Which composer is your favourite?

to the forums, and my answer is 'none of the above'!

It has to be Beethoven. Right? I mean I have a handful of favourites but for me Beethoven is just "it".

Good for you!

I agree.

Can't vote - Benjamin Britten isn't on there

What a tiny list to choose from. Not surprising that my favourite is not there.

Take a look at the Petrucci (ISMLP) web site. I have not counted,but at a rough guess it must list works by over 5,000 composers!

Sorry about a limited list; I'm sure it could have gone on forever though!

for replying anyway!

Maybe asking it as an open question, rather than a pick-list, would have produced a bigger response.

Or add half a dozen more "big names" and ask "Which is your favourite composer from amongst the following:"

I wasn't sure whether this was just "which of these top composers do you like most?" which is adifferent question, or whether it was a naive assumption that everyone's "favourite" must be one of the best -known

Some important omissions: Brahms, Chaikovsky, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Berg (Schoenberg's most important work ), Prokofiev, Poulenc, Shostakovich. Barber. Each of those must be somebody's favourite.

Too narrow a list and to be honest this type of question doesn't really have an answer.

Favourite Medieval composer?
Favourite Renaissance composer?
Favourite Baroque composer?
Favourite Classical composer?
Favourite German Romantic composer?
Favourite Nationalist composer?
Favourite Impressionist composer?

Et cetera

And sometimes the answer depends on what your doing / feeling - I don't think there is an absoltue answer, at least not for me.

Composers I'd put on my list? Byrd, Tallis, Palestirna, Lassus, Bach, Handel, Mozart, Brahms, Mahler...

Byrd, Tallis, Victoria, Lassus, Palestrina, Guerrero, Lotti, Gabrieli ...(cheeky grin) Bach and Lauridsen.

Absolutely - I mean when I'm playing or teaching Telemann I can't think of anything more wonderful, but he probably isn't my favouritest composer or even my favouritest Baroque composer. I think I'd have to plump for Bach or Purcell, but I'm still a Telemaniac.

There may be many composers who would score very highly if we all had to give graduated votes for our top 10, though very few would put them at no. 1. Berlioz, anybody? Khachaturian? Praetorius? Sibelius? All somewhere in my top 10 but they don't get my single vote either.

Vaughan Williams. For England without the jingoism, you're safe with Rafe. (Ralph)

also Britten, Ketelby Bax Schumann Mike Oldfield, Karl Jenkins, Bach, and a lot of Rachmaninov and Russian stuff.

Could one also count Sigur Ros?

and as linda.ff said - BRITTEN.