# Top 5 composers.



## DenghiDenghi

Please tell me your top 5 composers. Always enjoy listening to new music. My top 5: 1.Nobuo Uematsu 2. Yasunori Mitsuda 3. Jeremy Soule 4. Masashi Hamauzu 5. Pyotr Tchaikovsky


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## violadude

I haven't heard of half of yours. Interesting.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

At the moment...
1. *Sibelius* 
2. Ferneyhough 
3. Ligeti
4. Bach
5. Boulez


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## aleazk

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> At the moment...
> 1. *Sibelius*
> 2. Ferneyhough
> 3. Ligeti
> 4. Bach
> 5. Boulez


What? .


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## Art Rock

My top 5 is pretty much cast in stone:
1. Bach
2. Mahler
3. Brahms
4. Schubert
5. Shostakovich

If you want possibly new names, here are five suggestions:
1. Moeran
2. Gubaidulina
3. Alwyn
4. Suk
5. Rautavaara


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## neoshredder

1. Sibelius
2. Mozart
3. Schubert
4. Tchaikovsky
5. Grieg


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## aleazk

My current favorite is *Beat Furrer*. Too bad I only know a couple of pieces by him...


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## Guest

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> At the moment...
> 1. *Sibelius*
> 2. Ferneyhough
> 3. Ligeti
> 4. Bach
> 5. Boulez


Dear CoAG, I'm not seein' any *James Dillon* in that list there...


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## HaydnBearstheClock

we've had many such posts, but ok, I'll chip in:
1. Joseph Haydn
2. Georg Philipp Telemann
3. Beethoven/Chopin/Schubert/Liszt/Mendelssohn/Berlioz 
4. W. A. Mozart
5. Georg Friedrich Händel 
J. S. Bach and Michael Haydn would be tied for sixth for me. 

I think Haydn and Telemann won't change, but the rest vary.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

TalkingHead said:


> Dear CoAG, I'm not seein' any *James Dillon* in that list there...


Still gotta check this guy out! I'm on a New Complexity kick at the moment, I won't take me long to get into his stuff.


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## Andreas

Bach
Baird
Barber
Boulez
Brahms


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## isridgewell

Very hard to answer and probably not in order but:

1 Shostakovich
2 Birtwistle
3 Wagner
4 Berlioz
5 Hindemith


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## PetrB

violadude said:


> I haven't heard of half of yours. Interesting.


No.s 1 - 4 are video game composers. 
No.5 (the only classical composer on that list) was a Russian late romantic composer


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## Aries

1. Bruckner
2. Wagner
3. Tchaikovski
4. Beethoven
5. Shostakovich/Bach


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## Wicked_one

1. Mahler
2. Atterberg
3. Chopin
4. Liszt
5. Berlioz


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## DenghiDenghi

Surprised more people haven't heard of Uematsu. He is quite underrated


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## Winterreisender

Sorry if my list is a bit boring but:

1. Beethoven
2. Schubert
3. Mozart
4. Bach
5. Wagner

Honourable mentions: Haydn, Schumann, Berlioz, Vaughan Williams, Dowland et al.


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## IBMchicago

Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin...sorry for the yawn-inducing post.


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## Mahlerian

DenghiDenghi said:


> Surprised more people haven't heard of Uematsu. He is quite underrated


Once again, if it shows up on the Classic FM top 200 (even if it is by misguided internet campaign), it is _not_ underrated.


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## EricABQ

At the moment, the five I seem to be spending the most time with are (in no particular order) Haydn, Scriabin, Schumann, Alkan, and Schubert.

I don't know if that means they are my five favorite, but that's where I have been for the last few weeks.


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## Vesteralen

Bernart de Ventadorn
Adam de la Halle
Guillaume de Machaut
Francesco Landini
John Dunstable


...well, after this many repetitions, why not?


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## Guest

IBMchicago said:


> Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin...sorry for the yawn-inducing post.


Dear IBM, please do not be ashamed of your choices. I'd agree with two out of the five. Not sayin' which, nah!


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## Mahlerian

Oh yes, and my own (personal, subjective, not legally binding) list:

Bach
Mahler
Beethoven
Mozart
Debussy


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## Guest

Vesteralen said:


> Bernart de Ventadorn
> Adam de la Halle
> Guillaume de Machaut
> *Francesco Landini*
> John Dunstable
> 
> ...well, after this many repetitions, why not?


Why not indeed. *Landini*, hey? You know Vesteralen, I once foolishly gave away a rare Landini LP I had to one of my lecturers that I was in love with. I'm not going to read any more of your posts, they remind me of my losses and the perhaps considerable expense I will have to go through to replace them.


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## Vesteralen

TalkingHead said:


> Why not indeed. *Landini*, hey? You know Vesteralen, I once foolishly gave away a rare Landini LP I had to one of my lecturers that I was in love with. I'm not going to read any more of your posts, they remind me of my losses and the perhaps considerable expense I will have to go through to replace them.











but my first encounter with Landini was actually in the 1970s with Judy Collins' Wildflowers album


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## BurningDesire

violadude said:


> I haven't heard of half of yours. Interesting.


Really?  They're really awesome composers who primarily write for video games


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## Guest

*@ Vesteralen Post #25*:
Stop it! Not looking, so there!
(He says, eyes peering out of fingers ever-so-slightly parted over the face) ...


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## Skilmarilion

As of this moment (and therefore not at all a credible list):

Tchaikovsky
Mendelssohn
Beethoven
Mozart
Mahler


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## Kieran

Skilmarilion said:


> As of this moment (and therefore not at all a credible list):
> 
> Tchaikovsky
> Mendelssohn
> Beethoven
> Mozart
> Mahler


Admit it, you almost typed:

Nadal
Tchaikovski
Sampras :devil:
Mendelssohn
Beethoven...


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## Skilmarilion

Kieran said:


> Admit it, you almost typed:
> 
> Nadal


Yep.



Kieran said:


> Sampras :devil:


Nope.


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## DeepR

I used to listen to piano music almost exclusively. The composers below are primarily on this list for their piano music. These days, I'm also listening more and more to orchestral music. And it just so happens that 4 out of these 5 composers also made great orchestral music, to my ears. That makes them only better to me. So, on one hand, it's gonna be hard for a composer who never or barely composed for piano to ever make this list. On the other hand, Chopin may actually have to go someday. Makes sense, right? 

Beethoven
Chopin
Liszt
Scriabin
Rachmaninoff


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## Guest

violadude said:


> I haven't heard of half of yours. Interesting.


That's because they're video game composers. I love Jeremy Soule


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## Guest

I have a hard time with these lists and haven't posted in any of the past threads...it's hard to collectively look at a composer's work when it's all so new and mindblowing to me! However, if I were to base my list on some composers that just have multiple works that move me a lot, I'd probably say something like...

Beethoven
Bach
Liszt
Dvorak
Grieg


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## Alydon

At the moment: Beethoven x 5


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## jim prideaux

Sibelius-always was and always will be
Dvorak-come to realise just how great his music actually is
Martinu-newly discovered and wonder what I ever did without his music
Haydn-as with Dvorak
Brahms-a consistent part of my musical life (good g-d, did I really write that?):lol:

might have also included Barber, Walton, Chopin-and yes before anyone points it out there is no Bach, Mozart or Beethoven!

that's Septembers list anyway.............:tiphat:


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## mstar

For now: 

1. Chopin - Sonatas, Nocturnes, Etudes 
2. Beethoven - Sonatas, Symphonies (especially No. 2!!!) 
3. Mendelssohn - Songs for Words 
4. Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings, trio, quartet(s), etc.. 
5. Rachmaninov - Everything! So passionate....


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

1. Edgard Varese 
2. Gesualdo da Venosa
3. Harry Partch
4. Peter Warlock
5. Stockhausen


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## Ravndal

il try,

1. Ravel
2. Debussy
3. Brahms
4. Schumann
5. Bach

But prokofiev and poulenc is going to kick someone out very soon.


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## mstar

Ravndal said:


> il try,
> 
> 1. Ravel
> 2. Debussy
> 3. Brahms
> 4. Schumann
> 5. Bach
> 
> But prokofiev and poulenc is going to kick someone out very soon.


Oh, I know how you feel. Sometimes Mendelssohn doesn't even make top 10 for me.

Then again, if our musical oreferences never changed, would we?


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## jimsumner

Beethoven
Mahler
Mozart
Bach
Brahms


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## aleazk

Andreas said:


> Bach
> Baird
> Barber
> Boulez
> Brahms


Of course, the five B's!. 

lol, for some reason the soft censored this B s


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## Andrei

It all depends on so many variables.
Best Orchestral, or chamber, or opera etc. Also quantity is a valid feature. Kind of overall:
1. Beethoven
2. Brahms
3. Schubert
4. Dvořák
5. Mozart


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## trazom

Mozart
JS Bach
Schubert 
Haydn
Handel


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## DrKilroy

1. Ravel
2. Vaughan Williams
3. Stravinsky
4. Sibelius
5. Mozart

Best regards, Dr


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

aleazk said:


> Of course, the five B's!.
> 
> lol, for some reason the soft censored this B s


Censored what, the **?

:lol: how strange!


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## KRoad

Handel
Bach
Purcell
Mozart
Beethoven

I'm on a bit of a Baroque oratorio/opera bender at present - hence the top three.


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## HaydnBearstheClock

mstar said:


> For now:
> 
> 1. Chopin - Sonatas, Nocturnes, Etudes
> 2. Beethoven - Sonatas, Symphonies (especially No. 2!!!)
> 3. Mendelssohn - Songs for Words
> 4. Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings, trio, quartet(s), etc..
> 5. Rachmaninov - Everything! So passionate....


I also like Beethoven's 2nd quite a bit, that symphony actually got me into Beethoven symphonies as a whole.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

HaydnBearstheClock said:


> I also like Beethoven's 2nd quite a bit, that symphony actually got me into Beethoven symphonies as a whole.


The 1st movement of no. 2 I believe is one of the most gripping, exciting and well composed movements in any symphony!


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## BartokBela

1) Bach
2) Bartok
3) Beethoven
4) Messiaen
5) Reger


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## Ingélou

1. Lully
2. Biber
3. O'Carolan

Pretty fixed. The remaining two are just this month's pick!
4. Vivaldi
5. Dowland


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## Couchie

1. W
2. A
3. G
4. N
5. E

if I'm allowed (I find it hard to limit to just 5 given all the great music out there):

6. R


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## Bas

1. Bach
2. Beethoven
3. Mozart / Handel
4. Haydn
5. Schubert / Purcell


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## jtbell

My current top 5 according to the total length of recordings:

1. Sibelius
2. Beethoven
3. Haydn
4. JS Bach
5. Mozart

#1 and #2 are nearly tied.

Nielsen is fairly close behind in #6, then it's a significant drop to #7 (Brahms). Not to diss Brahms, but he didn't write as much as some of the others, and I'm not into multiple recordings of his works as I am with Sibelius and Nielsen.


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## DavidA

Beethoven
Mozart
Bach
Schubert
After that a whole lot of dead heats.


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## Vesteralen

Today's Top 5

Francesca Caccini
Barbara Strozzi
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Lili Boulanger
Ellen Taafe Zwilich


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## Gilberto

As these things go, it is always subject to change

but

Bach - Handel - Vivaldi - Chopin and Jóhannsson


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## GiulioCesare

Mozart
Bach
Beethoven
Händel
Mendelssohn

Yeah I like to go my own way.


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## GiulioCesare

DenghiDenghi said:


> Surprised more people haven't heard of Uematsu. He is quite underrated


Quintaessential Romantic style music. It's not bad, but others have done it before (like 150 years ago), and better.


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## Guest

violadude said:


> I haven't heard of half of yours. Interesting.


The math that your fraction prompts has stalled my brain: which composer have you only half-heard of??


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

1. *Sibelius*
2. James Dillon
3. Beat Furrer
4. Ligeti
5. Brian Ferneyhough


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## Guest

Couchie said:


> 1. S
> 2. A
> 3. T
> 4. I
> 5. E


Fixed that for you !


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## ptr

...born after 1950:

Georg Friedrich Haas
Dror Feiler
Wolfgang Rihm
Kaija Saariaho
Klas Torstensson

In no particular order! And mostly because I find their music intriguing... 

/ptr


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## Roi N

1. Franz Joseph Haydn
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3. Johannes Brahms
4. Peter Illych Tchaikovsky
5. Georg Frederic Handel

Haydn & Mozart have a great lead on the rest...


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## trazom

Roi N said:


> 1. Franz Joseph Haydn
> 2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
> 3. Johannes Brahms
> 4. Peter Illych Tchaikovsky
> 5. Georg Frederic Handel
> 
> *Haydn & Mozart have a great lead on the rest...*


So true, so true. Though I'd put Mozart first, that's only a minor quibble, and Bach and Schubert then Brahms, Handel, and Tchaikovsky whom I also love.


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## LovroVonMatacic

Bruckner
Mahler
Tchaikovsky
Sibelius
Nielsen


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## Jobis

Bach
Monteverdi
Mozart
Stravinsky
Bartok/Ligeti


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## Mister Man

Who my top composers are may change, they have in the past. Only a year ago did I become interested in "classical" music and my experience with virtually every composer is shallow.

My top five composers. (In no order)

Beethoven
Strauss II
Bach
Liszt
Mozart


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## Berlioznestpasmort

Berlioz
Brahms
Schubert
Sibelius
Stravinsky


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## hpowders

1. Haydn
2. Bartok
3. Schuman
4. Ives
5. Persichetti

This list will change from time to time.


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## clara s

how such a list can be created?

absolutely impossible


if I leave out, Anton, Ludwig, Wolfgang,Richard, Robert, Johannes, Jean, Gustav, 
Frederic, Franz, Pyotr Illyich, Claude, Sergei, they will haunt me for eternity


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## lupinix

at the moment I guess:
1. Chopin
2. Prokofiev
3. Rachmaninov
4. Bartok
5. Scriabin

(my top 3 is usually chopin, prokofiev & rachmaninov but not always in this order)


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## Dustin

1. Beethoven
2. Bach
3. Mozart
4. Schubert
5. Brahms


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## aleazk

In no particular order: Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Webern, Ligeti.


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## Morimur

*Top 5? Difficult, but here goes nothing...*

(01) J.S. Bach
(02) K. Stockhausen
(03) G. Ligeti
(04) O. Messiaen
(05) I. Xenakis

_Not quite satisfied with this list but it's the best I can do right now._


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## Bulldog

1. Bach (well above the rest)
2. Mozart
3. Schumann
4. Beethoven
5. Shostakovich


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## DrKilroy

1. Stravinsky
2. Sibelius
3. Ravel
4. Vaughan Williams
5. Mozart

Best regards, Dr


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## maestro267

hpowders said:


> 3. Schuman


William (1910-92) or a mis-spelt Robert?


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## SixFootScowl

#1 Beethoven
#2 Handel
#3 Vivaldi
#4 and 5 remain to be detemined.


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## hpowders

^^^^Come on you know you want to say Vincent Persichetti!!!


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## beetzart

Bruckner
Beethoven
Brahms
Schubert
Clementi


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## Eviticus

1. Tchaikovsky
2&3 Mozart / Beethoven (depends which hour of the day)
4. Sibelius
5. Dvorak

Smetena, Chopin, Elgar, J. Williams and Zimmer make up the remaining 10.


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## Itullian

Schumann
Brahms
Beethoven 
Wagner
Haydn
Bruckner,Mozart


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## chalkpie

Ives
Mahler
Sibelius
Ligeti
Shostakovich


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## hpowders

Same list as mine, except for Mahler, Sibelius, Ligeti and Shostakovich.


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## mtmailey

Dvorak
beethoven
mozart
schubert
tchaikovsky.


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## neoshredder

Outside the big 3...
Handel
Schubert
Dvorak 
Tchaikovsky
Debussy


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## Weston

A glance at my catalog shows my top five as:

Adams, John
Adamson, J. Brendan
Adolphe, Bruce
Aho, Kalevi
Aitken, Hugh


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## Vaneyes

Why do you want to know?


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## SixFootScowl

What, Nobody has selected Cage or Glass in their top five (or did I miss it)?


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## hpowders

Vaneyes said:


> Why do you want to know?


You think he's from the IRS?


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## Vaneyes

Two, counting the quickly-retired OPie. You edited. :lol:


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## sabrina

1. MOZART
2. Rossini
3. Chopin
4. Beethoven
5. J.S.Bach


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## Itullian

sabrina said:


> 1. MOZART
> 2. Rossini
> 3. Chopin
> 4. Beethoven
> 5. J.S.Bach


Great list!!..............


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## Nevum

1. Bruckner
2. Wagner
3. Bach
4. Mozart
5. Beethoven


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## senza sordino

An impossible task to name five
Today I'll choose 
Shostakovich 
Stravinsky
Bach
Beethoven
Sibelius

I'll have another list tomorrow


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## Rocco

1. Handel
2. Beethoven
3. Vivaldi
4. Bach
5. Mozart


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## neoshredder

Seriously, 5 Composer lists aren't long enough for me. 3 of the 5 are almost on everyone's list. That leaves only 2 positions for variety.


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## changeup

I guess that this is a much discussed topic, but I cannot help providing my input. My favorites are as follows:
1. Schubert
2. Brahms
3. Dvorak
4. Mendelssohn
5. Paganini


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## Mahler7

Mahler
Bruckner
Wagner
Shostakovich
Prokofiev


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## AClockworkOrange

At present, I would say in no particular order:
- Beethoven 
- Schubert
- Berlioz
- Saint-Saens
- Vaughan Williams/Holst - I can't quite settle at the moment, both fantastic

With the exception of Beethoven and Schubert, my top five fluctuates depending on mood.


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## Angeloidus

L. v. Beethoven
J.S. Bach
Felix-Bartholdy Mendelssohn
W.A. Mozart
On the 5th I can't deside (Brahms, Schubert, Ravel)


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## Skilmarilion

Subject to change (radically):

Beethoven
Tchaikovsky
Mendelssohn
Mahler
Mozart


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## Andolink

G. Mahler
J. S. Bach
F. Joseph Haydn
L. v. Beethoven
Helmut Lachenmann


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## Morimur

Andolink said:


> G. Mahler
> J. S. Bach
> F. Joseph Haydn
> L. v. Beethoven
> Helmut Lachenmann


Lachenmann huh? A bold choice. The late 20th/21st centuries have not been well represented on these lists so far. Good to see that someone appreciates Lachenmann's enigmatic art.


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## hpowders

Asking to list the top 5 composers for me is more a short-term deal, indicating how I feel at a particular point in time.
The list may have 100% turnover 3 months from now.
My latest list is above somewhere.


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## Guest

hpowders said:


> Asking to list the top 5 composers for me is more a short-term deal, indicating how I feel at a particular point in time.
> The list may have 100% turnover 3 months from now.


I too tend to shuffle around my favourite composers. It's usually the same bunch of composers but in a different order. It's not just the top 5 but more like top 20.


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## Weston

For a more serious answer this time I've painfully narrowed it down to these five in alphabetical order

J. S. Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Ligeti
Vaughan-Williams

Others have written single works that may surpass many of these composer's works, but for consistently dependable bodies-of-work, these reign.


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## hpowders

When I finish with Persichetti, looks like I must try Ligeti. Hopefully the dog won't run away like he does from playing the former.


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## quercus robur

1. J.S. Bach
2. Mozart
3. Beethoven
4. Monteverdi
5. Sibelius


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## Oskaar

For me right now but may soon change.

Mozart
Dvorak
Brahms
Haydn
Schubert


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## hpowders

Ives, Schuman, Haydn, Copland, Bernstein.


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## shangoyal

Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Lennon/McCartney
Chopin


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## hpowders

shangoyal said:


> Bach
> Beethoven
> Mozart
> Lennon/McCartney
> Chopin


An eclectic mix!!!


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## neoshredder

Preferring late Romanticism lately.
Tchaikovsky
Grieg
Bruch
Beethoven
Mozart


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## Picander

J.S. Bach
Henry Purcell
Tomás Luis de Victoria
Josquin Des Prez
Gesualdo da Venosa

#1 is write in stone, #2 - #5 change (though I really like Purcell)


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## Svelte Silhouette

I struggle with these kind of lists as they are too vague and not very useful imo BUT we all like charts else we'd not have the 'Top 10, 20, 40, 50 or Billboard's 100 and Rolling Stone magazine's 500'.

I couldn't tell you my top 5 'pop' artists let alone my top 5 'classical' composers, though, as such a list would vary according to my frame of mind on any given day (and relate to a work I fancied listening to rather than a composer anyway) BUT could say who I have most discs by. *Mozart, Beethoven and Bach are my biggest collections so that must make them my top 3 BUT only based on numbers. Haydn, Handel and Brahms likely come next so that'd make the 3 Bs plus M and an H my top 5* though that'd mean that anyone outside of 1685-1897 is outside the top 5 costing me Monteverdi and Shostakovich (both of whom I prefer to listen to sometimes) along with a couple of centuries worth of early music and the entire twentieth century.

Like most folk I like different things on different days and would hate to get drawn into the 'whose symphony is best' which must surely be Dvorak 9, no I meant Beethoven 3 or 5 or 9, no on second thoughts Mahler 9 or Bruckner 9 ... oh dear, they are all so good and each with their own merits. Based on my liking for 9's I'd say any 9 is likely good though do like Mozart's 41, by Jupiter, and Haydn's 94, which may come as no surprise, so it'd be an impossibility to say whose whatever is best for me let alone who is best.

If I was advising someone new to 'classical' music on recommendations I'd stick in 'standard fayre' stuff like Holst's Planets and Orff's Carmina Burana then 'throw in' a bit of Tchaikovsky along with some Mahler and Wagner plus maybe a bit of VW and Elgar followed by 'a dash of' Stravinsky and some early music finishing off with Faure's and Mozart's Requiems not forgettings those 9's symphonies plus a bit of Bach and Viv. I could maybe come up with 100 works everyone should have and possibly whittle that down to 40 or 50 but not less and that's the difficulty with a 'Top' 20, 10, 5, 3 or #1 for me I'm afraid.

*I listen to Mahler and Wagner a lot (and probably more than Handel or Haydn) so maybe one of these should be my number 5 to get back on the thread response though ... *

It's just such an impossibly tough decision compounded by the fact that I've got more Rolling Stones discs than Gliere ones so must be either stupid, a 'Stones completist' or prefer them to Gliere based on disc count. Actually I prefer Gliere to 'The Stones' except when I fancy something lightweight, short and boisterous so discounting disc count is probably best ... apart from Mozart, Beethoven and Bach so I can give those 3 but not order them.

*There ... I've made a Top 3 (and a vague 5) even though I don't like such listings* ;-)


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## Piwikiwi

Faure
Prokofiev
Ravel
Bach
Debussy


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## Svelte Silhouette

Partita said:


> I too tend to shuffle around my favourite composers. It's usually the same bunch of composers but in a different order. It's not just the top 5 but more like top 20.


Yes, 20 is far better number to work with than 5 for me also and, with the benefit of 'shuffling', akin to my feelings on being able to deal with the concept of such listings.


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## AClockworkOrange

The only constant in my top 5 is Beethoven, with other choices frequently hopping around my top 20 as Partita notes, according to mood and circumstance for myself.

At present, in no order except for the first I would say:
- Ludwig Van Beethoven
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Camille Saint-Saëns 
- Ralph Vaughan Williams
- Carl Maria Von Weber/Josef Suk (tie)

First time Schubert, Bruckner and Mahler have not been in my top 5 bit a first time serious entry for Mozart, whose music I have come to really appreciate lately. For a while it has been present but not really clicked beyond a couple of pieces but now the penny has dropped and I have been pulled in.


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## Itullian

Always Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn
then varies with Brahms, Schumann, Wagner, Bruckner


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## Svelte Silhouette

Itullian said:


> Always Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn
> then varies with Brahms, Schumann, Wagner, Bruckner


I understand from another thread (http://www.talkclassical.com/30919-if-you-could-revive.html) that Bach may be revived soon ... beware 'The Bach revival' movement as he will be coming for you ;-)


----------



## hpowders

hpowders said:


> Ives, Schuman, Haydn, Copland, Bernstein.


I've answered this as a short-term proposition. These are my choices right now at this moment. In a couple of weeks, I would anticipate some turnover. Perhaps in several months an entirely different list of five.


----------



## neoshredder

For those that like Sibelius, the votings for other favorites include...
1. Mozart
2. Beethoven
3. Bach
4. Stravinsky
5. Dvorak
6. Haydn
7. Brahms
8. Ligeti
9. Mahler
10. Tchaikovsky
11. Shostakovich
Here are those with only 1 vote.
Ferneyhough
Martinu
Ravel
Vaughan Williams
Furrer
Dillon
Bruckner
Nielsen
Berlioz
Schubert
Ives
Monteverdi


----------



## Morimur

Here's 40...


Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
Karlheinz Stockhausen
György Ligeti
Olivier Messiaen
Witold Lutosławski
Igor Stravinsky
Béla Bartók
Arnold Schoenberg
Anton Webern
Alban Berg
Edgar Varèse
Iannis Xenakis
Elliott Carter
György Kurtág
Luigi Nono
Luciano Berio
Morton Feldman
Pierre Boulez
Benjamin Britten
Milton Babbitt
Giacinto Scelsi
Mauricio Kagel
Gustav Mahler
Harry Partch
Allan Pettersson
Richard Barrett
Brian Ferneyhough
Michael Finnissy
James Dillon
Harrison Birtwistle
Per Nørgård
Robert Ashley
Kalevi Aho
George Benjamin
Aribert Reimann
Vinko Globokar
Toru Takemitsu
Salvatore Sciarrino
Friedrich Cerha


----------



## chalkpie

Lope de Aguirre said:


> (01) J.S. Bach
> (02) K. Stockhausen
> (03) G. Ligeti
> (04) O. Messiaen
> (05) I. Xenakis
> 
> _Not quite satisfied with this list but it's the best I can do right now._


Dude - we are neck and neck. Those cats are all Top 20 easily with a few in my top 10. If one had to go, it would be Stockhausen, mainly because I know his stuff much less than the others. Ligeti and Messiaen would be my favorites there - those ******** aren't going anywhere. Xenakis is also an ultra-original and just unbelievable. My pal and I had an outer body experience at his pad some years ago listening to "Kraanerg" CRANKED in the total dark on some hefty chemical refreshments - I'll never forget that one. It was insane. At the time, Xenakis was my favorite for some months, I thought everybody else was inferior.

I have to throw in Ives, Zappa (no apologies there I'm afraid), Shostakovich, Copland - who wrote some killer dissonant stuff like his Orchestral Variations, Inscape, Connontations, Piano Quartet, etc etc, Ravel, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Bartok, Lut, Leifs, Debussy, Vaughan Williams, Schuman (William), Varese, Mahler, and The Spice Girls.


----------



## chalkpie

chalkpie said:


> Dude - we are neck and neck. Those cats are all Top 20 easily with a few in my top 10. If one had to go, it would be Stockhausen, mainly because I know his stuff much less than the others. Ligeti and Messiaen would be my favorites there - those ******** aren't going anywhere. Xenakis is also an ultra-original and just unbelievable. My pal and I had an outer body experience at his pad some years ago listening to "Kraanerg" CRANKED in the total dark on some hefty chemical refreshments - I'll never forget that one. It was insane. At the time, Xenakis was my favorite for some months, I thought everybody else was inferior.
> 
> I have to throw in Ives, Zappa (no apologies there I'm afraid), Shostakovich, Copland - who wrote some killer dissonant stuff like his Orchestral Variations, Inscape, Connontations, Piano Quartet, etc etc, Ravel, Sibelius, Stravinky, Bartok, Lut, Vaughan Williams, Schuman (William), Varese, Mahler, and The Spice Girls.


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


----------



## chalkpie

jim prideaux said:


> Sibelius-always was and always will be
> Dvorak-come to realise just how great his music actually is
> Martinu-newly discovered and wonder what I ever did without his music
> Haydn-as with Dvorak
> Brahms-a consistent part of my musical life (good g-d, did I really write that?):lol:
> 
> might have also included Barber, Walton, Chopin-and yes before anyone points it out there is no Bach, Mozart or Beethoven!
> 
> that's Septembers list anyway.............:tiphat:


Hey man - can you tell me more about Martinu? Never really listened to him but always meant to check him out. Thanks man. Sibelius has become a DEITY to me over the past few years. Heavily addicted. One of the purest composers period.


----------



## Alypius

chalkpie said:


> Hey man - can you tell me more about Martinu? Never really listened to him but always meant to check him out....


I'm a big fan of Martinu's. He's unusually prolific. Much of his work stands in the wake of Stravinsky's neoclassical phase. A fine melodist and a terrific rhythmic sense. Czech composer in the tradition of Dvorak and Janacek. Cosmopolitian (he spent a good part of his career in Paris). And like many composers caught up in the tumult of World War II ended up in the U.S. (much like Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, Hindemith, and many others).

Where to start? *Double Concerto for 2 String Orchestras, Piano & Timpani *(similar in some way to Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta)










There are two excellent (and inexpensive) collections of his *6 Symphonies* (Bryden Thomson / Royal Scottish on Chandos and Neeme Jaarvi / Bamberger Symphoniker on Brilliant):








:

My favorite is #2, but most think #5 is the finest. His symphonic works sometimes sound like Copland (they date from his time in the U.S., and so Copland may be a direct influence). Big grand melodies, vibrant rhythms.

I especially enjoy his chamber works (and it is vast). Where to start? I would recommend his three *cello sonatas*, arguably the best of the century (try the inexpensive and superb version by Steven Isserlis / Peter Evans on Helios).










That's the tip of the iceberg. There are 6 string quartets (very reasonable-priced versions on Naxos), a great set of piano quintets (also on Naxos). I am very fond of his two violin concertos (esp. #1) and his five piano concertos (esp. #4). Enjoy


----------



## sankalp

checck out these legends
1.Johann Sebistain bach
2.Richard wagner
3.Ilayaraja
4.Ar.Rahman
5.Robert Schumann


----------



## Arsakes

1. Dvorak
2. Sibelius 
3. Schumann-Brahms (as one entity!)
4. Haydn
5. Vivaldi-Handel (the same as 3.)

Considering all genres.


----------



## Op.123

Mozart
Beethoven
Brahms
Schumann
Puccini
Liszt

Sorry, I know it's six


----------



## Stavrogin

Alypius said:


> I'm a big fan of Martinu's. He's usually prolific. Much of his work stands in the wake of Stravinsky's neoclassical phase. A fine melodist and a terrific rhythmic sense. Czech composer in the tradition of Dvorak and Janacek. Cosmopolitian (he spent a good part of his career in Paris). And like many composers caught up in the tumult of World War II ended up in the U.S. (much like Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, Hindemith, and many others).
> 
> Where to start? *Double Concerto for 2 String Orchestras, Piano & Timpani *(similar in some way to Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are two excellent (and inexpensive) collections of his *6 Symphonies* (Bryden Thomson / Royal Scottish on Chandos and Neeme Jaarvi / Bamberger Symphoniker on Brilliant):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :
> 
> My favorite is #2, but most think #5 is the finest. His symphonic works sometimes sound like Copland (they date from his time in the U.S., and so Copland may be a direct influence). Big grand melodies, vibrant rhythms.
> 
> I especially enjoy his chamber works (and it is vast). Where to start? I would recommend his three *cello sonatas*, arguably the best of the century (try the inexpensive and superb version by Steven Isserlis / Peter Evans on Helios).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's the tip of the iceberg. There are 6 string quartets (very reasonable-priced versions on Naxos), a great set of piano quintets (also on Naxos). I am very fond of his two violin concertos (esp. #1) and his five piano concertos (esp. #4). Enjoy


Thanks for this post. 
I started my exploration of Marinu with his *Czech Rhapsody* and it was very rewarding.


----------



## Stavrogin

In attempt to match the OP's request and Lope's request of a Top 40, I will post my Top 10 ranking.

1	Ludwig van Beethoven
2	Sergej Prokofiev
3	Giya Kancheli
4	Pëtr Čajkovskij
5	Alfred Šnitke
6	Jean Sibelius
7	Franz Liszt
8	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
9	Franz Schubert
10	Giuseppe Verdi

And I'm gonna add a honourable mention for Efrim Menuck.


----------



## Kilgore Trout

1. Charles Ives
2. Claude Debussy
3. Alfred Schnittke
4. Karol Szymanowski
5. Iannis Xenakis


----------



## Kilgore Trout

chalkpie said:


> I have to throw in Ives, Zappa (no apologies there I'm afraid), Shostakovich, Copland - who wrote some killer dissonant stuff like his Orchestral Variations, Inscape, Connontations, Piano Quartet, etc etc, Ravel, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Bartok, *Lut*, Leifs, Debussy, Vaughan Williams, Schuman (William), Varese, Mahler, and The Spice Girls.


Who is Lut ?
................


----------



## Trout

Kilgore Trout said:


> Who is Lut ?
> ................


Lutoslawski, I presume.


----------



## Hans Thomas

1. Mozart
2. Beethoven
3. Haydn
4. Schumann
5. Brahms....or Bach


----------



## Morimur

*Breaking News*

I've promoted *Benjamin Britten* and *Iannis Xenakis* to nos. 12 & 13 respectively!

_You may all return to your daily scheduled activities now._


----------



## Guest

"Shostakovich vs. Britten"

"Mahler crushes both"

...even the "wise" are fickle - best not to take them too seriously


----------



## schuberkovich

Beethoven
Schubert
Brahms
Mahler
Ravel

At the moment


----------



## chalkpie

Trout said:


> Lutoslawski, I presume.


Yes.
........................................


----------



## chalkpie

Kilgore Trout said:


> 1. Charles Ives
> 2. Claude Debussy
> 3. Alfred Schnittke
> 4. Karol Szymanowski
> 5. Iannis Xenakis


That's a seriously great list :cheers:


----------



## Blake

Mozart
Mahler
Beethoven
Schoenberg
Schnittke


----------



## shangoyal

Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Chopin
Schubert

I know it's a boring list. *shrugs*


----------



## chalkpie

Lope de Aguirre said:


> I've promoted *Benjamin Britten* and *Iannis Xenakis* to nos. 12 & 13 respectively!
> 
> _You may all return to your daily scheduled activities now._


Hey dude - let me ask you about some omissions from your list. Just curious - are these cats not tolerated at all or just not making the top 40?:

Ives
Ravel
Debussy
VW
Sibelius
Leifs
Schnittke
Proko

There are a few names on your list I am going to investigate further.


----------



## chalkpie

shangoyal said:


> Bach
> Beethoven
> Mozart
> Chopin
> Schubert
> 
> I know it's a boring list. *shrugs*


Not boring if you really love these guys, but let me ask you - are there any 20th century guys that come close to making your list?


----------



## Guest

I'm like shangoyal...my top 5 is pretty generic. It gradually gets more "interesting" I guess. Honestly the t5 would probably just be Beethoven/Bach/Mozart/Brahms/Schubert. After that, probably Schumann/Ravel/Schoenberg/Haydn...


----------



## Guest

chalkpie said:


> Hey dude - let me ask you about some omissions from your list. Just curious - are these cats not tolerated at all or just making the top 40?:
> 
> Leifs
> 
> There are a few names on your list I am going to investigate further.


Would you really rank this guy that highly? Which are your favorite works? It was too early in my classical experience when I heard the Hekla disc to have any significant judgements, but when I listened to the Saga Symphony later on... I don't know... the brass sound was very nice, but by the end it was just sickeningly over the top. Perhaps I'm due for a re-listen, as I do legitimately love Nordic music.


----------



## KenOC

shangoyal said:


> Bach
> Beethoven
> Mozart
> Chopin
> Schubert
> 
> I know it's a boring list. *shrugs*


I believe the list closed in 1828. You may want to find one substitute...Haydn?


----------



## DrKilroy

I am not a Leifs expert and I know only a few works from his output, but try Icelandic Folk Dances - a very pleasant piece. 


Best regards, Dr


----------



## pretentiousaaron

In no particular order:

Shostakovich
Beethoven
Rachmaninov
Prokofiev
Stravinsky


----------



## chalkpie

arcaneholocaust said:


> Would you really rank this guy that highly? Which are your favorite works? It was too early in my classical experience when I heard the Hekla disc to have any significant judgements, but when I listened to the Saga Symphony later on... I don't know... the brass sound was very nice, but by the end it was just sickeningly over the top. Perhaps I'm due for a re-listen, as I do legitimately love Nordic music.


Leifs is not top 5, or even top 10, but he is probably top 30 or so for me though. Over the top? Yeah, probably in some cases, but to my ears he is a true original and unlike any composer I'm familiar with. With the exception of medieval/ren and Bach, I don't get interested again until the late 19th Century, so I would personally rate Leifs higher than Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, etc just based on the fact that he is more interesting to my ears, and will challenge me much more in the long run. Is he better - probably not, but I find myself pulling his CD's off my shelf WAY more than most classical and romantic era composers. Also, he is just plain great!

PS - favorites are Hekla, Réminiscence du Nord (the first piece I heard by him and sold me instantly), Requiem, Saga Symphony, Geysir, Dettisfoss, Hafis...those are my top shelf Leifs works.


----------



## aleazk

One from each era:

J.S.Bach
Chopin
Debussy
Webern
Ligeti


----------



## DeepR

DeepR said:


> Beethoven
> Chopin
> Liszt
> Scriabin
> Rachmaninoff


This list is still largely piano-solo oriented but anyway, swap Liszt for Mozart.


----------



## neoshredder

Sibelius
Dvorak 
Tchaikovsky
Mozart
Beethoven


----------



## Majed Al Shamsi

In no specific order:

Frederic Chopin
Franz Liszt
Wolfgang Mozart
Johann Sebastian Bach
Nicki Minaj


----------



## scratchgolf

Majed Al Shamsi said:


> In no specific order:
> Nicki Minaj


Who is he?  :tiphat:

My first two are permanent locks

1. Beethoven
2. Schubert

3-5 vary from day to day

3. Bach
4. Mendelssohn
5. Mahler


----------



## Majed Al Shamsi

scratchgolf said:


> Who is he?


Haha! Just messing around!
I almost threw up just typing her (or 'its') name.


----------



## Joris

Brahms 
Mozart
Haydn
Bach
Machaut


----------



## hpowders

Right now:

Haydn
Ives
Persichetti
Schuman
Schoenberg


----------



## Morimur

chalkpie said:


> Hey dude - let me ask you about some omissions from your list. Just curious - are these cats not tolerated at all or just not making the top 40?:
> 
> Ives
> Ravel
> Debussy
> VW
> Sibelius
> Leifs
> Schnittke
> Proko
> 
> There are a few names on your list I am going to investigate further.


Forgot Debussy. Not a fan of the rest


----------



## HaydnBearstheClock

------------------------------


----------



## Majed Al Shamsi

^ What's there to edit..?


----------



## monscarmeli

1. Josquin
2. Bach
3. Chopin
4. Wagner
5. Grieg

The first two for their "epic" counterpoint; the next two for the romantic majesty (which, of course, was built on counterpoint); and the last for the lighthearted joy of the music.

For me this list is roughly arranged in order of listening time over the years...


----------



## poconoron

Mozart
Beethoven
Bach
Haydn
Rossini


----------



## Svelte Silhouette

Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Lennon-McCartney.

I've started listening 2 some Beatles stuff and it's fab as is the girl who recommended it - she's very retro and it's kinda nice her not being a sheep tho I've nothing against sheep, yet


----------



## Selby

This will change every time I do it... Which is amazing as I am always discovering new music.

Lately:

Koechlin
Hovhaness
Takemitsu
Mozart
Bax


----------



## Vlelf

Bach
Mahler
Chopin
Rachmaninov
Beethoven


----------



## Op.123

1. Brahms
2. Schumann
3. Mozart
4. Beethoven
5. Dvorak


----------



## OldFashionedGirl

In no particular order
-Bach
-Sibelius
-Bartók
-Shostakovich
-Beethoven (?)


----------



## DeepR

ruaskin said:


> Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and *Lennon-McCartney*.


user banned 15 char


----------



## Svelte Silhouette

DeepR said:


> user banned 15 char


Lennon-McCartney is 16 though 

I'm afraid that I'm uncomfortable to see the pairing mentioned in the same breath as Mozart, Bach and Beethoven but I'm not a big Tchaikovsky fan either though but he did the odd good musical.

I recall McCartney having a stab at the classical market initially with Sir Colin Davis I think but that sank without a trace. I believe he's had a couple more stabs too but with a plastic knife :lol:

If their music survives more than a century I'd be surprised but as pop music goes it obviously has something going for it and The Beatles were rather more inventive and experimental then most 60s acts.

Perhaps they'd sit better in a new thread "Top 5 post-WW2 composers" ie. those born after it's start so I've started one - http://www.talkclassical.com/31950-top-5-post-ww2.html


----------



## MJongo

Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Mozart
Schubert


----------



## mashoo

I can't say I have a single favourite composer, or even a top five, but five I have enjoyed very recently are...

Takemitsu
Debussy
Bach
Mozart
Monteverdi


----------



## mashoo

If I had 7 options I would have mentioned Handel and Schumann! How could I have forgotten?


----------



## Op.123

Brahms
Beethoven
Mozart
Schumann
Schubert


----------



## BensonhoistLesbianChoir

I don't have a top 5 list, but I know one composer that most of you probably haven't heard of. He wasn't a classical composer, but he was heavily influenced by classical music and had studied it in college. I'm talking about Peter Steele, a musical genius that everyone should listen to!
















The links above are, in my opinion, characteristic of his talent. Peter is an extraordinary individual and his music is truly magical...


----------



## BurningDesire

atm....

Sergei Prokofiev
Yuki Kajiura
Claude Debussy
Richard Wagner
Stephen Sondheim

in no particular order


----------



## Ingélou

In order of 'loved most' - 
Lully
Rebel
Handel
Bach
Vivaldi


----------



## violadude

Ingélou said:


> In order of 'loved most' -
> Lully
> Rebel
> Handel
> Bach
> Vivaldi


Who is Rebel? I tried looking this composer up but got nothing back. Was he also a Baroque Era composer?


----------



## ptr

^^Mr Les Elements:






Wiki-info

/ptr


----------



## violadude

ptr said:


> ^^Mr Les Elements:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wiki-info
> 
> /ptr


HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL

I definitely was not expecting that first chord from a Baroque Era composer...


----------



## ptr

violadude said:


> HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL
> 
> I definitely was not expecting that first chord from a Baroque Era composer...


No one does, it is awesome!

/ptr


----------



## violadude

ptr said:


> No one does, it is awesome!
> 
> /ptr


I seriously double checked to make sure I read his dates right.


----------



## Ingélou

Yes, Jean-Féry Rebel, one of Lully's violinists. But it isn't just his Chaos & the Elements; we took a cd of Andrew Manze playing Rebel's violin sonatas on holiday with us and they were fabulous.

PS Of course with Baroque Composers, there are so many, and all so talented, that I think I should be allowed ten per slot. I had to leave out Biber, Rameau, Couperin, Purcell, De Fesch, Lawes, Alessandro Scarlatti, Geminiani......  what, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?


----------



## sharik

1. Wagner
2. Puccini
3. Verdi
4. Rossini
5. Offenbach


----------



## Taggart

Ingélou said:


> Yes, Jean-Féry Rebel, one of Lully's violinists. But it isn't just his Chaos & the Elements; we took a cd of Andrew Manze playing Rebel's violin sonatas on holiday with us and they were fabulous.
> 
> PS Of course with Baroque Composers, there are so many, and all so talented, that I think I should be allowed ten per slot. I had to leave out Biber, Rameau, Couperin, Purcell, De Fesch, Lawes, Alessandro Scarlatti, Geminiani......  what, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?


There and back again and there will still be others waiting to join the queue - Arne, Avison, Bannister, Boyce, Eccles, Lawes, Mudge and that's only the English. Whole queue of French, Spanish and Italians also waiting in the wings.

Mine would be

Bach
Handel
Vivaldi
Lully

then I start getting into a pickle. There are just too many good Baroque composers never mind the "also rans".


----------



## satoru

ptr said:


> ^^Mr Les Elements:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wiki-info
> 
> /ptr


Oh, my, my. How the audience reacted to the opening of this piece, I'm curious. Thanks for a nice surprise!


----------



## Rhythm

ptr said:


> ^^Mr Les Elements:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wiki-info
> 
> /ptr


OMG! What a surprise! I've gotta have it!


----------



## schuberkovich

Right now:

Beethoven
Brahms
Sibelius
Ravel
Mahler


----------



## Morimur

I've revised my list:

01. Johann Sebastian Bach
02. Ludwig van Beethoven
03. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
04. Karlheinz Stockhausen
05. Witold Lutosławski

(Note: Number 05 is interchangeable with Ligeti, Stravinsky, Bartok, Webern, Messiaen, Nono, Xenakis, Berio, Carter, Feldman, Partch).


----------



## Itullian

Beethoven
Bach
Mozart
Wagner
Brahms


----------



## DiesIraeCX

1. Beethoven
2. Mahler
3. Brahms
4. Bruckner
5. Schubert


----------



## mmsbls

Mine really has not changed for awhile:

Mozart
Beethoven
Bach
Brahms
Schubert

Then a lot of other wonderful composers.


----------



## DrMuller

Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Mozart
Dvorák


----------



## Cygnenoir

Mahler
Mozart
Messiaen
Beethoven
Debussy


----------



## Serge

Bach.
Beethoven.
Mozart.
Brahms.
Bruckner.


----------



## Amusicman

Wagner
Mahler
Stravinsky
Shostakovich
Beethoven


----------



## DrMuller

Looks like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms are the winners


----------



## Chronochromie

Lets just hope Wagner doesn't find out.


----------



## Serge

Wagner is great except that he wrote a lot of stuff that I personally don't listen to.


----------



## JACE

J.S. Bach 
Beethoven
Berlioz
Brahms
Mahler
Ives
Shostakovich

I realize that I'm cheating; I've got SEVEN composers. But I can't make my list any shorter!!!

...And I don't WANT to make my list any shorter.


----------



## Guest

*I am still so boring.* For the last 6 months I've been obsessed with Stockhausen, Berio, Ligeti, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Saariaho, you name it.

_And yet I still can't get anything past my standard ole Bach-Beethoven-Mozart-Brahms-Schubert top 5..._


----------



## Serge

arcaneholocaust said:


> *I am still so boring.* For the last 6 months I've been obsessed with Stockhausen, Berio, Ligeti, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Saariaho, you name it.
> 
> _And yet I still can't get anything past my standard ole Bach-Beethoven-Mozart-Brahms-Schubert top 5..._


But the truth IS in the numbers! I mean, honestly, have you ever heard anyone greater that Bach?


----------



## Chronochromie

Beethoven
Schubert
Schumann
Brahms 
Debussy
This as of now, but given that I'm still exploring a lot it doesn't mean that much yet.


----------



## Morimur

It's nigh impossible to beat the big 3: Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. Only a handful come close. Though I sometimes wonder if we, as classical nuts, unreasonably elevate the importance and quality of older composers' oeuvre. Objectively speaking, Bach's music is a treasure, but what makes it so much 'better' than, say, Stravinsky's or Stockhausen's? Have we been merely conditioned to perceive Bach as THE GREATEST?


----------



## Chronochromie

Lope de Aguirre said:


> It's nigh impossible to beat the big 3: Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. Only a handful come close. Though I sometimes wonder if we, as classical nuts, unreasonably elevate the importance and quality of older composers' oeuvre. Objectively speaking, Bach's music is a treasure, but what makes it so much 'better' than, say, Stravinsky's or Stockhausen's? Have we been merely conditioned to perceive Bach as THE GREATEST?


What are your favorite works by Stockhausen? Or at least the most accessible ones. I only know him as the guy with the helicopter string quartet stunt, but I suppose that isn't a highlight of his career, right?


----------



## violadude

Der Leiermann said:


> What are your favorite works by Stockhausen? Or at least the most accessible ones. I only know him as the guy with the helicopter string quartet stunt, but I suppose that isn't a highlight of his career, right?


Gruppen, for three orchestras:





Stimmung, for voices:





Gesang Der Junglinge, for electronics and children's voices:


----------



## Morimur

Der Leiermann said:


> What are your favorite works by Stockhausen? Or at least the most accessible ones. I only know him as the guy with the helicopter string quartet stunt, but I suppose that isn't a highlight of his career, right?


I find all his work accessible but it initially took some effort to get there.

Some of my favorite works (there are many more):

Gesang der Jünglinge
Momente
Telemusik
Hymen
Mantra
Inori
Licht: Die sieben Tage der Woche
Kontra-Punkte
Klavierstücke
Mikrophonie I
Zyklus
Kontakte


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## Op.123

Brahms
Schubert 
Beethoven
Chopin
Verdi


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## Andreas

Lope de Aguirre said:


> Objectively speaking, Bach's music is a treasure, but what makes it so much 'better' than, say, Stravinsky's or Stockhausen's? Have we been merely conditioned to perceive Bach as THE GREATEST?


I suppose it's - besides the quality of his work - because he was the first among common practice composers who put out a body of work of near encyclopedic dimension.


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## echo

Lope de Aguirre said:


> Have we been merely conditioned to perceive Bach as THE GREATEST?


 - it's about archetypes -- he had them all -- the side burns -- the ginger bread house -- the ability to command the loyalty of sea creatures -- those big gold medallions


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## Guest

This is almost impossible to answer but this is my choice.
Josquin Desprez
J.S. Bach
Beethoven
Schubert ( songs)
Messiaen


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## hpowders

This week my picks are Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Copland and Ives.


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## StlukesguildOhio

My top 5 are pretty much set in stone:

J.S. Bach
W.A. Mozart
L. v. Beethoven
Richard Wagner
Franz Joseph Haydn


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## Marcel

1. Bach
2. Händel
3. Vivaldi
4. Caldara
5. Rameau


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## QuietGuy

Not necessarily in order:

Ravel
Debussy
Stravinsky
Barber
Copland


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## jim prideaux

Sibelius
Dvorak
Nielsen
Martinu
Brahms


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## Fugue Meister

1- J.S Bach
2- L.V Beethoven 
3- D.D Shostakovich
4- W.A Mozart
5- J. Brahms


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## HaydnBearstheClock

My list keeps on changing (except Haydn and Telemann), so now an update:
Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Telemann, Mendelssohn

Mozart, Bach, Händel, Chopin, Schumann and Liszt are somewhere very close to these 5.


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## poconoron

This week it is..........in order:

Mozart
Beethoven
Schubert
Haydn
JS Bach


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## Guest

View attachment 49656


"This week, oi 'ave been mos'ly listening to Messiaen, Beethoven, Satie, Tómasson and Leifs."

(And for those not aware of Jesse from _The Fast Show_, 



 )


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## MoonlightSonata

Not in order:
Beethoven
Mozart
Bach (J.S.)
Saint-Saens
Vaughan Williams


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## AClockworkOrange

Beyond Beethoven, my favourites tend to be fluid. I tend to distinguish between Opera, Orchestral and Chamber to make things easier. *At this moment*, picking 5 overall across the oeuvre I would have to say (in no order after Beethoven):
1. Ludwig Van Beethoven
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
4. Camille Saint-Saëns 
5. Richard Strauss

If I broke things down as noted above, it would look very different. To be honest, I have surprised myself a little here.

Saint-Saëns and Mendelssohn strike me as quite underrated or perhaps taken for granted. Their bodies of work across different fields are remarkable, Symphonically and in the realm of Chamber works.

Frank Schubert, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Arnold Bax and Arthur Honegger all came within a cat's whisker of taking Richard Strauss' spot on the list. 

Gustav Mahler, Anton Bruckner and Hector Berlioz are also conspicuous in their absence but looking at the overall field I think I have made the best choices I can at present.

Five simply is not enough for me :lol:


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## hpowders

Right now it's Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Mozart. I don't have a fifth.


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## DrMuller

This week I can only do a top 6 list:

1. J.S. Bach
2. Mozart
3. Beethoven
4. Brahms
5. Dvorák
6. Mendelssohn


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## hpowders

Okay. This is a lock. Never to be changed

My 5 greatest composers of all time:

Johann Sebastian Bach
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Franz Joseph Haydn
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gustav Mahler

Etched in stone.


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## Andreas

Forever subject to change, yet with a strong notion of being mostly permanent:

Bach
Brahms
Bruckner
Schoenberg
Sibelius


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## MagneticGhost

A handful of today's favourites. 

Vaughan Williams
Messiaen
Haydn
Schubert
Shostakovich
Mahler
Brahms


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## Morimur

01. J.S. Bach
02. L. Beethoven
03. G. Ligeti
04. I. Xenakis
05. W. Lutosławski


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## ptr

Like the weather, my preference of composer changes every day! 

/ptr


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## TitanisWalleri

My five as of late:
Mahler
Prokofiev
Respighi
Sibelius 
Holst


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## hpowders

I can understand Holst and Respighi ...but the others?


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## Morimur

Like many others' top 5, mine is in constant flux, with the lone exception of J.S. Bach being forever, #1


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## Guest

lope de aguirre said:


> like many others' top 5, mine is in constant flux, with the lone exception of j.s. Bach being forever, #1


but you booted the stockmeister?!?!?!


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## aleazk

Today:

-Debussy
-Webern
-Ligeti
-Stravinsky
-Schoenberg

Honorable mentions:

-Xenakis
-Boulez
-Stockhausen
-Carter
-Feldman


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## TitanisWalleri

hpowders said:


> I can understand Holst and Respighi ...but the others?


Mahler is the most emotionally-movinf composer out of those five. Everything is over the top angry, sad, triumphant, etc.

Sibelius style is just impeccable. He throws different incoherent themes down and by the end of a movement makes them all work together. It's just unique and amazing.

Prokofiev's use of disonaance is awesome. The way that he used it keeps an early twentieth century feel with leaning towards the future.


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## senza sordino

Bach
Beethoven
Sibelius
Mahler
Shostakovich 


I have more recordings of these five than anyone else. But ask me again in a week, month, year and my list will possibly change. But I couldn't live on a diet of these five alone, I need the 50 other composers in my inventory to keep me satisfied.


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## julianoq

Beethoven
Bach
Mozart
Sibelius
Mahler/Debussy/Bruckner/Messiaen/Brahms (pick one random)


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## Torkelburger

Debussy
Stravinsky
Bach
Martinu
Vaughn-Williams

(very close: Walton, Barber, Scriabin, and Britten)


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## psu

I'll go with:

Bach
Bruckner
Mahler
Dvorak
Schubert


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## Überstürzter Neumann

Chronologically:
Haydn
Mozart
Beethoven
Schubert 
Bruckner

Yes, I know, not very imaginative. But what to do when those 5 are that good?


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## Morimur

Ranking composers is an exercise in futility. For example: Schoenberg, Ligeti, Xenakis, Lutosławski, Nono, Stockhausen, Webern, and Stravinsky -- how do you rank one above the other? Who's the better composer?

_Oy vey ist mir!_


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## chalkpie

Ives
Mahler
Ligeti
Shostakovich
Sibelius

man that went quick.


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## DiesIraeCX

1 - Beethoven
2 - Mahler (a very close #2, I should add)

- In no particular order after my top 2 -
Bruckner
Brahms
Schubert

You'll have to forgive the lack of newer composers, I'm still in the midst of my exploration of Modern Era composers!


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## ArtMusic

DenghiDenghi said:


> Please tell me your top 5 composers. Always enjoy listening to new music. My top 5: 1.Nobuo Uematsu 2. Yasunori Mitsuda 3. Jeremy Soule 4. Masashi Hamauzu 5. Pyotr Tchaikovsky


My top 5 are the usual ones that will likely be the top ten for all time to come. Mozart, Beethoven, J S Bach, Haydn, Handel, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Verdi.


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## Morimur

This list is now inscribed in stone and I think it's the most objective on this thread. Behold...

(01) Johann Sebastian Bach
(02) Ludwig van Beethoven
(03) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(04) Franz Schubert
(05) Claude Debussy
(06) Igor Stravinsky
(07) Johannes Brahms
(08) Richard Wagner
(09) Giuseppe Verdi
(10) Bela Bartók


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## Antiquarian

Here is my list of "Top Five" at the moment (as it is subject to change).

1) Vaughan Williams
2) Beethoven
3) J.S. Bach
4) Haydn 
5) Richard Strauss


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## Morimur

Antiquarian said:


> Here is my list of "Top Five" at the moment (as it is subject to change).
> 
> 1) Vaughan Williams
> 2) Beethoven
> 3) J.S. Bach
> 4) Haydn
> 5) Richard Strauss


Vaughan Williams, top five? Really?


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## jimeonji

Not in order:
Ravel
Prokofiev
Beethoven
Chopin
Shostakovich

My list will probably be different in a few months, though Beethoven will forever have a place on my top 5.


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## SeptimalTritone

Time to necro this thread.

Here's a list that I'm sure will change in a few months.

Mozart
Beethoven
Mahler
Schoenberg
Webern
Stravinsky
Stockhausen
Messiaen
Nono
Haas

I basically haven't listened to any opera at all.. it's so shameful. That's why Wagner isn't on the list. I also haven't explored enough of Bach, Haydn, Liszt, Chopin, Bruckner, and Debussy. I also haven't explored enough of Cage, Ligeti, and Xenakis. I also haven't found a living composer with the same total mastery of Haas, but in due time I want to put one of some guy's composers on this list too.


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## soundoftritones

My favourites at this very moment are:

1. Chopin (he's always my number one )
2. Liszt
3. J.S. Bach or Monteverdi (don't get me wrong for "tieing" them here; I think they're both wonderful, but in very different stylistic ways. I don't mean to compare them in any way.)
4. Beethoven
5. Sarasate


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## hpowders

Top 5:

1. J.S. Bach
2. Mahler
3. Mozart
4. Haydn
5. Sibelius


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## MoonlightSonata

Here's my new one. There are ten in it because 5 is impossible:
Bach
Beethoven
Vaughan Williams
Mozart
Ligeti
Saint-Saens
Bartok
Stravinsky
Schnittke
(space 10 is yet to be decided, I accept bribes)


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## Chronochromie

soundoftritones said:


> My favourites at this very moment are:
> 
> 1. Chopin (he's always my number one )
> 2. Liszt
> 3. J.S. Bach or Monteverdi (don't get me wrong for "tieing" them here; I think they're both wonderful, but in very different stylistic ways. I don't mean to compare them in any way.)
> 4. Beethoven
> 5. Sarasate


I'm happy to see Monteverdi make your top 5, he is a bit neglected around here (along with most pre-1700 composers).


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## Chronochromie

MoonlightSonata said:


> Here's my new one. There are ten in it because 5 is impossible:
> Bach
> Beethoven
> Vaughan Williams
> Mozart
> Ligeti
> Saint-Saens
> Bartok
> Stravinsky
> Schnittke
> (space 10 is yet to be decided, I accept bribes)


Ahem...Debussy
Three words: Preludes for piano
Two: Violin Sonata
One: Jeux
If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.


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## MoonlightSonata

Der Leiermann said:


> Ahem...Debussy
> Three words: Preludes for piano
> Two: Violin Sonata
> One: Jeux
> If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.


Very well. Unless anyone has a better offer, Debussy is #10.


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## OldFashionedGirl

1. Mahler
2. Bach
3. Shostakovich
4. Richars Strauss
5. Prokofiev


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

1. Boulez
2. Debussy
3. Carter
4. Mahler
5. Webern 
(6. Sciarrino
7. Pintscher
8. Ravel
9. Bach
10. Mozart)


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## mmsbls

My list does not seem to change over time.

1. Mozart
2. Beethoven
3. Bach
4. Brahms
5. Schubert

We've had many polls here at TC and Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach always seem to end up being the top 3. What surprises me is how few people have them as their personal top 3.


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## poconoron

Mozart
Beethoven
Haydn
JS Bach
Schubert

I am a traditionalist, I guess.


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## DiesIraeCX

I'll follow MoonlightSonata's lead and post an approximate top ten.

1. Beethoven
2. Mahler
3A. Schubert
3B. Brahms
5. Schoenberg 

Admittedly, I haven't heard a great amount of some of the below-mentioned composers, but I feel comfortable saying they are among my favorites.

Debussy
Stravinsky
Wagner
Bartok
Mozart

and Bruckner for good measure.


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## Morimur

Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Stravinsky
Ligeti


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## Guest

Morimur said:


> Bach
> Beethoven
> Mozart
> Stravinsky
> Ligeti


Karlheinz does not approve of this post. Witold is certainly crying. Olivier is glaring at Igor, cracking his knuckles.


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## scratchgolf

1. Schubert
2. Beethoven
3. Bach
4. Mendelssohn
5. Mahler
6. Schumann
7. Brahms
8. Chopin
9. Mozart
10. Glazunov


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## scratchgolf

Top 5 composers who deserve more attention from me

1. Mozart
2. Bruckner
3. Schoenberg
4. Sibelius
5. Tchaikovsky


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## jim prideaux

arcaneholocaust said:


> Karlheinz does not approve of this post. Witold is certainly crying. Olivier is glaring at Igor, cracking his knuckles.


the lyrics to a Peter Gabriel song!......what is happening?


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## trazom

Mozart
JS Bach 
Schubert
Handel
Haydn



scratchgolf said:


> Top 5 composers who deserve more attention from me
> 
> *1. Mozart*
> 2. Bruckner
> 3. Schoenberg
> 4. Sibelius
> 5. Tchaikovsky


I can help you with that.


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## scratchgolf

trazom said:


> Mozart
> JS Bach
> Schubert
> Handel
> Haydn
> 
> I can help you with that.


Post office today my brother.


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## Chronochromie

scratchgolf said:


> 10. Glazunov


Huilunstjasxgluajsjhdfha approves this post.


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## Oscarf

5 is not enough for my top favorites. In no particular order:

J.S. Bach
Mahler
Bruckner
R.Strauss
Sibelius
Prokofiev
Byrd
Rachmaninov
Stravinsky
Bartok


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## AClockworkOrange

Another crack at this. I'll have to go with an approximate 10 - 5 is simply too tough. These are in no particular order with the exception of Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Ludwig Van Beethoven
Franz Schubert
Anton Bruckner
Gustav Mahler
Johannes Brahms
Arnold Bax
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Joseph Haydn
Richard Strauss
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

I'd also have to give an honourable mention to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.


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## schigolch

At this point in time, I'll say Bach, Bellini, Berg, Messiaen and Verdi.


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## Markbridge

1. Mahler
2. Dvorak
3. Bruckner
4. Nielsen
5. Rachmaninov

But this list is not set in stone, by any means.


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