20th century composers music

1 December ,

We introduce the s greats and their world-changing music – from Igor Stravinsky to Philip Glass…

Once the century turned, music transitioned from the grand, symphonic Romanticism of Brahms, Mahler and Wagner, and started to break from its traditional harmonic and structural systems, and boundary-pushing genres like serialism, aleatoric music and minimalism started to emerge.

Composers explored the phenomena of their time – from the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud to the world wars that shook everything – and created powerful pieces of music that kept up with the fast pace of change that characterised the 20th century.

Here are ten of the greatest composers who navigated all of this, and crafted it into their music in the most masterly ways.

Read more: the 20th century and beyond >

1. Edward Elgar (–)

   Elgar brought us the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, and a cello concerto to end all cello