# What makes Great music 'Great'?



## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

I expect great answers...


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

As you posted elsewhere, "My personal opinion, that the vast majority of the music that was written in the time of the Romantics, yes including Beethoven, Bach, Mendelssohn and Mozart are all pointless drivels and are a total waste of time if you ask me."

Shall we assume that you want answers in agreement with your comments?


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## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

Ken, check out what I wrote on the other thread (latest)...


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## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

And to answer your question, no...


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Great is in the ear of the behearer. It is not the music by itself that is great, but whatever intangible thing is transferred between the composer, the performer(s), the sounds, and the listener(s).


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

I first and sincerely want to know what you think qualifies a piece of music as great.

Your Turn.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Great, here, has two meanings of significance. Neither can be easily justified.

One is taste: it is great, I like it, it pleases me. This is what Weston appears to mean by great.
Another, the one I think you mean, is greatness: of cultural significance, of lasting merit, of influence.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Well, I guess that if we all had an answer for that, we would be all out there, composing great music.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

aleazk said:


> Well, I guess that if we all had an answer for that, we would be all out there, composing great music.


Well, those of us who know how to compose, and then only may be....


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2013)

At the risk of sounding self-important (what the hell, live a little!) I refer the honourable member to my previous reply on the subject...

http://www.talkclassical.com/21728-greatest-vs-favourite-6.html#post365627

(A thread that explored the possibilities of the term without being closed!)



> A composer could be deemed to have achieved greatness if his or her output is regarded by a significant majority of qualified listeners as consistently meeting the following criteria:
> 
> 
> Form follows function - complexity or simplicity, whichever is appropriate.
> ...


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

It has to fit the values of marketing and consumerism.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

I hold to my circular definition: A great piece of music is one that often appears on lists of "great music".


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Nereffid said:


> I hold to my circular definition: A great piece of music is one that often appears on lists of "great music".


This is the right answer - assuming the lists are made by people who are considered to be the kind of people who are supposed to know about things like that.

(Three passive voice verbs in one sense. The winning has been done by me!)


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

To paraphrase Potter Stewart, I don't know how to define it, but I know it when I hear it.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

PetrB said:


> I first and sincerely want to know what you think qualifies a piece of music as great.
> 
> Your Turn.


Yeh, threads that just ask to know something rather than contributing can be irksome.


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## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

I want to put the cherry on top of the cake...


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

The best attempt to analyze and define quality remains Robert W. Pirsig's book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" -- which ultimately doesn't succeed (the question is basically unanswerable) but will make you think for a long time.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Musician said:


> I expect great answers...


Certainly not just because they pushed the boundaries. That's easy to do on its own. It takes more than that for greatness.


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## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

What makes music Great is the ability to enjoy it time and again without been bored from it.


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## kelseythepterodactyl (Sep 5, 2013)

science said:


> This is the right answer - assuming the lists are made by people who are considered to be the kind of people who are supposed to know about things like that.
> 
> (Three passive voice verbs in one sense. The winning has been done by me!)


Unfortunately, those lists are usually made by record companies as a marketing scheme. They are trying to get people to buy what the company wants them to buy, and not what may actually be "great."


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

...another "greatness" thread. :tiphat:


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

science said:


> This is the right answer - assuming the lists are made by people who are considered to be the kind of people who are supposed to know about things like that.
> 
> (Three passive voice verbs in one sense. The winning has been done by me!)


LOL, that is great and deserves the recognition of the prize you awarded it 

BUT:
Who are the people who agree upon who those people who are considered to be the kind of people who are supposed to know about things like that?


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## Musician (Jul 25, 2013)

LOL!!!.............:lol: (too short so I have to type in some extra pointless things........well almost 'pointless).........



starthrower said:


> ...another "greatness" thread. :tiphat:


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