If You Don’t Know These Composers, You Don’t Know Classical Music

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This is a list of all the important composers you need to know as a classical music fan.🙌🏻
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[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Make sure to leave a comment, thanks🙌🏻

[@yannaischrire7327]

Correction about Wagner: He is allowed to be played in Israel, though when people try it becomes new and is very frowned upon. This is not only because of his antisemite views, but also because his music was played at concentration camps. I’m not sure where is stand on this

[@thorphilipson9182]

I listen to Rachmaninov all the time and I've never felt depressive listening to it. His second piano concerto was written after recovering from depression, so you should feel the opposite of depressive after listening to it. The third movement to his second symphony is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever!

[@joanalosm]

Such an incredible effort! I still miss Erik Satie, Camille Saint-Saëns, Lili Boulanger and Philip Glass.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks

[@SophieLeung-du9we]

Schubert: I recommend Erlkonig, Winterreise, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Schubert 9, Trout

[@haitaelpastor976]

The Master of Masters Tchaikovski. I simply cannot get enough.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Agree

[@HDougMatsuoka]

Interesting, entertaining, and informative. Thanks so much!

[@DumbWaiters]

Thank you young master.

[@MikeDial]

This was an ambitious video. You covered most of my favorite composers. Sometimes you were speaking so fast that it was difficult to understand, but I can always listen again. Thank you for making this; I'll check some of them out.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks for the kind words. And yes, it was kind of a lot of work😂

[@metztlisanchez5340]

Thank you! Interesting list and recommendations.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

You're welcome🙌🏻

[@Budolf]

Camille saint saens is actually so underrated, if not him i wouldn't start listening to classical music

[@reyskywalker9409]

thanks for the recommendations, really like it, love your vids 🙂

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks as always for commenting🙌🏻

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodav559]

As a cellist who has played pieces from all the Baroque composers mentioned, I will personally always prefer Bach due to how expressive his music is played on the cello and other string instruments.

[@arthurmorgan7557]

The Schumann symphonies are absolutely amazing

[@sibelius3mil25]

Just for your information, As the program supervised by Mahler for the 1910 premiere of the Symphony states, the work required 858 singers and 171 instrumentalists. To counter the effect of so many singers, Mahler had to augment the standard orchestra. Thus, he increases it to 84 strings, 6 harps, 22 woodwinds, and 17 brass players.

[@ValzainLumivix]

Cool video with sensible suggestions.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks🙌🏻

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Fantastic video!! I just want to say: I saw Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé” live last week. It was the most awe-inspiring experience I’ve ever had. “Lever du jour (Sunrise)” from Suite 2 was stunning. I left the Symphony Hall in tears and as though I were floating on fluffy clouds. Words can’t express the joy of that piece enough. Also, for Messiaen: PLEASE check out “Quartet for the End of Time” and Turangalila Symphonie!!! Both incredible Messiaen pieces.

[@nozrep]

One can enjoy listening to classical music without knowing any of the composers. One could listen and enjoy easily, indeed without even caring to know their names. Maybe, Mr. Welker, that is not preferrable in the broad sense. But it is possible. Me personally, I took classical piano for 14 years but was always mediocre and never practiced enough. But along the way I certainly learned some not all but certainly some of the “most famous” composers of history and the various “eras” like baroque, classical, romantic, and early modern. We were specifically taught them by our teacher and even though I “sucked” at piano I am glad to have learned them.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

"One can enjoy listening to classical music without knowing any of the composers." I agree, but normally if you like one piece by a certain composer, you will be more likely to enjoy other ones as well and vice versa

[@SuuSinator]

Nice Video :) Buuut... Holst is definitly missing in that list (especially since you mentioned John Williams, who was influenced by Holst a lot). I'd recommend 3 pieces. 1. "The Planets" (obviously) 2. "The Cloud Messenger" Everybody knows about the Influence of "The Planets" on John William's amazing work, but I think "The Cloud Messenger" is even more influential (at least for Star Wars) and for good reason. It seems pretty obvious that this is where the Imperial March comes from. You should really listen to it if you don't know it. It's kinda amazing. 3. "Egdon Heath" Personally my favourite piece of Holst and one of my favourite pieces of music overall. What makes it so special for me is, that it somehow manages it to fit perfectly to every mood.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks for sharing

[@xavica6250]

YAYY i was about to comment the same thing.

[@jacobw4612]

His First Suite in Eb and Second Suite in F, both for military band, are great as well!

[@la_princesse_des_beauxarts]

Bluebeard’s Castle from bartok is amazing as well!

[@nicc9759]

Hello, Carl. I would have a video idea for you: One underrated piece from every composer. What do you think?

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Not a bad idea thanks🙌🏻

[@rogerhardy6306]

Thanks for doing this. You mentioned Starvinsky's Rite but listen to Les Noces and L'Histoire du Soldat...they're both very original but quite accessible.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. I learned some parts from L'histoire du soldat already🙌🏻

[@liul]

Completely agree with you about movie music

[@gianmarcolori2745]

I like your video and I would like to spent hours and hours ( days, weeks….) to talk about classical music with YOU….omg. I don‘t know if I can sleep well after this experience❤

[@London-Lad]

Love you!

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

This was fast, thanks😂

[@OiseauTriste]

The Schumann piano quinet is spectacular!

[@aritrodasgupta2841]

Well, Chopin also happens to be MY favourite composer... TBH, other than the pieces you've mentioned, his etudes (Op.25 N°5 is my favorite.Other than that I also like Op.10 N°2-5,12 and Op.25 N°1-4,6,8,9,11 and 12...Op.25 N°11 & 12 are kinda beautifully scary...give me goosebumps),polonaises (specially HEROIC),waltzes (Specially GVB and waltz Op.42 N°5) and the Ab Major Tarantella are also quite lively...even the preludes N°16 & 24 give me chills❤️❤️❤️

[@nozrep]

my personal preferred favorite is Chopin. I loved him so much that I even though I was a mediocre pianist of less than average natural talent, I mustered enough will from within my mediocre-musician self to learn to play my two most favorite preludes of his back when I still played. Heck, even forgot which ones they were. But I learned two of ‘em!

[@JoseLopez-zp2ui]

Great video i have mostly only listened to romantic composers, but it wouldve been nice if you put some music when mentioning the names

[@autoghg]

Absolutely fantastic video!!! I really appreciate that we have a quite similar taste of music, my favorite composers are Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Brahms and Bach. But you have to try the symphoniys by Brahms, I love all of them even if the first and fourth are the best, and maybe the third movement of number 3. And listen to Sibelius 7 and 2, they are totally amazing!! What I learned from you is to listen to some operas because I'm totally not into that but I'll try Hänsel and Gretel now :)

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Yes Hansel and Gretel is worth 100%, and I know the Brahms ones, still don't enjoy them so much😂

[@Lorem_ipsum_dolor_sit_amet]

Erik Satie anybody? If it wasn't for Gymnopedies and Gnossiennes keeping me mellow for long study sessions, I'd probably wouldn't have gotten through university and would've gone full Ted Kaczynski

[@Mahlerweber]

Enjoyed video. Mendelssohn and Chopin are 2 of my top 10. Haydn -- somewhat agree with you, but his London Symphonies are awesome -- I studied No. 99 in college (orchestration) and it's one of my favorite pieces of all time. Love Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak -- 3 of my top 10 ❤❤❤

[@ronjaindigolauren]

I'd definitely recommend listening to op. 25 Myrthen by Robert Schumann. It's not a very conventional liederkreis and it didn't end up as his most famous work but it's very beautiful, contains a lot of great lieder and really gets in to the relationship between Robert and Clara Schumann. Probably one of my all-time favourite lied works 😊

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks for sharing with us🙌🏻

[@timbauer1618]

Sehr gutes Video! Btw, der Bart steht dir ;)

[@r0noak]

do a "classical musician reacts to every Fantano 10/10 Album" would be interesting to hear your takes on acclaimed popular music

[@villain7140]

Fantano's ratings are not musical, its a completely different criteria than classical music. For Fantano its lyrics/poetic expression rather than actual musical depth or complexity, popular music is almost an entirely different art form from classical music

[@MarechalVI]

For Richard Strauss, I'd recommend his tone poems. My personal favorites are Don Juan, Alpine Symphony, A Hero's Life, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and Till Eulenspiegel. Particularly for Alpine Symphony and Till Eulenspiegel, Strauss's use of the brass is just incredible in very different ways. Alpine Symphony is just towering in grandeur like the Alps themselves, but Till Eulenspiegel is probably the most gruesome and evocative piece of music ever written (this is meant as a compliment). For Mahler, all of his symphonies are complete gold, and I'm genuinely ecstatic that you mentioned Symphony No. 7 because it's so criminally underrated. Symphony No. 2 will always be my absolute favorite, but 3, 5, 7, and 8 all hold a special place in my heart. For Sibelius, Symphony No. 2 and Finlandia are my favorites (although I haven't listened to enough music by him, and I will do so at some point). Specifically the 1st movement of No. 2, just the amazingly rich, lush sound of the strings and horns like the forests are calling out to you is incredible.

[@gaetancoquilhat9708]

Thanks for the video it was realy instructive to watch, i've discovered many composers like bruckner or humperdinck, personaly my favorite composers are Ravel and Rachmaninof and i'm also glad you love theme too Continue like this i'm impatient to see new videos !!! (sory for the english i'm french)

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thank you, and yes I will continue🙌🏻

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Ravel est mon compositeur préféré !! 1: Piano Concerto pour la main gauche 2: Le Tombeau de Couperin 3: Miroirs 4: Ma Mére l’Oye 5: L’enfant et les Sortilèges 6: Gaspard de la Nuit 7: Daphnis et Chloé (« Lever du jour » est très bien !!) 8: Piano Concerto en Sol 9: Introduction et Allegro 10: La Valse

[@gaetancoquilhat9708]

​@@Hailey_Paige_1937 t'as de très bon goûts, perso miroirs est ma pièce préférée mais j'ajouterai aussi la pavane pour une infante défunte qui m'a personnellement fait découvrir le compositeur Aussi je rajouterais l'Alborada del gracioso qui témoigne du génie de Ravel en orchestration

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@gaetancoquilhat9708 Tu écrit en anglais, s’il vous plaît ? J’étudie le français, mais très lentement. Je suis désolé, mais je parle très petit français.

[@gaetancoquilhat9708]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 Oups sorry, I thought you were french too, I was saying you had great tastes, personaly my favorite of Ravel is Miroirs but I would ad "pavane pour une infante défunte" and mostly Alborada del gracioso which illustrate the mastership of Ravel in orchestration

[@hojowarf6488]

Don't forget the most famous movie featuring music by Ligetti is 2001 A Space Odyssey

[@T-J-S]

Romantic is also my favourite! Chopin is my favourite composer

[@tomhagel9498]

I can recommend Prokofiev's 3rd piano concerto 1st and 3rd movement

[@limonscore]

If you like Mahler, Tschaikowsky and Bruckner you might like Sibelius works. I would recommend the second symphonie and Finlandia. Don't go in there and expect Mahler or Tschaikowsky, he has a very unique style in general I would say but it could fit your taste

[@bgaona]

Fun video! This could totally be a standard crash course if you want to get a jumpstart in the world of classical music. The personalized commentary makes it feels easy to learn and natural👏👏👏

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thank you, that's very kind

[@galenbrubaker5603]

If you’re in the mood for a different side of Anton Bruckner, listen to his motet Os Justi. It’s one of the most beautiful choral pieces ever written

[@pedrocoelho9650]

Hi! Which piece is playing right at the beginning of the video? Thanks!

[@UC2Ek5EUq1j4JcWlaQ6D]

"He wrote around 100 symphonies and most of them suck" My brother in christ, I do not wish to be profane or swear, but I do want you to know this is a hate comment. You are clearly ignorant of Haydns work; it flies above your tiny little brain, far too complex to be understood by you. Compare any of Mozarts symphonies 1-38 and name one that even surpasses the genius of Haydns 1st, 2nd, 6th, 44th, 49th, 93rd, 94th or 104. Few composers ever have been able to express such creativity, ingenuity and uniqueness in style as Haydn was able to do (in isolation too). Perhaps the reason Haydns style is overlooked and is seen as boring is because it is the defining classical sound, every composer that comes after him (before beethovens 3rd) is in his shadow. The man practically went on a 100% speedrun of the classical genre. The Romantic era was a necessity after Haydn because he had singlehandedly brought music from the early classical gallant style, through sturm und drang into the mature classical style. Few composers have such a title to be claimed. Do not be ignorant of such an amazing composer from the past, for there is much to be learned from him. Have a good day. Praise be upon Papa Haydn

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

😂Sorry, but I still don't like Haydn

[@nozrep]

yo i hate Haydn too. Never even bothered to listen to him. Just hate him out of pure ignorance and arrogance. And just wanted to be sarcastic back atcha😅

[@NickiRruhland]

Bro haydns music aint got any depth and its super onedimensional go listen to chopin who made genius multilayered music that is pure harmonic and melodic beauty, unlike tralalalala happy music which is what haydn wrote.

[@UC2Ek5EUq1j4JcWlaQ6D]

@@NickiRruhlandYou clearly have very little knowledge of classical music if the example you bring up for emotional depth is Chopin. Although Haydn wrote within the bounds of a very clear set style; he was under the patronage of the Esterhazy family, this meant he had to write his music in a particular way in which they would expect (this was until his last few symphonies which were commissioned by Saloman). Despite that he managed to create great emotional depth in many of his works (eg symphony 44, Nelson Mass), and I would argue a greater range of emotions than any other composer I know of, particularly I find he explores the happier emotions to a much greater extent, whereas the romantics explored emotions characterised more by sadness (not exclusively however). Chopin on the other hand couldn't even write the full orchestral score for his first piano concerto. Of all the romantic composers who exhibit excellent harmonic and melodic beauty you could have chosen Brahms, Wagner, Liszt, Mahler or almost any other romantic composer. Also you said Chopins music is multilayered, which is a very strange thing to describe classical music as, as almost all classical music is multilayered, the whole tradition rests upon counterpoint (or was at least heavily influenced by it in the 20th century), Haydn is no different in making multilayered music.

[@NickiRruhland]

@@UC2Ek5EUq1j4JcWlaQ6D You clearly have very little knowledge about Chopin if you say hes a bad example of emotional depth. Pieces like op. 10 etude 1, op. 10 etude 3, op. 10 etude 12, op. 25 etude 11, his infamous ballade no. 1 and his nocturne no 20 are just some examples of many deeply emotionaly filled pieces. You brought up the point that he didnt really ever orchestrate, but that point doesnt matter because his music is doesnt need orchastration to be good, and its more fit fo the piano anyways. I also really enjoy all of the other romantic composers you named, Chopin is just my favorite. And i find that haydns music doesnt really display any emotions besides happiness at all, and there our tastes probably differ because i dont like happy music at all, while you seem to do. Strangely i find even his supposed "sad" music too happy, like for example his 44th symphony. Its boring to listen to, he composed within certain parameters and he also composed way to much. Other classical composers like Beethoven who only wrote 9 symphonies innovated on every single one which makes listening to him entertaining, while "haydn wrote 100 symphonies and most of them suck".

[@finleycampbell2756]

You should definitely give Schumann more of a go Carl. Some piano works like his fantasie, kreisleriana, davidsbundlertanzee and Humoreske are all s-tier imo. Works that all make me think about life.

[@rafatowers]

Bach and Rachmaninoff for me

[@Siansonea]

I think easily half of why I like Kubrick movies so much is the music. Ligeti is one of my faves, and I wouldn't have known about him if it weren't for Kubrick.

[@roku401]

What about Khatchaturian and Medtner?

[@bende52694]

If you don't like Verdi then check out his Requiem!! (or the ending fugue of Falstaff, his last opera)

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

How could I forget the Requiem

[@galenbrubaker5603]

I love the Requiem! Definitely my favorite Verdi piece

[@yannnique17]

There is a video on KZbin of the vienna philharmonics performing Mahler's 8th with 1029 musicians.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Insane

[@pdruiz2005]

At 6:13. Bach’s music didn’t get “lost.” It’s just that his counterpoint and fugues were considered fuddy-duddy and very old fashioned. Especially during the era of “gallant” music as epitomized by Haydn and Mozart between 1750 and 1810 or so. Before Mendelssohn the only people who truly appreciated and listened to Bach were professional musicians and composers, because they had the requisite knowledge to realize what a genius the man was. (And yes, Bach is a genius on par with Mozart. He came up with works like the Mass in B Minor, “Herr Unser Herrscher” and “Chaconne” with almost no guidance from anyone preceding him. Mozart at least had Bach as a teacher and guide.)

[@danielbrown565]

Brahms' short piano works are very nice: Op 76, and 116-119

[@Lili-uf6ri]

I enjoyed your video so much! 👍 But personally, I would recommend another piece from Vivaldi than the four seasons. There are so much other beautiful pieces from him! 🔥

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Ok then name one🙌🏻😉

[@galenbrubaker5603]

What do you think of the Verdi Requiem?

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Yeah I actually forgot that😂The dies irae is pretty epic

[@ahdyabdelatif]

Nice video

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks🙌🏻

[@anonymous-cq7wj]

I think the word you're looking for at 15:50 is "modulation" :)

[@stanleycostello9610]

You have to be a real Tchaikovsky fanatic to get the whole ballet of "The Nutcracker." (On your recommendation, I got it. What can I say, but glorious music.) With that said, I would go with "Serenade for Strings." The slow movement makes me weep, sometimes. John Adams "Shaker Loops" I highly recommend.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Yes I love Tchaikovsky, unfortunately don't know the serenade yet, but thanks for the recomendation😂

[@stanleycostello9610]

@@Carl-FriedrichWelker You must know the waltz from SfS. I think it's on every collection of waltzes in existence. If you have a few minutes, listen to it on YT.

[@haitaelpastor976]

Two words: Valse Sentimentale. The secret arcane formula to revive the dead (orchestral version, btw). About 5 minutes that make the soul shiver.

[@aendru]

/leaving here a comment/ thx, honey, for video!

[@MisterPathetique]

That was a very ambitious video, perhaps a bit too ambitious considering that you admitted yourself that you were not very familiar with some of these composer's work. If you remade this video in 5 years, in 10 years, it would probably be very different. But that's also the joy of classical music: we're constantly learning. However, there is one aspect of your video that I just have to correct because it's completely wrong, and that is when you talk about Mendelssohn, specifically his contribution to the development of classical music which is largely undervalued. First of all, Mendelssohn was arguably the greatest musical prodigy since Mozart. He was good at literally everything: horse riding, playing chess, drawing, painting, and of course music making (piano, violin and viola). He could translate Greek and Liszt said he could speak 4 or 5 languages. Musically, one of his main contributions was the establishment of the romantic concerto form, by removing the opening ritornello and diluting the solo part throughout the piece, making the concerto a continuous dialogue between soloist and orchestra. In his violin concerto, the cadenza is placed at the end of the development section, right in the middle of the piece, so that the absence of the orchestral exposition doesn't mess with the balance. In both his piano concertos, he simply removed the cadenza. All of that a whole century before Rachmaninoff. If that's not revolutionary, I don't know what is. Then there's the Songs Without Words, for piano. A genre he straight up invented and which inspired a lot of later composers like Liszt, Schumann, Grieg, Alkan... His 3rd symphony is the earliest example of cyclical form, with a recurring theme that appears in every movement. 50 years before Tchaikovsky did it with his 5th symphony, isn't that pushing the evolution of music forward? Some would also argue that his overture "The Hebrides" is an early example of a tone poem, 20 years before Liszt popularized the term. Mendelssohn set new standards in many genres of music, so saying that he didn't contribute to the evolution of music is a straight lie. But why does this reputation still stick to him? Well, you answered it yourself when you talked about Wagner and his antisemitic article. Basically, Wagner said that Jewish composers had no creative faculty, and were therefore condemned to be imitators. The fact that Mendelssohn was also interested in reviving old music (Bach, Händel...) probably contributed to his reputation of a conservative wimp too. I haven't heard about the quote you mentioned at 12:24, however Mendelssohn was clearly targeted by this paper. And the fact that you said at 6:21 that Mendelssohn didn't push the evolution of music forward is proof that he's still a victim of this reputation today, and that he's still one of the most underestimated and misunderstood composers out there. So yeah, a bit more love for Mendelssohn, please.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks for sharing, I didn't knew that

[@dasportsfan2122]

I’m a pianist so I obviously prefer Beethoven, he is also my favourite composer but I’m also a big fan of epic symphonic work which is also another reason I love Beethoven but I’m also a big Mahler fan but in general my top 5 would be 1. Beethoven 2. Mahler 3. Rachmaninov 4. Chopin 5. Tchaikovsky

[@gmfrunzik]

I don’t like Verdi yet killed me lmao

[@Chompchompyerded]

Moving on to Mozart. The magic flute isn't an opera. It is a zingshpiel. It has spoken test as well as songs. It is a charming piece however, and in this I will agree with Mr. Welker. There is also some very virtuosic writing in the work including the very famous part sung by the Queen of the Night where she must hit and sing repeatedly some very high notes which are at the extreme end of the soprano register. The Magic Flute is very entertaining, and if you don't speak German, it would be good to find a version which has English subtitles. Do realize that this was written in a different century and that some of its themes may seem misogynistic and racist by today's standards. It is not representative of Mozart's opera output, and indeed is not representative of his work as a whole, but is a good work none-the-less.

[@villain7140]

If you're a fan of John Williams and Ennio Morricone I recommend Bernard Herrmann, to me the greatest film composer

[@norbertschanne1943]

You're not deep into solo-instrumental or chamber music, aren't you? Most important works by JS Bach (in my opinion): the Goldberg Variations and the Solo Sonatas for Violin and Cello (who, btw, was a big fan of Vivaldi and covered/rearranged several of his works)... other important Baroque composers would be Telemann and Scarlatti (I consider them more important than Handel)... in the early classical period you could add Stamitz... in the romantic period you should include Paganini (whom I would consider the inventor of instrumental extremum virtuoso play), and maybe Cesar Frank and Pablo Sarasate... If you want to consider some more music by Bartok and Shostakovich, listen to the String Quartets, to Bartok's Concerto for two Pianos, Percussion and Orchestra, or to Shostakovich's Violin and Cello Concertos... And some more important 20th century composers: Gustav Holst, George Gershwin, Erik Satie, Alfred Schnittke, Astor Piazzolla, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, John Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Tan Dun...

[@bobschaaf2549]

Why are you showing the score of Bohème while talking about the Baroque period?

[@tectorgorch8698]

Bernard Herrmann, BERNARD HERRMANN and Elmer Bernstein. And Bernard Herrmann.

[@stanleycostello9610]

Yes, YES, yes. And yes.

[@user-yy4tb2yd5e]

@@stanleycostello9610 qq

[@seanriedy]

Fine video, and no shame in focusing mostly on what you know well, but there seems to be an unfortunate attitude among classical musicians that music from before the mid-late Baroque isn't worth listening to, which is simply untrue. Lots of great music was written even as far back as the 13th century (I would definitely recommend Perotin's Viderunt Omnes as one of the earliest examples of Western music evolving past organum), but even in the Renaissance or early Baroque there's tons of great composers like Palestrina, Ockeghem, des Prez, Monteverdi, Gesualdo, and the Couperins, just to name a few. Some of the music by these composers is really beautiful and worth listening to and performing, and it's not like music had no complexity or intricacy before the advent of tonality (just look at Ockeghem's Prolation Mass to see that). You can't really understand the music of the common practice period unless you're willing to put it in the context of what came before it; it's not like tonality and chordal harmony just appeared out of thin air.

[@Chompchompyerded]

Bach Concerto for 4 harpsichords is a note for note copy of Vivaldi's Concerto for 4 violins. Vivaldi's concerto pre-dates Bach's plagiarism by 20 years. But as Handel said, "Plagiarism is the highest form of complement." Plagiarism was not against the law at the time, so if you liked something someone else wrote, why not? What this says though, is that Bach thought highly enough of Vivaldi that he was willing to copy Vivaldi's work wholesale and put his name on it without attribution. Even if you haven't read any of his letters where he expressed doubt in his own abilities, this says something about it. Of course we are often our own worst critics. We know our own faults better than anyone else. Bach was not so arrogant as to not recognize his (please pardon the double negative in that sentence). Regarding Bach, He was not known for his oratorios. That was Handel's bailiwick, as also was the closely related form, opera (there are others who were great opera composers of the high baroque too, including Luly and Rameau in France). Also, Mr. Welker says that Bach wrote works which were supposed to "blow the tonal system." Nothing could be further from the truth. He was a master of the tonal system and used it to great effect. His Well Tempered Clavier is based on the circle of fifths. Nothing could be more basic, but at the same time more complex than that. He never once in the whole thing (or for that matter the entirety of his works) departs from basic music theory or baroque counterpoint. That is quite an accomplishment. That does mean however, that there are few parts of the piece which you can hum in the shower. That he would not depart from the tried and true measures of baroque music is one of the main reasons why it was one of his sons, Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, who became one of Fredrich the Great's court composers. Because of his strict adherance to the rules, Bach was left behind in his later years by his sons, and the likes of J.J. Quantz, Haydn, Arne, and Mozart. Bach continued writing for the church since it was also loathe to change, and did so until his vision failed him near the end of his life. Bach did write some secular works, including the famous Brandenburg Concertos, each of which is a polished gem of the German Baroque in and of itself. Those are worth a listen if for no other purpose than to hear another side of Bach. When it came to later composers, and who they built upon, almost all of them built on Handel, not Bach. Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven all owned copies of the complete collected works of Handel. Mozart re-orchestrated Handel's most famous oratorio "Messiah" to include parts for instruments invented after Handel's death so that it would continue to be played. All composer, including Beethoven spoke highly of Handel, but hardly gave Bach a mention. These days, that has been turned on its head, and Bach chorales are used in undergraduate music theory classes. Even so, in composition classes, one will be directed toward Handel for examples of how theatrical music was written in the baroque, and where it went from there. Music historians will always make note of the French movement, which unfortunately came to a temporary end during the French revolution and on through the Napoleonic years only to be reborn in the 19th century with greatly renewed passion.

[@onwave]

Bach jealousy.

[@jonhinson5701]

Am I crazy or isn't the shark attack music from Jaws stolen from the Rite of Spring?

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Let's say it's similar😂

[@markusengelstad2030]

You are confusing "the rite of spring" with the fifth movement from Dvoraks fifth symphony which is what’s similar to "jaws"

[@JoelFinkel]

Thank you for this lovely personal review. I'd like to make a few comments about Wagner, if I may. Yes, he twice published a very stupid essay about Judaism in music. But this public persona as an antisemite did not greatly influence his personal relations with Jews. He had two young Jewish musicians living in his home, and two of his pall bearers were Jewish. One was the great conductor Hermann Levi, whom Wagner had chosen to conduct the premier of his final opera, Parsifal. Levi, who had worked closely with Brahms as a young man, visited Wagner in Venice two days before Wagner died. He wrote that as he left, Wagner showered him with kisses. Everyone is a bundle of contradictions, and Wagner's were right out in the open for all to see. He was writing scores for movies 60-80 years before they even existed. Many early movie score composers said they learned from studying Wagner. He influenced everyone. Even Brahms, who was rehearing an opera when the news came of Wagner's death, put down his baton and said, "No more singing today. The Master is dead." And Puccini, having seen three consecutive performances of Parsifal, wondered if he should even go on composing. One of the Nazi's minor crimes was the appropriation of Wagner's art, which Hitler necessarily had to stand on its head. For the one theme running through every opera is Redemptive Love. His granddaughter, Friedelind, left her home in Bayreuth at a young age and became and anti-Nazi propagandist and lifelong anti-fascist. Another of their crimes was the desecration of the grave of Hermann Levi. I agree with your suggestion that people listen to the overture to Lohengrin, but I would suggest that the entire first act would be a great introduction for many people. But nothing matches the beauty and clarity of Parsifal, even if perhaps even he did not fully comprehend the sexual aspects of his last great masterpiece. One final note about Shostakovich. I recommend people listen to his Symphony No. 10, which he wrote just after Stalin's death. In the 2nd movement, he dances on Stalin's grave. It's a remarkable piece of music. Thanks again for your enjoyable review.

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Thanks for this very detailed comment, I didn't know these things about Wagner and his granddaughter. Obviously, every one who has a brain, like you, should make their research and see that Wagner died before Hitler was even born. And if I had to guess, some racism at that time was normal. They probably didn't consider it as racism, the term probably didn't even exist. 🙌🏻

[@JoelFinkel]

Milton Brener wrote a remarkable book, "Wagner and the Jews," in which he challenges the myth that King Ludwig forced Hermann Levi upon Wagner over his strong objections. Brener, a lawyer, goes to original sources to show that Wagner had chosen Levi several years before the premier of Parsifal. It's one of the better biographies of Wagner. Eva Rieger wrote a wonderful biography of Friedelind Wagner. I read the English translation. She developed a very close relation with Toscanini, himself an anti-fascist. While Herbert von Karijan is considered a great conductor, I do not allow any of his recordings in my house. He freely joined the Nazi Party twice, once in Austria and once in Germany.

[@vojtechmikulasek4453]

Can you pleas rewrite all pieces here in comments for us?

[@nozrep]

you could get a piece of paper and rewatch the video and follow along with the video and write them each down yourself. That is a much better idea. You are more likely to actually go back and listen to them if you choose within your own self to sit down and write down your own list, from his list.

[@Chompchompyerded]

You're going to give Ralph Vaughn-Williams a miss? That's a gross oversight. Also, what about Samuel Barber, Charles Ives, Aaron Copeland, Peter Warlock, George Crumb, John Rutter, Morton Subtonic, Philip Glass? And don't forget Penderski, whose Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima is nothing short of haunting. Going back into the romantic period, what about Cesar Qui (one of the Mighty Five), Saint-Saens (not mentioning the Symphony #3, the Organ Symphony is a huge oversight). Sir Edward Elgar is missing too. Going back to the end of the Baroque and beginning of the classical period, you gave Thomas Augustine Arne a miss (the man who composed the English National Anthem (God save the King) and one of England's most well known patriotic songs, "Rule Britannia." I'm not going to argue with you about either John Williams or Ennio Morricone, but if your going to include composers who composed for the big screen, it seems an oversight not to include those who wrote for other Broadway and similar genre, for example, Gilbert and Sullivan, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Leonard Bernstein. If you are going to claim this video as a reciting of the most important composers, you have left out quite a few, and you gave three musical periods a complete miss. Is Josquin Des Prez unimportant? Listen to "El Grillo" and tell me that is not charming. Also listen to his "Homme Armee" mass. by leaving out the Renaissance you are sending to the wayside Dowland, Taverner, Byrd, Gibbons, John Ferrant (give his "Lord for they tender mercy's sake" a listen if you want something which is musically reassuring), and King Henry VIII, who was a fairly decent composer in his own right (he wrote Green sleeves). Busnois and Banchois, Gabrielli, and so many others are left out simply by omission of Renaissance period. By not mentioning the medieval period you miss out on Machault, Perotin and Leonin to name but a few. You also miss out on the Minnesanger, and the troubadours, including several kings including Richard Cour De Lion (Richard the Lion hearted) Alfonse II of Aragon, and Theobald I of Navarre and Champaign. Now that I think of it, there are even more cases of Troubadour kings including Alfonse II and later Alfonse the IV. There were many others who were not royalty and were also great composers in their own right. You have also overlooked an even earlier period where Gregorian and Ambrosian chant were the music of the day. These works, though almost all are anonymous, represent the deepest roots of Western music. Some people will love it, and other will hate it, but is that not the fate of all music? We would be remiss if we did not give a nod to some of the pop musicians of our day. Simply because it is popular music does not mean we should ignore it. You must remember that all the composers and the music which you mentioned were the pop composers of their time. The fact that they are not using acoustic instruments should be of no consequence. Remember that Bach turned down Frederic the Great's invitation to compose for the hammerklavier, the instrument which would become the modern piano. His son Carl Philip Emanuel Bach did accept the offer however, and became one of the first composers to write extensively for the piano. Jazz. And what about Jazz in all its forms? I forgive you for your omissions. You are young and may not have been exposed to these many works which you have omitted. It is important, even if you do not like all of these genera, that you know them and understand them. An undertaking such as the one you made here really can't be treated in one 30 minute video. I would like to suggest that you try again, breaking it down into a video or two on each musical age beginning with chant, and maybe allowing for several videos in certain periods or bridging of periods where there were several schools of musical thought going on at the same time. For example, in the Renaissance you might want to divide it up into secular and sacred music since they were two very different types of music co-existing at the same time. We are in a period now where musical diversity is greater than ever before, and it would be very difficult indeed to pack it all into one video. But to ignore any one segment of music in our time is to become pretentious. Consider this your homework assignment from the music department of Cambridge University, where I am a professor emerita. Best of luck to you in your continued studies. Music is the most difficult path of study, and the rewards are not always good. What you learn in your musical studies will, however, be with you for the entirety of your life, and with any luck at all, you will never regret learning about it and performing if (if that's you chosen path).

[@dosterix6034]

Tf most of Haydns symphonies suck? He's literally one of the most consistent composers in terms of the quality of his works

[@andrewwilliamson-xy2gz]

Dude, please don't go on saying things "are not worth listening to". To say that most of Schoenberg, Webern, Berg, Stockhausen, Boulez, Babbitt, and the other leaders of atonality are not worth listening to is insane. Not to mention lumping them in with aleatoric composers. I was really enjoying your video up until that point but I have to call this point out because it was absolutely uncalled for. Your argument against atonality here really tells how little you know about the style. I'm daring to say this because you go through many classical or romantic composers (which you say is your favorite era) and say "I don't know them that well" or "at all", and then to totally trash an entire style of music that you don't even like. Why would I want to hear your opinion about this if it's clear that you're not fully informed on this? Also it's a bit ironic to call your video "If you don't know these composers you don't know classical music" and then say "you don't know" around a third of the composers you talk about or mention. Come on. To sum down the compositional process of the music to it being composed mathematically and saying they have nothing to do with tonality is nonsense. All of these composers were extreme knowledgeable on tonal music - Schoenberg wrote one of the most important tonal harmony books, Boulez was an extremely accomplished conductor who conducted at NYPhil for about 7 years and of course some of his rep included the big classical names. Babbitt headed the composition department at Juilliard which I would say would at least require expert knowledge in all styles even though it was not what he wrote in. Have you heard the early Webern pieces pre-catalogue? And did you know Stravinsky went through a long serialist period as well? To anyone that thinks that writing atonally and/or serially is easy and just math, please compose something half as good as any of Schoenberg's or Webern's string quartets. Maybe make a video about that.

[@johnpcomposer]

Haydn's symphonies suck? This video could be subtitled: If you don't know these composers, just talk about them as if you do...

[@spiker1923]

I like free atonality like late scriabin, messiaen, takemitsu, roslavets, etc but I hate serialist music

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

Messiaen has some incredible stuff, I feel like it's often more impressionistic than atonal👊 If you liked this video, you may like this one as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH6kgmCOiNuKgJo

[@656520]

hahaha, how You title your video like that if You are unaviable to apareciate Haydns music?

[@Carl-FriedrichWelker]

haha😂

[@jcui5007]

"Believe in god more and more?" Please!

[@daipod3148]

why is frauenliebe und leben controversial???

[@heifetz14]

So most Haydn symphonies suck? ok, so George Szell and Beecham and Dorati were wrong.

[@sanniepstein4835]

I am mostly ignorant, but baroque music renders that unimportant. Why bother with the others?

[@Chompchompyerded]

NOOOOOOO!!! The first important period is not the Baroque! Was Dufay a baroque composer? Was Josquin de Pres a baroque composer? Was William Byrd a baroque composer? Were Leonin and Perotin baroque composers? Monteverdi was only a baroque composer in the latter half of his years. This guy's videos are so opinionated as to be useless as any form of musicology. Everyone has a right to their opinions, especially when it comes to music, but opinion should never masquerade as fact. I want to make this guy take Music Appreciation 101 all over again!

[@razefkhan2305]

Great list but I would caution against such inclusion of fairy tales like "god"