# Composers for listeners who are into prog-rock



## aioriacont (Jul 23, 2018)

The following composers made some masterpiece which, IMO, would be a right fit for people into prog-rock:

*Dvorak *- especially his symphonic poems and the epicness of his symphonies. People into prog rock epics like Genesis' Supper's Ready, Yes' Gates of Delirium, and others, would love this composer.

*Mahler and Sibelius* - due to the grandeur and many twists and turns in their epic Symphonies.

*Beethoven *- I love most of his works, but for someone into prog rock, his latest symphonies and piano concertos would do the trick.


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

I'm not much of a fan of Rock music. The Beatles are about as far as I usually go with Rock, and I like the way that the Beatles were able to often create a seamless blending of Rock with elements of classical music, as with _Yesterday_, _Eleanor Rigby_, _All You Need is Love_, _Penny Lane_, etc. This is interesting, as the Beatles so very enthusiastically covered _Roll Over Beethoven_, which represents Rock-n-Roll as the living repudiation of classical music.


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## aioriacont (Jul 23, 2018)

Coach G said:


> I'm not much of a fan of Rock music. The Beatles are about as far as I usually go with Rock, and I like the way that the Beatles were able to often create a seamless blending of Rock with elements of classical music, as with _Yesterday_, _Eleanor Rigby_, _All You Need is Love_, _Penny Lane_, etc. This is interesting, as the Beatles so very enthusiastically covered _Roll Over Beethoven_, which represents Rock-n-Roll as the living repudiation of classical music.


the thread is about progressive rock, bands that surpass the boundaries of conventional rock music, with long, epic songs,with virtuoso musicians

and not about crap like Beatles or Queen


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

While I think you may be correct concerning the type of prog that most people think of when they think of prog (Genesis, YES, ELP) and some of the composers you mentioned, I do think there is a lot more that you did not mention.

For example, Emerson was influenced by Bartok and Michael Tippett, King Crimson also has a bit of Bartok, and maybe Stravinsky. The great Italian bands (PFM, Banco, Le Orme, Il Balletto di Bronzo, useo Rosenbachm, etc) had their own set of classical composer influences, mostly the Italian contemporaries of some of the ones you mentioned, but also many early 20th century composers. Banco probably has some Bartok, as does Il Balletto di Bronzo. Possibly some Stravinsky also.

https://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=28

But the major divergence with your choices that I have, is with the avant-garde side of prog (also known as RIO, or Rock in Opposition). These are bands that are very heavily influenced by the composers of the mid 20th century, and later. You can hear the influences of: Schoenberg, Ligeti, Carter, Wourinen and others in the music of bands like: Thinking Plague (USA), Aranis (Belgium), Henry Cow (UK), Universe Zero (Belgium), Art Zoyd (France), Motor Totemist Guild (USA), 5UU's (USA), Etron Fou Leloublan (France), Aksak Maboul (Belgium), Yugen (Italy),Tipographica, (Japan) and their like.

It seems France and Belgium are particularly prolific in bands in this subgenre.

https://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=36

Then there is the entire subgenre of Canterbury bands. These bands are no less progressive than YES, Genesis or King Crimson, yet they have very little obvious (that I can detect) classical influences at all. Their influences are mostly jazz that I can hear. National Health, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North, and others.

https://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=12

Oh, and another subgenre, Zeuhl. Started by Magma, but it became a subgenre of its own, with bands like; Eskaton, Corima, Amygdala, Happy Family, Koenji Hyakkei, Potemkine, and many more. Even though this subgenre also has modern classical influences, Christian Vander from Magma (the grandfather of Zeuhl) was also influence by John Coltrane (in his 'Spiritual' jazz period,ie "A Love Supreme").

https://www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=11

And even beyond all the above, there are other bands that are influenced by the Minimalists. King Crimson's album, "Discipline" has some definite Minimalism influences, as does Robert Fripp's soundscapes, and his work with Brian Eno . Boston based prog band, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic has a fair amount, also. It could be argued, that they entire post-rock genre (Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Rachel's, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, etc) was influenced by Minimalism. I'm not a fan, but many in prog fandom are.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

^When it comes to the Zeuhl subgenre, I feel it's safe to say that the starting point for it all is Stravinsky's Les Noces.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Progressive rock is an awfully broad category. As someone who has been a big fan of rock in general for many years, I have never found any particular composers to be preferred by those who prefer a given segment/classification of rock.


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