Most impacting 500 classical composers, objectively

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RoundTheBend
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  • #1
  • Posted: 01/22/2018 06:27
  • Post subject: Most impacting 500 classical composers, objectively
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This is the work of WKU librarian Charles H. Smith to identify the objectively most impacting classical composers from what appears to be a strictly academic level (I've seen the Grove's Dictionary of Music... it's a pretty cool band of books).

This of course isn't an subjective/qualitative list. But perhaps a qualitative value can be prescribed via their impact pending on how you evaluate the significance (is it popularity alone or is it actually the value of the artist which begat the popularity?)

http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/mus...stats6.pdf
http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/mus...ces111.pdf

Here's his methodology: http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/music/stats1.htm
Over the ten years that Version 1 of this service operated several individuals asked me to supply more description of its methodological underpinnings. The information provided at this site was statistically arrived at; i.e., decisions as to which composers and which of their works should be included were based on objective criteria, not subjective preferences. The particular 500 composers now included scored highest on a combination of eleven (unweighted) variables; these were: (1) length of composer entry in the Schwann Opus catalog (2) length of composer entry in the Grove's Dictionary of Music (3) length of composer entry in the (British) RED Classical Catalogue (4) for each composer's existing published sheet music, the number of libraries in the OCLC WorldCat database (covering the sum holdings of over 50,000 libraries in the U. S. and worldwide) holding his/r 20th-ranking work in his/r overall list (5) from the same source, the total number of sheet music publications for each composer over the past five years only (6) from the same source, the total number of Library of Congress subject headings referring to each composer’s name (name authority record) (7) same as #6, but taking the total over the past five years only (Cool from the same source, the total number of recordings referring to each composer (9) same as #8, but taking the total over the past five years only (10) as for #4, the number of libraries holding his/r 25th-ranking recording (11) combining data from the Opus and RED catalogs, the mean length of record for all the works by each composer.

These data were reduced to rank values across some 700 initial composer names, and the geometric mean taken across the ranks, establishing an overall score. Some small adjustments were made to compensate for outlier values and national affinities, then the resulting top 538 scorers were re-subjected to the process to obtain a penultimate top 500.


Last edited by RoundTheBend on 01/23/2018 04:20; edited 1 time in total
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RoundTheBend
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  • #2
  • Posted: 01/22/2018 06:32
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Sometimes we talk about historical importance, so it's kind of interesting to see how another form of music is historically seen as opposed to personal taste/subjective understanding.

From a librarian/historical perspective, it really is about who is writing about what and how often.

So unless the study of history radically changes, it very likely will be the music that is most written about which will be remembered?

IF THAT MATTERS AT ALL

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AfterHours



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  • #3
  • Posted: 01/22/2018 09:03
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Fischman
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  • #4
  • Posted: 01/22/2018 16:03
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Interesting list and I certainly don't know enough about the criteria to challenge it as is.

It also exposes me to a few names I should probably investigate further.

However, I would add that if we're looking a "most impacting," while number of recordings/entries/sheet music, etc. is a great criteria, to me, impact demands also to account for impact on future music as well.

In that sense, it would seem that, as either the father or at least the godfather of both the Symphony and the String Quartet, Papa Haydn, should sit a bit higher.
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Tha1ChiefRocka
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  • #5
  • Posted: 01/22/2018 16:41
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I was surprised to see people like Kurt Weill and Astor Piazolla crack the top 500. I didn't know they were that well regarded. I know most of that top 100 which makes me feel pretty good, but after that, it becomes much more obscure for me.
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AfterHours



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  • #6
  • Posted: 01/23/2018 00:34
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It's a fine but probably not entirely reliable list to bank on in terms of actual influence, innovation and impact on future music.

Comment in general, not entirely/only pertaining to the above study/analysis/tabulation:

I think what must be given strong consideration when ranking these is not just (1) "how many artists did the composer influence/innovate/impact?" ... "cause to namedrop them" ... but, more importantly, (2) "how much creative change/progress in art did they influence/impact/innovate?". Beethoven's impact in both "definitions" was immeasurable, but in the second one, it is perhaps no contest that he wouldn't be first, as the paradigm shift from him to what followed is difficult to overstate (perhaps Wagner should be 2nd)...

(as a side note: I'm pretty sure the second one, similarly stated, would be how Scaruffi would measure influence/innovation/impact, and a differing view of this would probably go some way in explaining the discrepancy that some feel towards his views on this)

This does not mean I don't think many of the listed composers should not also rank high in both regards.
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RoundTheBend
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  • #7
  • Posted: 01/23/2018 04:14
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Fischman wrote:

However, I would add that if we're looking a "most impacting," while number of recordings/entries/sheet music, etc. is a great criteria, to me, impact demands also to account for impact on future music as well.


I totally agree. Being prolific ≠ great.

Grove's Dictionary of Music isn't how many works the artist/how prolific the artist was, rather he's deciding that musicologists decided to speak about certain artists in more depth than others due to their influence/greatness/impact. They had more to say about what they did for music. It is a major standard in musicology. This is just one of the sources.

More info about Grove: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Grove
Dictionary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_G..._Musicians

He does account for how much an artist influenced other artists (future music) in the 111 list. That's the whole point of that list.
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RoundTheBend
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  • #8
  • Posted: 01/23/2018 04:16
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Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:
I was surprised to see people like Kurt Weill and Astor Piazolla crack the top 500. I didn't know they were that well regarded. I know most of that top 100 which makes me feel pretty good, but after that, it becomes much more obscure for me.


Massive impact with Berthold Brecht, in my opinion. Totally deserves to be on the list. I don't know Astor Piazolla though... what did he contribute?
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RoundTheBend
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  • #9
  • Posted: 01/23/2018 04:18
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AfterHours wrote:
It's a fine but probably not entirely reliable list to bank on in terms of actual influence, innovation and impact on future music.

Comment in general, not entirely/only pertaining to the above study/analysis/tabulation:

I think what must be given strong consideration when ranking these is not just (1) "how many artists did the composer influence/innovate/impact?" ... "cause to namedrop them" ... but, more importantly, (2) "how much creative change/progress in art did they influence/impact/innovate?". Beethoven's impact in both "definitions" was immeasurable, but in the second one, it is perhaps no contest that he wouldn't be first, as the paradigm shift from him to what followed is difficult to overstate (perhaps Wagner should be 2nd)...

(as a side note: I'm pretty sure the second one, similarly stated, would be how Scaruffi would measure influence/innovation/impact, and a differing view of this would probably go some way in explaining the discrepancy that some feel towards his views on this)

This does not mean I don't think many of the listed composers should not also rank high in both regards.


Correct, this isn't highest impact musically, rather from a historical/musicological standpoint. They show up more often when written about from a musicology standpoint. I only know like 3 of the publications he's talking about, but it's not Time magazine... it's serious stuff. Therefore the objective point.
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RoundTheBend
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  • #10
  • Posted: 01/23/2018 04:19
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AfterHours wrote:


Hehe, yup.

Although I didn't know Beethoven gone did the blues?
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