Greetings, reader!
As the second edition of my music theme month continues, today's topic is classical composers. I was a bit nervous writing this list, as my expertise in classical music is quite lacking and nothing compared to my expertise in rock music, for example. Still, I've listened to enough classical to have the opinions it takes for a top 10 favorite composers -list, so here is my (hopefully not too uninformed) take!
Here are my honorable mentions: Claude Debussy, George Gershwin, Franz Liszt, Henry Purcell, Maurice Ravel.
10. Antonio Vivaldi
One of the biggest names in baroque, Vivaldi was a massively influential composer whose music still makes for a fun and elegant listen over three hundred years later. Vivaldi is best known for the Four Seasons series, which has certainly earned its spot among the classics (the deep melancholy of Winter and the fresh beauty of Spring encapsulate their subject matters with aplomb). Many of his other greatest works also fall into the violin concerto category, although he was also heavily invested in a multitude of other endeavors from operas to church music.
9. Philip Glass
U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
Yes, one American composer found his way into an otherwise heavily European list. While almost all of the greatest greats in the realm of classical music come from the olden age, there is something to be said for modern classical - an area in which Philip Glass has been a total game-changer, keeping new classical music at least somewhat relevant for decades. And yes, I say 'has been' and not 'was', because as of my time writing this, Glass is still very much alive, aged 86 years.
While he worked on musical theater and film scores, which would seem more up my alley music taste -wise, my favorite Glass compositions actually are some of his more 'conventional' classical pieces - I'm especially fond of the deeply touching Metamorphosis -series. And, as far as his less conventional works go, the man wrote a symphony based on Heroes by David Bowie.
8. Georg Friedrich Händel
"You can't Händel the truth!"
-Jack Nicholson in the classical music action movie that Hollywood hopefully completes one day
One the quintessential baroque composers, Händel saw the grandiose dynamics and large-scale dramatics of the music in his time, and understood the assignment. His choral arrangements in works like the Messiah oratorio are about as majestic as music can be, not to mention how harmonically creative said work is. Händel is also the genius behind Zadok the Priest, the coronation anthem that was re-worked by Tony Britten in 1992 into one of my favorite pieces of music in existence - the UEFA Champions League anthem. Truly the stuff of legends.
7. Richard Strauss
Okay, I'll be honest with you - I haven't listened to very many of Strauss' works. He's somewhat of a one-hit wonder for me. But, when that 'one hit' is my #1 all-time favorite work of classical music, that alone has to put Strauss quite high on my list.
The piece in question is the tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra, from the famous 'Sunrise' opening act that many know from its genius use in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), all the way through the eight less-known but also amazing sections that follow it. It's a true larger-than-life masterpiece of the highest order, and I really should become better acquainted with Strauss' other works one of these days.
6. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Say what you will, this guy is like the Beethoven of classical music. The absolute genius behind countless operas, symphonies, violin concertos and really any sorts of compositions that people were doing in the era of classicism, there seems to be no limit to this guy's creativity. Also known for his eccentric (many would say 'asshole') persona and Tom Hulce's brilliant portrayal of him in the great film Amadeus (1984), Mozart certainly carved himself into music history as one of its most recognizable and influential names.
I know a few classical music enthusiasts who consider Mozart to be overrated, and I suppose the composer's overall acclaim is so high that even my placement of him at #6 instead of the top 3 could be seen as such a statement. But it can't be denied that works like Requiem in D minor, Allegro in D Major and Symphony No. 40 are steeped not just in music history but in the very essence of human culture, in a way that very few others have accomplished. So even when Mozart isn't often my #1 pick to listen to if I'm in the mood for classical, I still feel compelled to rank him high due to the sheer genius and artistic value of his compositions (not to mention that many of them are undeniable bangers).
5. Johannes Brahms
Brahms, on the other hand, is one of the best possible composers whose music to put on when a pseudo-enthusiast of classical music such as myself feels the urge to listen to some classical, when having one of those "jeez, I haven't listened to anything except pop punk for the last two months" moments. Brahms' music is easily accessible for the non-trained ear, making him a decent 'gateway composer' for people looking to get into classical music. Of course, for people who do know their shit, there are layers to just how well Brahms' imaginative composition structures and elegant harmonies work.
As one can surmise when looking at my full top 10, the era of classical music that resonates with me the most is the romantic period - the sheer emotional expression, beautiful dynamics and amount of memorable works from that time and style make for one hell of a tapestry. And Johannes Brahms is a very important part of this recipe.
4. Johann Sebastian Bach
"I'll be Bach"
-Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the aforementioned Classical Composers action flick
Yeah. Bach is only at #4 instead of #1 for subjective reasons, as there are a select few composers whose work I enjoy even more, but I do see a sound argument for Bach deserving the #1 spot on pretty much anyone's list. If one uses the term 'genius' about the folks seen up until now on this list - Vivaldi, Händel, Brahms, even Mozart - the same logic would make 'full-on f**king wizard' the most appropriate term for Bach.
While music history is full of special magic dudes, from Purcell to McCartney and from Davis to Collier, there has only ever been (and there will only ever be) one Bach. Analyzing his compositions - well, I don't consider myself smart enough to really analyze them myself, but just reading and listening to experts' analyses of his compositions - is always quite mind-blowing, because his use of harmony and counterpoint was just so next-level amazing. Works like The Well-Tempered Clavier, the St Matthew Passion and Toccata and Fugue in D minor are quite the revolutionary pieces that helped shaped the sound and legacy of classical music (or just music in general) as a whole.
3. Jean Sibelius
If Philip Glass had me going "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!", then this ought to provoke my other home country's equivalent: "Suomi mainittu, torilla tavataan!"
I've always found it startlingly impressive when a composer can discuss certain themes and ideas in their music, without the use of lyrics. Sure, you can compose away with a certain idea in your mind, but the artistic expression required for you to do so in a way that the same idea is transferred all the way to the listener, is quite something. And that's something that Finland's own Jean Sibelius was a downright expert in, as many of his works have to do with the beauty of Finnish nature - and as someone who regularly experiences the beauty of Finnish nature, that beauty can be heard and felt in Sibelius' works in a strikingly powerful manner.
He also composed multiple beautiful pieces inspired by the national epic Kalevala, seven symphonies (the fifth of which has the absolute coolest ending to a symphony there is), and of course the Finlandia, which is even more of a "sing this dead-seriously, hand on heart and tear in eye" anthem for our nation than our actual national anthem.
My grandmother on my mother's side, Mirja, is the biggest Sibelius fan I know. The aging composer was still alive in her youth, and I recall hearing the very moving story of her, an overall well-behaved girl, skipping school in order to listen to the radio broadcast of Sibelius' funeral upon discovering that they wouldn't be listening to it at school. True appreciation for a national icon right there.
2. Ludwig van Beethoven
This guy really is like the Mozart of classical music (I'm really good at analogies). Seriously though, you can't beat the Beet. This absolute powerhouse of a composer left behind an impressive body of work, with his perhaps biggest legacy being his entire re-inventing of the symphony as a concept. The majestic nature of his Third (not to be confused with the film Beethoven's 3rd (2000)), the magnificent structure of his Fifth (not to be confused with the film Beethoven's 5th (2003)), the rich and inventive harmonies of his Seventh (not to be confused with the film Beethoven's Big Break (2008)) and the utter motherf**king glory of his Ninth (known for its use in A Clockwork Orange (1971) and the European Union, also not to be confused with the film Beethoven's Treasure Trail (2014)) - it's a pretty unmatched legacy.
Then there's his collection of piano sonatas - and not to be basic or anything, but I have to single out the best-known one. Sonata No. 14, better known as the Moonlight Sonata, is probably the most haunting piece of music ever created, which I do not say lightly.
1. Gustav Mahler
Okay, I know I just said that the legacy of Beethoven's symphonies is unmatched. And I stand by that, on the level of cultural and historical impact. But on the subjective level of my own music taste, there is one composer whose symphonies I enjoy even more, and that is the man who Captain Raymond Holt has referred to as "the original punk rocker" and "one bad boy". I'm of course talking about the artistic mastermind of the late romantic period, Mr. Gustav Mahler.
Sitting down to listen to Mahler is just a vibe of its own. I once listened to his Third Symphony while doing absolutely nothing else for the entire two-hour duration, just looking out the window as the sun went down and taking in all the music, and this was a more or less cathartic experience. Mahler's expression of powerful themes and deep-lying emotions through his music is endlessly impressive, and I have a special fondness for how he does endings. The final moments of the final act in each of his symphonies are just the perfect wrap-ups for said works, whether it's the sheer church-bell triumph of the Second, the mountain-moving world-shifting heavy-artillery climax of the Third, or the expectation-defying choice to go with an elegant and classy close instead of the usual fireworks for his Ninth and final symphony, written with his impending death in mind at the end of his life.
Every now and then, it does one's soul good to just stop what you're doing, sit down and listen to what Mahler has to say with his music.
Thank you for reading! Music Month II continues next week with a love letter to live music, as I rank the top 10 concerts I've been to.
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