BBC Music Magazine, May 2012, 'The Great Composers' - supplement

[Tony Halstead]

Unbelievable...
'Your essential guide to the 50 biggest names in classical music':

Those 50 names include ( in alphabetical order)
Barber, Bernstein, Copland, Fauré, Grieg, Pärt, and Saint-Saëns.
Maybe the person or persons compiling the list couldn't find the 'N' on the keyboard, in-between
Mozart and Pärt?
NIELSEN?

[MrGongGong]

Nono

or even

NO NO NO NO NO

[Panjandrum]

Hmm...Saint-Saens, but no Schoenberg.
Barber, but no Berg.
Liszt, but no Ligeti.

Oh well. I think we know what we're in for when we see that the foreword is written by that illustrious musicologist, um let me see, oh yes, Katie Derham.

[Ferretfancy]

In fairness, there are some very good contributors, including Richard Osborne, Anthony Burton, Hugh Wood, David Nice, and many others. I found some of the biographical information interesting, but of course all the essays have to be much too brief to be of any lasting value.

Looking at Copland, just as an example, the five essential works listed include Rodeo and all the usual suspects, apart from the Emily Dickinson poems, no deeper digging here! I also notice that with a few honourable exceptions all the recommendations are for recent recordings. Fine performances from the analogue era are largely ignored, and naturally historic recordings are missing entirely.
This supplement would make a good introduction to new listeners, but it's not for keeping, still, some marks for trying?

[Old Grumpy]

This supplement was available to purchase separately a while ago - I guess they must have had a lot of copies left!

[LeMartinPecheur]

I was a teenzy-weenzy bit surprised by the inclusion of Byrd and Tallis. Great composers both in my book, but how come they both made the top 50 when Victoria, Palestrina and Lassus didn't?

Or does their being English count double?

[DracoM]

Snork! Nice one.

[EdgeleyRob]

Unbelievable...
'Your essential guide to the 50 biggest names in classical music':

Where's Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco ? that's a very big name.

[Pabmusic]

Where's Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco ? that's a very big name.

Or Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y Balzola? Or Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret? Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini has a chance, but the biggest name in the world of composers was unearthed by Monty Python all those years ago: Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-dingle-dangle-dungle-burstein von knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kürstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-eine-nürnburger- bratwustle-gerspurten-mit-zweimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönendanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-raucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.

[Serial_Apologist]

Or Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y Balzola? Or Marie-Joseph Canteloube de Malaret? Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini has a chance, but the biggest name in the world of composers was unearthed by Monty Python all those years ago: Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-dingle-dangle-dungle-burstein von knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kürstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-eine-nürnburger- bratwustle-gerspurten-mit-zweimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönendanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-raucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.

Surely there's got to be a longer name that that - even taking into account all possible permutational serialisations obtainable in Darmstadt in 1952?

[Pabmusic]

[amateur51]

I reckon the longest name must be Miles

[Serial_Apologist]

I reckon the longest name must be Miles

Or Milli

[3rd Viennese School]

oh, Hautkopft! I no im.

I have one of his symphonies I think.

[EdgeleyRob]

biggest name in the world of composers was unearthed by Monty Python all those years ago: Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-dingle-dangle-dungle-burstein von knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kürstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-eine-nürnburger- bratwustle-gerspurten-mit-zweimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönendanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-raucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.

Jo to his friends.