# Favorite Genres By Composers



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

What genre(s) do you regard highly for any composer you feel like sharing about? 

I'll start:

Beethoven: Symphonies.
Chopin: Nocturnes.
Handel: Organ Concerti. 
Haydn: Piano Sonatas.
Mozart: Late Symphonies.

Seems like a good start, what are your picks?


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## dillonp2020 (May 6, 2017)

Beethoven: Symphonies and Piano Sonatas tied
Bach: Violin works
Mozart: Operas
Vivaldi: Bassoon Concertos


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Here's my list by genre. I've included many ties between composers - I hope that's not considered cheating! 

Opera: Mozart and Wagner
Symphonies: Beethoven
Concertos: Beethoven and Mozart
String Quartets: Beethoven
Piano Trios: Haydn (this choice might surprise some people, but his trios are seriously AMAZING)
Piano Sonatas: Beethoven (honorable mention for Liszt's Sonata in B Minor)
Fugues: Bach and Beethoven
Etudes: Chopin and Liszt
Symphonic poems: Liszt and Debussy
Piano Duets: Ravel (because of the Mother Goose Suite)
Violin Sonatas: Beethoven
Cello Sonatas: Mendelssohn
Lieder: Schubert
Theme and Variations: Bach and Beethoven
Oratorios: Handel 
Piano quartets: Dvořák 
Ballets: Tchaikovsky
Serenades: Mozart
Suites: Bach
Madrigals: Monteverdi
Solo cello: Bach
Solo violin: Bach
Solo flute: Debussy
Sacred music (such as masses and requiems): Bach, Mozart and Beethoven
Organ music: Bach (honorable mention for Franck) 

I think that pretty much covers all the genres that I like, but I'll update this later if I think of any more genres.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I just thought of some more!

Solo piano pieces, excluding sonatas: Liszt and Debussy
Nocturnes: Chopin (honorable mention for Field, who basically invented the genre)
Mazurkas: Chopin (I'm not even sure if anyone else wrote them, to be honest!)
Waltzes: Chopin and Tchaikovsky
Rhapsodies: Brahms and Liszt


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Bettina, you had to be difficult and do it the opposite way! :lol: :lol:


But that is perfectly fine, if it's easier for you to do it that way, then go for it! Ties are ok too.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Mozart keyboard concertos, Italian operas.

Beethoven keyboard sonatas.

Haydn symphonies.

Bach solo harpsichord, organ, violin and cello works.

Brahms chamber music-piano trios, various quintets, sextets, clarinet sonatas; concertos.

Mendelssohn chamber music: piano trios, string quartets.

Etcetera; etcetera; etcetera.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Bettina, you had to be difficult and do it the opposite way! :lol: :lol:
> 
> But that is perfectly fine, if it's easier for you to do it that way, then go for it! Ties are ok too.


Sorry about switching the order and putting the genre before the composer. For some reason, that order made it easier for me to match composers with genres - I'm not sure why I prefer to put the cart before the horse (or should I say, the fugue before the Bach?) :lol:


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Are Mozart's Violin Concertos regarded quite highly, they seem so brilliant to me. That would be another addition for me, I find them to be so wonderful!


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Are Mozart's Violin Concertos regarded quite highly, they seem so brilliant to me. That would be another addition for me, I find them to be so wonderful!


I'm not sure how they're regarded by others, but I personally regard them highly. Especially the fifth one.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Bettina said:


> I just thought of some more!
> 
> Solo piano pieces, excluding sonatas: Liszt and Debussy
> Nocturnes: Chopin (honorable mention for Field, who basically invented the genre)
> ...


I'm surprised Strauss didn't make your list of favorite composers of the Waltz! I do love Chopin's piano Waltzes though, they are fantastic.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Beethoven: tied - symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas.
Bach: fugues (any kind)
Handel: Concerti grossi
Brahms: misc. chamber works with piano
Haydn: string quartets.
Schoenberg: chamber winds and orchestral concertos
Boulez: assemblages of plinky-tinkly instruments
Mozart: Requiems (what, he wrote only one? That's enough.)
Mahler: great big honkin' sprawling things he referred to as symphonies
Wagner: opera
Stravinsky: ballet


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Weston said:


> Beethoven: tied - symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas.
> Bach: fugues (any kind)
> Handel: Concerti grossi
> Brahms: misc. chamber works with piano
> ...


Good call with Stravinsky and Mahler!


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

Mozart: Various kind of concerto, opera, chamber and choral music
Bach: all genres that he composed
Brahms: Chamber music, orchestral music, and choral music
Josquin and Dufay: Mass and motet
Monteverdi: Madrigal and opera
Gesualdo: Madrigal
Byrd: keyboard music and motet 
Schubert: Solo piano, chamber music, and lieder
Schumann: Solo piano, chamber music, and lieder
Haydn: Chamber music and choral music (mass and oratorio)
Beethoven: solo piano, chamber music, and orchestral music
Debussy: Solo Piano and melodies
Mussorgsky: Solo Piano and Opera
Tchaikovsky: Opera and orchestral music
Poulenc: Concerto, choral music, chamber music, and opera.
Dvorak: Chamber music and orchestral music
Berlioz: Opera and orchestral music
Grieg: Piano music and lieder
Ravel: Solo piano and orchestral music
Bruckner: Symphony and choral music (motet/mass)
Mahler: Symphony and orchestral lieder 
Shostakovich: Solo piano, concerto, and orchestral music
Bartok: Concerto and orchestral music
Berg: opera and lieder
Schoenberg and Webern: Chamber music and solo piano
and of course Verdi/Wagner/Puccini/R.Strauss/Weber/Britten: Opera


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I've been on a huge New Age music kick and have been neglecting my Classical music. I love coming back to a genre I love after parting with it for a moment, it feels new again and you hear it with fresh ears. It's like a different "first time" experience almost!


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Audience and chance music: Cage
Piano Sonatas: Beethoven
Minimalistic pieces: Adams
String Quartets: Shostakovich
Symphonies: too many composers as favourites in this genre
Piano Concertos: Mozart
Opera: Mozart
Concert arias and songs: Mozart
Orchestral pieces: Ravel, Varese
Ballets: Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky
Choral Masonic music: Haydn
Motets: des Prez


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

Phil loves classical said:


> *String Quartets: Shostakovich*
> *Concert arias and songs: Mozart*
> *Choral Masonic music: Haydn*
> *Motets: des Prez*


I like these choices!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I find quite a uniqueness in Mozart's String Quartets as well compared to the rest of his output. They feel very Mozart, yet tinged with some special spice that I can't put my finger on. It could just be my imagination, but they feel very spectacular to me!

Everyone raves about Beethoven's String Quartets, and for good reason, but there is certainly something to say about Mozart's as well. They really blew me away upon first listen, so elegant and refined!

I'm not sure, I think I just feel Mozart's SQs really represent the Classical era to the "T".


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Mozart is kind of my go to composer I have found. When I find myself thinking what should I listen to, it tends to be Mozart. He's just so full of joy and love, it's great! I'm preaching to the choir, I know!


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Solo Keyboard: Bach
Solo Organ: Bach
Piano Sonatas: Scriabin
Preludes: Chopin
Etudes: Scriabin
Fugues: Bach
Violin Sonatas: Beethoven
Cello Sonatas: Brahms
Clarinet Sonatas: Brahms
Piano Trios: Beethoven
String Quartets: Haydn
Oboe Quartets: Mozart
Piano Quintets: Dvorak
Cello Concertos: Myaskovsky
Violin Concertos: Shostakovich
Piano Concertos: Mozart
Symphonies: Mahler
Lieder: Schubert
Choral: Bach
Opera: Mozart
Ballets: Tchaikovsky


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

Bettina said:


> Mazurkas: Chopin (I'm not even sure if anyone else wrote them, to be honest!)


Scriabin wrote three sets of Mazurkas. And Karol Szymanowski composed a bunch too.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

lextune said:


> Scriabin wrote three sets of Mazurkas. And Karol Szymanowski composed a bunch too.


Thanks! I'll definitely look into those. I'm interested to hear how other composers approached the genre.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Tossed salads: Satie


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

*Opera*: Wagner, Massenet, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Dargomyzhsky, Janacek, Merikanto, Rimsky-Korsakov, Puccini, Nielsen, Shebalin, Prokofiev, Rubinstein, Fibich, Janacek
*Operetta*: Lehar, Offenbach
*Ballet*: Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Stravinsky, Delibes, Bartok, Adam
*Film/Incidental*: Sainton, Bax, Rozsa, Nielsen, Jarre, Alwyn, Korngold, Waxman, Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, Curtis Mayfield
*Symphony*: Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Bruckner, Sibelius, Nielsen, Atterberg, Ives, Diamond, Myaskovsky, Shostakovich, Popov, Melartin, Skulte, Scriabin, Braga-Santos, Lyatoshynsky, Gliere, George Lloyd, Tubin, Artur Kapp, Alfven, Stenhammar, Bainton, Goossens, Dvorak, Elgar, Parry, Stanford, Vaughan-Williams, Walton, Bernstein
*Concerto*: Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Stojowski, Bax, Barber, Dohnanyi, Poulenc, Ravel
*Religious/Liturgical*: Bruckner, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Gretchaninov
*Symphonic* *Poem/Fantasy*: Glazunov, Bax, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Sainton, Liszt, Balakirev, Novak, Suk
*Overture*: Mendelssohn, Goldmark, Tchaikovsky, Verdi
*Chamber*: Borodin, Glazunov, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Franck, Faure, Villa-Lobos, Myaskovsky, Shostakovich, Arensky
*Piano*: Schumann, Rebikov, Shostakovich, Roslavets, Glazunov, Scriabin, Rubinstein, Faure, Debussy, Schmitt, Lyapunov, Lyadov, Rachmaninoff, Blumenfeld, Myaskovsky, Feinberg, Weinberg, Kenneth Leighton, Bax, Ireland, Melartin, Tubin, Catoire, Balakirev
*Songs*: Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Cui, Dargomyzhsky, Barber


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## Minor Sixthist (Apr 21, 2017)

Debussy: preludes, arabesques, solo piano
Ravel: concerti, solo piano
Chopin: nocturnes, walzes, preludes
Bach: chorales
Dvorak: latter symphonies
Tchaikovsky: latter symphonies, operas
Bizet: symphony, operas
Wagner: operas, notably symphonic suites/overtures to operas
Verdi: overtures and arias


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## Minor Sixthist (Apr 21, 2017)

MarkW said:


> Tossed salads: Satie


What about his gymnasiums?


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Hum, hum, an endless amount of things to recommend. So I'll just pick the first things from my general listening routine that come to my mind.

Haydn: string quartets & masses
Dvorak: choral works & tone poems
Mendelssohn: oratorios & piano trios
Liszt: choral works & solo piano
Cherubini: string quartets & choral works
Bruckner: symphonies & choral works


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Today my favorite genre is string quartets...
So
Bartok, Shostakovich, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn.
If I have time I can listen all day and all night.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> Today my favorite genre is string quartets...
> So
> Bartok, Shostakovich, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn.
> If I have time I can listen all day and all night.


I've been enjoying String Quartets as of late as well. I enjoy the stripped down sound quite a bit!


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (more than his symphonies)
Mozart: Piano Concertos (more than his symphonies)
Shostakovich: String Quartets (more than his symphonies)

Sibelius: Symphonies
Schubert: Lieder
Puccini: Opera 
Adams, John: Orchestral Music
Barber: Orchestral Music
Debussy: Solo Piano Music

Prokofiev: EVERYTHING!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I've been enjoying String Quartets as of late as well. I enjoy the stripped down sound quite a bit!


Yes. Some of the greatest music was written for string quartet. Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Ravel and Debussy string quartets are all masterpieces.

Enjoy!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Bulldog said:


> Solo Keyboard: Bach
> Solo Organ: Bach
> Piano Sonatas: Scriabin
> Preludes: Chopin
> ...


I still haven't looked into any Scriabin, I'll have to youtube some stuff tonight!


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

Bach: cantatas, masses, oratorios, motets, chorales, baroque concertos, orchestral suites, keyboard music (suites, WTC, inventions etc), organ music, accompanied and unaccompanied violin and cello works.
Haydn: symphonies, string quartets, piano trios, cello concertos, piano sonatas, masses and oratorios.
Mozart: operas, masses, symphonies, piano concertos, woodwind concertos, serenades, chamber music with woodwinds, string quintets, string quartets, string trio, piano quartets, piano trios, violin sonatas and piano sonatas.
Beethoven: symphonies, concertos, overtures, string quartets, piano trios, string trios, quintet for piano and woodwinds, violin sonatas, cello sonatas, piano sonatas, variations and masses.
Brahms: symphonies, concertos, vocal and choral works, string sextets, string quintets, string quartets, piano quintet, piano quartets, piano trios, chamber music with winds, violin sonatas, cello sonatas, piano variations and piano pieces.
Wagner: music dramas.
Schubert: lieder, symphonies, piano trios, string quartets, string quintet and piano music.
Schumann: symphonies, piano concerto, cello concerto, piano quintet, piano quartet, piano trios and piano pieces.
Bruckner: symphonies and sacred works.
Richard strauss: Tone poems, concertos and lieder.
Mahler: symphonies and vocal works.


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