The German composer Johann Sebastian Bach remains lord and master of the “Klara Top 100”, an annual ranking of classical music compiled by VRT’s classical radio station Klara on the basis of listener votes. For the third year running, “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” from the composer's St Matthew's Passion is number 1 on the list. Bach also remains the big winner with 10 entries. The Top 3 includes two living composers: Arvo Pärt is in second place and Karl Jenkins in third.
'Erbarme dich, mein Gott' is the famous aria from the St Matthew's Passion and tells the story of Christ's suffering. It is one of Bach's most famous compositions, written in 1728, and it remains an absolute favourite with listeners of the Klara radio station.
Bach also remains a favourite composer in the “Klara top 100”. He appears no fewer than 10 times in the list. That is two times fewer than last year. Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart also remain particularly popular. Beethoven appears six times in the top 100, Mozart four times.
Arvo Pärt (90) and Karl Jenkins (81) complete the Top 3. They have swapped positions compared to last year. Pärt is in second place with “Spiegel im Spiegel”, while Karl Jenkins takes bronze with “The Armed Man”.
Flemings perform well, but fewer women
There is no shortage of Flemish composers in the list. Composer Lodewijk Mortelmans has two entries in the top 100, while Peter Benoit, August de Boeck and Jan Van der Roost also feature prominently. There are three women in total on the list: Hildegard von Bingen from the 12th century, Clara Schumann from the 19th century and the young Caroline Shaw. That is two fewer women than last year.
‘This Klara Top 100 proves that classical music is much more than a museum piece,’ says Clara De Decker, who presented the list together with Carlo Siau. ‘Just behind Bach, we find two composers who are still composing today. And look at Max Richter: his neo-classical music climbs from 34 to 11. Classical music is alive, evolving and touching people of all generations.’