# The Three B's



## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

I'm sure we've all come across the phrase "The Three B's" at some point, referring to Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, though Berlioz was in fact the original third B according to this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Bs

Now the question is, why B? What other letters are there that could stand for a similar triumvirate?

M comes to mind, how about Mozart, Mendelssohn and Mahler? Or S, Schubert, Sibelius and Stravinsky?

H ought to have some popularity with hi-fi tests: Haydn, Händel and Holst!

And where would pianists be without the three C's: Couperin, Czerny and Chopin!

I'm sure there are more i haven't thought of here, post your own suggestions!


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## Wicked_one (Aug 18, 2010)

I think it's about the B's cause you know... Bach wrote a lot of amazing stuff for.. everything  Beethoven was a revolutionist in his own way. He set out some new rules in different genres, he added the choir in his 9th. He was a great pianist, composer, just as Bach, yet more emotional, I guess. 

And Brahms...

I think it's a continuity between these 3 dudes. Whereas talking bout the M's... ok, you have the lovely melodies in Mozart and Mendelssohn but along comes Mahler putting his heart out and loud booms and heart breaking slow parts. It's not all about melody now, it's more of the whole context. 

My 2 cents


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Weber, Wagner, and... Webern?


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Three M's:

Mozart, Mahler and me.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Aramis said:


> Three M's:
> 
> Mozart, Mahler and me.


Oh wow... I laughed out loud upon seeing this!:lol:

New idea for three W's: Webern, Wagner and Whoever wants the last slot!


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## Alnitak (Oct 21, 2008)

Aramis said:


> Three M's:
> 
> Mozart, Mahler and me.


absolutely, yes...

and there, the three Y's:

Ysaÿe, Yardumian, and You. :tiphat:


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

Perhaps Mozart and Mendelssohn would be better served if Mehul went in the middle of them - at least he would chronologically fill the gap even if he isn't as illustrious as the other two. 

As regards another set of Bs, how about Bridge, Bax and Bliss?


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

Bach? OK. Beethoven? OK. Brahms? D: hell no!

So many better choices for the B spot: Bartok, Barber, Bellini, Berg, Berlioz, Bernstein, Borodin, Britten, Bruckner, even Buxtehude. My vote goes for Bruckner.




On a side note, Zappa, Zemlinsky, and Zwilich.


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## Falstaft (Mar 27, 2010)

The three X's, of course.

Xenakis, X... err..


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

:lol: ^

It seems to me the "B's" are also linked by nationality and music tradition.

So: Schütz, Schubert, Schumann


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## toucan (Sep 27, 2010)

3 B's?
I thought they were Berio, Boulez and Birtwistle

The 3 S's: Schubert, Schumann, Scriabin
The 3 giant M's: Monteverdi, Mozart and Messiaen

The three little piggies: Penderecki, Pärt and Prokofiev


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

toucan said:


> The three little piggies: Penderecki, Pärt and Prokofiev


Prokofiev in the Brick House yo!


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

I created a thread: Wagner, Webern and Wellesz....Three great composers!!! Wagner a bit different and not Jewish...LOL Webern and Wellesz friends of Arnold the Schönbergien and Alban Bergamotte.

Martin, laughing


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## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

I got the ultimate killer trio....

*Grieg, Gesualdo & Gluck!*


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

I once joked about the "three T's": Tchaikovsky.


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

My propositions:

Three As: Adams, Alkan, Antheil
Three Bs (not counting original ones): Bartok, Bax, Bruckner
Three Cs: Cage, Carter, Copland
Three Ds: Debussy, Delius, Dutilleux
Three Es: Elgar, Enescu, Eotvos
Three Fs: Faure, Fine, Foss
Three Gs: Gershwin, Górecki, Grieg
Three Hs: Hindemith, Holst, Honegger
Three Is: Ibert, Ifukube, Ireland
Three Js: Janacek, Jarnefelt, Jolivet
Three Ks: Khachaturian, Kodaly, Koechlin
Three Ls: Ligeti, Liszt, Lutosławski
Three Ms: Mahler, Messiaen, Milhaud
Three Ns: Nielsen, Nono, Norgaard
Three Os: Offenbach, Orff, Ornstein
Three Ps: Poulenc, Praetorius, Prokofiev
Three Qs: let me skip this one, OK?
Three Rs: Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Reich
Three Ss: Schoenberg, Sibelius, Stravinsky
Three Ts: Tailleferre, Takemitsu, Tchaikovsky
Three Us: uhh, too hard.
Three Vs: Varese, Vaughan Williams, Villa-Lobos
Three Ws: Wagner, Walton, Webern
Three Xs: nah...
Three Ys: ditto...
Three Zs: Zappa, Zelenka, Zemlinsky.

Best regards, Dr


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Top-ten A's, from another forum:
1 - Adams, John (b. 1947)
2 - Aho, Kalevi (b. 1949)
3 - Alfvén, Hugo (1872-1960)
4 - Atterberg, Kurt (1887-1974)
5 - Abel, Carl Friedrich (1723-1787)
6 - Alkan, Charles Valentin (1813-1888)
7 - Antheil, George (1900-1959)
8 - Adès, Thomas (b. 1971)
9 - Arnell, Richard (1917-2009)
10 - Arriaga, Juan Crisóstomo (1806-1826)

More here: https://sites.google.com/site/kenocstuff/ama/best-composers-by-letter


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

This is fun.

A = Alwyn, Alfven, Arnold
B = Bach, Brahms, Bax
C = Chopin, Cage, Copland
D = Debussy, Dvorak, Diepenbrock
E = Elgar, Enescu, Englund
F = Faure, Finzi, Fuchs
G = Grieg, Gubaidulina, Gorecki
H= Haydn, Hummel, Hindemith
I = Ireland, Indy, Ives
J = Janacek, Jolivet, Jongen
K = Karlowicz, Korngold, Kozeluch
L = Leifs, Lilburn, Liszt
M = Mahler, Mendelssohn, Moeran
N = Nielsen, Nystroem, Nyman
O = Olsen, Onslow, Orbon
P = Prokofiev, Puccini, Piazzolla
Q = Quilter, Quantz, ............
R = Ravel, Raff, Respighi
S = Schubert, Shostkovich, Sibelius
T = Takemitsu, Tchaikovsky, Tubin
U = Ustvolskaya, Ullmann, Ung
V = Vasks, Vaughan Williams, Villa-Lobos
W = Wagner, Weber, Widor
X = Xenakis, Xu Yi, Xu Zhenmin
Y = Yoshimatsu, Ysaye, Yun
Z = Zemlinsky, Zelenka, Zwilich


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Berg, Boulez and Berio, right?

Actually, it was a German critic, Eduard Hanslick, I believe, who wrote a review of a performance of a German piece in E-flat, wherein he found the opportunity for a pun, as well as tying in and extolling three mighty home-boy German composers.

The German note nomenclature 'B' is Bb, and "The Three B's, as well as encompassing Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, is then also the Key signature of Eb.

Clever.

P.s. I am not at all remembering which composer or piece was the prime subject, but the gist of the tie-in of the three composer names and the Eb key signature is accurate.... so, you are all _busted_ 

*AHA -- KenOC delivers the goods in detail,directly below. Thank you Ken.*


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

The Three B's were originally Bach, Beethoven and Berlioz. Conductor Hans von Bülow substituted Brahms for Berlioz. Wagner proposed Bruckner instead, but that never caught on.

Said von Bülow, "My musical creed is in the key of E-flat major, and contains three flats in its key signature: Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms!" At another point he said, "I believe in Bach, the Father, Beethoven, the Son, and Brahms, the Holy Ghost of music."


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Three Hs: Haydn (M), Haydn (J) and Händel.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Aramis said:


> Three M's:
> 
> Mozart, Mahler and me.


I'm thinkin' that's a hair more like _*Elgar, Enescu and Ego*_.


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## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

More then 3...

http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/cindexb.html


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Lully, Liszt and Litoff?


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

*R*ameau, *R*ebel, *R*avel - all pronounced with a *r*eally *r*olled F*r*ench *rrrrrr*!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

.............................................



A Cage moment.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

Every time I ask someone to name the three B's they almost always get Bach and Beethoven, but never remember Brahms(WHO!??).


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I oppose the previous propositions for the 3 G's and substitute my own.

Glazunov, Grieg, Gershwin


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

The four Bs: Bach (J.S.), Bach (C.P.E.), Bach (J.C.) and Bach (P.D.Q.).


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## chrisco97 (May 22, 2013)

*The Three B's:*

Beethoven (Early), Beethoven (Middle), Beethoven (Late)

Haha :lol:


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

A = Aagner
B = Bagner
C = Cagner
D = Dagner
E = Eagner
F = Fagner
G = Gagner
H = Hagner
I = Iagner
J = Jagner
K = Kagner
L = Lagner
M = Magner
N = Nagner
O = Oagner
P = Pagner
Q = Quagner
R = Ragner
S = Sagner
T = Tagner
U = Uagner
V = Vagner
W = Wagner
X = Xagner
Y = Yagner
Z = Zagner


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Couchie said:


> A = Aagner
> B = Bagner
> C = Cagner
> D = Dagner
> ...


Ą - Ągner
Ę - Ęgner 
Ó- Óagner
Ć- Ćagner
Ł - Łagner
Ń - Ńagner
Ś - Śagner
Ź - Źagner
Ż - Żagner

Of all these composers - I don't know why - Wagner seems to be the only enjoying true fame, yet amount of good music he wrote is easily the same as amount of good music written by Cagner, Fagner etc.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Aramis said:


> Ą - Ągner
> Ę - Ęgner
> Ó- Óagner
> Ć- Ćagner
> ...


You know what? Recently listened to Quagner, and must say that guy had some talent. Too bad he wasn't discovered.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2013)

A - Alkan, Albeniz, Albinoni
B - Bach, Beethoven, Brahms (I know, boring)
C - Chopin . . .
D - Dvorak, Debussy, Dowland
E - Elgar . . .
F - Frescobaldi, Faure . . .
G - Gesualdo, Grieg . . .
H - Haydn, Handel, Hummel
I - ?
J - Janacek . . .
K - ?
L - Lassus, Liszt . . .
M - Mozart, Mahler, Mendelssohn
N - Nielsen, Neusidler . . .
O - Ockeghem . . .
P - Palestrina, Pachelbel, Prokofiev
Q - ?
R - Rachmaninov, Rameau, Reger
S - Schubert, Sibelius, Smetana
T - Tallis, Tchaikovsky, Telemann
U - ?
V - Vivaldi, Victoria, von Bingen (I know, cheating a bit with the last one)
W - ?
X - ?
Y - ?
Z - ?

This is based solely on who I like. I realize I have left such letters as W blank, even though there are obvious names that could fit the spot . . . but I don't care for He Who Must Not Be Named.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2013)

HaydnBearstheClock said:


> You know what? Recently listened to Quagner, and must say that guy had some talent. Too bad he wasn't discovered.


Rather listen to Quagner than Wagner.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

DrMike said:


> Q - ?


Your omission of Quantz (18th century flutist and composer) is forgivable.

The omission of Glazunov however, is that forgivable?









:tiphat:


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

I have learned:

Bach, Beethoven, Bruckner

Brahms can count to the 3 'Br's:
Bruckner, Brahms, Bruch


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

DrMike said:


> Rather listen to Quagner than Wagner.


*Quilhelm Quichard Quagner *(22 Quay 1813 - 13 Quebruary 1883) was a Querman qumposer, queatre director, quolemicist, and qunductor who is primarily known for his quperas (or, as some of his later works were later known, "qusic quramas").

Unlike most qupera qumposers, Quagner wrote both the quibretto and the qusic for each of his stage works. Initially establishing his reputation as a quomposer of works in the quomantic vein of Queber and Queyerbeer, Quagner revolutionised qupera through his concept of the _Quesamtkunstwerk _("total work of quart"), by which he sought to synthesise the quoetic, quisual, qusical and quramatic quarts, with qusic subsidiary to qurama, and which was announced in a series of quessays between 1849 and 1852. Quagner realised these ideas most fully in the first half of the four-qupera cycle _Der Ring des Quibelungen (The Ring of the Quibelung)_.

His quompositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their complex quextures, rich quarmonies and qurchestration, and the elaborate use of _queitmotifs_-qusical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas or plot elements. His advances in qusical language, such as extreme quhromaticism and quickly shifting quonal centres, greatly influenced the development of qulassical qusic. His _Quristan und Quisolde_ is sometimes described as marking the start of modern qusic.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Your omission of Quantz (18th century flutist and composer) is forgivable.
> 
> The omission of Glazunov however, is that forgivable?


You're quite a fan of Glazunov, it seems. 
I don't know any of his work besides the violin concerto, which I like a lot.

Any truth to the rumours that he was on way too friendly terms with the bottle? Glass-unov, in other words?


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Couchie said:


> *Quilhelm Quichard Quagner *(22 Quay 1813 - 13 Quebruary 1883) was a Querman qumposer, queatre director, quolemicist, and qunductor who is primarily known for his quperas (or, as some of his later works were later known, "qusic quramas").
> 
> Unlike most qupera qumposers, Quagner wrote both the quibretto and the qusic for each of his stage works. Initially establishing his reputation as a quomposer of works in the quomantic vein of Queber and Queyerbeer, Quagner revolutionised qupera through his concept of the _Quesamtkunstwerk _("total work of quart"), by which he sought to synthesise the quoetic, quisual, qusical and quramatic quarts, with qusic subsidiary to qurama, and which was announced in a series of quessays between 1849 and 1852. Quagner realised these ideas most fully in the first half of the four-qupera cycle _Der Ring des Quibelungen (The Ring of the Quibelung)_.
> 
> His quompositions, particularly those of his later period, are notable for their complex quextures, rich quarmonies and qurchestration, and the elaborate use of _queitmotifs_-qusical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas or plot elements. His advances in qusical language, such as extreme quhromaticism and quickly shifting quonal centres, greatly influenced the development of qulassical qusic. His _Quristan und Quisolde_ is sometimes described as marking the start of modern qusic.


He also invented the Tristan quord!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

The 3 Italian V's:

Vivaldi, Viotti, Verdi


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

realdealblues said:


> The 3 Italian V's:
> 
> Vivaldi, Viotti, Verdi


And, of course, Guido Vermicelli.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Couchie said:


> Unlike most qupera qumposers, Quagner wrote both the quibretto and the qusic for each of his stage works...


...starting in 1833 with _Die Queen_


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

You probably don't like them, but I suggest Ives, Korngold, Kodaly, Khachaturian, Vaughn Williams, Webern, and He Who Must Not Be Named.



DrMike said:


> A - Alkan, Albeniz, Albinoni
> B - Bach, Beethoven, Brahms (I know, boring)
> C - Chopin . . .
> D - Dvorak, Debussy, Dowland
> ...


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

brianvds said:


> You're quite a fan of Glazunov, it seems.
> I don't know any of his work besides the violin concerto, which I like a lot.
> 
> Any truth to the rumours that he was on way too friendly terms with the bottle? Glass-unov, in other words?


Yes, although he didn't die of alcoholism, like some of his colleagues. He eventually married, and his wife kept him away from drinking in his later years.


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2013)

PetrB said:


> *AHA -- KenOC delivers the goods in detail,directly below. Thank you Ken.*


Not enough detail, though, surely. (You don't mind if I call you....)

So Hans von Bülow substituted Brahms for Berlioz. OK. But who was it who made the three B's in the first place? (People are so accepting 'round here. "Bach, Beethoven, and Berlioz were the original three" and no one thinks to ask "Who originally was it who designated those three?"

(One could go to the wiki article referenced in the OP, but the information there about who first coined the phrase came originally from Jacques Barzun, and it got into wiki via a different member of TC from Mr. Ken.)


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## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

French "exotism" produced a remarkable trio too: (Felicien) David, Dukas and Debussy!


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

This kind of reminds me of the cute little group the popular girls in grammar school used to go by. Tehe.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

How about Persichetti, Pergolesi and Prokofiev? Three Pee's. Works for me! :tiphat:

Pettersson called me and he said he can gladly volunteer to be a substitute in case one of the above composers gets sick and can't make it.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

S
Schumann, Schubert, Shostakovich


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## Dutchman (Mar 28, 2014)

If first names are allowed then Schoenberg, Berg and Webern could be called 3 A's (Arnold, Alban and Anton).


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Copland, Corigliano and Chopin.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Haven't been through all posts, but perhaps this one has already been suggested:

Mozart, Mendelssohn and Mahler 

Regardless, if it has been posted before, it bears repeating.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

So does the exposition of the first movement of Haydn's Symphony #104.


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