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I would say he's up there with Aaron Copland as one of the most important voices in American music.
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I think John Williams is the most likely candidate out of the film composer set.
If it's not him, I think it's most likely to be someone who is not generally classed as a film composer, even if (like Aaron Copland) they have done notable film work.
Cheers
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Not knowing that much about American composers, I couldn't name the USA's greatest ever but to Copland and yes, Williams, I'd add George Gershwin.
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Posted: |
Sep 13, 2012 - 6:32 AM
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By: |
Mark Ford
(Member)
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This is pretty difficult and also prone to subjectivity. You could be talking about film composers, concert composers, musical theater composers, a combination of any of those, etc. I couldn't go with a film composer no matter how much I would like to as their work is mostly derivative of the classical (and popular) composers that came before them so the originality isn't really there and I think that is a major factor in determining long term greatness, at least in a classic sense as opposed to a more popular one.
Many consider George Gershwin to be the all around man who represented American music better than anyone. Then there is Copland, Bernstein, etc. In the purely concert/classical sense I would have to go with Charles Ives, an innovator doing atonal music decades before even the second Viennese school, experimenting with polytonalities, incorporating American folk tunes into concert work and a number of other things that many think later composers were responsible for. He was just fairly unknown in his time. Herrmann was probably more responsible than anyone for bringing his work into the public consciousness.
On a broader level, there is Duke Ellington who not only composed many ground breaking jazz works (which is America's only truly indigenous musical art form) and theatrical tunes, but also concert/classical works for orchestra, chorus and small ensemble. He was the most prolific American composer of the 20th century as well as being one of the most innovative and has been chosen by many in recent music polls as America's greatest composer.
My personal pick is Duke Ellington because of my love of jazz, especially his, but Ives should probably get the nod.
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I would say he's up there with Aaron Copland as one of the most important voices in American music.
I just wated the 1939 Of Mice and Men. Lon Chaney Jr and Copland's score borught me to tears.
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Hellooo? The thread isn't called "America's greatest film composer" !!!
If it were, the natural answer would be: Bernard Herrmann. Followed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alex North.
Since it is just GREATEST COMPOSER, the more obvious answers are:
Charles Edward Ives
Aaron Copland
Henry Brant
Henry Cowell
William Schuman
Virgil Thomson
John Cage
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[edit] Never mind, I misunderstood and have withdrawn my comment.[/edit]
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What do you mean, "misunderstood". The question is fairly straightforward:
So who, in your view, is America's greatest ever composer?
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It means I didn't read it right and withdrew my comment. It wasn't in response to your post.
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Posted: |
Sep 13, 2012 - 10:44 AM
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By: |
mgh
(Member)
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What do you mean, "misunderstood". The question is fairly straightforward:
So who, in your view, is America's greatest ever composer?
The question also doesn't mention music.
.....com·pos·er [noun]
1. a person or thing that composes.
2. a person who writes music.
3. an author.....
In light of its daily use here still, 200+ years later,
I'd suggest Thomas Jefferson.....and his Constitution.
.....although Dear Abby, Norman Mailer, Fannie Hurst, and Louis L'Amour
might also be in the running..... 
Oh, in that case my vote goes to Dear Abby.
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Posted: |
Sep 13, 2012 - 12:30 PM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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If we stick to the symphonic idiom, it's hard to avoid the Big Three -- Leonard Bernstein, George Gerswhin and Aaron Copland.
Then you have some modernistic challengers, like Ives, Glass, Reich, Partch, Cage. Armenian-American Alan Hovhaness is one of my own personal favourites, as is Barber, but they wouldn't quite get there from a more 'objective' standpoint. Nor would Sousa, really, despite his iconic marches.
So the real challengers would IMO be the two guys primarily known for their film work -- John Williams and Bernard Herrmann. While the latter may the more groundbreaking, style-wise, the former holds a more forceful position in so many areas of music and popular culture; he's really an institution in himself.
I may be a bit biased on this one (since Williams is my alltime favourite composer), but when all is said and done, I think he will join the pantheon of the Big Three -- if he hasn't already.
So....the way I (fore)see it, John Williams is the greatest ever American composer.
(of course, broadening it beyond symphonic compositions, you'd have to consider guys like Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Michael Jackson etc.).
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