Most underrated composer of 20th Century?

I am wondering about the interest level of listeners in this thread in composers that are "way out" at the bleeding edge of modernism. For example, do people really love the music of Luigi Nono, or just find it interesting or hate it? I find him interesting, but, I don't really love the music.

What do you folks think of Giacinto Scelsi? I have been listening to some of his works recently and I am sort of coming around on him. Many years ago I purchased an LP of vocal music that employed microtonal singing. Back then, I thought it sounded aweful (I imagined that this is what Yoko Ono sounds like in labor). But now, I find it much more palatable.

I am curious about where other listeners place the boundary of too-far-out-to-listen-to.

Larryi, Yoko Ono in labor, or even not in labor, would be way out of my boundry. Thanks for the chuckle.

Hello everyone, I have had to be away from this board for a few days. Glad to see all the posts here! First, I agree with Brownsfan on Britten, though I don't think he is underrated by musicians, anyway.

John Adams - he is most certainly a minimalist composer, and I would agree with Frogman that he is more talented than most. He is certainly more "accessible" than most.

I definitely agree with all of Frogman's nominations, by the way.

And last, I cannot help but comment that Stravinsky has to be considered one of the ten greatest composers ever. He and Bartok both are in there based on sheer compositional craft alone. Let me make another visual art analogy - Stravinsky is the Picasso of music - he could do anything in any style. He is perhaps the only composer other than Mozart who was successful in all genres, too.

I once heard an English Critic refer to Stravinsky as the Jane Austen of music,
so skilled at his craft he has to be in the Canon, but really
doesn't have much to say.

His words , not mine.

Larryi and Frogman, your posts above prompted me to dust of some Langaard CDs that haven't gotten much playing time. I have to say I do like his string quartets, at least the ones I've heard.