwin? No vote for Bernstein? Dear Americans, where is your national pride? There are SO MANY better American composers than those two (specially better than Gershwin): Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, William Schuman, Samuel Barber, Walter Piston, Roy Harris, Elliot Carter, etc, etc.

You are underrating Gershwin. He was a great composer. Do you know the anecdote about Gershwin and Ravel? Gershwin wanted to study music with Ravel as teacher. Ravel on the other hand did not see the necessity and replied "Why would you want to become a second rate Ravel when you are a first rate Gershwin"?
Listen to Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess"; the love duet between Porgy and Bess is one of the greatest duets ever written.

His suites "An American in Paris" and "Rhapsody in Blue" were revolutionary at their time; they fused jazz and classical music much better than Ravel or Shostakovitch had managed with their attempts at it.

Bernstein is VERY underestimated because he wrote a lot of very popular music. However, there is a lot more to him than that; it just does not get the airplay. Did you ever listen to his "Kaddish"?






 And that Bernstein's music is popular does not make it bad at all; " West Side Story" is excellent., even though it has a few "hits" in it, like "Maria" or "America". Sometimes what is popular also is good.


Edited by BaldFriede - August 11 2010 at 13:43

I have Kaddish and a lot of Bernstein music (besides WSS)... I'm not saying he's a bad composer, I'm just saying there are other ones who are above him in my view. As a conductor, though, I love him. 

^It's a masterpiece. Though from the Czech master I would prefer the Cello Concerto. His quartets are also superb.