For Settling the Score 2018, New Zealand music fans voted for 980 different works across a range of genres:
- 63% Large Ensemble instrumental including Symphonies, Concertos, and pieces like The Planets or Scheherazade
- 15% Vocal works, such as Strauss’ Four Last Songs, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and Mozart’s Requiem
- 14% Chamber or solo instrumental works, such as Schubert’s Trout Quintet, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations
- 7% Opera arias or duets
Composer with most votes:
- Beethoven once again wins “Most Voted for Composer”
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Ralph Vaughan Williams
- Franz Schubert
But when it comes to the highest number of different works by a single composer being nominated, Bach and Mozart are tied for first place:
- Bach - 51 works
- Mozart - 51 works
- Beethoven - 43
- Schubert - 28
- Vaughan Williams - 16
The top 5 New Zealand compositions for 2018
New Zealand Composers didn’t fare so well this year. Previously Douglas Lilburn has appeared in the countdown with the Aotearoa Overture, but this year votes were split between that and the Drysdale Overture as well as several other of his works, which knocked him out of the top 100. Only two kiwi composers did make it in to the top 100 this year.
1. Gareth Farr: From the Depths Sound the Great Sea Gongs (at number 97.)
2. David Farquhar: Ring Round the Moon (at number 98.)
3. Douglas Lilburn: Drysdale Overture
4. Douglas Lilburn: Overture Aotearoa
5. Gillian Whitehead: Resurgences
Lilburn was the most voted for New Zealand composer, and he had 11 works in the running, including The Four Canzonas and Symphonies 1 and 2. Gareth Farr was second, and while Gillian Whitehead received more votes in total than David Farquhar, she had three works in the running, as opposed to only one for Farquhar.
