Young Composers Music Appreciation

Young Composers Music Appreciation Thread

This thread is dedicated to the construction of a list of composers and their works for forum newcomers and regulars, interested in expanding their knowledge and appreciation of classical music, to explore: to ultimately discover the multifarious historical and cultural contributions of these composers, and their effects on the individual and the mass public. My hope is that this thread may give a little more utility to this site.

Because the list is unfinished - many composers are missing, as are many great works - I ask that anybody looking through it will contribute by pointing out those missing composers and works - what and who you believe are worth listening to and appreciating - below, and linking references about them to show that what you say is the case (I'd like to avoid as many errors as possible). I also ask that, if you see any errors in the primary list, or spot an unneeded lack of information, that you point them out, too, and post links showing why thus and so is either not the case, must for some reason be changed, or why this and that must be added. I can't do the whole thing alone, and I will need your help if this thread is to have any utility at all. (See below for the download.)

Also, I want to make an intermediate list of composers for newcomers to explore: composers, obscure or famous, believed to be essential to know in order to have a healthy understanding of classical music culture, as it has been and as it is now; not conforming to or unnecessarilly accomodating the general listener's, or the typical new listener's, prejudices of classical music, but to show how and what classical music is to classical musicians and established classical music lovers. This list may be changed, also; composers may be added and taken away, about which you may make your arguments below.

And it goes without saying that this thread is also under construction: forgive its nacency - and the poster's own prejudices, as they've not yet been put in check.

Intermediate List of Composers

• Adams, John Coolidge (American, 1947-)
• Alfvén, Hugo Emil (Swedish, 1872-1960)
• Antheil, George (American, 1900-1959)
• Bach, Johann Sebastian (German, 1685-1750)
• Barber, Samuel Osmond II (American, 1910-1981)
• Bax, Arnold Edward Trevor Sir (British, 1883-1953)
• Beethoven, Ludwig van (German, 1770-1827)
• Bingen, Hildegard von (German, 1098-1179)
• Brahms, Johannes (German, 1833-1897)
• Braunfels, Walter (German, 1882-1954)
• Chadwick, George Whitefield (American, 1854-1931)
• Davies, Peter Maxwell Sir (British, 1934-)
• Debussy, Achille-Claude (French, 1862-1918)
• Dvořák, Antonín Leopold (Czech, 1841-1904)
• Elgar, Edward William (English, 1857-1934)
• Enescu, George (Romanian, 1881-1955)
• Franck, César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert (Franco-Belgian, 1822-1890)
• Glière, Reinhold (Russo-Ukrainian, 1875-1956)
• Halffter Escriche, Rodolfo (Spanish, 1900-1987)
• Hindemith, Paul (German, 1895-1963)
• Khachaturian, Aram Il’yich (Armenian, 1903-1978)
• Kilar, Wojciech (Polish, 1932-2013)
• Koechlin, Charles Louis Eugène (French, 1867-1950)
• Liebermann, Lowell (American, 1961-)
• Liebermann, Rolf (Swiss, 1910-1999)
• Lully, Jean-Baptiste (Franco-Italian, 1632-1687)
• Mahler, Gustav (Judeo-Czech-Austro-Hungarian, 1860-1911)
• Martinů, Bohuslav (Czech, 1890-1959)
• Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Jakob Ludwig Felix (German, 1809-1847)
• Monteverdi, Claudio Giovanni Antonio (Italian, 1567-1643)
• Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus) (Austrian, 1756-1791)
• Nordgren, Pehr Henrik (Finnish, 1944-2008)
• Nørgård, Per (Danish, 1932-)
• Novák, Vítězslav (Czech, 1870-1949)
• Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da (Italian, 1525-1594)
• Pärt, Arvo (Estonian, 1935-)
• Penderecki, Krzysztof Eugeniusz (Polish, 1933-)
• Prokofiev, Sergei Sergeyevich (Russian, 1891-1853)
• Puccini, Giacomo (Italian, 1858-1924)
• Purcell, Henry (British, 1659-1695)
• Rachmaninoff, Sergei Vasilievich (Russian, 1873-1943)
• Rautavaara, Einojuhani (Finnish, 1928-)
• Ravel, Joseph-Maurice (French, 1875-1937)
• Reinecke, Carl Heinrich Carsten (German, 1824-1910)
• Reznicek, Emil Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von (Austrian, 1860-1945)
• Rosenberg, Hilding Constantin (Swedish, 1892-1985)
• Saint-Saëns, Charles-Camille (Sannois) (French, 1825-1921)
• Schnittke, Alfred (Russian, 1934-1998)
• Schönberg (Schoenberg), Arnold (Austrian, 1874-1951)
• Schubert, Franz Peter (Austrian, 1797-1828)
• Schulhoff, Erwin (Czech, 1894-1942)
• Schumann, Robert (German, 1810-1856)
• Schütz, Heinrich (German, 1585-1672)
• Scriabin, Alexander Nikolayevich (Russian, 1872-1915)
• Shostakovich, Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Russian, 1906-1975)
• Sibelius, Johan Julius Christian 'Jean' (Finnish, 1865-1957)
• Stenhammar, Carl Wilhelm Eugen (Swedish, 1871-1927)
• Stockhausen, Karlheinz (German, 1928-2007)
• Strauss, Johann (Baptist) 'Schanni' II (Austrian, 1825-1899)
• Strauss, Richard Georg (German, 1864-1949)
• Stravinsky, Igor Fyodorovich (Russian, 1882-1971)
• Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich (Russian, 1840-1893)
• Tippett, Michael Kemp Sir (British, 1905-1998)
• Wagner, Wilhelm Richard (German, 1813-1883)
• Waldteufel, Émile (French, 1837-1915)
• Weingartner, Paul Felix von, Edler von Münzberg (Croatian-Austro-Hungarian, 1863-1942)
• Whitacre, Eric (American, 1970-)
• Williams, Ralph Vaughan (British, 1872-1958)
• Xenakis, Iannis (Greco-French, 1922-2001)
• Zemlinsky, Alexander von (Austrian, 1871-1942)

Primary List

Composers and Works List.pdf

Well, I believe I may have some small contributions.

1) Bach: I do believe that his Well-tempered clavier is a must here. Not to mention some important organ works, solo violin works among others. 

2) Franck, César: for me, Prelude, Choral and Fugue is essential.

3) Ligeti: Musica ricercata?
 

4) Ravel: Introduction and Allegro for harp, fute, clarinet and string quartet.

hur

5) Takemitsu could also enter this list, right? As well as Erik Satie, Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazilian Bachianas), John Cage, Manuel de Falla, Ottorino Respighi, Arthur Honegger.

I don't if many will agree with this, but I think Berg and Webern should also be up there on the list. While they both are closely associated with Schoenberg, they both had their distinctive styles that influenced many later composers. Both weren't that prolific in their output, but well known pieces by Berg include the Violin Concerto, 3 Pieces for Orchestra, and the two operas Wozzeck and Lulu; Webern's well known pieces include the Passacaglia for orchestra, 6 Pieces for Orchestra, and various different lieder. 

Another composer I believe that should be up there is Pierre Boulez. His Le Marteau Sans Maitre is probably one of those pieces that define 20th century classical music. 

Another controversial composer: John Cage...mixed feelings about him, but influential (not just in classical music)

@johnbucket: How would you remake it to be more effective?

@johnbucket: Sure; we could make a project of it.