Top of the Tree

When my August 2023 issue of BBC Music magazine arrived recently (it’s always late) and I read on the front cover, “The 25 Greatest British Composers of all time,” my first reaction was, “There are 25 British composers?”* 

My second reaction was “Henry Purcell number one, of course!” (Had I known that the magazine was including George Frideric Handel as a British composer, my reaction would have been to have him and Purcell in a dead heat for number one.)

The voters (“167 of the world’s finest musicians”), however, didn’t see things my way. Purcell landed in the 3rd spot, while Handel limped in at number 9. The top spot went to Benjamin Britten, and the runner-up was Edward Elgar. 

Amazing to me was the fact that no-one voted for Lennon/McCartney (joined at the hip) or Sir Arthur Sullivan (of “Gilbert and . . .”), while someone cast a vote for David Bowie.

In the past, the magazine ran polls for the greatest pianist, violinist, symphony, and conductor—proving that silliness is not confined to sports fans arguing who is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time). 

Was Ali or Louis or Marciano or Dempsey the greatest heavyweight boxer?

Could Serena Williams beat Martina Navratilova?

Best quarterback?**

*

Sports polling (except for the fact that it gets people talking or yelling at each other) is particularly silly. How can one compare successes achieved in different eras, under different playing conditions (sometimes even different rules), different training regimens, different traveling requirements, different number of games/contests in a season, different coaching, different equipment (they even hold tennis racquets differently)? To me, the done thing is to celebrate the greatness that each participant exhibited in his/her own era under their contemporary conditions. 

In the case of composers or violinists or pianists, listen to the music and enjoy it. Have favorites, even if you concede that they may not be anyone else’s number one. I have great admiration for Rubinstein, Horowitz, and Rachmaninov, who would probably battle it out for top spot in any poll. But my favorite classical pianist was Radu Lupu. Similarly, my favorite movie—which will never come near any poll—is School for Scoundrels, based on Stephen Potter’s book One-Upmanship, with Ian Carmichael and Terry-Thomas.

*

Consider the following: Your neighborhood movie house is running a special comedy week. On Monday, it’s a Charlie Chaplin marathon. On Tuesday, Buster Keaton. On Wednesday, Laurel and Hardy. On Thursday, the Marx Brothers. And, finally, on Friday, it’s W. C. Fields all day. You can only go one day; which day will you choose?

Your decision isn’t saying who is/are the funniest movie maker(s) of all time. It’s saying who you prefer to watch at the moment. To paraphrase Mae West out of context: Goodness has nothing to do with it.

*

In conclusion, I sign off with the incontestable number one:

Babe Ruth

***

* When I recalled the great efflorescence of British musical talent in the 16th century (Byrd #5, Dowland #15, Tallis #10, Taverner, and Gibbons—the latter two receiving no votes)—I granted that there were at least 25 great British composers.

** And the silliness is everywhere. I recall reading some time ago in the Telegraph  (UK) of a poll that declared that the greatest actor of all times was Judi Dench. I like Judi Dench—but presentism, anybody?