# Composer's first names poll



## Sid James

This is just for fun. Don't take it too seriously.

Which composer's first names do you like the most?

*You can choose three first names.*

Here are some examples of those having the listed first names. You can also choose "Other" & tell us why. I know the list is a bit dodgy vis a vis composers who used three part names.

*Anton* - Arensky, Bruckner, Rubinstein, Webern

*Carl* - C.P.E. Bach, Orff, Stamitz, von Weber

*Franz/Francis* -Liszt, Poulenc, Schreker

*George* - Benjamin, Gershwin, Frederick Handel, Gyorgy Ligeti, Gyorgy Kurtag
*
John/Giovanni* - Adams, Barry, Field, Gabrieli, Palestrina, Williams

*Ludwig/Louis/Luigi* - Beethoven, Boccherini, Gottschalk, Spohr

*Peter* - Maxwell-Davies, Sculthorpe, Tchaikovsky

*Richard* - Rodney Bennett, Strauss, Wagner

*William* - Byrd, Grant Still, Walton


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## Air

Off the top of my head:

Franz - add on Schubert, Schreker, Xaver Richter, Josef Haydn

Carl - add on Friederich Abel

Georg(e) - add on Telemann

Sergei Taneyev, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov

Nikolai Medtner, Rimsky-Korsakov

Dmitri Kabalevsky, Shostakovich

Johann(es) Pachelbel, Bach, Brahms, Strauss

Gustav Mahler, Holst

etc.

Oh, it's a poll. 

Great idea!


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## Sid James

Good suggestions, Air.

I chose Franz, George, Ludwig - because I love Liszt, Handel & Beethoven!!! I think they're pretty cool names as well (my mother has a cat called George)...

[EDIT: she also has another cat called Francis, so that's two out of three!]


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I picked Carl for C. P. E. Bach and C. F. Abel.

I also picked Ludvig for Beethoven and Louis for Spohr.

(George doesn't really ring an impressive sounding bell, although "Frederic Handel" do).


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## elgar's ghost

I like the name Zoltan (as in Kodaly). It's the one Hungarian name that best conjours up images of the wild and free-spirited Magyar which makes an interesting contrast with CM's most illustrious bearer's own unassuming disposition.


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## mamascarlatti

I love Arcangelo as in Corelli, and of course Domenico. Josquin is good too.


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## Weston

Though I seldom warm up to his music, Wolfgang (as in Mozart) is a fantastic first name. 

Other nice underused ones:
Gabriel (Faure, et al)
Einar (as in Englund.) I wonder if this is a variation of Henry, Heinrich, etc.
Darius (Milhaud) is a nice Latinized first name. Unfortunately it also associated with a country music star.


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## joen_cph

*Crt* Sojar Voglar - not sure if you actually pronounce it, and if yes , how ?

*Fidelio Fritz* Finke. Great name for a German composer. In Danish, a "finke" is a fat piece of meat, though.

*Svatopluk* Havelka

*Clotilde *Rosa. A contemporary composer with a very 19th-century-sounding name ...

*Revol* Bunin - this Soviet composer´s name was probably inspired by the Russian revolution

*Fini *Henriques.

*Ebbe* Hamerik. Danish. In Danish "ebbe" means "ebb"/"low-tide".

*Fikret* Amirov

*Blaz* Arnic

*Querinus* van Blanckenburg

*Arnoldus* Fine. How many Arnolduses are around these days ? Not many, probably.

*Nodar* Gabunia

*Wlodzimierz* Kotonski


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## emiellucifuge

Igor Fyodorovich!


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## Sid James

I haven't heard of any of the composers on joen cph's list. They sound very exotic. & it looks like the more exotic sounding names are getting more votes in the poll. No love for Peter, Richard or William as yet. I cheated a bit with Tchaikovsky, he was really Pyotr. I have added Gyorgy Ligeti and Kurtag to the "George" list, as that's what their name means translated also...


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## joen_cph

The list above was only a list of curios, of course. Kotonski, Bunin and Havelka are somewhat interesting.

Voted Peter, which I simply like the best among the mentioned ones. Musically speaking it hasn´t produced the most important results, though.


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## jurianbai

though very popular , the name *James* didn't has any notable holder in classical music. I think lot of named *Ernst* as well.


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## Guest

Sergei - Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Bortkiewicz
Dmitri - Shostakovich, Kabalevsky
Aram - Khachaturian...that's all, I think?
Bela - Bartok
Gustav - Holst
Einojuhani - Rautavaara
Bohuslav - Martinu


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## Chasman

George for Handel, tacked on Joseph for Haydn, but nothing beats Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf!


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## starry

I'll vote Richard.

Another point could be do you think your own first name is well represented for you among composers.

But really I think names are more than just about the first name, it's about an impressive combination of names. It's the cumulative effect of christian and surname together, or even the middle name if that is sometimes used as well.


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## Aramis

I like "Franz", but I refuse to call Liszt this way so there is only Schubert to stand for example. French variant François (Devienne) is as good. Also Hector (Berlioz) because Hector of Troy which was good geezer. Vincenzo (Bellini) sounds like name of Italian pimp and gangsta so how could I dislike it. Gustaw sounds awesome as well. I also love Juliusz (Zarebski) but don't dig popular French variant Jules. There are also Gabriel (Fauré) and Charles-_Valentin_ (Alkna).


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## Huilunsoittaja

You didn't put any Russian/Slavic names on there. 

*Sergei* or Alexander!!!


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## Art Rock

I'l go for exotic..

ASTOR as in Piazzolla
TORU as in Takemitsu
BRIGHT as in Sheng


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## dmg

If Anton includes Antonio and Antonín, I choose that one.


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## Aramis

Huilunsoittaja said:


> You didn't put any Russian/Slavic names on there.
> 
> *Sergei* or Alexander!!!


None of these two is Russian-Slavic name :tiphat:


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## Ravellian

"Ludwig" is the German name for Luigi??? What's the German name for Mario??


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## emiellucifuge

Marius = Mario


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## World Violist

I chose Anton, John, and William as my three. I think John is the anglicized version of Johann anyway, so it's no big deal.

My current "three B's": Byrd, Bach, and Bruckner.


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## Nix

Carl, but only because of what comes after... Ditters von Dittersdorf.


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## tdc

Id have to say Wolfgang and Toru are my current favs.


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## sospiro

Giuseppe


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## Edward Elgar

Composers should have common names like John. You can't trust anyone called Felix.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Aramis said:


> None of these two is Russian-Slavic name :tiphat:


 Greek, right?


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## RBrittain

Richard, on the basis of it being both my name and Wagner's name.


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## superhorn

My favorite is P.D.Q.


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## dandylion

*Composer first names*

Arcangelo Corelli


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## Jacob Singer

This is an easy one: Modest.

:trp:


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## Chi_townPhilly

Guess I don't have the option of voting for "other," "other," and "other," do I?

Even though my ancestry is pretty much exclusively from the Northern half of Europe, 
I still find myself drawn to names that come from the Southern half. My choices would be-

1. *Amilcare* (you can ask an opera lover!)

2. *Gioacchino* and

3. *Alberto*

To subsitute for the purpose of casting a valid vote, I'll say "Richard," provided it's pronounced strictly in the German fashion, and "Anton," especially if allowing for the inclusion of "Antonín" too.


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## shamisengirl

Frederic (Chopin) and Claude (Debussy).


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## starry

I don't like Claude as a name that much, but it does work well with Debussy.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Edgard...............


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## Abraham Lincoln

What about 'Felix'?


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## Pugg

Giuseppe Verdi.................need I say more.


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## SixFootScowl

I picked "Ludwig/Louis/Luigi," but since it was multiple choice, I also picked "other" for Felix!


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Engelbert was not a composer but wicked last name


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## Capeditiea

Gustav
Johannes/ Johann
and Kaikhosru


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## Klassik

What, no votes for Baldassare?


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