Normblog's Greatest Composers

Norm has just posted the results of his latest poll – this one on the greatest classical composers – together with a brief commentary. Here is the top ten:

01 Beethoven
02 Mozart
03 J.S. Bach
04 Schubert
05 Chopin
06 Wagner
07 Mahler
08 Brahms
09 Haydn
10 Handel

As Norm says, there's no great surprise with the top three who were way ahead of the field. Overall, there's too much German romanticism for my taste and I have a real quibble with Wagner and Handel being there at all. Aside from Beethoven and Bach, my other three choices were Sibelius (16th place), Shostakovich (11th) and Monteverdi (not placed). Hey ... just listen to the Vespers of 1610 or Orfeo with an open ear and tell me he shouldn't be there ... an early music genius and genuine innovator.