Which composers of any period would you invite to dinner and why?

[Pabmusic]

Carl Ditters (von Dittersdorf)
Josef Strauss
Hubert Parry
Luís de Freitas-Branco

Because all had the reputation of being nice people and good company, and all could easily have pursued different careers (did for a while in each case, but always stayed close to music). And all deserve to be much better known.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And he himself preparing the meal, I suppose....

[doversoul1]

Francesca and Settimia Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, and Hildegard of Bingen

We’ll have a nice girlie chat, down to men and all that.

P.S. Ah, I see Richard has already invited Hildegard. I’ll set the date after yours and if you merry her up, you never know what we may hear from her.

[antongould]

J S Bach
Bruckner
Ravel
Vaughan Williams

Interesting chaps, interesting lives but then there are so,so many.

Caliban as butler, interpreter and to set the quiz. Oh and to moan about Shostakovich not being invited.

[ardcarp]

As Hildegard seems to be the 'must have' dinner guest, how about inviting 3 generations of British women, e.g, Ethel Smythe, Rebecca Clarke and Judith Bingham? They could discuss the inherent bias against female composers.


Or failing that, shopping.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

As Hildegard seems to be the 'must have' dinner guest, how about inviting 3 generations of British women, e.g, Ethel Smythe, Rebecca Clarke and Judith Bingham? They could discuss the inherent bias against female composers.

Swap you JB for Rebecca Saunders - good notion, though!

Or failing that, shopping.

Unworthy, ardy - I'll leave you with Dame Ethel and her toothbrush!

[Mary Chambers]

Schubert. I'd love to know what he was like. I can form no clear picture of him from what I've read or from his music, but he has always fascinated me.

Frank Bridge and John Ireland, so that they could tell me what it was like to teach the teenage Britten. Not Britten himself, because I'd be terrified of offending him - from what I've heard this happened rather easily!

I'd quite like to meet John Rutter. Just curiosity.

[Bryn]

Cage (to compose and prepare the meal),
Rossini (to demonstrate to him that one could eat well without gorging oneself on prime cuts of beef and paté).
Beethoven (as bean-counter for the after-dinner coffee)
and Cardew (I miss [rocking the boat for] him).

[salymap]

I'm torn between Dame Ethel, so that she can see what's happened to her childhood 'village' amd Holst and Frank Bridge, who seem only one step away from now. Ireland was easily offended too Mary, take care with him.

[Nick Armstrong]

Mussorgsky
Peter Warlock
Malcolm Arnold
E.J.Moeran

And then I'd stand outside and look through the window to see which slipped under the table first.

[Petrushka]

Beethoven
Mahler
Elgar
Shostakovich

In various ways I feel close to them as people and not just as composers. Lots to talk about.

[Tony Halstead]

Delius
Elgar
Vaughan Williams
Holst

[Richard Tarleton]

Beethoven
Mahler
Elgar
Shostakovich

In various ways I feel close to them as people and not just as composers. Lots to talk about.

And they'd be amazed by your CD collection, Petrushka!

[EdgeleyRob]

Beethoven,just to see if he was really such an angry sod,in fact I'd tell him that the finale of the 9th doesn't really work for me then I'd probably find out.
Alkan,to let him know that I for one think his piano music is greater than that of Liszt and Chopin,and I'd ask him to play Les Quatre Ages (I would have to buy a piano first though).
Vaughan Williams,to thank him personally for the gift of his wonderful symphonies.
Elgar,so we could talk football as well as music..

[mangerton]

John Dowland, to ask him about music at the courts of Queen Elizabeth, the King of Denmark and James 1, that plot, other dedicatees of his works, not to mention lute technique and tuning...

Gesualdo, a deeply fascinating and complex character who I'm sure would be a great dinner companion.

Hildegard of Bingen - I'd make sure she had plenty to drink...

Peter Maxwell-Davies, who I'm sure would help to liven things up.

I don't think John Dowland ever met James I, as he died in 1437. If you mean James VI and I otoh......

I'd definitely have Gesualdo, but I'd keep him well away from the kitchen. And with him Dowland, Vaughan Williams and Bach. Reason: I think the discussions on harmony would be fascinating.