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by diego_moita 20 days ago
Some observations:

1) It is a weird comparison. Some works (e.g: Brandenburg Concertos) can take hours to listen. Most take minutes.

2) Lord of the Rings, Out of Africa and Star War series? Seriously? Oh, I see: it is a list made by Australians.

3) I suspect that even Ennio Morricone wouldn't say that "The Mission" soundtrack is classical, although he made some classical music too.

4) I'd recommend some Latin American composers: Villa-Lobos and Camargo Guarnieri (Brazil), Ginastera (Argentina), Carlos Chavez and Arturo Marquéz (Mexico).
2 comments
gotski 20 days ago
Interesting points around what can be categorised as classical music.

I took the data as a given from ABC Classic FM, and as you mentioned it's voted on by listeners in Australia so that might affect what shows up. I'm listening to the 2026 countdown right now, and it does seem like there's a broader range of less traditional pieces appearing this year.

Partly this might be because ABC Classic has expanded into a broader range of genres (e.g. There's a whole program dedicated to video game music) to increase their accessibility to a wider audience.

I personally don't mind this, as there are many pieces from screen music that I love and that I think hold up as great orchestral music (Lord of the Rings has wonderful music).

I also love some of the newer music they play - e.g. I strongly suspect Joseph Tawardros will be highly ranked this year, as they have been (rightfully) playing his pieces a lot over the last few years.

I'm not the biggest fan of video game music though, unless it's in the original context.

Would love it if some Latin American composers made it in this year! Will have to wait and see...

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diego_moita 20 days ago
Sorry if my comment above sounds pedantic.

I actually listened to some of the works I didn't know (Elgar, Vaughn Williams, Kats-Chernin) and loved them, thank you.

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gotski 20 days ago
All good! So glad to hear that you've listened to them, they're some of my favorites
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defrost 20 days ago
Beat me to it - but that's the voting public for you, Howard Shore – The Lord Of The Rings (The Motion Picture Trilogy Soundtrack) was 2003.

We (Australians) have heard of Villa-Lobos et al. if that soothes your soul, but hey, again, it's the ABC (national radio) regular listeners voting,. so <shrug> it is what it is.

If you're curious about the penetration of classical music in Australia . . . the opening remarks by Kev Carmody here are worth a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-AgvUEVm4

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