New Classical Fan, Who are some great composers?

[Nick Dilley]

Has no one mentioned DEBUSSY ?!??!?!?!?!?!?

[Mrrusty1]

chopin bach beethoven mahler greig elgar thcaikovsky brahms liszt shubert handel

[musiclistsareus]

Mozart and Bach are my all-time faves, but Stravinsky, Rautavaara, John Williams, Part, Tavener, John Barry, and Ennio Morricone are some more recent composers of merit.

[Teo]

chopin bach beethoven mahler greig elgar thcaikovsky brahms liszt shubert handel

Tchaikovsky I think is the right spelling. Great list there..

The big answer to this question is: if they are in the category of classical composers, they are great. Even ones I (or you or anyone) am not crazy about like Gould or atonal experimental ones.

For a newby something like Mozart should be good, Satie or Schubert maybe, other ages, other types and moods. As mentioned before, Vivaldi was even before Bach and Handel - both born 1675 while Antonio Vivaldi was born 1640, a generation before! Then lesser known people like Bellini who Chopin loved!

Also any given composer can have completely different pieces. Like Beethoven's soft little Bagatelles but don't forget his wicked sonatas and symphonies!

There are so many diverse qualities.. I'm only just now learning a Rachmaninoff Rach2Adagio35.mid and I have a new feeling about Sergei since working on his piece!

Great topic! Thanks for this opportunity to share!

Love and *LIGHT* *BEING*,
Teom

[Bellini48]

If you like Epic, try 'ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA' by Richard Strauss. The introductory theme was use as soundtrack to 2001 Space Odyssey by Stan Kubrick. But the whole thing is a masterpiece. As for melodic, try Beethoven Romanza for violin and Liszt's second Consolation. But there's much more.

[Bellini48]

Lighter? It depends. Some of his Oratorios are pretty complex in their polyphony. Masses and religious works are inspiring. Pehaps I would say that Bach is extremely cerebral, more an architect of sound, while Vivaldi looks to the sheer musicality of his compositions, even their overall effect, like Storm in his 4 seasons. Very modern concept of music, I'd say. Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d37Jlbj6GaM

[Bellini48]

As to composers you might be interested in, I might suggest Richard Strauss with his magnificent symphonic poems, Berlioz, Faure', Ravel's piano concertos, Debussy's beautiful preludes.

[Bellini48]

Also Sprach Zarathustra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32AVkJUj2G4
So the modern soundtrack, don't you think?

[Bellini48]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynEOo28lsbc
Gershwin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx7YwSgp1bc
Rachmaninoff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsvpFU7KY7E
Mussorgsky/Ravel

[tdmonroe]

You should try Edward Elgar. He writes a few things you will recognize, and alot of wonderful things you won't