# Composer with the raddest name



## regressivetransphobe

I nominate John Cage


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## clavichorder

I'm having a hard time separating names from the music. Would Hector Berlioz sound so cool if the man and his music weren't?

I love Balakirev's last name. Balakirev... But I love his music too...

Federico *Busoni*


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## Sid James

*Havergal Brian* - I mean, who else's first name is Havergal? At least someone else who's "prominent?"

The Russians' names sound pretty "rad," probably those of many other "exotic" ones too, eg. I was just listening to a Algerian/French percussionist/composer called Guem (full name Abdelmadjid GUEMGUEM). But they're not "exotic" in their own countries, of course - they're just as "boring" or "un-rad," "un-cool" as our own English or whatever names are mundane to us...


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## Art Rock

I had to look up "rad"....

Toru Takemitsu.


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## clavichorder

Sid, you are naming composers that I don't know. Are these modern composers?


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## Sid James

*@ clavichorder -*

*Havergal Brian* was a twentieth century British composer, but he's not very well known still, his only work to gain traction is his _Symphony No. 1 "Gothic" _- I have read about it here & elsewhere, haven't heard it yet, but it's apparently well worth hearing (favourably compared with Mahler's sym. 8).

As for the other guy called *Guem*, he's probably better known in France/Europe (he's "contemporary"), I hadn't heard anything of him or about him until picking up a cd of his yesterday...


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## regressivetransphobe

Art Rock said:


> I had to look up "rad"....


Please note there is some degree of smug irony in its usage.


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## Norse

Engelbert Humperdinck!

(No, not the pop singer, he 'stole' the name from a German composer)


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## Curiosity

Easily Tchaikovsky... just say it, man. "Tchaikovsky"

Runner up: Rimsky Korsakov.


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## bassClef

Lepo Sumera


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## Fsharpmajor

Erkki-Sven Tüür

I've used a large type face to make sure that you can see his umlauts.


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## violadude

Einojuhani Rautavaara

Can anyone pronounce that first name?


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## Aramis

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini and Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini are the most catchy names I can think of.


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## Argus

John Cage is the correct answer.

Others:

Josef Suk - sounds like a command
Tan Dun - should be the alarm on the tanning machine to let you know to get out
Blue Gene Tyranny - sounds like a bassist in a punk band
Ned Bouhalassa - total disconnect between first name and surname


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## clavichorder

Aramis said:


> Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini and Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini are the most catchy names I can think of.


Ch'ya, catchy indeed.


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## elgar's ghost

Iannis Xenakis - any surname beginning with the letter X is cool in my book.


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## Manxfeeder

Art Rock said:


> I had to look up "rad"....


Rad: 1. A unit of energy absorbed from ionizing radiation.
2. Excellent, wonderful

Then I'd have to go with Edgard Varese.


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## SuperTonic

August Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf - I always chuckle a little on the inside when I hear that name.
Aram Khachaturian is a cool name too.

Then there is Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, a native American (Chickasaw) composer.


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## kv466

I've always thought if you say it a certain way, Edvard Grieg has quite a rad ring to it


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## Norse

I don't know about rad, but I think with a name like Maurice Ravel, you just have to be some kind of celebrity.


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## Aramis

I always loved last names related to birds and as such Tchaikovsky is one of my favourites, it's a little bit less awesome due to it's popularity (not to say: commonness) though.


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## waldvogel

Hugo Wolf has a cool name, especially if you pronounce it in English. 

Again, only in the English context, you've got to like Bedrich Smetana. Who wouldn't like to be bed-rich?


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## Ravellian

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich


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## Weston

Jean Sibelius is pretty rad. Any time you get to "latinize" a name it's sounds cool. Wish I could do that with mine -- my real name that is.

On the other hand some of the greatest composers had pedestrian names, didn't they?. Ludvig van Beethoven? In informal English that would be Lewis Beet-Farmer. Johann Sebastian Bach? John Brook.


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## jurianbai

Mozart, I still believe he won't be so commercial if the name simple as Smith.


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## waldvogel

Weston said:


> Jean Sibelius is pretty rad. Any time you get to "latinize" a name it's sounds cool. Wish I could do that with mine -- my real name that is.
> 
> On the other hand some of the greatest composers had pedestrian names, didn't they?. Ludvig van Beethoven? In informal English that would be Lewis Beet-Farmer. Johann Sebastian Bach? John Brook.


and of course Giuseppe Verdi is Joe Green.


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## Sid James

Aramis said:


> Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini and Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini are the most catchy names I can think of.


:lol: - I think you're "cheating" a bit there, including their full names (inc. middle names & all that!)...



elgars ghost said:


> Iannis Xenakis - any surname beginning with the letter X is cool in my book.


Yes, & his name fills in the "X" category for those books called "The A to Z of Classical Composers!"

& on that note, Alexander von *Zemlinsky* fills in the "Z" spot!...


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## Huilunsoittaja

PROKOFIEV!!!! How many people actually have a drink in their name??

Actually, to pronounce it with "coffee" is not correct. The Russian pronunciation is "PRA-kof-yef," 3 syllables.

Another awesome French composer name is Hüe, pronounced "ÖÖH."


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## TresPicos

Fsharpmajor said:


> Erkki-Sven Tüür
> 
> I've used a large type face to make sure that you can see his umlauts.


Very heavy metal! 

Speaking of umlauts, i really like this guy's name:

Eugène Ysaÿe

It's pronounced ee-sah-EE. Obviously.

Someone to fill the "Y" spot in the A-Z listing.


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## Aksel

I quite like Geirr Tveitt, not because it's that unusual, but it has a very nice ring to it, and with the unusual spelling (double consonants after a diphthong is usually a no-no in Norway) it's totally rad.


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## samurai

I would like to nominate *Modest Mussorgsky. *Whether he was in fact at all really modest or humble in real life, I have no idea. However, there is something attractive to me in the conception that talented people--musicians and non-musicians alike--should have at least a modicum {pun intended} of humility in their makeups. That applies to non-talented people as well {such as myself}.
Anyway, I think it's a *cool--*oops, I mean--*"rad" *name for a composer.


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## violadude

samurai said:


> I would like to nominate *Modest Mussorgsky. *Whether he was in fact at all really modest or humble in real life, I have no idea. However, there is something attractive to me in the conception that talented people--musicians and non-musicians alike--should have at least a modicum {pun intended} of humility in their makeups. That applies to non-talented people as well {such as myself}.
> Anyway, I think it's a *cool--*oops, I mean--*"rad" *name for a composer.


eh, that name might not be pronounced how you think it's pronounced.

You pronounce the "mo" in Modest the same way you pronounce the "mo" in Mozart.


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## haydnfan

Witold Lutosławski... it just sounds cool!


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## Amfibius

What about *Richard Wagner*? The name itself is pretty boring ... but not very many composers have had their names turned into adjectives. What does "Wagnerian" mean to you? And how many other composers can have their names turned into adjectives? Even the Great Bach and Beethoven can not have their names turned into adjectives without people being unsure what you mean, to say nothing of the lesser composers. Dukasian - a propensity towards one hit wonders? Glassian - a propensity to repetitiveness? Khatchaturianian - a tendency to have too many ians?

Nay, for something to be "Wagnerian" is to strike fear into everyone. Ergo, Wagner has the coolest name. Not because he was born with it, but because he _made_ it. That has to be cool in my book.


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## Delicious Manager

violadude said:


> Einojuhani Rautavaara
> 
> Can anyone pronounce that first name?


Yes, it's not so difficult: EY-no-yoo-hahni (accent on first syllable, as nearly always in Finnish)


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## Delicious Manager

samurai said:


> I would like to nominate *Modest Mussorgsky. *Whether he was in fact at all really modest or humble in real life, I have no idea. However, there is something attractive to me in the conception that talented people--musicians and non-musicians alike--should have at least a modicum {pun intended} of humility in their makeups. That applies to non-talented people as well {such as myself}.
> Anyway, I think it's a *cool--*oops, I mean--*"rad" *name for a composer.


The Russian name 'Modest' (which is quite common) has nothing to do with its meaning in English.


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## Fsharpmajor

TresPicos said:


> Very heavy metal!
> 
> Speaking of umlauts, i really like this guy's name:
> 
> Eugène Ysaÿe
> 
> It's pronounced ee-sah-EE. Obviously.
> 
> Someone to fill the "Y" spot in the A-Z listing.


That "y" with the umlaut must be a rare character. It isn't in the Windows character map, and in my CD ROM music encyclopaedia it's replaced with an empty rectangle. To get it, you need to copy and paste from his Wikipedia article.


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## TresPicos

Fsharpmajor said:


> That "y" with the umlaut must be a rare character. It isn't in the Windows character map, and in my CD ROM music encyclopaedia it's replaced with an empty rectangle. To get it, you need to copy and paste from his Wikipedia article.


Don't you have this button on your keyboard?


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## violadude

TresPicos said:


> Don't you have this button on your keyboard?


I sure don't.


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## elgar's ghost

Amfibius said:


> What about *Richard Wagner*
> Nay, for something to be "Wagnerian" is to strike fear into everyone. Ergo, Wagner has the coolest name. Not because he was born with it, but because he _made_ it. That has to be cool in my book.


Dick Cartwright - now that's scary!


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## TresPicos

violadude said:


> I sure don't.


Man, do I feel bad now. Here I sit in a well-off country, taking everything for granted while, in another part of the world, people don't even have umlaut keys.


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## Delicious Manager

TresPicos said:


> Man, do I feel bad now. Here I sit in a well-off country, taking everything for granted while, in another part of the world, people don't even have umlaut keys.


If you're using Windows on a PC and have a numeric keypad (so this won't work on most laptops!), you can form any accented letter you like by holding-down the 'Alt' key and typing the relevant number on the numeric keypad:

http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html
http://usefulshortcuts.com/alt-codes/accents-alt-codes.php


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## TxllxT

Johann Christoph Altnickol, or Altnikol, one name in the easy-to-get-lost jungle of Bach sons, who also composed something (most of it got lost).


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## Noak

Stravinsky always struck me as a very dynamic name. Conlon Nancarrow might not be cool, but it's certainly a fun, adventurous name.


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## Klavierspieler

*Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf* takes the cake but...

*Louis George Maurice Adolphe Roche Albert Abel Antonio Alexandre Noë Jean Lucien Daniel Eugène Joseph-le-brun Joseph-Barême Thomas Thomas Thomas-Thomas Pierre Arbon Pierre-Maurel Barthélemi Artus Alphonse Bertrand Dieudonné Emanuel Josué Vincent Luc Michel Jules-de-la-plane Jules-Bazin Julio César Jullien* takes a close second.


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## Sid James

See how many "rad" names of Russian composers you can hear in this song, sung by Danny Kaye in 1941 (music by Kurt Weill) -

Tchaikovsky (and other Russians)

It's a hoot!!!


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## Almaviva

violadude said:


> I sure don't.


 If you turn your keyboard layout to United States-International you can produce the umlaut with the quotation mark key by pressing it before the letter.
ÿ
I just did it.
In this case if you really do want a quotation mark then you have to press it and next you press space.
You can also toggle from one layout to the other, so that you use your regular one that you're used to, and when you have to write these characters from other languages you toggle to the International layout.
When you enable more than one keyboard layout, there's a little icon with a keyboard image that comes up in your lower bar and you can just click on it to toggle between the two layouts.


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## Manxfeeder

Sid James said:


> See how many "rad" names of Russian composers you can hear in this song, sung by Danny Kaye in 1941 (music by Kurt Weill) -
> 
> It's a hoot!!!


Outstanding!


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Erkki-Sven Tüür 
for me


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## Capeditiea

Erich Wolfgang Korngold. 

*nods...


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## ZJovicic

I'd nominate:
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Felix Mendelssohn
Antonio Vivaldi


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## Bulldog

York Bowen - the name has "class" all over it.


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## Guest

Sounds more like a 70s porno name.


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## Bulldog

Tulse said:


> Sounds more like a 70s porno name.


I suppose I'm not as familiar as you are with the world of pornography.


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## Flamme

KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN, hands down.:devil:


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## ZJovicic

Flamme said:


> KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN, hands down.:devil:


He has a quite German sounding name... unlike a lot of German/Austrian composers from the past... for some reason Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, etc... don't sound very Germanic to me.


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## Guest

Bulldog said:


> I suppose I'm not as familiar as you are with the world of pornography.


:lol::lol::lol:

From the member who is named after a Dick Bush film I find that quite amusing sweetie.


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## Bulldog

Tulse said:


> :lol::lol::lol:
> 
> From the member who is named after a Dick Bush film I find that quite amusing sweetie.


Your British pornography credentials are impressive.


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## Flamme

ZJovicic said:


> He has a quite German sounding name... unlike a lot of German/Austrian composers from the past... for some reason Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, etc... don't sound very Germanic to me.


He has lots of MUSIC in his name, say it out loud and see!


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## Klassik

I've been delving into Titz lately. :devil: Anton Titz. I don't know if Tony Titz is the raddest name, but it's pretty rad! 



Bulldog said:


> Your British pornography credentials are impressive.


British pornography? I'm not too familiar with that genre. Is it particularly polite? Or would that be Canadian pornography? More importantly, do they use awkward pronunciations? :lol:


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## KenOC

I think Rodion Shchedrin. His first name mostly, though having a last name that starts with four consonants is certainly worth something.

(Prepares best android voice) "Hello I am Rodion, from the planet Gozdul."

Plus, his Carmen Suite is a kick.


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## Klassik

Now that I think of it, Rod is a rad name. Remember The Price is Right announcer Rod Roddy and his signature catchphrase, "Come on Down!" Ahh, good ole Rod Roddy. :lol:


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## Kjetil Heggelund

OK! I think Orlando di Lasso is a rad name! And Mozart too!


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## KenOC

But...Buxtehude. Now _there's _a name!

I often think of Buxtehude
You know, that wiggy organ dude
Handel spurned his daughter
Exactly as he otter
Perhaps because he saw her nude.


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## Pat Fairlea

Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov Ivanov. 

Not so much a name, more of an incantation.


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## Capeditiea

Pat Fairlea said:


> Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov Ivanov.
> 
> Not so much a name, more of an incantation.


:O i'd say... :O just how does one pronounce it? :O


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## Pat Fairlea

Capeditiea said:


> :O i'd say... :O just how does one pronounce it? :O


Mick-hile Mick-hile-O'Vitch Ip-Polly-Tov Ee-Vahn-Ov

Or thereabouts


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## laurie

^^^^^

Oh, sure ... say _that_ three times fast!


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## Klassik

KenOC said:


> But...Buxtehude. Now _there's _a name!


Buxtehude is an interesting name, but there was another composer who lived during the same time who had a better name. That would be Johann Joseph Fux. Of course, we can merge the names and create something really interesting. Fuxtehude. :lol:


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## Pat Fairlea

Klassik said:


> Buxtehude is an interesting name, but there was another composer who lived during the same time who had a better name. That would be Johann Joseph Fux. Of course, we can merge the names and create something really interesting. Fuxtehude. :lol:


Not to be confused with Arnold Baxtehudelius.


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## Klassik

Pat Fairlea said:


> Not to be confused with Arnold Baxtehudelius.


Sir Arnold Baxtehudelius is pretty good, but how can he compete with Sir Art Bliss? Isn't Art Bliss everyone's goal?


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## Roger Knox

laurie said:


> ^^^^^
> Oh, sure ... say _that_ three times fast!


Then say "Ludwig Thuile & Felix Woyrsch" _really_, _really _fast!


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## Larkenfield

. . . . . . . . . . . . .


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