Classical composers. Who for you are the best?

It's like a time machine, is it not? The 'trouble' being that's why I live in Miss Havisham's house [there are quite a few of us, self confessed Miss Havishams on here; get ready for a 'I'm Spartacus moment'].....

You lot! I've splashed out £2.50 today on a Dowland CD (2nd hand, I'm glad to say. And I did preview it beforehand, sounds pretty good. Andreas Scholl. I have a bit of a thing for counter-tenors).

I'd better like it, or you're all in for the high-jump. Er ..... not sure how

isthis I envy you the Dowland CD. I also like counter-tenors especially with
Early music.
The Boyan male voice choir from Ukraine do a UK tour every autumn and always visit Bristol.Some years they have a male soprano. The sound he makes is spine-tingling -as is the sound of the deepest basses.
Look out for them if they come anywhere near you.

Did you used to watch the Beiderbecke Tapes, isthis?

crimson wow that was a long time ago! Answer is Yes. I like early jazz (Beiderbecke and others), was that why you asked?

I find that people who refer to the other half as the S.O. are ones who used to watch it. Actually bought the set of dvd's a while back as I so wanted to see it again, but, thus far haven't got round to doing so. It was a brilliant series though; quite ground breaking I think.

The two leads were excellent and the writing was a treat! Sadly Alan Plater, who wrote it, passed away not long ago. A real loss.

Back to the Classical Music OP.....

Or not, as the case may be

Didn't know about Alan Plater! He was one of the best writers for television. Talking of jazz can I just mention that I saw Louis Armstrong play (I think at Wembley) when I was 10? It normally gets people fairly jealous.

It was a golden age of BBC programmes, I think. GBH and A Very Peculiar Practice [filmed, I think, at Salford University where my ex husband did his post grad stuff] spring to mind. Bleasdale and Stephen Poliakoff [well, his earlier stuff].

Byrd, Dowland, Purcell, Warlock, Britten. Anyone else out there like Madrigals?

Louis Armstrong I'm jealous. But I did see Duke Ellington when I was at Uni.

My cd player has stopped working and I'm having a 'fit of the vapours'. Don't know if I've done something to scramble it, but have just realised how much it's worth and how much it's going to cost to replace. Do they just stop working after so many years?

I've just rediscovered 'Solemn Melody' by Walford Davies. There's a version played on the cello by Julian Lloyd Webber on Youtube. I think it's such a beautiful tune.

Yes Hunt I like madrigals. I wish I were a competent enough singer to sing them with others. Listening to them makes me feel I am wrapped around in Tudor and Elizabethan times - a kind of transport to the past.

@Deedaa "Talking of jazz can I just mention that I saw Louis Armstrong play (I think at Wembley) when I was 10? It normally gets people fairly jealous."

Revolving stage? One legged tap-dancr (Pegleg Bates)? Velma Middleton, like a pink barrage balloon?

I thought that was at Wembley, too, but learned recently it was at Olympia.
I was, I think, 16 at the time, and it was the first time an American jazz band had played this country for many years, owing to the Musicians' Union and the American Federation of Musicians, blast their collective eyes.

I was floating for days after...

Ah perhaps it was! I remember we went on the tube but the actual destination passed me by. I've always remembered Velma Middleton, yards of fabric and tiny feet flashing about underneath! I didn't know much about it before I went but my father was quite clear that it was a historic occasion and he was absolutely right!!

Deeda feetlebaum Just look at this Satchmo and then Velma Middleton. Isn't she wonderful?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqujvTl5zns

I love youtube, you can find just about anything on there. Of course I did start getting sucked into Leadbelly and Ma Rainey as well

Did anyone mention John Ireland in the lists above? (British, 1879-1962)

I heard some of his Downland Suite the other day and loved it. Also some piano music. I've never heard of him before.

What's more my much loved Rough Guide to Classical Music also hasn't heard of him. Just a bit later on the radio I heard some Enescu (Romania, 1881-1955) - who I have heard of, but the Rough Guide doesn't list him either! Shame, when two of us were saying above how much we like and recommend the book. Hmmm..... Still like it though - for most composers!

its hard to believe Tchaikovsky has't been mentioned one of my favourites...also Holst....Rachmaninov....Grieg...Mozart...plus many more....i wonder how many peole watching TV realise how much classical music is used for TV commercials and background atmospher music in films and plays i do wonder why the music used is never mentioned in the TV credits.Lillian

I put Tchaikovsky in my 2nd group that didn't quite make my Top 5. That was almost a mention.

Dare I risk howls of anguish and say that Tchaikovsky is one composer we all tend to start off with and then "grow out of" as we discover more demanding listening? The first live classical concert I went to, age 13, was his B flat minor piano concerto. Unfortunately, he is associated with so many 'musical lollipops' that his other works are rarely heard. I love the Russian composers, especially Borodin, Glazunov and Balakirev, but I rarely listen to Tchaikovsky these days.

Oh don't say that, artygran ! It reminds me of a conversation with a friend when I was very young about which wines we liked. On hearing my choice she (same age!) said "Of course your taste will mature as you get older."

Sorry, Elegran! Wouldn't dream of suggesting people's tastes are immature

Wouldn't suspect you of that artygran !

It is true that everyone's first experience of classical music (or wine) is of what is available, popular and affordable when they are first interested. As they hear (or drink) more they have more to choose from, and search out new experiences until they find what they really like. The wine comment did knock me back rather though - I thought we were having a casual chat, not a sophistication assessment.