# Voices you imagine the composers with



## Abraham Lincoln (Oct 3, 2015)

It's all in the title. ;P

For me:
Mozart: Tom Hulce's portrayal of him in the film Amadeus, complete with goofy laugh
Beethoven: Lewis Black, of course
Tchaikovsky: His actual voice, preferably Alex Hirsch as voice actor
Wagner: I probably really shouldn't--
Bach: Mindy Kaling (I can explain)
Chopin: Bill Hader
Grieg: Albert Einstein
Vivaldi: Ellen DeGeneres
Haydn: Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Clara Schumann: Angela Gossow


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## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

That's rather difficult, perhaps even a mighty feat to accomplish, at least I find it to be so. I suppose I am having a hard time associating voices with composers for some reason that I myself am having a hard time comprehending. Alas, behold, the imagination at its most rampant! I really liked the selections you've listed above, especially the Chopin - Bill Hader because it's absolutely rad and unusual (It's Great!). :tiphat:


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Gesualdo would have to have the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch, without question (if Gesualdo was British)


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

When I give an example I still hear the composer in their language. 

Mozart - While I would say Tom Hulce had his sense of humor down pat, I've heard that he had a softer tenor voice that could be powerful when he got excited. I still have to go with Tom Hulce, even though he was more of a baritone. 

Beethoven - Gary Oldman did a pretty good job. He spoke in a darker register for Beethoven and captured his essence, as far as what we know from his writings, letters, music, and paintings. Though he was a fairly small guy, I wouldn't be at all surprised if his voice was higher pitched, but height doesn't always decide what the voice will sound like. 

Chopin - Jonathan Hyde kind of looks similar to him, and has a very interesting voice. 

Dvorak - A deeper voice similar to Paul L. Smith or John Rhys Davies. Something that is both smokey, and warm. 

Mussorgsky - Elya Baskin. Might be considered lazy to pick a famous Russian actor, but I feel they both had a similar look, though completely different body shapes. 

Bach - For some reason I imagine a raspier baritone. Similar to Patrick McGoohan in his later years. 

Haydn - Max von Sydow in any point in his life. I just get that vibe from his portraits. 

Verdi - An Italian Liam Neeson......yeah


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Yes, it has to be Gary Oldman for Beethoven.

On a side note, I remember an experience I had a couple years back hearing the voice of H. G. Wells for the first time. When I was a kid growing up, Wells was like this elder god of science fiction who must surely have sounded like a British Charlton Heston (as Moses) from the Victorian era, orating prophetic proclamations in powerful awe inspiring tones. I did not realize or think to wonder that he lived well into to the twentieth century, passing just a mere ten years before I was born and that his voice had been recorded. In a YouTube video I recently saw of a speech he gave I found his voice weak, hesitant, whiny and terribly disillusioning.

I imagine it might be the same for many of our composer heroes.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Weston said:


> I imagine it might be the same for many of our composer heroes.


Schoenberg (by this time in his 70s) had a very commanding if thin voice:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons is Bruckner:

Bruckner to Wagner: "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a symphony recommendation tooo-day."


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## mstar (Aug 14, 2013)

Oddly enough, I tend not to think of composers as people. 

I find that I am more likely to refer to a composer as an... object (i.e. "it" vs. "he") when referring to a work.


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## OldFashionedGirl (Jul 21, 2013)

Schoenberg: Peter Lorre.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Continuing on from my previous post

Vivaldi - I imagine him having a voice similar to Marlon Brando for some reason. If you can imagine Marlon Brando the actor, and not a silly impression of him. With an actual Italian accent. 

Liszt - Always got an Ed Harris vibe from him. 

Vaughan Williams - an English Lionel Barrymore. 

Holst - Richard Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances 

Tchaikovsky - having heard his voice recently, I must say it's not what I expected. I always expected it to be rougher.


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2015)

Pictures of the younger John Cage with the short hair and chiseled features seem to project something masculine. And then you listen to _Bird Cage_ and realize he sounds more like Winnie The Pooh.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Mahlerian said:


> Schoenberg (by this time in his 70s) had a very commanding if thin voice:


A pleasant surprise. His voice isn't far off from what I had imagined. I think his command of the English language was much better than Stravinsky's.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Morimur said:


> A pleasant surprise. His voice isn't far off from what I had imagined. I think his command of the English language was much better than Stravinsky's.


Yes, Stravinsky's English was heavily colored by his second language of French, I feel. They both ended up moving to the US later in life and taking it up as their adopted home.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

I never really pictured most composers' voices, though I did picture Wagner's and Richard burton sounds _exactly_ like that, it's just weird.



Abraham Lincoln said:


> Tchaikovsky: His actual voice, preferably Alex Hirsch as voice actor


Wow, his voice was much higher than I was expecting.



SalieriIsInnocent said:


> Vaughan Williams - an English Lionel Barrymore.
> 
> .


Here he is:


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## Abraham Lincoln (Oct 3, 2015)

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> Bach - For some reason I imagine a raspier baritone. Similar to Patrick McGoohan in his later years.


Ooh, I like this one. It certainly would fit better than Mindy Kaling. x'P


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