# Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Wagner - and Janacek?



## Hermastersvoice (Oct 15, 2018)

Allow me to vent a current foible of mine (foibles seem to be the purpose of this forum). It’s more like a riddle: Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Rossini - who comes next? If I say, Janacek, would anybody agree? Until recently this magnificent composer of thought provoking themes married to tuneful innovative music didn’t even appear on my horizon. All ignorance, I suppose, since I only knew his Sinfonietta - now I can’t get enough.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

How exclusive is this club? Puccini and Strauss belong in any club of top opera composers. Janacek may belong as well, but I don't know enough of his operas to have an opinion. Surely Handel and Britten are also contenders.


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Puccini goes without saying.
I'll trade a Rossini for a Donizetti and add a Bellini, Giordano, a Tchaikovsky and a Gounod.
I too love Janacek. 
Then there are the one-timers (almost 2) like Boito.
(And of course Andrew Lloyd Webber. Can't forget him!


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> (And of course Andrew Lloyd Webber. Can't forget him!


More's the pity


----------



## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Johann Strauss 'Die Fledermaus' has been at the top for me this week.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

One word - Berlioz.


----------



## marceliotstein (Feb 23, 2019)

Certainly Donizetti, Puccini and Richard Strauss are missing here. Despite the fact that I have personally never yet had a good experience with a Bellini opera (I've tried), I'm pretty sure he belongs too. No experience with Janacek yet, but I'll take the hint for the future.


----------



## Hermastersvoice (Oct 15, 2018)

Marceliotstein, Wooduck. I too wouldâ€™ve quoted Puccini, Bellini, Donizetti and R Strauss up until recently. And as magnificent as they all are, in terms of good tunes, expressive music and - lest not forget - worthy theatre material, Janacek is climbing up in my estimation. I cannot but feel that Janacek didnâ€™t get a fair hearing í ½í¸‰ because of the Czech language being understood by much fewer people than Italian and German - which since times of yore has dominated the operatic world. Janacekâ€™s music is to my ears ever as captivating as say Pucciniâ€™s, and the bit of queasiness which can easily set in after too many Butterflys does not appear with Janacek. His music is forever fresh sounding, tuneful, witty, never overly sentimental (we canâ€™t say the same about Donizetti or Puccini, can we?), purposeful, imaginative. To be honest, I thought Iâ€™d come to the end of the road with opera - too many Aidas, Trovatores, Carmens and Bohemes until this Master appeared in my collection.


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Hermastersvoice said:


> Allow me to vent a current foible of mine (foibles seem to be the purpose of this forum). It's more like a riddle: Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Rossini - who comes next? If I say, Janacek, would anybody agree? Until recently this magnificent composer of thought provoking themes married to tuneful innovative music didn't even appear on my horizon. All ignorance, I suppose, since I only knew his Sinfonietta - now I can't get enough.


I'd go with Mozart, Handel, Wagner, Verdi. I love Rossini, but he's not quite up to the level of those operatic gods; I would elevate Puccini, Richard Strauss and Britten into the pantheon, though. I'd place Janáček, Berlioz, Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Donizetti in the next league down, but it's a very accomplished league nonetheless.


----------



## Hermastersvoice (Oct 15, 2018)

And the merits of Mr Janacek? Am I the only person entirely captivated by this music? And the fact that he managed to put it to worthy theatre material?


----------



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Which is the best type of fruit? Apples, grapefruit, raspberry or kumquat? 

Personally I put Janacek ahead of most Verdi and, unless I feel like rolling in schmaltz, most Puccini also. I wouldn't even attempt to compare Janacek with either Berlioz or Wagner, both of whom I am more likely to listen to.


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I like Janacek's music, but his stories are too morbid for me to fully enjoy his operas.


----------



## Hermastersvoice (Oct 15, 2018)

Becca, Itullian. I’d be very interested in the qualities in Janaceks music that appeal to you? And why do you think he’s ignored when say Puccini is played so much. Isn’t there a raw, free-spirited quality to his music which one would think appeals more to today’s audience than say R Strauss?


----------



## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

GregMitchell said:


> One word - Berlioz.


Another word - Berg.


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Itullian said:


> I like Janacek's music, but his stories are too morbid for me to fully enjoy his operas.


It's partly the bleakness of the stories that attracts me. Ditto Berg and, to some extent, Birtwistle.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Like Woodduck I would have to include Benjamin Britten in such esteemed company - the fact that all of his operas (fifteen in total if we count the three church parables) range from above average to outstanding is a great achievement for a composer who also managed to excel in at least four other genres.


----------

