# 20th Century/Modern Bracket 2nd Round



## JRFuerst (Apr 2, 2010)

2nd round has begun.

http://public.bracketeers.com/matchup.php?id=378

Have fun!

(Bartok vs Shostakovich was so difficult for me).


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

This round has given me the interesting experience of finding it just as hard to vote when two composers I don't really like are competing as when two composers whose music I could barely live without are competing.

Steve Reich vs. John Cage? (Cage barely won my vote in this for 4' 33", though I nearly tossed a coin.)

Berg won my vote over Bernstein only because of his violin concerto that I semi-enjoy. I've always loved Bernstein as an inspiring teacher and conductor, but his music is singularly sleep inducing for me - so far.

Lutoslawski vs. Copland. Well, I always enjoyed _Fanfare for the Common Man_, but that's about it. The Lutoslawski piece is at least an enjoyable video visually. Will Yo-Yo Ma out-grimace a rock star? Will Salonen's suspenders snap? So that got my vote.

The rest are pretty much no contest. The accessible melodic composers tend to win out over the noisy dissonant ones when they are crossing batons.

But at present I have no idea who will come out on top. This is going to be interesting.


----------



## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

Bartok vs Shostakovich? I wanted to see how the public goes. I take Shosta because I am listening to him much often than Bartok.


----------



## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Prokofiev is killing Schoenberg (100% - 0%). 

And unlike the vast majority of you (so far), I'm going for Bartok over Shostakovich.


----------



## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

Air said:


> Prokofiev is killing Schoenberg (100% - 0%).
> 
> And unlike the vast majority of you (so far), I'm going for Bartok over Shostakovich.


He's off 0% now.


----------



## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Debussy vs. Glass... lol, not a competition


And honestly, Bartok vs. Shostakovich.... Bartok is an inventor with a musical language that is unique to him. He also doesn't make me take antidepressants before a concert.


Arvo Part vs. Gershwin. That was a though on for me. Part has music that take you to infinity, Gershwin is more easily enjoyable tunes (something which I value just as much as more philosophic music)

Nice to see Dinosaur Strauss still fighting his way through, even though he should't be in this particular bracket, the old bean 



Now wait a minute, Charles Ives wins over Poulenc? Are you people insane?


----------



## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

Ives' awesome!


----------



## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Yeah but he's nothing compared to poulenc.... I'm going to blame it on America.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Barber vs Takemitsu was a cruel one for me. I'd rate them both as top20 all time.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Rasa said:


> Yeah but he's nothing compared to poulenc.... I'm going to blame it on America.


Don't. I voted Poulenc, no contest, and I'm A_mur_can. Ives is an interesting experimenter, but he rarely makes me feel.


----------



## TWhite (Feb 23, 2010)

Rasa said:


> Yeah but he's nothing compared to poulenc.... I'm going to blame it on America.


Rasa:

I went with you on Poulenc. Tasty stuff (have you ever played his Nocturnes? Just delicious!).

MY problem was Walton vs. Strauss. Like 'em both a lot, and like you, I thought we relegated Strauss to the Romantic contest. It was like asking me what I liked better: "Belshazzar's Feast" or "Rosenkavalier." Hey, I love them both--apples and oranges.

Oh well, LOL!---

Tom


----------

