# Your list of five greatest LIVING composers



## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

I am curious of the results of such a task. I will calculate the resulting statistic.

After witnessing what eventually happened to the previous thread (https://www.talkclassical.com/72821-your-list-five-greatest.html ) I have to ask you kindly not to derail the thread with criticizing what others vote for. Feel welcome to instead write something about your own choices in your own post, if you want to make a point.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Kurtág
Rihm
Birtwistle
Nørgård
Ferneyhough

Others could be Chin, Gubaidúlina, Dusapin, Saariaho... Unfortunately given the ages of Kurtág and Nørgård, 2 of those could be making the list any time now 

EDIT: And now I realize Gubaidúlina and Saariaho are no spring chickens either


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

The first names that come to mind are -

Thorvaldsdottir, Anna
Golijov, Osvaldo
Sciarrino, Salvatore
Meyer, Krzysztof
Dusapin, Pascal


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

I was sure Sciarrino had passed away, good thing he's not


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

Gubaidulina 
Saariaho
Hosokawa
Lindberg
Ferneyhough


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

I don't listen to/care for the period, so my answers may not be agreeable or informed even:

Tier 1
Williams
Uematsu
Hisaishi

Tier 2
Mitsuda
Shore

Edit: My favorite work by a lonnng mile is Uematsu's Final Fantasy X.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

THis is interesting because I've often thought who are my favorite or who are the greatest composers, but I've never considered the questions with living composers so I'll have to give it some thought.


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

Gubaidulina
Kurtag
Crumb
Saariaho
Abrahamsen


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

John Williams
Alexey Rybnikov
Jeremy Soule
Peteris Vasks
Alma Deutscher

Unfortunately the epic composer of Dragonball Shunsuke Kikuchi passed away this year. RIP


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

As with all lists of this sort, ask me again next week, and I am sure it would be different.

For example, I had a hard time keeping Joseph Schwantner off the list...

Harrison Birtwistle
Joan Tower
Magnus Lindberg
Sofia Gubaidulina
Thomas Ades


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

Pärt
Adams 
Corigliano
Crumb
Glass


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Music from the late 20th century onwards isn't exactly my strong point, but from what I do have I would choose the following five people...

Thomas Adès
Sofia Gubaidulina
Harrison Birtwistle
Ned Rorem
William Bolcom


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

My List:

Adams, John
Haas, Georg Friedrich
Lindberg, Magnus
Shore, Howard
Williams, John


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

VoiceFromTheEther said:


> My List:
> 
> Adams, John
> Haas, Georg Friedrich
> ...


Interesting, didn't think It'd ever possible to know someone who really liked both Haas (great great composer btw) and John Williams, I commend you


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> Interesting, didn't think It'd ever possible to know someone who really liked both Haas (great great composer btw) and John Williams, I commend you


What can I say? I enjoy a balanced diet 

Not to go against spirit of my original post, but I was a bit surprised that nobody voted for Haas. His music impresses me much like that of his big influence - Scelsi, and the mini-lineage between the two is one of my favourite strands of stylistic invention of the second half of the 20th century. I need to seriously sit down some weekend and try to study the inner workings of his works.


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## Michael122 (Sep 16, 2021)

John Williams
John Adams
Philip Glass
Stephen Reich
Nico Muhly


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Btw. thanks everybody for your numerous replies. Looks like an interesting list thus far.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Michael122 said:


> Nico Muhly


Interesting choice! He did cross my mind when I thought about this thread, though I am not sure why. I am very curious what will he compose over the next few decades (him being "just" 40 at the moment).


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Gubaidulina
Nørgård
Saariaho
Kurtag
MacMillan


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Luis de Pablo (b. 1930)
Paavo Heininen (b. 1938)
Frederik van Rossum (b. 1939)
Édith Canat de Chizy (b. 1950)
Hughes Dufourt (b. 1943)

I could just as easily list 5 living female composers, and still not include yet more names deserving mention.

I'm confident we could list 5 living composers per decade in which they were born (i.e. 5 living born during the 1920s, 5 living born during the 1930s, and so on, etc.)


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

VoiceFromTheEther said:


> Adams, John
> Haas, Georg Friedrich
> Lindberg, Magnus
> Shore, Howard
> Williams, John


Hhmmm ... no Lalo Schifrin or John Scott?


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

In no particular order:

Sofia Gubaidulina (turned 90 yrs. old yesterday!)
Pēteris Vasks
Valentin Silvestrov
Kalevi Aho
Magnus Lindberg


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Prodromides said:


> Luis de Pablo (b. 1930)
> Paavo Heininen (b. 1938)
> Frederik van Rossum (b. 1939)
> Édith Canat de Chizy (b. 1950)
> ...


Luis de Pablo doesn't count as he's no longer with us. He died on the 10th of this month.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Terry Riley (b 1935)
Steve Reich (b 1936)
Michael Nyman (b 1944)
Wolfgang von Schweinitz (b 1953)
Sergey Akhunov (b 1967)

minimal, microtonal, tonal composers I highly appreciate.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

dissident said:


> Pärt
> Adams
> Corigliano
> Crumb
> Glass


From a distance I read that as Fart, as I remember our most legendary of posts on TC:



HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Franklin Flabbergasted Fart (1900-2012) -3





Aries said:


> Unfortunately the epic composer of Dragonball Shunsuke Kikuchi passed away this year. RIP


I'll have to check that one out. My favorite work from a living composer is by a lonnng mile, Final Fantasy X.

Internally I find it humorous actually that _Pictures at an Exhibition_ does better than this work on our 'forum lists.'


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

Ethereality said:


> From a distance I read that as Fart, as I remember our most legendary of posts on TC:
> .


I'm flabbergasted at how many people here remember old posts, sometimes to dig up something someone said back in 2014 to throw in their face. Elephant's memory.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

Greatest living composer: *György Kurtág
*
Maybe great:
James MacMillan
Richard Barrett

Kurtág aside, slim pickings really.


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Neo Romanza said:


> Luis de Pablo doesn't count as he's no longer with us. He died on the 10th of this month.


Thanks for the information; I was unaware of his passing. R.I.P. to another Spanish modernist.


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

Birtwistle
Reich
Kurtág
Rihm
Nørgard


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Gubaidulina
Sallinen
Saariaho
Pärt
Vasks


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## Superflumina (Jun 19, 2020)

Reich
Sciarrino
Murail
Saariaho
G. F. Haas

I'm interested in listening to more Kurtág, I really enjoyed Kafka-Fragmente. What would those of you who picked him say are his essential works?


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## Mifek (Jul 28, 2018)

Pärt
Glass
Adams
Saariaho
Gubaidulina


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Currently standing at 20 votes. Keep them coming!


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

in no particular order....could've named more.

Birtwistle
Saariaho
Ades
Unsuk Chin
Corigliano


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Superflumina said:


> Reich
> I'm interested in listening to more Kurtág, I really enjoyed Kafka-Fragmente. What would those of you who picked him say are his essential works?


If you really liked the Kafka-Fragmente check out the rest of his song cycles


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Gubaidulina
Nørgård
Saariaho
Birtwistle
MacMillan


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

John Rutter

John Adams

not sure Id call anyone else great


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## StDior (May 28, 2015)

Gubaidulina
Lachenmann
Rihm
Norgard
Silvestrov

+4 as four of them over 80:
Sorensen
Manoury
Fujikura
Poppe


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> Gubaidulina
> Sallinen
> Saariaho
> Pärt
> Vasks


To complete my list, the following are also in my current top100 composers (work in progress): Reich, MacMillan, Aho, Adams, Corigliano, and Chin.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Adams, J.C.
Ades
Gubaidulina
Lindberg
Reich


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Alphabetically: 

Glass
MacMillan
Nørgård
Pärt
Reich

If allowed a 6th, I'd say Crumb.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> EDIT: And now I realize Gubaidúlina and Saariaho are no spring chickens either


No, but at 11 and 8 votes respectively, they are currently the most picked two! How about that...


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Just personal favourites, and composers with a sufficiently varied and rich oeuvre:

Gubaidulina
Nørgård
Saariaho
Silvestrov (note that there's an early, very different period by him too)

As for the 5th, I'm very much in doubt. One candidate would be 

Birtwistle

but for example there are many Austro-German composers I haven't listened to enough, etc.
Am pleasantly surprised that Nørgård got so many votes.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

VoiceFromTheEther said:


> No, but at 11 and 8 votes respectively, they are currently the most picked two! How about that...


not really surprising IMO


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## gvn (Dec 14, 2019)

Note to VoiceFromTheEther: This post ain't a vote, just a response to a question.



Superflumina said:


> I'm interested in listening to more Kurtág, I really enjoyed Kafka-Fragmente. What would those of you who picked him say are his essential works?





allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> If you really liked the Kafka-Fragmente check out the rest of his song cycles


There's a handy one-CD compilation of those (concentrating on "essential" items _apart from_ the ubiquitous Kafka) entitled _The Edge of Silence_, sung by the Kurtág specialist Susan Narucki, on Avie. The booklet supplies texts & translations--an important consideration, in my view. (One may not want to follow the words syllable by syllable, but it sure helps if you know what's going on.)

In much the same category are some of his choral works (_Messages of the Late Miss R. V. Troussova_ etc.). Talking of which, a useful 3-CD ECM compilation of those, entitled _Complete Works for Ensemble and Choir,_ is currently offered at discount price at Presto Music. Again texts & translations are provided. But that's really for somebody who _definitely_ wants a few Kurtág discs on their shelves.

The other "essential" Kurtág work I'd mention is his recent opera _Fin de partie_ (not yet on disc, I think, but visible on YouTube with Italian subs, if that's any help). This is one of those things that has the feel of being "the summation of a lifetime" (well, maybe not a whole lifetime, but the first 90 years of it, anyway)--much like the big works of Messiaen's last decade, or Beethoven's, for that matter. (Not necessarily in quality, of course, but in character.)


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## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

I don't feel like my list is super interesting, but it would probably be something like:

Magnus Lindberg
Sofia Gubaidulina
Philip Glass
Steve Reich
John Adams


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

joen_cph said:


> Am pleasantly surprised that Nørgård got so many votes.


Agreed about the TC support for Nørgård, joen_cph, but, perhaps (or Per-haps?  ), too much of a good thing that eclipses other Danish composers from the limelight?

Bernhard Lewkovitch (b. 1927)
Erling Bjerno (b. 1929)
Diana Pereira Hay (b. 1932)
Birgitte Alsted (b. 1942)
Ole Buck (b. 1945)
Karl Aage Rasmussen (b. 1947)
Bo Holten (b. 1948)
Poul Ruders (b. 1949)
Hans Abrahamsen (b. 1952)
Bent Sørensen (b. 1958)
Gregers Brinch (b. 1964)
+
umm ... y'know ... some guy named ... uh ... Frederik Magle (b. 1977)


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Prodromides said:


> Agreed about the TC support for Nørgård, joen_cph, but, perhaps (or Per-haps?  ), too much of a good thing that eclipses other Danish composers from the limelight?
> 
> Bernhard Lewkovitch (b. 1927)
> Erling Bjerno (b. 1929)
> ...


Yes, some of those you mention I haven't even heard of (Brinch, Hay). 
Ruders, Sørensen and Abrahamsen would probably be considered the most important ones. 
And there are many more - others of some importance (very sketchy lists, and just IMHO, based on superficial knowledge) are:

- Mogens Christensen (1955- )
- Lars Graugaard (1957- )
- Sven Hvidtfelt Nielsen (1958- ) 
- Søren Nils Eichberg (1973- )
- Simon Steen Andersen (1976- )

and of less importance or unimportant:
- Gunnar Bucht (1927- )
- Fuzzy (1934- )
- Ingold Gabold (1942- )
- Gunnar Møller Pedersen (1943- )
- Nils Holger Petersen (1946- )
- Kristian Blak (1947- )
- Hans Henrik Nordstrøm (1947- )
- Anders Koppel (1947- )
- Ivar Frounberg (1950- )
- Lars Heegaard (1950- )
- Nils Rosing Schow (1954- )
- Anders Brødsgaard (1955- )
- Steen Pade (1956- )
- Anders Nordentoft (1957- )
- Sunnleif Rasmussen (1961- )
- Niels Marthinsen (1963- )
- Hans Peter Stubbe Teglkjær (1963- )

We lost quite a lot of big names in recent years - Ib Nørholm, Else Marie Pade, Jan Maegaard, Bent Lorentzen, and others. My knowledge about the youngest Danish composers is very limited.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

For me:

Aulis Sallinen
Gyorgy Kurtag
Harrison Birtwistle
Per Norgard
Pascal Dusapin


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

gvn said:


> Note to VoiceFromTheEther: This post ain't a vote, just a response to a question.
> 
> There's a handy one-CD compilation of those (concentrating on "essential" items _apart from_ the ubiquitous Kafka) entitled _The Edge of Silence_, sung by the Kurtág specialist Susan Narucki, on Avie. The booklet supplies texts & translations--an important consideration, in my view. (One may not want to follow the words syllable by syllable, but it sure helps if you know what's going on.)
> 
> ...


I don't want to derail this thread too much, but I wouldn't jump straight to Fin de Partie. Unless Superflumina likes opera, of course. It's a great work, but I don't think it's a good entry point, precisely because it's the summation of a lifetime


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

Besides Williams...



It doesn't seem to me that there are any "great" composers around anymore:

But if I have to pick 4 more, then Kalevi Aho, Hughes Dufourt and Unsuk Chin seem at least "good" to me. Does that count?

Edit: on a second thought, kicking out McMillan for Joe Hisaishi
@VoiceFromTheEther


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

We are at nearly 30 votes. I will let the thread run until the end of the week, then post the tally.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Kurtag is certainly there. Others for me may include Birtwistle and Ferneyhough. And then there are many who I enjoy a lot and feel will probably last - composers like Dusapin, Gubaidulina, Eotvos, Benjamin, Julian Anderson, Saariaho, Holliger and many others - but may not be in the top 5. It is a sign of how healthy the scene is that there are so many who are so worthwhile.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

joen_cph said:


> Am pleasantly surprised that Nørgård got so many votes.


He is another that almost made my list.

I am somewhat surprised I am the only person to mention Joan Tower.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

Let's not forget *Gustavo Díaz-Jerez*.
https://www.maghek.com/biography


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Fabulin said:


> Besides Williams...


Welcome back!!!


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

hammeredklavier said:


> Welcome back!!!


Hi, nice to see you! I didn't know you read topics about modern composers... whom would you pick?


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

Fabulin said:


> Besides Williams...
> 
> It doesn't seem to me that there are any "great" composers around anymore:


Interesting. What is the thing living composers don't have that composers of the past had?


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## eljr (Aug 8, 2015)

dissident said:


> Pärt
> Adams
> Corigliano
> Crumb
> Glass


This list surprises me. It is far too similar to mine!


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## eljr (Aug 8, 2015)

Glass
Richter
Jenkins
Adams
Corigliano


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Aries said:


> Interesting. What is the thing living composers don't have that composers of the past had?


Please, not here.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Aries said:


> Interesting. What is the thing living composers don't have that composers of the past had?





VoiceFromTheEther said:


> Please, not here.


Yes, please!

Let's see if we can have one thread about contemporary classical music on TC that did not turn into a battle between the antimodernists and and those of us who like contemporary classical music.

We're 5 pages in without any snarky comments, which has to be some kind of record for TC, let us try to continue to keep it civil.


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## gregorx (Jan 25, 2020)

Kurtág
Gubaidulina
Saariaho
Silvestrov
Rihm


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Ponder, if you will, upon post # 48 and notice that there are around 3 dozen (at least) living Danish composers.
This is merely from one country.
Across our globe, there doubtlessly exist hundreds upon hundreds of composers expressing themselves via their art.
To proclaim that there is one great living composer (be it Kurtág or John Williams or whomever) is not a self-confidence booster for all other composers and is more revealing of the proclaimer than the works of artists.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

After reading this thread with all the references to *György Kurtág* (a composer I have certainly listened to an enjoyed, but it's been a while) I went back and listened to his entire recorded discography that's on Spotify (a significant survey).

I have to say, he is now firmly sitting among my favorite composers - of any century. So I will be editing my earlier post.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

SanAntone said:


> The first names that come to mind are -
> 
> Thorvaldsdottir, Anna
> Golijov, Osvaldo
> ...


Now - not ranked:

*Pascal Dusapin
Osvaldo Golijov
György Kurtág
Krzysztof Meyer
Salvatore Sciarrino*

Anna will get back in when a slot opens up.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Hmmm, maybe these:

Reich
Gubaidulina
Saariaho
Kurtag
Brouwer

I entered the thread to give Leo Brouwer a vote.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Prodromides said:


> Ponder, if you will, upon post # 48 and notice that there are around 3 dozen (at least) living Danish composers.
> This is merely from one country.
> Across our globe, there doubtlessly exist hundreds upon hundreds of composers expressing themselves via their art.
> To proclaim that there is one great living composer (be it Kurtág or John Williams or whomever) is not a self-confidence booster for all other composers and is more revealing of the proclaimer than the works of artists.


That's why you divide the final results somewhat by popularity, about ^.15 the popularity. Same sort of method here.

I know I'll get no response again for my unending ingenuity, yet if but one person reads this with one brain cell of theirs, it's worth the effort to enlighten humanity.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

SanAntone said:


> Now - not ranked:
> 
> *Pascal Dusapin
> Osvaldo Golijov
> ...


Ok. Thorvaldsdottir gets removed from the ranking, and one more vote for Kurtag.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Prodromides said:


> Ponder, if you will, upon post # 48 and notice that there are around 3 dozen (at least) living Danish composers.
> This is merely from one country.
> Across our globe, there doubtlessly exist hundreds upon hundreds of composers expressing themselves via their art.
> To proclaim that there is one great living composer (be it Kurtág or John Williams or whomever) is not a self-confidence booster for all other composers and is more revealing of the proclaimer than the works of artists.


I think your post might in fact deserve its own topic, where it would also be more visible. There, we could also ponder the list of composers who lived in the times and shadows of Beethoven or Wagner...


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Prodromides said:


> Ponder, if you will, upon post # 48 and notice that there are around 3 dozen (at least) living Danish composers.
> This is merely from one country.
> Across our globe, there doubtlessly exist hundreds upon hundreds of composers expressing themselves via their art.
> To proclaim that there is one great living composer (be it Kurtág or John Williams or whomever) is not a self-confidence booster for all other composers and is more revealing of the proclaimer than the works of artists.


In fact, only one of my favorite composers turns up on a list of "great" composers (Stravinsky). I tend to like figures on the fringes between periods or styles, where aesthetics are unsettled and hazy. A composer like *Othmar Schoeck *is a perfect example, also a newly discovered voice, *Alphons Diepenbrock* is gradually making inroads onto my favorites list.

My view is that composers have their own voice and are not really concerned with posterity or greatness; they are almost entirely concerned with producing work which meets their aesthetic and artistic standards. We, as outsiders, make those value judgments about the hierarchy - a process I have tended to avoid in the past.

As far as Denmark being an especially fertile ground for composers; I have no idea why that may appear to be, but I suspect it will not be sustained under close scrutiny.

France, Britain, Canada, and the USA also have a number of accomplished composers. Maybe they are not appearing as much on this TC thread, but they are out there working and producing work that I've found to be as or more interesting than that by Danish composers you list.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

No doubt the Danish number of composers is much smaller than those of bigger nations. In the list I concentrated on Danish composers with discographies - whether limited or more comprehensive.

It's just that one really has to put quite a lot of effort for researching the contemporary music scene of just a couple of countries, and obviously we tend to overlook tons and tons of composers from lesser explored territories.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Since the thread is becoming more and more discussion-oriented, I feel it might be the right time to post some results.


33 participants have voted
54 composers have been nominated
 The average age of the nominees is 73
 The average age of the top 10 nominees is 82
 The youngest nominee is Alma Deutscher, aged 16 (b. 2005)
 The oldest nominee is György Kurtág, aged 95 (b. 1926)

*Nominees with 1 vote each:
*Hans Abrahamsen, Sergey Akhunov, Richard Barrett, William Bolcom, Leo Brouwer, Édith Canat de Chizy, Alma Deutscher, Osvaldo Golijov, Paavo Heininen, Toshio Hosokawa, Carl Jenkins, Helmut Lachenmann, Krzysztof Meyer, Yasunori Mitsuda, Nico Muhly, Tristan Murail, Michael Nyman, Max Richter, Terry Riley, Ned Rorem, John Rutter, Alexey Rybnikov, Jeremy Soule, Joan Tower, Nobu Uematsu, Frederik van Rossum, Wolfgang von Schweinitz

*2 votes each:
*Kalevi Aho, Unsuk Chin, George Crumb, Hughes Dufourt, Pascal Dusapin, Georg Friedrich Haas, Joe Hisaishi, Aulis Sallinen, Salvatore Sciarrino, Howard Shore

*3 votes each:
*John Corigliano, Brian Ferneyhough, Pēteris Vasks

*4 votes each:
*Thomas Adès, James MacMillan, Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Rihm, Valentin Silvestrov

*Top 10:*
1. Sofia Gubaidulina (15)
2. Kaija Saariaho (11)
3. György Kurtág (10)
4. Harrison Birtwistle (9)
5.,6.,7. - John Adams, Per Nørgård, Steve Reich (8)
8., 9., Philip Glass, Magnus Lindberg (6)
10. John Williams (5)


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Good list. Surprised by how many votes Lindberg got


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

John Corigliano
John Adams
Richard Danielpour
Donald Grantham
John Williams (I prefer Jerry Goldsmith but he passed away a few years ago)

A ton of honorable mentions. Many have already been named like:

Aho
Nørgård
Saariaho
Lindberg
Crumb
Vasks
Tower
Rorem
MacMillan
Ruders

I do not think the following have been mentioned:

Frank Ticheli
Mark Camphouse
Philip Spark 
Cindy McTee (Married to Leonard Slatkin)
Michael Daugherty
Ron Nelson
Michael Berkeley
Christopher Rouse
Joseph Schwanter
Anders Hilborg
Essa-Pekka Salonen
John Mackey
Jörg Widmann

Very few of his works have been recorded but Michael Tilson Thomas is a fine composer. His _Street Song_ blew me away.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I am hesitant to include anyone under twenty.

Some prodigies blossom into great composers, some do not.

I remember one young lady, who was at one time considered the next great Mozart (I can not remember her name) who lost interest in classical and became a jazz pianist.

I also recall a prodigy that I met many years ago who lost interest in composing and became an engineer.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

At times it seems that some composers become too successful.

A good example is Eric Whitacre. He has a very strong following in the choral community but many here have a very low opinion of him.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Brian Ferneyhough
Tristan Murail
Terry Riley
Pat Metheny
Leo Brouwer


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

arpeggio said:


> I do not think the following have been mentioned:
> 
> Frank Ticheli
> Mark Camphouse
> ...


Schwantner and Salonen were in consideration for my list, and both would have probably made a list of my 10 greatest living composers.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

SanAntone said:


> After reading this thread with all the references to *György Kurtág* (a composer I have certainly listened to an enjoyed, but it's ben a while) I went back and listened to his entire recorded discography.
> 
> I have to say, he is now firmly sitting among my favorite composers - of any century. So I will be editing my earlier post.


Kurtág might be the only truly great composer of the 21st century.


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## longgone (Jun 6, 2019)

Birtwistle
Kurtág
Chin
Nørgård
Gubaidulina

They're unfortunately rather old except for


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

Simon Moon said:


> Yes, please!
> 
> Let's see if we can have one thread about contemporary classical music on TC that did not turn into a battle between the antimodernists and and those of us who like contemporary classical music.


Then better don't talk instead of spreading your malicious insinuations.

I don't care what you want. I ask questions when I want.


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## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

In no particular order

Wolfgang Rihm
Helmut Lachenmann
Simon Steen-Andersen
Michel van der Aa
Enno Poppe

Though Lachenmann and Rihm are getting up there in age. In which case, I'd say

Simon Steen-Andersen
Michel van der Aa
Enno Poppe
Philippe Manoury
John Luther Adams

EDIT: Just realized the OP is asking for who we think are the greatest living composers, not who are our personal favorites. But since I have no idea what the answer to "greatest" is -- nor do I really care --, I'll keep my list the same.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

> John Luther Adams


Good one. ..................


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

If there's one thing that is clear is that you ask this question for any other time period and there will be no women in the answers. Of course it's not our fault, but of those that came before us. Essentially, they've robbed us of so much by excluding half of the population. It's great to see Gubaidulina and Saariaho taking the first two spots, and Chin too.


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## calvinpv (Apr 20, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Good one. ..................


Some of his music reminds me of Morton Feldman but with more traditional harmonies, Feldman probably being one of my favorite contemporary composers, dead or alive. The more I listen to Adams, the more I think the "minimalist" label is completely inappropriate for his music. And for the music of other composers as well.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

calvinpv said:


> Some of his music reminds me of Morton Feldman but with more traditional harmonies, Feldman probably being one of my favorite contemporary composers, dead or alive. The more I listen to Adams, the more I think the "minimalist" label is completely inappropriate for his music. And for the music of other composers as well.


JL Adams is a large scale composer, which would seem to defy the minimalist label. Not all of his music has the glacial quality most people associate with him.

His works for string quartet, _The Wind in High Places_; _Lines Made by Walking_; _untouched_; are especially nice, IMO.

Others I like:
_In the White Silence_
_The Light That Fills the World_

A recording of _Arctic Dreams_ has been released this year and is so new I haven't completely assimilated it yet.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

Any of the film composers I voted for I was trying to be objective, as in, to what more average criticisms hanker, because subjectively I don't think they're greater. Uematsu I even slightly list for objective qualifications. If you want, I can come up with a list of my 5 favorite living composers, but it probably won't include any film composers at all. Utilizing the effects of the symphony orchestra is usually a superficial, even cheesy attempt, to mask lack of musical understanding, in my experience with these composers.

So many video game scores remind me of new and fresh takes on Handel and lending significantly more agile and clever development and fluidity to Baroque music. Another difference I notice is the enjoyment I have for movies are those with good music, but with games, these factors are independent. My evaluation of their scores aren't biased. This is probably to do with how much more *complex* and *interwoven* the scores actually are. (Additionally, even in terms of Glazunov vs Uematsu I had to requestion who's greater, because I might at once think the former blinds me with some of these orchestral gimmicks, but in actuality it's not the case. There's a hefty difference between composing for, and the more erudite, composing within.)


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> If there's one thing that is clear is that you ask this question for any other time period and there will be no women in the answers. Of course it's not our fault, but of those that came before us.


Are you sure?

There were hundreds of female composers in the 19th century. Too many to count. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_composers_by_birth_date#1801–1850

That we don't know them well today is maybe our "fault". Some of them got good attendance during their lifetime like Clara Schumann or Emelie Mayer.

I don't know whether all these women wrote bad music or if it was good and it is wrong today to not play them more. But if its wrong to not play them, it is our fault.



allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> Essentially, they've robbed us of so much by excluding half of the population.


Maybe check out some of the female composers of the past instead of political bad-mouthing our musical heritage! Isn't it remarkable that composers born hundreds of years ago can still attract us so much? And maybe there are much more of them.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

You mention two composers (one of which was more famous as a performer mind you and practically stopped composing to support her husband) out of supposed hundreds... But of course there were female composers! What I said is that ask anyone who the top 5 composers of the, say, 19th century were and see how many female composers get mentioned. It is not an individual solution, but rather a collective one. Alas, there is probably no way to solve this. At this point they're lost to History, if they couldn't progress due to social pressure then yes, the fault lies on the people of the past and the institutions they created. A few could escape this pressure and make music, but did they get the same education that boys could have access too? Were they encouraged in the same way? Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Mozart's sister... And what about all the ones we don't know? And I didn't bad-mouth "our" musical heritage, I placed blame on people who deserve it.


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> You mention two composers (one of which was more famous as a performer mind you and practically stopped composing to support her husband) out of supposed hundreds...


I linked a list of too many female composers to count: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_composers_by_birth_date#1801–1850



allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> What I said is that ask anyone who the top 5 composers of the, say, 19th century were and see how many female composers get mentioned. It is not an individual solution, but rather a collective one. Alas, there is probably no way to solve this. At this point they're lost to History


Isn't it easy? Check out whether the music is good, and if it is good, perform it.

Bach was once "lost to history" too. All Baroque composers were "lost to history". Josquin was "lost to history" like all Renaissance composers. And it seems like at around 1900 not many cared for classical composers, except for Joseph Haydn.



allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> if they couldn't progress due to social pressure then yes, the fault lies on the people of the past and the institutions they created. A few could escape this pressure and make music, but did they get the same education that boys could have access too? Were they encouraged in the same way?


This is all too hypothetical. I don't even know whether their music was actually worse then mens music back then, or worse than the music of women living today. So we should better do some fair research instead of rash blaming.


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## gregorx (Jan 25, 2020)

Aries said:


> I linked a list of too many female composers to count: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_composers_by_birth_date#1801–1850
> 
> Isn't it easy? Check out whether the music is good, and if it is good, perform it.
> 
> Bach was once "lost to history" too. All Baroque composers were "lost to history". Josquin was "lost to history" like all Renaissance composers. And it seems like at around 1900 not many cared for classical composers, except for Joseph Haydn.


Most of the composers on that list were born in the twentieth c. and most of them after 1940. I think it's a fair point to say it was an uphill battle for female composers. There weren't a lot in the repertoire in the heyday of Classical Music.

Bach and Josquin weren't lost. 90% of that wiki list is though. It's just a list and that's one of the things wiki does better than anybody; they make lists. Their criteria for the list was probably having at least one composition published.


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## Eriks (Oct 10, 2021)

For me its hard to genuinely enjoy recent compositions but here are five that I find interesting to listen to:

Sebastian Fagerlund
Aulis Sallinen
Peteris Vasks
Kaija Saariaho
György Kurtag

Average age almost 75 yesrs.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Aries said:


> I linked a list of too many female composers to count: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_composers_by_birth_date#1801–1850
> 
> Isn't it easy? Check out whether the music is good, and if it is good, perform it.
> 
> ...


No, Bach wasn't lost to History, Josquin neither, the latter was the most beloved musician of his time, and the former although not as famous as today also held a respectable position. Their works survived, women are lost to History in the sense that they could not participate in the same way as men. Are you really denying the basic fact of rampant sexism throughout western History?


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

gregorx said:


> Most of the composers on that list were born in the twentieth c. and most of them after 1940. I think it's a fair point to say it was an uphill battle for female composers.


The number of male composers known today increased too with time.



gregorx said:


> Bach and Josquin weren't lost. 90% of that wiki list is though. It's just a list and that's one of the things wiki does better than anybody; they make lists. Their criteria for the list was probably having at least one composition published.


How much was Bach performed before 1870? How much was Josquin performed before 1940? I assume not much. And some compositions also did not physically survive or are missing today.

The wikipedia list as actually only semi-useful because there is no distinction between greater and less great female composers. There are of course many composers of both sexes nobody cares for anymore or never did.



allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> No, Bach wasn't lost to History, Josquin neither, the latter was the most beloved musician of his time, and the former although not as famous as one also held a respectable position. Their works survived, women are lost to History in the sense that they could not participate in the same way as men.


I read about Emelie Mayer that she was highly celebrated in her time and was widely regarded as the "female Beethoven". Not all but many works of her survived.



allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> Are you really denying the basic fact of rampant sexism throughout western History?


Women had always a higher standing in europe compared to the middle-east even before monotheism.

This thread isn't located in the political subforum, so it is not the right place for your political agitation.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Aries said:


> The number of male composers known today increased too with time.
> 
> How much was Bach performed before 1870? How much was Josquin performed before 1940? I assume not much. And some compositions also did not physically survive or are missing today.
> 
> ...


No, talking about sexism isn't political agitation. Again, you're only using one example. I don't know much about this Mayer, but it's purely anecdotal evidence.

EDIT: Furthermore, why are only (or almost only) male composers revived? Again, makes no difference 1940 or 1870, that just proves my point. Sexism hindered the development of women composers, it still does so today don't forget, but slowly things are getting better, and the standings in today's musical landscape of Gubaidulina, Saariaho and Chin, and many others, are proof of this.


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## Eriks (Oct 10, 2021)

Great thread by the way! It was stimulating to check out suggestions by other posters about still active composers.


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> No, talking about sexism isn't political agitation. Again, you're only using one example. I don't know much about this Mayer, but it's purely anecdotal evidence.
> 
> EDIT: Furthermore, why are only (or almost only) male composers revived?


What about Hildegard von Bingen or Amy Beach?

Overall I think there is still a lack of revival of all kind of composers. But we live in a time of revival.



allaroundmusicenthusiast said:


> Again, makes no difference 1940 or 1870, that just proves my point. Sexism hindered the development of women composers, it still does so today don't forget


I think your comment shows that your view of history is just a cheap instrument for your today's feminist-sexist agenda. But again this is not the right thread for your political agitation.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Temporarily closed for mods' discussion.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

The thread has been derailed by off-topic discussions. Please return to the thread topic of greatest living composers, don't make personal comments, and try not to derail the thread.

The thread is now open again.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*Julian Anderson*

I just discovered another living composer who I do not think has been mentioned: Julian Anderson.

I subscribe to Marquee TV.

One of the organizations they stream is the London Symphony Orchestra.

I just watched the opening concert for the 2021-22 season.

They premiered a work by the British Composer Julian Anderson for soprano, chorus and orchestra.

WOW :clap:

Classical music is not dead. This was great.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

I recently came across Anderson's music too, the Book of Hours is a great piece


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Thanks everyone for voting. Here are the results after 38 votes for the top 5 living composers, for all 62 nominees:

*Top 10:
*1. Sofia Gubaidulina (16)
2., 3., György Kurtág, Kaija Saariaho (12)
4. Harrison Birtwistle (10)
5., 6., John Adams, Per Nørgård (9)
7. Steve Reich (8)
8., 9., 10., Philip Glass, Magnus Lindberg, John Williams (6)

*8 Nominees with 4 votes each:
*Thomas Adès, John Corigliano, Brian Ferneyhough, James MacMillan, Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Rihm, Valentin Silvestrov, Pēteris Vasks

*2 Nominees with 3 votes each:
*Unsuk Chin, Aulis Sallinen

*12 Nominees with 2 votes each:
*Kalevi Aho, Leo Brouwer, George Crumb, Hughes Dufourt, Pascal Dusapin, Georg Friedrich Haas, Joe Hisaishi, Helmut Lachenmann, Tristan Murail, Terry Riley, Salvatore Sciarrino, Howard Shore

*30 Nominees with 1 vote each:
*
Hans Abrahamsen, Sergey Akhunov, Richard Barrett, William Bolcom, Édith Canat de Chizy, Richard Danielpour, Alma Deutscher, Sebastian Fagerlund, Osvaldo Golijov, Donald Grantham, Paavo Heininen, Toshio Hosokawa, Carl Jenkins, Pat Metheny, Krzysztof Meyer, Yasunori Mitsuda, Nico Muhly, Michael Nyman, Enno Poppe, Max Richter, Ned Rorem, John Rutter, Alexey Rybnikov, Simon Steen-Andersen, 
Jeremy Soule, Joan Tower, Nobu Uematsu, Michel van der Aa, Frederik van Rossum, Wolfgang von Schweinitz


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Interesting list, thanks for compiling. Surprised no-one actually nominated John Luther Adams, who has received quite some attention in recent years.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I loved this poll.

The reason is because I was totally surprised with the results.

In the vast majority of the polls or games 90% of the time one can predict the final results.

I also learned of new composers I have to check out.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

calvinpv said:


> In no particular order
> 
> Wolfgang Rihm
> Helmut Lachenmann
> ...





Art Rock said:


> Interesting list, thanks for compiling. Surprised no-one actually nominated John Luther Adams, who has received quite some attention in recent years.


Someone did, as an alternate.


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## Eriks (Oct 10, 2021)

arpeggio said:


> I loved this poll.
> 
> The reason is because I was totally surprised with the results.
> 
> ...


I think the same! And I look forward to something similar coming up again.


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## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

Gubaidulina and Silvestrov are still alive, I think. At the moment I can't think of anyone who I would really define as great who is likely to be still alive in 5 years. There's a world of difference between "great" and interesting or imaginative. Perhaps I simply don't have time to check out enough composers and unfortunately it's not unlikely that some of the best are entirely unknown.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

The problem with gauging "greatness" regarding living composers is that there has to have been the passage of at least 50 years for a work to have stood the "test of time". By then, the composer will be at least 70+.

So, I just listed those composers whom I think are interesting and show potential for producing quality work for years to come.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I really had no sense of who would be placed high in this poll. With other composer polls I always have a good sense of those near the top (i.e. there are few or no suprises). At least half of the top 10 were surprises to me, and I'm not sure how many of the top 10 I would have predicted correctly. It would be interesting to see a similar poll 50 or 100 years from now focused on those living in the early part of the 20th century.

There was a thread discussing a poll done near the middle of the last century that asked people to guess which living composers would be considered successful some time later (I couldn't find the thread). It was interesting to see how hard it was to predict success.


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## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

SanAntone said:


> The problem with gauging "greatness" regarding living composers is that there has to have been the passage of at least 50 years for a work to have stood the "test of time". By then, the composer will be at least 70+.
> 
> So, I just listed those composers whom I think are interesting and show potential for producing quality work for years to come.


Fair point and one which makes it hard for someone using my definition to come up with more names. Objectively great as opposed to personal favourites is much harder to establish until we have some critical consensus which naturally takes time.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

A poll 10 years from now about composers alive _then _could be interesting as well.


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## neofite (Feb 19, 2017)

I would include Paul Dupré (www.pauldupre.info/samples.html) in my list. He is an example of a composer who has written some very original and truly beautiful music but who is not at all well known. I suspect his lack of fame may be because he does not adhere to the currently fashionable composition techniques (atonality, minimalism, serialism, etc.) and because he is apparently a relatively new composer and is not yet well publicized or frequently performed.

I am defining "greatness" for my list [alphabetic order] to include composers whose music exhibits all or most of the following: beauty (or otherwise strongly _positively_ affecting the emotions or senses), originality, excellent craftsmanship, diversity, prolificacy, and the possibility of passing the test of time.

John Corigliano
Paul Dupré
Péter Eötvös
Sofia Gubaidulina
John Williams

Corigliano, Eötvös and Gubaidulina are self-explanatory. But John Williams?! I personally would not care to go to a concert to listen to his concert music, even if it were free. Nor would I really delight in devoting what little spare time I have to attending a concert featuring orchestral versions of his film scores. (I would much prefer going to a concert featuring Korngold, or even Morricone). But that's not the point.

The point is that Williams is the living master of his genre, which is movie music. Although strongly influenced by classical music, his music is not classical music and also is not really so-called 'contemporary classical music.' It is a different species. It is at its best when it is presented as an integral part of the film experience, not pulled out of context and inserted into a concert hall. Williams's film music can't compete there, with Beethoven, with Brahms, with Mendelssohn, and with many others. But it doesn't need to. It, but not his concert music, when in context, meets all the above criteria for greatness.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

SanAntone said:


> The problem with gauging "greatness" regarding living composers is that there has to have been the passage of at least 50 years for a work to have stood the "test of time". By then, the composer will be at least 70+.
> 
> So, I just listed those composers whom I think are interesting and show potential for producing quality work for years to come.


I don't look at it like that at all.

The OP is not asking for the list of the 5 greatest living composers, it is stated as, "*Your* list...."

My ratings of the my list of 5 greatest living composers, has nothing to do with some sort of historical context, or if their works have stood the test of time.

I rate them only for how they effect me, and my personal esteem for them. The fact that in 50 years from now, I am sure someone on my list may be forgotten, does not effect my appreciation for them now, or, that I may currently think they are one of my top 5 living composers.

For example, I think George Perle is an excellent composer. Most of best compositions are from over 50 years ago, and I am sure he is unknown to most people here. None of that matters to me, because his works stand the test of time, for me.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Bad post. 

Removing


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Simon Moon said:


> I don't look at it like that at all.
> 
> The OP is not asking for the list of the 5 greatest living composers, it is stated as, "*Your* list...."
> 
> ...


That is your prerogative.

However, I try to keep separate lists in my mind of my favorite composers and those I think actually are or have the potential to be great. Of course, ultimately, I listen almost exclusively to my favorite composers, and sometimes there is some overlap, but "great composers" are not my preoccupation.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

VoiceFromTheEther said:


> Thanks everyone for voting. Here are the results after 38 votes for the top 5 living composers, for all 62 nominees:
> 
> *Top 10:
> *1. Sofia Gubaidulina (16)
> ...


Perhaps I am misunderstanding what this list is but I think there a few who I mentioned in post 53 but are not listed or are under-counted (perhaps because I was unsure of whether they are in my top 5?):



> Kurtag is certainly there. Others for me may include Birtwistle and Ferneyhough. And then there are many who I enjoy a lot and feel will probably last - composers like Dusapin, Gubaidulina, Eotvos, Benjamin, Julian Anderson, Saariaho, Holliger and many others - but may not be in the top 5. It is a sign of how healthy the scene is that there are so many who are so worthwhile.


Had I realised the Lachenmann is still alive I would probably have included him, as well.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Enthusiast said:


> Perhaps I am misunderstanding what this list is but I think there a few who I mentioned in post 53 but are not listed or are under-counted (perhaps because I was unsure of whether they are in my top 5?):





> *Kurtag (1) *is certainly there. Others for me may include *Birtwistle (2)*and *Ferneyhough (3)*. And then there are many who I enjoy a lot and feel will probably last - composers like *Dusapin, Gubaidulina, Eotvos, Benjamin, Julian Anderson, Saariaho, Holliger * *(4-10)*and many others - *but may not be in the top 5*. It is a sign of how healthy the scene is that there are so many who are so worthwhile.


I asked for 5 and you gave me 3 and then 7 "probably-nots". Therefore, I counted only the 3. You may select two more if you like.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Of course, if this had been posted five years ago, the choice of composers would have been far far easier, for me anyway.

Pierre Boulez
Veljo Tormis
Giya Kancheli
Louis Andriessen
Krzysztof Penderecki

And many more lost recently.....


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Rihm
Suk
Lindberg
Hewer

Hard to pick 5. I think it's become more a matter of personal choice for this century, personally. And doesn't make much sense to compare.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Phil loves classical said:


> Rihm
> Suk
> Lindberg
> Hewer
> ...


I can't believe you put me fourth....FOURTH!!!! after Freeddy Rihm, Billy Suks and Mabel lindberg...c'mon.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Per Norgard
Tristan Murail
Georges Aperghis
Salvatore Sciarrino
Magnus Lindberg


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Phil loves classical said:


> Suk


Which Suk is that?


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

mikeh375 said:


> I can't believe you put me fourth....FOURTH!!!! after Freeddy Rihm, Billy Suks and Mabel lindberg...c'mon.


There is a M. Hewer that is way better, but unfortunately is much less famous than yourself.



Art Rock said:


> Which Suk is that?


Oops, Unsuk Chin


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

VoiceFromTheEther said:


> I asked for 5 and you gave me 3 and then 7 "probably-nots". Therefore, I counted only the 3. You may select two more if you like.


Thanks. It was may not rather than probably not and was because I couldn't choose between a mere 5 and if I did it would change every time I thought about it! But to nominate two more today I would choose Dusapin and Anderson. But ouch it hurts to leave out the others that I named.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

repost, lest I forget where I wrote it



VoiceFromTheEther said:


> after 41 votes for the top 5 living composers, for all 68 nominees:
> 
> *Top 10:*
> 1. Sofia Gubaidulina (17)
> ...


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## jojoju2000 (Jan 5, 2021)

Oh Jesus Christ.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

jojoju2000 said:


> Oh Jesus Christ.


He wasn't composer, and definitely no longer living.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Simon Moon said:


> He wasn't composer, and definitely no longer living.


were any composers due to appear along JFK Jr and Dale Earnhart at that Dallas Qanon thing?


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Adams, John
Gubaidúlina
Haas, GF 
Pärt
Reich 

Five is not very many. Tough choices had to be made.


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## Shea82821 (Nov 19, 2021)

Well let's see.

Philip Glass, Per Nørgård, Kalevi Aho, Arvo Pärt and Magnus Lindberg.

A other contenders are Elisabetta Brusa and Sofia Gubaidulina. Course, if it was earlier on in the summer, I'd include Mikis Theodorakis too, but he sadly passed away back in September. If it was last summer: Nikolai Kapustin too. But again: he passed away in July, 2020.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

after 43 votes for the top 5 living composers, for all 68 nominees:

*Top 10:
*1. Sofia Gubaidulina (18)
2., 3., György Kurtág, Kaija Saariaho (12)
4. Per Nørgård (11)
5., 6. John Adams, Harrison Birtwistle (10)
7. Steve Reich (9)
8. Magnus Lindberg (8)
9., 10. Philip Glass, John Williams (7)

*2 Nominees with 6 votes each:
*Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Rihm

*1 Nominee with 5 votes:
*John Corigliano

*6 Nominees with 4 votes each:
*Thomas Adès, Unsuk Chin, Brian Ferneyhough, James MacMillan, Valentin Silvestrov, Pēteris Vasks

*6 Nominees with 3 votes each:
*Kalevi Aho, Pascal Dusapin, Georg Friedrich Haas, Tristan Murail, Aulis Sallinen, Salvatore Sciarrino

*7 Nominees with 2 votes each:
*Leo Brouwer, George Crumb, Hughes Dufourt, Joe Hisaishi, Helmut Lachenmann, Terry Riley, Howard Shore

*36 Nominees with 1 vote each:
*Hans Abrahamsen, Sergey Akhunov, Julian Anderson, Georges Aperghis, Richard Barrett, William Bolcom, Édith Canat de Chizy, Richard Danielpour, Alma Deutscher, Gustavo Díaz-Jerez, Paul Dupré, Péter Eötvös, Sebastian Fagerlund, Osvaldo Golijov, Donald Grantham, Paavo Heininen, Mike Hewer, Toshio Hosokawa, Carl Jenkins, Pat Metheny, Krzysztof Meyer, Yasunori Mitsuda, Nico Muhly, Michael Nyman, Enno Poppe, Max Richter, Ned Rorem, John Rutter, Alexey Rybnikov, Simon Steen-Andersen,
Jeremy Soule, Joan Tower, Nobu Uematsu, Michel van der Aa, Frederik van Rossum, Wolfgang von Schweinitz


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## composingmusic (Dec 16, 2021)

This is an interesting list, with lots of good names. I'd have a really tough time picking just five, so I'll stick with five that I think are really good, who aren't on the list yet. Ondrej Adamék, Lotta Wennäkoski, Olga Neuwirth, George Benjamin, George Lewis. Also, I think Anna Thorvaldsdottir got left off of the final list somehow, although I thought I saw her name mentioned earlier in the thread, so I'll add her too!


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