# The Sooner You Realize...



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

you don't really have favorite composers, but favorite works, the better off you'll be.


Discuss!


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Well, it works both ways. In part I judge my regard for composers by listing the works of their's I would really miss if they were to disappear.


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## KevinJS (Sep 24, 2021)

The overture to Le Nozze de Figaro, Requiem K626 and Symphony #41 are all very different beasts. I like them all and wouldn't hesitate to number Mozart among my favourites but, yes, if church music, or opera, has the listener reaching for a handy bucket, there's plenty of other stuff to choose from.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

MarkW said:


> Well, it works both ways. In part I judge my regard for composers by listing the works of their's I would really miss if they were to disappear.


But are you claiming favorite composers though?


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> you don't really have favorite composers, but favorite works


No, I have favorite composers.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

SanAntone said:


> No, I have favorite composers.


I think it's healthier to accept my position in the OP. Just my .02.


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## Michael122 (Sep 16, 2021)

This consideration has always been something of a dilemma for me.
For me, there really is a favorite composer, but am unable to limit myself to an absolute single favorite work by him.
Also for me, there are many favorite works by many different composers and, again, it is difficult for me to indicate a specific piece by any of them as my outstanding favorite.
And, if that consideration was available to me, there would be the struggle to measure it against an all time favorite by my favorite composer.
An absolute favorite piece has eluded me for quite some time now, and thank you so very much for bringing this up so i can re-hash my frustration over this dilemma, Captain...


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I think it's healthier to accept my position in the OP. Just my .02.


I think it's healthier for someone to listen to music however they want and like what they want without a thread telling them otherwise.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Neo Romanza said:


> I think it's healthier for someone to listen to music however they want and like what they want without a thread telling them otherwise.


I'm suggesting and theorizing, not telling and dictating.


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## Michael122 (Sep 16, 2021)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm suggesting and theorizing, not telling and dictating.


Captain's intent in this OP was nothing less than obvious.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm suggesting and theorizing, not telling and dictating.


Really? If that's the case, then you may want to reconsider this reply you made to SanAntone:



Captainnumber36 said:


> I think it's healthier to accept my position in the OP. Just my .02.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Oh and I have plenty of favorite composers just like I have plenty of favorite works. So sue me!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

"just my .02".......


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> "just my .02".......


You're still telling someone they're wrong any way you want to spin it.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Neo Romanza said:


> You're still telling someone they're wrong any way you want to spin it.


I'm really just suggesting an alternative way of looking at it that I believe to be superior, but I don't claim to know it's superiority for certain.

Hence I think and my .02.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm really just suggesting an alternative way of looking at it that I believe to be superior, but I don't claim to know it's superiority for certain.
> 
> Hence I think and my .02.


But an alternative view doesn't make any sense here. The bottomline is we all have our favorite composers just like we have favorite works. It's just the way it is, so get used to it. There's no need to overanalyze here.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Neo Romanza said:


> But an alternative view doesn't make any sense here. The bottomline is we all have our favorite composers just like we have favorite works. It's just the way it is, so get used to it. There's no need to overanalyze here.


That sounds fair. Good point!


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I think it's healthier to accept my position in the OP. Just my .02.


Your position is irrelevant to me  When I like a composer, I enjoy most of his works.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> you don't really have favorite composers, but favorite works, the better off you'll be.
> 
> Discuss!


Not quit so Captain, it works in different ways.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


> Not quit so Captain, it works in different ways.


Ya, I think the position in the OP really works for me though.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Ya, I think the position in the OP really works for me though.


I've read that ,but sometimes I can be fascinated by a artist who then make me listen to other works.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I have favorite composers more than I do favorite works. I can list some favorite works, but there are far more works I like than composers I appreciate. 

I listen mostly to these composers:

Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Dvorak
Mendelssohn
Bruckner
Mahler
Haydn 
Mozart
Shostakovich
Bartok

And if I list a dozen or so composers, I would have almost all of my listening covered. Monteverdi, Handel, Schumann, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Holst, CPE Bach, Berlioz, Janacek, Rorem, Ravel, Xenakis...

So less than 30 composers, most of which I only listen to on occasion.

But I have countless pieces I listen to. I usually listen to a few pieces for a span of time, before switching to other pieces. Currently, I am favoring Mahler's Ressurection Symphony, an orchestration of Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata, Nielsen's Fifth Symphony, and a few numbers from Mendelssohn's Elijah.

It's easier to keep track of favorite composers than favorite works.


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## Forster (Apr 22, 2021)

I certainly have favourite works. And I regularly look to certain composers first for new favourites. But I'm also on the lookout for new favourites from composers that I don't know. For example, I have no Schubert in my collection. Is he a favourite composer waiting to be discovered, or are there favourite works waiting to be discovered?

On the other hand, I like the company of certain composers regardless of the work. So I'm no fan of Beethoven's 4th, but I'll listen to it because I like LvB's way of thinking - despite his bad moods!

That's just my .0.1


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

"It works for me", therefore "It works for everyone" - I'm sure there is a name for this logical fallacy.

Like most people, I have both favourite works and favourite composers. There is an obvious overlap, although not 100%, if we limit the numbers to say 100 of each. Examples would be Warlock's Curlew (one of my 100 favourite works, but Warlock is nowhere near my top 100 composers), and Raff (one of my top 100 composers, but none of his work is in my 100 favourite works).


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I have favorite composers and I found that exploring classical music "following" favorite composers through different parts of their output worked well for me as a teenager over 30 years ago. Not exclusively, of course, one also explores in other directions. Genres not as immediately appealing for me like some chamber music or piano solo were easier to get into with pieces by Beethoven or Mozart where I was already familiar with some symphonies and concertos and so on.


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## VoiceFromTheEther (Aug 6, 2021)

Art Rock said:


> "It works for me", therefore "It works for everyone" - I'm sure there is a name for this logical fallacy.


false consensus effect


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

I disagree. I think you should try your best to free yourself from the notion of "favorites" altogether. Rating and ranking music is useful for discussion, but it holds negative personal value.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Favorite composers - They have written some of my favorite works, and I like their overall sound world
Favorite works - These can come from anywhere, and sometimes, they are the only thing I like from a given composer


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

I agree but most ppl prefer a certain style the particular composers have...


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## fbjim (Mar 8, 2021)

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> I disagree. I think you should try your best to free yourself from the notion of "favorites" altogether. Rating and ranking music is useful for discussion, but it holds negative personal value.


I listen for pleasure - having favorites is certainly relevant in that case, though I see your point.


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## thejewk (Sep 13, 2020)

I don't really see a strong benefit or negative to either stance. Seems arbitrary to me. 

What benefit would I supposedly get for thinking one way or another?


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I agree wit the Capt'n for his particular case. He had an obsession with Mozart as in where, nobody could do better (check out his purity thread). I think he's come to the realization he didn't have to like everything Mozart did, but just what his favourite works are from him and he could appreciate those from others.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

A characteristic of mine is my inability to choose favorites in general , whether in classical music , my tastes in literature, art, books of whatever kind, television programs , films magazines, food, drink etc . 
I can't choose one favorite composer , a favorite work in a composer's output, a favorite performer whether pianist, violinist, cellist , opera or concert and lieder singer etc . 
I prefer some composers to others, and am more fond of certain works within a composer's output than others , but asking me to choose favorites is futile .


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

superhorn said:


> A characteristic of mine is my inability to choose favorites in general , whether in classical music , my tastes in literature, art, books of whatever kind, television programs , films magazines, food, drink etc .
> I can't choose one favorite composer , a favorite work in a composer's output, a favorite performer whether pianist, violinist, cellist , opera or concert and lieder singer etc .
> I prefer some composers to others, and am more fond of certain works within a composer's output than others , but asking me to choose favorites is futile .


For me, music is the only art form which I spend a lot of time with. So I don't have favorites there, but I do with other forms of Art that I don't study.


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

Captainnumber36 said:


> you don't really have favorite composers, but favorite works, the better off you'll be.
> 
> Discuss!


For what is it good?

It is about searching for new compositions.

I think the composers is rather important compared to form or era. So searching for compositions by composers is rather promising.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Captainnumber36 said:


> For me, music is the only art form which I spend a lot of time with. So I don't have favorites there, but I do with other forms of Art that I don't study.


So are favorites a product of ignorance?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

SixFootScowl said:


> So are favorites a product of ignorance?


That is inevitable.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Aries said:


> For what is it good?
> 
> It is about searching for new compositions.
> 
> I think the composers is rather important compared to form or era. So searching for compositions by composers is rather promising.


You can search by composer, but having favorites for me isn't useful.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Captainnumber36 said:


> You can search by composer, but having favorites for me isn't useful.


It gets in the way in fact of my enjoyment. I get too preoccupied with trying to decipher who and why is a favorite rather than just enjoying individual works.


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

Captainnumber36 said:


> It gets in the way in fact of my enjoyment. I get too preoccupied with trying to decipher who and why is a favorite rather than just enjoying individual works.


Isn't it an automatic process when a composers becomes a favorite? I hear a composer the first time, find it interesting, hear it again, like it, hear it more, like it more, then hear other pieces. Then often there are some pieces which are somewhat strange. But knowing the composers helps understanding other works of the composer, doesn't it? At least it increases my interest.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

superhorn said:


> A characteristic of mine is my inability to choose favorites in general , whether in classical music , my tastes in literature, art, books of whatever kind, television programs , films magazines, food, drink etc .
> I can't choose one favorite composer , a favorite work in a composer's output, a favorite performer whether pianist, violinist, cellist , opera or concert and lieder singer etc .
> I prefer some composers to others, and am more fond of certain works within a composer's output than others , but asking me to choose favorites is futile .


Yes, that sums it up pretty well for me...I'm not interested in favorites. I listen to what i want when i want...do i like Mozart #40 better than 39?? Who cares?? Some days i do, some days i don't...I don't care...i like them both.


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## FrankinUsa (Aug 3, 2021)

I’m going to throw in a new factor. 
Suppose someone is in love with a certain conductor and all performances by that conductor are definitive.
I admit I am close to my above statement with Szell But I think I can admit some ****** in Szell’s armor. Suppose someone is in love with Furtwangler(umm)?


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> you don't really have favorite composers, but favorite works, the better off you'll be.
> 
> Discuss!


Seems a bit of a false dichotomy to me.

I have favorite works AND I have favorite composers.

The reason why I have favorite composers, is because they composed my favorite works. Works that are my favorite had to come from somewhere, and the came from the minds of my favorite composers.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I am better off as long as I am enjoying what I am listening to, and occasionally check out some new (to me, not necessarily modern) music in case I missed something.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

The Sooner You Realize...

.....it doesn't really matter - just listen to what you like, when you like, by whoever you like and be happy that you can.


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

Telling what my favorite works are is more difficult for me than telling my favorite composers. The way my favorite works were composed was also used for other works by the composers. I can see things I like in different works, but it depends on the composer.

Composers do not compose randomly works I like. It has reasons.


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