Beethoven passes Mozart as UK's top composer

The world’s largest annual survey of classical music tastes saw more than 170,000 votes cast by the public.

German composer Beethoven, who died in 1827 at the age of 56, achieved 19 pieces in this year’s chart, with Piano Concerto No 5 (Emperor), Symphony No 6 (Pastoral) and Symphony No 9 (Choral) placing in the top 10.

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto was the lone top 10 composition, of a total of 16 overall, from the Austrian child prodigy who died aged 35 in 1791.

Classic FM presenter John Suchet pointed to film scores as a possible explanation for Beethoven’s rise.

“Ever since we launched the first Classic FM Hall Of Fame in 1996, Mozart has taken precedence,” he said.

“I think that Beethoven’s new position as the most popular composer has to do with films such as the Oscar-winning The King’s Speech, which famously used his 7th Symphony, but his music is so universally popular.”

The broadcaster added: “If you land on any street in any town in any country of the world, someone will know Beethoven’s work.”

While the two composers have reached joint first place in three previous charts, Beethoven has never secured more pieces in the top 300 than Mozart. This year’s chart features a diverse range of classical music from well-known living composers to timeless favourites who remain as popular as ever. For the seventh time since 1996, and reclaiming last year’s title, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending has been voted the nation’s favourite piece of classical music.

Among the highlights in the 2016 Classic FM Hall Of Fame, John Williams’s famous Star Wars theme has reached its highest ever position.