# Composers: gifted in concerto vs symphony vs chamber vs other



## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Some composers clearly excelled in a genre much more than they did in others.
Mahler and symphonies is the first (and maybe the most clear cut?) example that comes to mind.
For others it is certainly more difficult to tell what genre they were more gifted in.

What is your opinion, in this respect, about Shosty?
Prokofiev?
Liszt?
Sibelius?
Schoenberg?
Stravinskij?
Čajkovskij?
Mozart?
Beethoven?
etc
etc
etc

Please try to avoid the rational yet dull answer "he was good at more than one genre".
Overreach! Use your personal preferences if you need to.

EDIT after nathanb's comment: you may also reply, like he appropriately did, focusing on instruments rather than genres.


----------



## Guest (Dec 9, 2015)

Cage was incredibly gifted with the piano. Certainly I would not want to be without 108 or Atlas Eclipticalis or the Freeman Etudes, and so on, but when you look at the 15+ discs worth of piano music Cage left us, from the Sonatas And Interludes to Music Of Changes to the Etudes Australes, it becomes difficult to argue that the piano was his gift.


----------



## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

I think Shosty's best work is his chamber music.
Most composers I love I feel are too well-rounded (Beethoven, Schubert, Bartók, Messiaen, Ligeti, etc.) to answer this, but I'd say Debussy's best are his piano works.
PS. What's with that Italian custom to add Js at the end of Russian's composers names?


----------



## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Der Leiermann said:


> PS. What's with that Italian custom to add Js at the end of Russian's composers names?


Because their names are spelled with й the Russian letter for j.
For Prokofjev I prefer his symphonies. 
Sibelius I think his symphonic poems even if his symphonies and songs are fine too.
Tjajkovskij his operas.
Mozart his symphonies.
Beethoven I like nearly everything he made.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

In general if I like one genre of a composer's body of work I like the others too. I can't even think of any exceptions at the moment. Some composers are known for certain genres, but that doesn't mean they don't do well in the others also. 

Of course Bach wasn't very good at opera.


----------



## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Der Leiermann said:


> I think Shosty's best work is his chamber music.
> Most composers I love I feel are too well-rounded (Beethoven, Schubert, Bartók, Messiaen, Ligeti, etc.) to answer this, but I'd say Debussy's best are his piano works.
> *PS. What's with that Italian custom to add Js at the end of Russian's composers names?*


Because the alternative ("-y", as opposed to "-ij", for "ий"), despite being the most common in anglo-saxon languages, is actually the least common among the many standardized methods of transliteration, and - I think - the least favourite among scholars.

As for it being an "Italian custom", I really do not know.
Maybe a Wikipedia effect?
In the Italian wiki, an ISO 9 ("scientific transliteration") system is used. So you'll have Stravinskij and El'cin rather than Stravinsky and Yeltsin.
I don't know about other Wikis.


----------



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

Prokofiev - with all the works I have of his I'd tentatively say he was more consistent with his ballets than anything else (although I haven't heard The Stone Flower). The chamber music is also fine but he didn't write too much of it.

Hindemith - chamber music, especially the many sonatas.

Reger - chamber music.

Brahms - chamber music.

Rachmaninov - piano music.

Britten - opera.

Schumann - lieder.


----------



## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> Brahms - chamber music.
> 
> Rachmaninov - piano music.


Brahms was just very good at everything he made including chamber music.
My favourite work by Rachmanninov is the Bells.


----------



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

Sloe said:


> Brahms was just very good at everything he made including chamber music.
> My favourite work by Rachmanninov is the Bells.


Oh, I wouldn't argue with that overall but I'm offering my opinion with the strictures of the OP in mind and the fact that I personally find Brahms's chamber music more satisfying when considered as a whole.


----------



## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> Oh, I wouldn't argue with that overall but I'm offering my opinion with the strictures of the OP in mind and the fact that I personally find Brahms's chamber music more satisfying when considered as a whole.


I like his chamber music too and also his other music.


----------



## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Predictably, I have a hard time answering my own question. 
Mostly because I am so partial to the concerto that my answer would be boring.


----------



## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Stavrogin said:


> Predictably, I have a hard time answering my own question.
> Mostly because I am so partial to the concerto that my answer would be boring.


We all have our favourite forms of music. I am personally not so fond of concertos.
I can also say that I feel admiration for composers who made music I like in forms that I am otherwise not so fond of.


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Mozart tended to be good at everything but he did write the greatest ever operas imo.


----------



## Rhombic (Oct 28, 2013)

Xenakis with percussion!
Myaskovsky and Mahler with symphonies, for obvious reasons.
Schumann particularly *un*gifted with the orchestra.


----------



## Guest (Dec 9, 2015)

Rhombic said:


> Xenakis with percussion!


But he was so bloody good with strings...


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Mozart's piano concertos are his best works imo.


----------



## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

Mahler for his symphonies *and* his lieder

Mozart for his operas and his piano concertos

Haydn for his symphonies and his string quartets

Schubert for his lieder

Messiaen for his organ music


----------



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Can I be forgiving for saying Chopin for his solo piano music? 

Just in case, I'll say Tallis for vocal music, Vivaldi for his concertos.... 

Also, perhaps more in line with the OP's intentions, Schumann for solo piano, Bruch for his music for violin and orchestra, Albeniz for solo piano, Franck for chamber music, and Reich for music with tape.


----------

