The Most Famous

Composers from Germany

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This page contains a list of the greatest Germans Composers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,451 Composers, 180 of which were born in Germany.

Top 10 Composers

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Germans Composers of all time. This list of famous Germans Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Germans Composers.

  1. #1
    Photo of Ludwig van Beethoven

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    1770 - 1827

    HPI 96.89210 langs

    Ludwig van Beethoven is most famous for his compositions of symphonies, sonatas, and concertos.

  2. #2
    Photo of Johann Sebastian Bach

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    1685 - 1750

    HPI 92.78217 langs
    Johann Sebastian Bach is most famous for his compositions, such as the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, and the St. Matthew...Read moreShow less

    Johann Sebastian Bach is most famous for his compositions, such as the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, and the St. Matthew Passion.

  3. #3
    Photo of George Frideric Handel

    George Frideric Handel

    1685 - 1759

    HPI 88.95135 langs

    George Frideric Handel is most famous for his operas, oratorios, and compositions.

  4. #4
    Photo of Richard Wagner

    Richard Wagner

    1813 - 1883

    HPI 88.15158 langs

    Richard Wagner is most famous for his operas, which are considered to be some of the most influential in the history of music.

  5. #5
    Photo of Johannes Brahms

    Johannes Brahms

    1833 - 1897

    HPI 85.79129 langs

    Johannes Brahms is most famous for his symphonies and his piano concertos.

  6. #6
    Photo of Robert Schumann

    Robert Schumann

    1810 - 1856

    HPI 84.50102 langs
    Robert Schumann is most famous for being a German composer and pianist. He is also famous for his symphonies, piano concertos, and solo...Read moreShow less

    Robert Schumann is most famous for being a German composer and pianist. He is also famous for his symphonies, piano concertos, and solo piano works.

  7. #7
    Photo of Felix Mendelssohn

    Felix Mendelssohn

    1809 - 1847

    HPI 83.51103 langs

    Felix Mendelssohn is most famous for his compositions.

  8. #8
    Photo of Jacques Offenbach

    Jacques Offenbach

    1819 - 1880

    HPI 82.3792 langs
    Jacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer of the Romantic era. He is best known for his operettas of the 1850s, such as Orpheus in...Read moreShow less

    Jacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer of the Romantic era. He is best known for his operettas of the 1850s, such as Orpheus in the Underworld, The Tales of Hoffmann, and La belle Hélène.

  9. #9
    Photo of Richard Strauss

    Richard Strauss

    1864 - 1949

    HPI 80.8878 langs

    Richard Strauss is most famous for his operas, including "Salome" and "Elektra."

  10. #10
    Photo of Christoph Willibald Gluck

    Christoph Willibald Gluck

    1714 - 1787

    HPI 80.8168 langs

    Gluck is most famous for his operas, especially Orfeo ed Euridice.

People by Birth Decade

Browse notable Germans Composers grouped by birth decade. Each decade shows the top 10 by HPI; expand to see everyone.

1840s(1)

Overlapping Lives

Which Composers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 25 most globally memorable Composers since 1700.

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