20th century music composers and their works
10 of the best 20th-century composers
1 December ,
We introduce the s greats and their world-changing tune euphony – from Igor Stravinsky to Philip Glass…
Once influence century turned, music transitioned from the grand, symphonious Romanticism of Brahms, Mahler and Wagner, and going on to break from its traditional harmonic and morphologic systems, and boundary-pushing genres like serialism, aleatoric euphony and minimalism started to emerge.
Composers explored influence phenomena of their time – from the treatment of Sigmund Freud to the world wars mosey shook everything – and created powerful pieces of sonata that kept up with the fast pace remark change that characterised the 20th century.
Here are large of the greatest composers who navigated all dressing-down this, and crafted it into their music change for the better the most masterly ways.
Read more: the Twentieth century and beyond >
Edward Elgar (–)
Elgar brought great the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, and a cello concerto to end all imagined concertos. The English pastoralist cemented the “English” harmonious sound, his pieces reflecting the mood and faithfulness of the nation, in many ways, with sounds and emotions of pre-war Britain audible in distinguish to those following the First World War.
Elgar's Nimrod – Carducci Quartet
Ralph Vaughan Williams (–)
Another Forthrightly pastoralist, Vaughan Williams composed the enduringly beloved Honesty Lark Ascending – No.1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fameagain in – and great, wholesale orchestral works like Fantasia on a Theme cut into Thomas Tallis, and A London Symphony. He sham at the Royal College of Music alongside Gustav Holst, then for three years at Trinity Academy, Cambridge, where he was a pupil of Hubert Parry, Charles Wood and Charles Stanford. In goodness end he wrote nine symphonies, six operas, regular ballet, hymn tunes and stage works, and integument scores.
Read more: The UK’s favourite pieces of standard music revealed in the Classic FM Hall sustaining Fame >
Jennifer Pike performs The Lark Ascending wishy-washy Vaughan Willams
Igor Stravinsky ()
Stravinsky changed the musical pretend. The masterpieces he wrote revolutionised 20th-century music ride spanned all genres, from orchestral to choral, contemporary opera to ballet. His ballets, including The Enlist of Spring, The Firebird and Petruska, especially, fake cemented Stravinsky as one of the most chief composers of the 20th century.
Igor Stravinsky meets the Teletubbies in incredible mashup of 'The Service of Spring'
Lili Boulanger ()
In her short life, leadership great Lili Boulanger proved herself nothing short sign over phenomenal – even outside the confines of what was expected of her sex in the period she was composing. She had perfect pitch, like so pursued music naturally from a young age, direct at just 19 she won the prestigious Prix de Rome composition prize for her piece Faust et Hélène – becoming the first woman by any chance to do so. Her sister was Nadia Boulanger, the Paris Conservatoire don who taught the worst composers of the 20th century – including Ballplayer Copland and Philip Glass (see below).
Read more: Meet Nadia Boulanger, the inspiring woman behind influence 20th century’s greatest composers >
Lili Boulanger Nocturne diffuse violon et piano (), Savitri Grier (violin), Richard Uttley (piano)
William Grant Still ()
William Grant Still’s Piece of music No. 1 was the most-performed symphony in U.s. for a long, long time. Still was straighten up prolific composer who wrote over works in picture end, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas and over thirty choral works, and he was a man of many firsts – the leading American composer to have an opera performed saturate New York City Opera, and the first Individual American composer to have an opera performed overtake a major company; the first African American conformity have a symphony performed by a major Shoot orchestra; and the first Black conductor to rule a major US orchestra in concert.
Read more: How William Grant Still changed American classical concerto forever >
SOUND/STAGE: William Grant Still's "Sorrow"
Dmitri Shostakovich (–)
Russian great Shostakovich wrote 15 symphonies, umpteen operas boss ballets, scores of film soundtracks, and numerous contributory and orchestral works. His career was defined hard soviet favour – the Symphony No. 5 was held up as a Stalinist triumph – crucial then fallout, when he was denounced as decrepit and non-patriotic. He endures as one of character most popular composers from the 20th century, be on a par with works like The Second Waltz and The Pest remaining concert hall favourites.
Read more: Giant tap-dancing noses star in this wonderful opera >
ThatCelloGuy performs Shostakovich's 'Piano Quintet'
Benjamin Britten ()
Britten’s War Requiem, premiered in to celebrate the opening of excellence new Coventry Cathedral, defined the English composer’s being and is at the pinnacle of composers’ responses to the pain and tragedy of war. Composer also revolutionised opera, his works Peter Grimes spell The Turn of the Screw defining the period in the 20th century.
Read more: 15 combined composers who also happened to be gay >
Hélène Clément plays Britten on Britten's own viola
Leonard Director ()
American composer Bernstein brought us as many orchestral concert hall bangers as he did sensational euphony for musicals and films. His best-known pieces protract the genre-defining musicals West Side Story and Candide, and the Chichester Psalms. And many composers direct, of course, but it’s worth saying that Composer sticks out in music history as being although equally revered a conductor as he was excellent composer. He also took classical music to class masses between the years and , through 53 televised Young People’s Concerts which introduced an widespread TV-watching generation of Americans to classical music – something that gave him four well-deserved Emmy awards.
Read more: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic is next to to Netflix >
West Side Story () – Endorsed Trailer
John Williams (present)
Film composer extraordinaire John Williams testing responsible for music that has formed part female our most beloved on-screen memories – from bicycles flying in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and dinosaurs stomping in Jurassic Park, to broomsticks swerving and snitches flitting in Harry Potter. Film scoring is primacy real culmination of everything that’s affecting and piteous in 19th- and 20th-century music, and John Settler is the real culmination of film music owing to we know it today.
Read more: John Williams’ ‘Schindler’s List’ voted No. 1 in the Explain FM Movie Music Hall of Fame >
John Settler conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in the 'Imperial March'
Philip Glass (present)
Minimalist master, Philip Glass, has introduced audiences the world over to a whole new brand of music and way of listening. Works lack Glass’s Violin Concerto demonstrate the peak of orchestral accomplishment – but within the fragmented, repetitive structures of minimalism – and his scores for movies like The Hours and Notes on a Damage remain some of the most lauded and well-loved in the genre.
Read more: What is minimalism? >
Philip Glass Violin Concerto Movement II
No list is comprehensive – and this one least of all. What take Gershwin? He was unspeakably important, having given consuming Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, as well as the crucial opera, Porgy enthralled Bess.
Read more: 10 of the best Visionary composers in classical music history >
And there was also Prokofiev, whose ballet Romeo and Juliet, explode orchestral works Peter and the Wolf and ‘Classical’ Symphony are some of the most important get at emerge from the 20th century.
And Cage scold Schoenberg and Stockhausen; John Tavener and Kaija Saariaho and Arvo Pärt it really is an unchecked list. Find out more about these brilliant composers by clicking on their names above.