# Who do you think is better?



## WolfAlphaX

This is a post to ask people which composers/musicians/conductors they like better...does that make sense?



So who do you like better Rachmaninoff or Dvörak?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Dvorak is the one for me. 

I guess it's my turn to ask whoever comes along next, who do prefer: Trevor Pinnock or John Eliot Gardiner?


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## Dodecaplex

Gardiner, because he is an evil entity.


Next: Koschat or Durante?


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## aleazk

I find some (not all) of Rachmaninoff's melodies quite pompous and of bad taste, but I like the keyboard virtuosity of his pieces. Dvorak is fine to me, but I choose Rachmaninoff because of his insanely well shaped piano concerts, he always has very interesting ideas for theme development.


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## Moira

Dodecaplex said:


> Gardiner, because he is an evil entity.
> 
> Next: Koschat or Durante?


Never heard of either. Which should I listen to first? (That is if I ever run into their works).


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## brianwalker

Brahms or Schubert?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

brianwalker said:


> Brahms or Schubert?


Schubert hands-down.

Prokofiev or Shostakovich?


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## aleazk

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Schubert hands-down.
> 
> Prokofiev or Shostakovich?


Prokofiev.

Ravel or Debussy?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

aleazk said:


> Prokofiev.
> 
> Ravel or Debussy?


Debussy

Couchie or Polednice?


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## Chi_townPhilly

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Schubert hands-down.
> 
> Prokofiev or Shostakovich?


*My thoughts here.*


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## aleazk

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Debussy
> 
> Couchie or Polednice?


How dare you?!!!!


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## Dodecaplex

Moira said:


> Never heard of either. Which should I listen to first? (That is if I ever run into their works).


Durante was the type of composer who wrote music that is rich in detail with complex and well-developed motifs and what not.

Koschat was a composer of simple yet beautiful melodies and waltzes and lieder.

I'd go with Koschat.


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## Polednice

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Debussy
> 
> Couchie or Polednice?


Does nobody have the guts to answer the question?!?!


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## moody

Polednice said:


> Does nobody have the guts to answer the question?!?!


I wouldn't thought you have much to worry about. But I imagine that most people don't want to be put on the spot by such a rather juvenile question.


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## Lisztian

Couchie. For a few reasons. First of all, my ability to relate to his obsession with a composer - and that composer he is obsessed with is on the Liszt side of the war of the romantics, rather than Brahms - although he isn't a Liszt fan (both guys have terrible taste). Secondly, I much prefer the green thing - which is cute and makes me want to tickle his chin going "Couchie Couchie coo" - to that evil, malevolent looking pig. And yeah, the name Couchie > Polednice, for the aforementioned reason...and because i'm not that fond of conservatives like Dvorak.


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## Dodecaplex

It's actually pronounced "cow-chee", from what I've heard from other threads. So, that's one less reason to like him.


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## Polednice

Nobody loves me.


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## moody

Polednice said:


> Nobody loves me.


Of course we do.


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## Polednice

moody said:


> Of course we do.


Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Polednice said:


> Nobody loves me.


It's just that we prefer people who _aren't_ necrophiliacs.


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## Polednice

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> It's just that we prefer people who _aren't_ necrophiliacs.


Hey, hey, hey, watch those accusations. He only sleeps alongside me; there is no entry of any kind.


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## Olias

Ginger or Mary Ann?

Oops.......wrong game.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Polednice said:


> Hey, hey, hey, watch those accusations. He only sleeps alongside me; there is no entry of any kind.


Thank goodness.


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## Badinerie

Which 'Berg

Alban or Schoen ? 

Did you see what I did there eh, eh?


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## humanbean

Strauss or Strauss?


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## clavichorder

Nikolai or Medtner?


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## violadude

humanbean said:


> Strauss or Strauss?


R. Strauss

Stockhausen or Xenakis :devil:


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## Moira

humanbean said:


> Strauss or Strauss?


Definitely Strauss.


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## Moira

Badinerie said:


> Which 'Berg
> 
> Alban or Schoen ?
> 
> Did you see what I did there eh, eh?


Alban Berg. Wouldn't let me post just "Alban"


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

violadude said:


> R. Strauss
> 
> Stockhausen or Xenakis :devil:


Stockhausen of course.

Julian Bream or André Segovia?


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## samurai

Philip Glass or John Cage


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## samurai

Gustav Mahler or Anton Bruckner


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## kv466

Bruckner

Earl Wild or Vladimir Horrowitz?


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## Llyranor

Earl Wild. I quite like his Rach recording.

4'33" or Bach's Mass in B minor?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Bach Mass in B minor

Mozart symphony no. 1 or no. 7?


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## neoshredder

Bach Mass in B minor 
Corelli or Telemann? 
Ligeti or Schnittke?
Bartok or Shostakovich?


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## DeepR

kv466 said:


> Bruckner
> 
> Earl Wild or Vladimir Horrowitz?


Horowitz.

Russian or French?


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## Polyphemus

DeepR said:


> Horowitz.
> 
> Russian or French?


Russian

Debussy or Ravel


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## Arsakes

Dvorak is my number 1!

Rachmaninov is just a good composer to me, like Borodin or Mussorgsky which are on 20s or 30s of my favorite composers.



Polyphemus said:


> Russian
> 
> Debussy or Ravel


Ravel, at least he has some music I like. Never heard anything from Debussy except two average piano works.

Schumann or Brahms?


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## violadude

neoshredder said:


> Bach Mass in B minor
> Corelli or Telemann?
> Ligeti or Schnittke?
> Bartok or Shostakovich?


Now these are difficult...


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## violadude

Arsakes said:


> Dvorak is my number 1!
> 
> Rachmaninov is just a good composer to me, like Borodin or Mussorgsky which are on 20s or 30s of my favorite composers.
> 
> Ravel, at least he has some music I like. Never heard anything from Debussy except two average piano works.
> 
> Schumann or Brahms?


Brahms

Wolf or Pfitzner?

EDIT: oh and RE: Debussy, you are missing out dearly


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## violadude

samurai said:


> Philip Glass or John Cage


Since no one seemed to answer this, I will. I pick Cage.


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## aleazk

Ligeti or Boulez? (they were friends also)

Ravel, in all the questions where his name appears


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## Huilunsoittaja

aleazk said:


> Ligeti or Boulez? (they were friends also)


Ligeti I think. I've barely heard any Boulez though.

Liszt or Wagner?


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## Klavierspieler

Wagner, by a very small margin.

Leonin or Perotin?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Wagner

Aleazk or ComposerOfAvantGarde? (regarding our compositions that you can listen to on SoundCloud)


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## aleazk

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Wagner
> 
> Aleazk or ComposerOfAvantGarde? (regarding our compositions that you can listen to on SoundCloud)


you are a better composer I think.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

aleazk said:


> you are a better composer I think.


I would have chosen the same option.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Russians or Germans? Pick wisely. :devil:


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Russians or Germans? Pick wisely. :devil:


Hunagarians

Gregorian Chant or 20th century avant-garde?


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## aleazk

Klavierspieler said:


> Wagner, by a very small margin.
> 
> Leonin or Perotin?


Perotin.

Piazzolla or Ginastera?


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## Toddlertoddy

Piazzolla

Amy Beach or Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel?

(I think we need more women composers...)


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## Klavierspieler

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Hunagarians
> 
> Gregorian Chant or 20th century avant-garde?


Gregorian Chant.


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## Clementine

Toddlertoddy said:


> Amy Beach or Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel?


I'm completely unqualified to answer this, but based on the snippets I've heard from each, Amy Beach.

Brahms' chamber music or Mahler's orchestral?


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## neoshredder

Since no one answered mine. I'll pick...
Corelli over Telemann
Schnittke over Ligeti
Shostakovich over Bartok 
Brahms over Mahler

Schubert or Haydn?


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## Kieran

neoshredder said:


> Schubert or Haydn?


Schubert.

Mozart or sliced bread?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Kieran said:


> Schubert.
> 
> Mozart or sliced bread?


Mozart.

Beethoven's fourth symphony or "Jive Talkin" by The Bee Gees?


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## Hausmusik

The Fourth, definitely. Stravinsky agrees with me!

Brahms's Piano Quintet or Schumann's Piano Quintet?


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## Vesteralen

Hausmusik said:


> The Fourth, definitely. Stravinsky agrees with me!
> 
> Brahms's Piano Quintet or Schumann's Piano Quintet?


I like Brahms' (I like Schumann's, too)

Vaughan William's Fourth Symphony or Nielsen's Fourth Symphony?


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## Hausmusik

Vesteralen said:


> I like Brahms' (I like Schumann's, too)


Vesteralen, that's cheating!


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## Vesteralen

Hausmusik said:


> Vesteralen, that's cheating!


yeah...I'm a stinker...








But, I did give Brahms a slight edge, didn't I? 

BTW...I like you, too, Hausmusik


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## neoshredder

Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry?


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## Polyphemus

Tom and Jerry

Penderecki or Glass


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## neoshredder

Penderecki
ComposerofAvantGarde or Clavichorder?


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## Vesteralen

clavigarde



Polyphemus said:


> Tom and Jerry


SACRILEGE! 

And nobody answered my question yet...






or


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## Polyphemus

Vesteralen said:


> clavigarde
> 
> s
> 
> SACRILEGE!
> 
> And nobody answered my question yet...
> View attachment 5256
> or
> 
> View attachment 5257


Sorry for the delay.

Nielsen

Chailly or Jansons


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## pasido

Polyphemus said:


> Sorry for the delay.
> 
> Nielsen
> 
> Chailly or Jansons


Chailly because of this album








Schubert's 9th or 8th symphony?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Schubert's ninth

Farrenc's third symphony or Mozart's seventh symphony?


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## violadude

Mozart's clarinet concerto or his clarinet quintet?


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## pasido

violadude said:


> Mozart's clarinet concerto or his clarinet quintet?


They're both so similar... I'll pick the concerto, because it's my childhood favorite 

Pollini or Argerich


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## Klavierspieler

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Farrenc's third symphony or Mozart's seventh symphony?


I can't remember who Farrenc is, so I'll vote for him.



pasido said:


> Pollini or Argerich


Tough one, I'll say Pollini.

Robert Browning or Elizabeth Browning?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

^You mean _her_


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## Polyphemus

Klavierspieler said:


> I can't remember who Farrenc is, so I'll vote for him.
> 
> Tough one, I'll say Pollini.
> 
> Robert Browning or Elizabeth Browning?


Robert Browning

Tchaikovsky String Qt 1 or Borodin String Quartet 2


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

*bump*

Tchaikovsky String Quartet no. 1

Mahler or Sibelius?


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## Richannes Wrahms

Sibelius for his developmental techniques.

Haydn or Mozart.


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## GioCar

Mozart, for his operas

Celibidache or Klemperer?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Celibidache, mainly for his Bruckner and Tchaikovsky but also his understanding of acoustics and how to get a perfect sound in seemingly _any_ hall. Klemperer is just too fast or too slow for me without meaning. 

Furtwangler or Toscanini?


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## hpowders

The OP was Rachmaninoff or Dvorak. Given that choice, it would be Rachmaninov every time.


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## Albert7

Yo-Yo Ma or Jacqueline du Pre? I prefer the latter but that's just me.


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## hpowders

Ries or Beethoven?

Do you really have to ask?


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## hpowders

Alfred Brendel or András Schiff.

Schiff every time.


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## Albert7

Beer or wine?

Hmm... let me think on this one.

p.s. wine wins just due to rarity LOL.


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## Morimur

Beer. Wine has given me headaches in the past.

_Vodka or whiskey? Vodka for me._


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## Albert7

Stravinsky or Schoenberg?

Intellectually-- Schoenberg of course but
Emotionally-- Stravinsky by far.


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## Stavrogin

Morimur said:


> Beer. Wine has given me headaches in the past.
> 
> _Vodka or whiskey? Vodka for me._


Whisky.
(But whiskey too, over vodka).

Borodin or Mussorgskij?


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## Morimur

Stavrogin said:


> Whisky.
> (But whiskey too, over vodka).
> 
> Borodin or Mussorgskij?


_Mussorgsky_

*Bartók or Messien?*


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## Richannes Wrahms

_Bartók_

*Berg or Debussy? *


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## Albert7

Morimur said:


> _Mussorgsky_
> 
> *Bartók or Messien?*


For me personally that would be Bartok.


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## Morimur

Richannes Wrahms said:


> _Bartók_
> 
> *Berg or Debussy? *


Hard choice... Berg.


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## Morimur

albertfallickwang said:


> For me personally that would be Bartok.


I can't decide... I've decided: Messiaen.


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## Badinerie

Bartók over Messien but Debussy over Berg...

Maple or Rosewood...... SORRY! wrong forum! I mean

Zino Francescatti or Henryk Szeryng


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## hpowders

Bach unaccompanied violin music: Heifetz or Milstein?

Bach Keyboard Partitas: Schiff or Pinnock?


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## Badinerie

Heifetz and Pinnock.


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## DiesIraeCX

Ahem, just a heads up, there are other people on this thread.


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## Badinerie

Oooo.....well Pardonne-moi!


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## hpowders

Badinerie said:


> Heifetz and Pinnock.


Well you got one right. LOL!!


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## hpowders

Badinerie said:


> Bartók over Messien but Debussy over Berg...
> 
> Maple or Rosewood...... SORRY! wrong forum! I mean
> 
> Zino Francescatti or Henryk Szeryng


I love Henryk Szeryng's musicianship, especially when he partnered with Artur Rubinstein. Marvelous music making.

Believe it or not my favorite Francescatti recording is of the Walton Violin Concerto!


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## DiesIraeCX

Badinerie said:


> Oooo.....well Pardonne-moi!


Sorry, Badinerie. My post was definitely not addressed to you. We posted at the same time. Sorry for the misunderstanding.


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## GioCar

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Celibidache, mainly for his Bruckner and Tchaikovsky but also his understanding of acoustics and how to get a perfect sound in seemingly _any_ hall. Klemperer is just too fast or too slow for me without meaning.
> 
> Furtwangler or Toscanini?


Toscanini, because he conducted the first concert at the re-built La Scala (bombed during WWII), and my grandmother was singing in the choir at that concert...

Horowitz or Benedetti Michelangeli?


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## hpowders

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Celibidache, mainly for his Bruckner and Tchaikovsky but also his understanding of acoustics and how to get a perfect sound in seemingly _any_ hall. Klemperer is just too fast or too slow for me without meaning.
> 
> Furtwangler or Toscanini?


I'll take Toscanini every time! I don't dig Furtwängler's eccentric tempo manipulations. Toscanini was consistently more faithful to a composer's score.


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## Badinerie

hpowders said:


> I love Henryk Szeryng's musicianship, especially when he partnered with Artur Rubinstein. Marvelous music making.
> 
> Believe it or not my favorite Francescatti recording is of the Walton Violin Concerto![/QUOTE
> 
> Its so beautiful! Its one of my favourite classical records of all time.
> 
> Szeryng and Rubenstien's Beethoven Spring and Kreutzer Sonata's are amazing!
> 
> DiesIraeVIX no problemo...
> 
> And Toscanini !


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Woohoo I would have voted for Toscanini too


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## ptr

Badinerie said:


> Maple or Rosewood......


Maple, much prefer native woods!

Henryk Szeryng or David Oistrakh


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

ptr said:


> Maple, much prefer native woods!
> 
> Henryk Szeryng or David Oistrakh


Szeryng I'm pretty sure. 

Neeme Järvi or Paavo Järvi?


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## GioCar

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Szeryng I'm pretty sure.
> 
> Neeme Järvi or Paavo Järvi?


Neeme. He championed many works who were seldom performed. 
The son is one of the best conductors of his generation indeed, but...still too "young" to be rated entirely?

Again: Horowitz or Benedetti Michelangeli?


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## ptr

GioCar said:


> Horowitz or Benedetti Michelangeli?


Horowitz, You can pitch him against any other pianist in world history and I will always choose Vladimir!

Chopin or Liszt?

/ptr


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Liszt! Because Liszt wrote music which is more awesome, Chopin wrote pretty piano pieces and mediocre concertos ut:

Spohr or Hummel?


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## ptr

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Spohr or Hummel?


Spohr, becasue he brought schtick to conducting!

Reger or Messiaen

/ptr


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## Lord Lance

ptr said:


> Spohr, becasue he brought schtick to conducting!
> 
> Reger or Messiaen
> 
> /ptr


Reger.

Karajan or Bernstein?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Ludwig van Beethoven said:


> Reger.
> 
> Karajan or Bernstein?


Bernstein by far! Karajan is better off as his reincarnation of an eagle.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Piano quintet with winds or strings?


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## hpowders

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Piano quintet with winds or strings?


Strings. Peter Wispelwey or Ophélie Gaillard in the Bach Cello Suites?


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## Stavrogin

hpowders said:


> Strings. Peter Wispelwey or Ophélie Gaillard in the Bach Cello Suites?


Being familiar with neither of them, I choose the woman.

Pachelbel or Albinoni?


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## scratchgolf

Stavrogin said:


> Being familiar with neither of them, I choose the woman.
> 
> Pachelbel or Albinoni?


Albinoni in a landslide.

Philip Glass or fill my glass?


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## hpowders

Stavrogin said:


> Being familiar with neither of them, I choose the woman.
> 
> Pachelbel or Albinoni?


Wise choice! Albinoni.

Bach or Handel?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

scratchgolf said:


> Albinoni in a landslide.
> 
> Philip Glass or fill my glass?


Fill my glass with 60s and 70s Philip Glass Ensmeble works, nothin more recent please!


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## hpowders

Bach. Ries or Czerny?


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## hpowders

Mahler or Bruckner?


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## Badinerie

Be serious! Bruckner of course...

Period instruments or modern...?


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## hpowders

Badinerie said:


> Be serious! Bruckner of course...
> 
> Period instruments or modern...?


Period.

Harpsichord or piano?


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## Cosmos

hpowders said:


> Period.
> 
> Harpsichord or piano?


Depends on the piece, but way more often than not: piano

Symphonies or Operas?


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## scratchgolf

Cosmos said:


> Depends on the piece, but way more often than not: piano
> 
> Symphonies or Operas?


Currently symphonies but opera is a new love of mine. This is subject to change.

Perlman or Zukerman?


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## hpowders

Cosmos said:


> Depends on the piece, but way more often than not: piano
> 
> Symphonies or Operas?


Symphonies, except when the choices are Götterdämmerung or Les Troyens.

Beethoven's Fifth or Brahms' First symphony?


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## scratchgolf

And like clockwork I've been skipped again. I should stay off the tracks when the HP-Train is coming through. My question stands, should anyone care to answer it.


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## JACE

scratchgolf said:


> Currently symphonies but opera is a new love of mine. This is subject to change.
> 
> Perlman or Zukerman?


I'll go with *Perlman* -- if only because I'm more familiar with him.

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli or Maurizio Pollini?


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## hpowders

JACE said:


> I'll go with *Perlman* -- if only because I'm more familiar with him.
> 
> Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli or Maurizio Pollini?


Pollini. I don't dig eccentric musicians.

Beethoven's Fifth or a fifth of Jamesons?


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## tgtr0660

Always music over spirits... Even more so Beethoven and his fifth 

Russian or baroque opera?


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## GioCar

Russian, no doubt.
With some relevant exceptions, I find baroque opera a bit boring...

Cage or Feldman?


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## Lord Lance

GioCar said:


> Russian, no doubt.
> With some relevant exceptions, I find baroque opera a bit boring...
> 
> Cage or Feldman?


Feldman.

Karajan's 70s BPO Bruckner Eight or 80s VPO Bruckner Eight?


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## Albert7

Natalie Dessay or Renee Fleming for coloratura arias.

Tough call but going with Fleming on this round.


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## scratchgolf

Ludwig van Beethoven said:


> Feldman.
> 
> Karajan's 70s BPO Bruckner Eight or 80s VPO Bruckner Eight?


I'll take Vienna here

Corelli or D. Scarlatti?


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## Dustin

D. Scarlatti. This is a very close call because I love them both but I'll take the larger output of Scarlatti.

Saint-Saens or Franck?


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## Albert7

Dustin said:


> D. Scarlatti. This is a very close call because I love them both but I'll take the larger output of Scarlatti.
> 
> Saint-Saens or Franck?


Franck-ly speaking I just prefer Franck.


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## Marschallin Blair

albertfallickwang said:


> *Franck*-ly speaking I just prefer Franck.


Shirley, you jest.


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## hpowders

tgtr0660 said:


> Always music over spirits... Even more so Beethoven and his fifth
> 
> Russian or baroque opera?


Tough choice. I dislike both. I'd have to give up the Russian opera, since I love Giulio Cesare.

La Boheme or Rigoletto?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Boheme

Piston valves or rotary valves?


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## Marschallin Blair

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Boheme
> 
> Piston valves or rotary valves?


Neither: full-blown, supercharged 528 Hemi.


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## hpowders

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Boheme
> 
> Piston valves or rotary valves?


Rotary. Love Mazdas.

Daniel Barenboim or a pint of Jack Daniels?

Choose wisely and I guarantee those piston valves will look rotary very quickly.


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## scratchgolf

Marschallin Blair said:


> Shirley, you jest.


A golden opportunity to follow this was missed, and don't call me Shirley.


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## GioCar

hpowders said:


> Rotary. Love Mazdas.
> 
> Daniel Barenboim or a quart of Jack Daniels?
> 
> Choose wisely and I guarantee those piston valves will look rotary very quickly.


Daniel(s)

Hp first manner or Hp second manner?


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## GioCar

ok time expired

Hp first manner.

Next:

Wozzeck or Lulu?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

GioCar said:


> ok time expired
> 
> Hp first manner.
> 
> Next:
> 
> Wozzeck or Lulu?


Oh man this is real tough! Ummmm Lulu!

Darmstadt School or New York School?


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## aleazk

Darmstadt.

Ligeti or Boulez?


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## Chronochromie

Ligeti
Chopin or Schumann?


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## hpowders

Schumann.

Copland or Barber?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

aleazk said:


> Darmstadt.
> 
> Ligeti or Boulez?


I am never going to answer this question!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

hpowders said:


> Schumann.
> 
> Copland or Barber?


Politics? COPLAND and also Eisler.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Double bass or piccolo?


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## Chronochromie

Piccolo.
First or Second Viennese School?


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## aleazk

Second.

French or German?


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## Chronochromie

French but pretty close.
Schoenberg or Webern?


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## aleazk

Der Leiermann said:


> French but pretty close.
> Schoenberg or Webern?


haha, quite odd considering your username and location!

Schoenberg vs Webern is our eternal disagreement point with Mahlerian. I will leave others to answer, though, since I already answered a couple of posts above another question.


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## Chronochromie

aleazk said:


> haha, quite odd considering your username and location!
> 
> Schoenberg vs Webern is our eternal disagreement point with Mahlerian. I will leave others to answer, though, since I already answered a couple of posts above another question.


Yeah, if Schubert was German that's what i'd have chosen. But my favorite pre-Baroque and Baroque composers are French + Berlioz, Les Six, Saint-Saens, Fauré, Satie, Debussy, Ravel and possibly Messiaen (who I'm still exploring but I quite like).


----------



## Albert7

Which piece is better for causing one to fall sleep?

Ravel's Bolero or Pachelbel's Canon in D?


----------



## SONNET CLV

albertfallickwang said:


> Which piece is better for causing one to fall sleep?
> 
> Ravel's Bolero or Pachelbel's Canon in D?


It all depends upon which girl you're with.


----------



## MoonlightSonata

Beethoven: Eroica or Pastoral?


----------



## starthrower

Pastoral

fried rice or lo mien?


----------



## MoonlightSonata

Fried rice.
Mozart's 40th or 41st symphony?


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

41st _well_ over 40th

Haydn's 40th or 41st?


----------



## hpowders

Okay. Which is more boring? Listening to Saint-Saens Violin Concerto #3 or going to church and listening to a Sunday sermon about a couple of Saints?

Inquiring minds want to know.


----------



## DiesIraeCX

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> 41st _well_ over 40th
> 
> Haydn's 40th or 41st?


This answer is incorrect, sir. I'm gonna need you to try again. 

Schubert's 8th or 9th?


----------



## Guest

hpowders said:


> Okay. Which is more boring? Listening to Saint-Saens Violin Concerto #3 or going to church and listening to a Sunday sermon about a couple of Saints?
> 
> Inquiring minds want to know.


Are we adding Saint-Saens to your blacklist along with Schubert and Liszt?

@Dies Irae: Right now I would say 8 but I've listened to it significantly more and more recently, so I think someone else should answer too.

Now I suppose I need to come up with something...

Finnissy or Ferneyhough?


----------



## MoonlightSonata

And Bruckner, by the sound of it.


----------



## QuietGuy

aleazk said:


> Prokofiev.
> 
> Ravel or Debussy?


Ravel ...................


----------



## aleazk

Ferneyhough

False dichotomy or fallacious dichotomy?


----------



## Guest

MoonlightSonata said:


> And Bruckner, by the sound of it.


A sticky thread of the official list of hpowder composer dislikes might be helpful at this point. I feel like I've been reminded far too much that Liszt is worth little more than a carton of expired milk, but at the same time I understand the need to make the message clear to the other members.


----------



## hpowders

Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel or Wagner's Rienzi?


----------



## hpowders

arcaneholocaust said:


> A sticky thread of the official list of hpowder composer dislikes might be helpful at this point. I feel like I've been reminded far too much that Liszt is worth little more than a carton of expired milk, but at the same time I understand the need to make the message clear to the other members.


I would take Liszt over the carton of expired milk, as long as it's the small carton.


----------



## trazom

aleazk said:


> Ferneyhough
> 
> False dichotomy or fallacious dichotomy?


I had maybe 4 different responses to this; but since I want to remain on my best behavior, I'll just say the latter option is better.


----------



## MoonlightSonata

hpowders said:


> Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel or Wagner's Rienzi?


I really don't mind.
Marriage of Figaro or Zauberflote?


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

MoonlightSonata said:


> I really don't mind.
> Marriage of Figaro or Zauberflote?


Figaro by a long shot for its messages _and_ its music!

American composers or English composers?


----------



## Albert7

American composers for me.

Lenny Bernstein or Herby von Karajan?


----------



## hpowders

Bernstein.

Beecham or Boult?


----------



## MoonlightSonata

Beecham.
Irish or Scottish composers?


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Scottish. 

Cuban or Icelandic composers?


----------



## GioCar

Cuban, because of Leo Brouwer's works for guitar

Being the season:
Bach's Christmas Oratorio or Handel's Messiah?


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

I'm gonna have to go with Bach for this one. Messiah is brimming with such fantastic choruses and arias, but I don't think any can compare with even the first chorus of the Christmas Oratorio!

I'll let someone else decide the next two options as I've had a go just recently.....


----------



## Guest

Schnittke or Lutoslawski.


----------



## Morimur

Couchie. He's batsh!t crazy.


----------



## Morimur

gog said:


> Schnittke or Lutoslawski.


*Lutosławski*. Schnittke is a mere gnome compared to the great master.


----------



## Delicious Manager

Interesting mis-spelling of "Dvörak"! It should be Dvořák. Czech doesn't even have the letter "ö" (although Slovakian does).


----------



## elgar's ghost

Following on from DM's post, I feel a bit guilty when leaving out diacritics and the like - can anyone please tell me if there's an easy way to access the letters that include these?


----------



## hpowders

Anyway thanks for the delicious diversion.

Back to the game.

Twentieth Century. Russian or German composers?


----------



## violadude

hpowders said:


> Anyway thanks for the delicious diversion.
> 
> Back to the game.
> 
> Twentieth Century. Russian or German composers?


German

Glockenspiel or Celesta?


----------



## Badinerie

German....natürlich


Lemminkäinen or Leonard Cohen.


----------



## Delicious Manager

elgars ghost said:


> Following on from DM's post, I feel a bit guilty when leaving out diacritics and the like - can anyone please tell me if there's an easy way to access the letters that include these?


On PCs, you can access the ASCII characters through various numeric codes typed on the right-hand numeric keypad (the digits at the top of the keyboard won't work, which rules out most laptops) while holding down the Alt key: http://www.starr.net/is/type/kbh.html. Some accented letters have simple keyboard shortcuts too.

On Macs, you simply access the characters you want through the Character Viewer. Some characters also have short cuts on the Mac keyboard.


----------



## Chronochromie

violadude said:


> German
> 
> Glockenspiel or Celesta?


Celesta.
Corelli's or Handel's Concerti Grossi?


----------



## GioCar

Corelli's

Der Leiermann or Der Doppelgänger?


----------



## elgar's ghost

Delicious Manager said:


> On PCs, you can access the ASCII characters through various numeric codes typed on the right-hand numeric keypad (the digits at the top of the keyboard won't work, which rules out most laptops) while holding down the Alt key: http://www.starr.net/is/type/kbh.html. Some accented letters have simple keyboard shortcuts too.
> 
> On Macs, you simply access the characters you want through the Character Viewer. Some characters also have short cuts on the Mac keyboard.


Thanks for your help, DM.


----------



## Chronochromie

GioCar said:


> Corelli's
> 
> Der Leiermann or Der Doppelgänger?


Why do you do this to me? :lol:
Anyway, Der Leiermann...but it's close.
Debussy or Ligeti Etudes?


----------



## Morimur

Der Leiermann said:


> Why do you do this to me? :lol:
> Anyway, Der Leiermann...but it's close.
> Debussy or Ligeti Etudes?


*Ligeti*, of course.


----------



## hpowders

violadude said:


> German
> 
> Glockenspiel or Celesta?


Sounds like Sibelius 4 vs Bartok's Music for blah blah blah.

I like the Glock.

Silent Night vs I Have A Little Dreidel, I Made It Out of Clay?


----------



## Cosmos

hpowders said:


> Sounds like Sibelius 4 vs Bartok's Music for blah blah blah.
> 
> I like the Glock.
> 
> Silent Night vs I Have A Little Dreidel, I Made It Out of Clay?


Silent Night always!

Steve Reich or Philip Glass? [wait, has this one been asked yet?!]


----------



## JACE

elgars ghost said:


> Following on from DM's post, I feel a bit guilty when leaving out diacritics and the like - can anyone please tell me if there's an easy way to access the letters that include these?


I just Google the composer's name, open the wikipedia article, then copy & paste. A bit time-consuming, but it works.


----------



## The Sound Of Perseverance

WolfAlphaX said:


> This is a post to ask people which composers/musicians/conductors they like better...does that make sense?
> 
> So who do you like better Rachmaninoff or Dvörak?


is it ok if i use this idea for another forum i go on? if i credit you?


----------



## mtmailey

I love DVORAK the most because his music is very masterful.His music like his 9 symphonies are much better than RACHMANINOFF 3 symphonies.Rachmaninoff concertos are no match for DVORAK violin concerto,cello concerto & piano concertos.


----------



## hpowders

The young András Schiff or the older András Schiff in Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier?


----------



## Vaneyes

mtmailey said:


> I love DVORAK the most because his music is very masterful.His music like his 9 symphonies are much better than RACHMANINOFF 3 symphonies.Rachmaninoff concertos are no match for DVORAK violin concerto,cello concerto & piano concertos.


I have a different perspective. Re Symphonies, I say Dvorak 1 to 4 are neither here nor there. IOW nothing special. Dvorak 9 and Rachmaninov 2 are in the same ballpark. Dvorak 5 - 8 seem "better" to me, than Rachmaninov 1 & 3, but I'd rather listen to Rachmaninov 1 & 3, than Dvorak 1 to 4. In fairness to Rachmaninov 1 & 3, I don't think enough conductors have given them a fair learning. Jansons with St. Petersburg recs. are thoroughly convincing.

Re Concerti, I think Rachmaninov Piano Concerti 2 & 3 are in the same ballpark as Dvorak Violin and Cello Concerti. I think Rachmaninov Piano Concerti 1 (especially with Janis) & 4 (especially with ABM) are better than Dvorak Piano Concerto.:tiphat:


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

The Sound Of Perseverance said:


> is it ok if i use this idea for another forum i go on? if i credit you?


I know that member in person, she won't care a bit if you do and even if you don't credit her :lol:


----------



## hpowders

hpowders said:


> The young András Schiff or the older András Schiff in Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier?


The young András Schiff.

William Schuman or Peter Mennin?


----------



## Albert7

Morton Gould or Glenn Gould?


----------



## hpowders

hpowders said:


> The young András Schiff.
> 
> Pound for pound, I would take Rachmaninov over Dvorak.
> 
> Schumann or Schuman?


----------



## hpowders

Who is better? 

The Bach of the Cello Suites or the Bach of the Well Tempered Clavier?


----------



## hpowders

Who is better? 

Milstein or Szeryng in the Bach unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas for Violin?


----------



## MoonlightSonata

hpowders said:


> Who is better?
> 
> The Bach of the Cello Suites or the Bach of the Well Tempered Clavier?


WTC! 
Beethoven's solo or orchestral works?


----------



## hpowders

MoonlightSonata said:


> WTC!
> Beethoven's solo or orchestral works?


I have to rate the piano sonatas over the symphonies.

Brahms' Piano Concerto #2 or his Violin Concerto?


----------



## JACE

hpowders said:


> Brahms' Piano Concerto #2 or his Violin Concerto?


Yowee. That's TOUGH. But, as a piano-phile, I'd probably have to go with the Piano Concerto.

Sibelius' tone poems or Liszt's tone poems?


----------



## hpowders

JACE said:


> Yowee. That's TOUGH. But, as a piano-phile, I'd probably have to go with the Piano Concerto.
> 
> Sibelius' tone poems or Liszt's tone poems?


Liszt is not my cup of tea. So Sibelius it is.

Bartok's Fourth Quartet or Mendelssohn's Sixth Quartet?


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Bartok 4 by a long shot.

Hpowders's Bernstein avatar or any of his other avatars? (I'm missing his bernstein one)


----------



## hpowders

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Bartok 4 by a long shot.
> 
> Hpowders's Bernstein avatar or any of his other avatars? (I'm missing his bernstein one)


Your wish is my command.


----------



## violadude

hpowders said:


> hpowders said:
> 
> 
> 
> The young András Schiff.
> 
> Pound for pound, I would take Rachmaninov over Dvorak.
> 
> Schumann or Schuman?
> 
> 
> 
> Schumann
> 
> Salome or Elektra?
Click to expand...


----------



## hpowders

violadude said:


> hpowders said:
> 
> 
> 
> Schumann
> 
> Salome or Elektra?
> 
> 
> 
> Elektra. Absolutely Elektrafying!!
> 
> R. Strauss: Don Quixote or Ein Heldenleben?
Click to expand...


----------



## elgar's ghost

hpowders said:


> violadude said:
> 
> 
> 
> Elektra. Absolutely Elektrafying!!
> 
> R. Strauss: Don Quixote or Ein Heldenleben?
> 
> 
> 
> Don Quixote every time.
> 
> West Side Story or On The Town?
Click to expand...


----------



## ptr

elgars ghost said:


> West Side Story or On The Town?


On The Town

Conducting with or without baton?

/ptr


----------



## JACE

ptr said:


> Conducting with or without baton?


With baton.

Szell or Reiner?


----------



## hpowders

Reiner.

Mahler 9 or Bruckner 9.


----------



## Mahlerian

Mahler 9 by a good margin.

Erwartung or Moses und Aron?


----------



## hpowders

^^^Damn! Haven't heard either one.


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Mahlerian said:


> Mahler 9 by a good margin.
> 
> Erwartung or Moses und Aron?


Moses und Aron!

Mahler 8 or Bruckner 8?


----------



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

hpowders said:


> Your wish is my command.


WORLD ORDER IS RESTORED!!!!!

I always imagine you to look exactly like Bernstein....


----------



## starthrower

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Moses und Aron!
> 
> Mahler 8 or Bruckner 8?


Man! You're not making this very easy. I refuse to choose!


----------



## science

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Moses und Aron!
> 
> Mahler 8 or Bruckner 8?


Bruckner 8.

(Good question BTW!)

Tallis _Spem in Alium_ or Allegri _Miserere_?


----------



## hpowders

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> WORLD ORDER IS RESTORED!!!!!
> 
> I always imagine you to look exactly like Bernstein....


Except that I am 1. heterosexual and 2. would never conduct Beethoven's Seventh Symphony as slowly as he did at his Boston Symphony farewell concert.

PS: You already saw what I look like.


----------



## Albert7

Alice Sara Ott or Helene Grimaud?

For me, Grimaud


----------



## science

hpowders said:


> Except that I am 1. heterosexual and 2. would never conduct Beethoven's Seventh Symphony as slowly as he did at his Boston Symphony farewell concert.


Are those really the only differences?


----------



## MoonlightSonata

science said:


> Bruckner 8.
> 
> (Good question BTW!)
> 
> Tallis _Spem in Alium_ or Allegri _Miserere_?


ARGH!
This is so difficult - I'll say Allegri. But only just.


----------



## Guest

Most definitely Grimaud.

Janine Jansen or Nicola Benedetti?

There is only one correct answer.


----------



## ptr

Jerome said:


> Janine Jansen or Nicola Benedetti?
> 
> There is only one correct answer.


Nicola Benedetti, I've always had a week spot for Scottish wimin'

David Oistrakh or Maxim Vengerov?

/ptr


----------



## hpowders

Oistrakh.

Artur Rubinstein or Rudolf Serkin?


----------



## science

I'll take Rubinstein. 

Rostropovich or Starker?


----------



## hpowders

Starker.

Uchida or Perahia?


----------



## science

I did not expect that but I approve. 

Perahia. 

Einaudi or Jenkins?


----------



## hpowders

Now you have me at a disadvantage. Not familiar with them.


----------



## science

hpowders said:


> Now you have me at a disadvantage. Not familiar with them.


This is objectively the correct answer but it will not be accepted.


----------



## hpowders

science said:


> This is objectively the correct answer but it will not be accepted.


I will just have to wait for a more favorable round. As they say in bridge, "pass".


----------



## science

hpowders said:


> I will just have to wait for a more favorable round. As they say in bridge, "pass".


Where I come from, people say "jump" when they play bridge.


----------



## hpowders

science said:


> Where I come from, people say "jump" when they play bridge.


I never got to that level. However, my dad once said that to me in a different context. I left home early.


----------



## Arsakes

Dvorak (Slavonic Dances) or Brahms (Hungarian Dances)?


----------



## MagneticGhost

Brahms please

Bach: Matthew Passions or John Passion


----------



## Blancrocher

Matthew

Pierre Fournier or Heinrich Schiff?


----------



## MagneticGhost

Tough one. I'll go Schiff on the basis of his performance of the Schumann. 

Yo-Yo Ma / Stephen Isserlis


----------



## MarkW

Yo-Yo Ma

Britten or Tippett?


----------



## Blancrocher

Britten

Grieg or Franck?


----------



## violadude

Blancrocher said:


> Britten
> 
> Grieg or Franck?


Franck

A Scarlatti or D Scarlatti?


----------



## MagneticGhost

A.Scarlatti for his 'first murder '


Mozart: Figaro or (Don) Giovanni


----------



## Blancrocher

Figaro

Corelli or Rameau?


----------



## Chronochromie

Rameau.

Berio or Nono?


----------



## Harold in Columbia

Berio - his Sense of Humor is annoying, but Nono is just dull.

La Monte Young or Terry Riley?


----------



## SeptimalTritone

Nono's microtonal chorales are beautiful...

and Berio's dark cheeky humor is not "annoying", but the sort of thing he was trying to express!

I would say La Monte Young because I've always been inspired by the Well Tuned Piano much more than the Harp of New Albion.


----------



## Harold in Columbia

I know it's what he was trying to express. That doesn't effect its being annoying. Are you going to post a new "x or y" query?


----------



## Orfeo

In Robert Schumann's piano music:
Earl Wild or Claudio Arrau?


----------

