![]() ![]() In the contest for most iconic American composer, it’s anyone’s call whether the winner is Aaron Copland or Leonard Bernstein. On the variety television program Omnibus, Bernstein presented 10 televised lectures on classical music between 1954 – 1961. In fact, Bernstein’s greatest legacy may not be as a composer, but rather as an advocate for classical music. That said, as a conductor of the New York Philharmonic, he did champion the avant-garde, programming works by John Cage and Pierre Boulez. Some of these pieces include his score for the classic film On the Waterfront as well as the operetta Candide. ![]() Many of Bernstein’s most beloved compositions were intended for populist mass consumption and were written as incidental music. The rare “unicorn” who was equally adept at multi-genre composition, performance, and conducting, his most compelling trait may have been his winning charisma and unrelenting drive.īernstein is synonymous with West Side Story, the 1957 musical composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, who would later go on to become one of musical theatre’s most important composers. Leonard Bernstein is a household name in classical music, and one of the most versatile musicians of all time. His Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings is a rare vocal masterpiece of modern classical literature. While many audiences may know his orchestral work like Simple Symphony, his deepest works may just be in the pages of his song cycles. Originally written as a companion to a British television documentary called Instruments of the Orchestra, his symphonic variations The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra displays melodies from all parts of the orchestra.Įven the timpani, in the opening few minutes, gets its try at the main d minor arpeggio theme. One of his most beloved works is the result of an unusual circumstance. 15) Benjamin Brittenīritten may just be England’s most important composer of all time, a title that likely belongs to Britten, Purcell, or Byrd.īritten found tremendous inspiration in the human voice, which led him to write many of the 20th century’s greatest vocal works, including the seminal opera Peter Grimes, which premiered in the same year as the end of World War II. Here are the 20th Century’s 15 best composers. We considered influence, artistic ingenuity (did anyone sound like the composer before him? Is he original or derivative? etc.), popularity, and overall legacy. Like any music list, this one is based on opinion. However, for most serious listeners of classical music, it is an era of artistic discovery, unique emotional exaltation, and some of the greatest music ever written. George Gershwin and Philip Glass – their only similarity is the first letters to their last name.įor some, it is an era of thorny, inaccessible work, which is why many orchestras program primarily Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era work. Ives couldn’t be more different than Britten Bernstein must be the opposite of Arnold Schoenberg. ![]() Unlike the Classical and Romantic Eras of music, where a prevailing, normalized European style can be identified, no two significant composers of the 20th century sound alike. What made the 20th century such a compelling time for music? ![]()
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