Greatest Living Composer

Posted by: Todd A on 06 June 2001

Who do you think are the greatest living composers today? Now, for all of you absolute relativists who would maintain that there can be no “greatest”, or that attempting to rank something as abstract and subjective as Art itself is foolish, I must ask who thinks Hummel wrote music as good as Beethoven’s? No one? Okay, back to the question.

I offer up the following names:

Pierre Boulez
Elliot Carter
Gyorgy Ligeti
Henri Dutilleaux

I am convinced that all four of these august gentlemen will be more highly thought of 50 years or more from now than they currently are. Last I checked they are pretty well respected today. Of course, there may be and undoubtedly are others I missed. So please, more names. Also, given the advanced age of the personages I named, can anyone think of younger composers of great skill. You know, the ones below 50 or so? It almost appears that there could be a serious dearth of truly high grade, new classical music in coming years.

Incidentally, I am not ranking my four selected composers, nor do I feel that ranking is necessarily appropriate, it’s just that I recognize that some composers are better than others, and that posterity recognizes relatively few names. And by the way, Hummel is underrated, even if he is not as good as Beethoven.

Posted on: 18 September 2002 by Matthew T
Finally got myself out to buy some Ligeti and others. Lunch resulted in:-

Ligeti Etudes and Musica Ricercata
Glass Symphony No.2, facade, company
Adams Shaker Loops
Reich Eight Lines
Heath The Frontier

The Ligeti will take some proper listening to, trying to work and listen isn't going to work for this. Adams is currently taking it's turn on the portable at work and so far so good.

Thanks for the recommendations

Matthew
Posted on: 18 September 2002 by Richard Dane
I think Carter would get my vote, although his relative obscurity might disqualify him for title of "greatest".

If a combination of talent and current record sales is anything to go by then I would guess Tavener might take the award with Adams (thanks to HUGE expose from last year's Proms) coming up fast into second place.

Now, how about everybody's favourite....???
Posted on: 18 September 2002 by throbnorth
Yes, Phillip Glass - and why not? It would be sad to discount someone because people actually like their work, and he has had flashes of greatness amongst the workaday diddle diddle. Respect also for injecting life into modern opera. I also admire him because always speaks so lucidly about what he does, and doesn't necessarily make great claims for it. 'Opera On The Beach' is a good read BTW, & worthwhile seeking out.

Steve Reich? Probably not. John Adams? One to watch, I think - you can't pin the bugger down, and he is developing at a furious rate [something you can't accuse Phil of]. A mention also for Mark-Anthony Turnage - contender for UK's Greatest Living, if nowhere else's.

throb
Posted on: 19 September 2002 by Matthew T
Nick,

I picked it up in Tower, 25% off all contemporary classical music. Maybe today I will go to HMV.

Matthew
Posted on: 19 September 2002 by throbnorth
The second act of 'The Silver Tassie' is amazing - wouldn't be surprised if it didn't become an 'Awkward Noisy Modernists'Greatest Chill-Out moods Vol 2' sort of a thing. Available for peanuts [£9.99] as a doulble live ENO rcording on their own label.

throb