# If you could change just one thing about any composer's style...



## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

All of us probably dislike certain things about every composer, even our favorite composers. Maybe you love Beethoven but you think his endings are too long. Or you might be crazy about Mozart but his trills sometimes annoy you. 

This is your chance to change that situation! Imagine that you have the power to change one feature of any composer's music, to make his or her pieces more enjoyable to you. What composer would you choose, and what feature would you decide to change? 

I would choose Liszt. I wish he would stop interrupting his beautiful melodies with so many piano cadenzas. In many of his pieces, a lovely melody begins to play--and then it is cut off a few notes later by a bunch of fast scales. I would like to eradicate that feature from his music. My "new and improved" Liszt would allow each melody to continue for several minutes.

Now it's your turn. What aspect of your favorite (or not-so-favorite) composer bugs you the most? Here's an opportunity to get rid of that annoying aspect!


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Well, this is probably not what you are looking for, but I would say that if we could have taken the drink out of Mussorgsky, we would have gotten quite a lot more finished works and maybe his "friends" would not have reworked some of them.


----------



## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Florestan said:


> Well, this is probably not what you are looking for, but I would say that if we could have taken the drink out of Mussorgsky, we would have gotten quite a lot more finished works and maybe his "friends" would not have reworked some of them.


Yes, it would be great if we could have made him lay off the booze! If only Mussorgsky had joined a 12-step program, we might have gotten 12 symphonies from him...

I like the way that you approached the question. Perhaps I should expand the original question to "if you could change anything about a composer's music OR habits/personality..." Feel free to comment on anything that you would like to change, from drinking habits to orchestration!


----------



## Richard8655 (Feb 19, 2016)

I wish Haydn hadn't been such a musical jokester. Surprises, sudden stops, weird moments of silence followed by loud explosions, players exiting during performance. Hey, I take my music seriously and don't want to be screwed around with!


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I don't desire the power to f#ck with a composer's music. Thank you!


----------



## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

starthrower said:


> I don't desire the power to f#ck with a composer's music. Thank you!


If you want to keep the music as it is, maybe you can change something about their behavior or habits instead. But of course you don't have to change anything if you don't want to!


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Hey Mozart! Enough with all those dang trills! I get it! I get it!!!


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I would like to convince Bruckner to write aphoristic miniatures. Flute and harp, perhaps? Well, that might be a bit unrealistic...


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I have no desire to change anything by any composer, it's pointless, they are all gone.


----------



## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

I'd tell Berlioz to calm down and Mahler to get to the point.


----------



## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Pugg said:


> I have no desire to change anything by any composer, it's pointless, they are all gone.


Of course we can't actually persuade any dead composers to revise their music! But it's a thought experiment that I personally find useful. This approach helps me think more deeply about my responses to various composers. Hopefully some other members will enjoy and benefit from this hypothetical approach as well.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bettina said:


> Of course we can't actually persuade any dead composers to revise their music! But it's a thought experiment that I personally find useful. This approach helps me think more deeply about my responses to various composers. Hopefully some other members will enjoy and benefit from this hypothetical approach as well.


There was no punt intend personally Bettina.


----------



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I'd like to get rid of the 'Brass Band Moments' in Mahler.


----------



## Clairvoyance Enough (Jul 25, 2014)

Just let the singers actually sing, Wagner. You write recitative more moving than most composers' arias; I promise you'd be great at it.


----------



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I wish Morton Feldman wrote longer pieces.


----------



## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I'd ask Beethoven to repeat the melody at the beginning of his 24th piano sonata a few times, at least, and maybe belabor all his best melodies a bit more--but knowing him he'd probably just call me a fart in the wind.


----------



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I would go back in time, bring a big bucket of unicorn sweat and sprinkle it on every composer to ensure their immortality. 

Wait, what was the question again?


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

We have to do something about Cage, but what?


----------



## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Florestan said:


> We have to do something about Cage, but what?


If you want to change something about Cage's music, you're in luck! There are many of his scores in which you are obligated to do just that.


----------



## Guest (Nov 9, 2016)

Ingélou said:


> I'd like to get rid of the 'Brass Band Moments' in Mahler.


Never thought about this?


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Mussorgsky would have been a great name for a Vodka distributor. Better than Smirnoff.


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Mussorgsky would have been a great name for a Vodka distributor. Better than Smirnoff.


I'll drink to that!


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Florestan said:


> I'll drink to that!


I hired a civil engineer to have it come out of my kitchen faucet. Water with a "kick". :lol:


----------



## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

hpowders said:


> Mussorgsky would have been a great name for a Vodka distributor. Better than Smirnoff.


Modest Mussorgsky vodka, for the _im_modest drinker.


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

hpowders said:


> I hired a civil engineer to have it come out of my kitchen faucet. Water with a "kick". :lol:


Years ago I had a mechanic tell me about an alcoholic who routed his windshield washer to squirt out under the dash. He filled the bag with hard liquor and would get shots by hitting the washer button. Crazy!


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Florestan said:


> Years ago I had a mechanic tell me about an alcoholic who routed his windshield washer to squirt out under the dash. He filled the bag with hard liquor and would get shots by hitting the washer button. Crazy!


I told him it was to be confidential!!


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bettina said:


> Modest Mussorgsky vodka, for the _im_modest drinker.


Strong one Bettina.


----------

