# Benjamin Britten or Arnold Schoenberg?



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Britten once said composers should aim at "pleasing people today as seriously as we can". Britten often used atonality in his music or introduced elements of it at least.

Regardless, which composer's music do you prefer?


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I voted Britten, do not like all his work but even less so from the other guy.


----------



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

While not a big fan of Britten, I find his music much more approachable. I therefore voted Britten. His operas are probably the best parts of this oeuvre. What I do like about his music was that he introduced elements of atonality and with good taste, followed his own motto that I quoted above.

What do you think?


----------



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Pugg said:


> I voted Britten, do not like all his work but even less so from the other guy.


My thoughts too.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Britten wrote quite a few works I like, and more that I am indifferent to. Not the best average, but an easy first place in this contest.


----------



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Britten wrote quite a few works I like, and more that I am indifferent to. Not the best average, but an easy first place in this contest.


I get what you mean.


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I love Britten's Peter Grimes and War Requiem. I also love Schoenberg's Piano Concerto and Violin Concerto.

I would select Benjamin Britten because Peter Grimes has a much deeper effect on my psyche than the two Schoenberg works I listed.


----------



## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

I take back my vote to one of relative indifference instead of disliking Britten. I haven't heard that much of him, what I remember hearing I didn't like that much. His piano concerto is nice (what I've heard so far).


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Britten, very easily.


----------



## Guest (Jun 22, 2017)

Schoenberg, thanks.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

_Schoenberg_ for me too


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

We really need a Schoenberg versus Beelzebub poll. I'd have to think about that before voting.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

How about a Schoenberg versus Trump poll.


----------



## Daniel Atkinson (Dec 31, 2016)

I am getting the impression that ArtMusic really likes Schoenberg (from the amount of polls he makes about him). Good to show some support! 



Daniel


----------



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> How about a Schoenberg versus Trump poll.


They have nothing in common. But thanks for the funny idea.


----------



## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

It's like saying would you prefer a banquet or a slap on the face with a putrid kipper. Britten wins by miles.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Don't the Swedes prefer their fish like that.........


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Would have been a tie if I hadn't been listening to Britten's _Sinfonia da Requiem_ one or two days ago. What a magnificent, amazing piece! After hearing that, along with War Requiem, Young Perons's Guide to the Orchestra, and Peter Grimes, I had to choose Britten over Schoenberg.


----------



## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Schoenberg, by a lot.


----------



## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

ArtMusic said:


> They have nothing in common. But thanks for the funny idea.


I don't know. They both seem to generate strong feelings in people.

I also find Britten's smaller works very approachable. Some of his large-scale works bore me, but he was a great all-rounder and a great melody writer when it was required.

Schoenberg was an admirable and interesting fellow. His standard theory books are excellent, but I was never very enraptured by his music or serial composition in general. This has changed somewhat and I now like his string quartets and the trio op.45.

I'm voting: both about the same.


----------



## distantprommer (Sep 26, 2011)

Britten, without any hesitation.


----------



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

I wish I could vote for both but I'd opt for Britten simply because he wrote more works which I couldn't do without - perhaps not surprising as he was the more prolific of the two. However, Schoenberg's output is a source of endless fascination for me when I turn to it and he is in there amidst my first rank of favourite 20th century composers.


----------



## Guest (Jun 23, 2017)

Chris said:


> It's like saying would you prefer a banquet or a slap on the face with a putrid kipper. Britten wins by miles.


Er, no, it's like saying would you prefer this banquet of food or that banquet of food.


----------



## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

Arnold Schoenberg as a music theorist.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Britten wrote "Nocturnal"  so easy for me.


----------



## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Poor poor Schoey


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Britten has 52 % , clear winner.


----------



## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> How about a Schoenberg versus Trump poll.


How about Schoenberg versus Nietzsche the composer


----------



## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Aside from the passacaglia and sea sections of Peter Grimes, I can't count anything from Britten has had any lasting effect on me. I have tried repeatedly to enjoy the War Requiem, Simple Symphony, Cello Symphony, Young Person's Guide, Bridge variations, King Arthur, sting quartet, Te Deum and far more and nothing registered. To me he is the least useful major composer. I was flabbergasted when he came in No. 20 in my survey of composers ahead of even Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

I wouldn't call myself a Schoenberg lover but there is far more of his music I enjoy and have lived with much longer -- Verklarte Nacht, 5 Pieces for Orchestra, Violin Concerto, Wind Quintet, Pierrot Lunaire, both chamber symphonies and the Gurrelieder among others. I also enjoy his band music and reductions of Strauss waltzes.


----------



## Gottfried (Feb 16, 2018)

An odd comparison. There are works by Britten I enjoy: his War Requiem, string quartets, the sea interludes, but he is not a composer with whom I feel a strong affinity. About Schoenberg I am more ambivalent in that there are a few of his works of which I am particularly fond, but I can as readily become frustrated by his more tortuous tendencies. Nevertheless, I voted for him.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I like quite a bit of Schoenberg but am a real fanatic for much of Britten so I had to vote for him. It hurt, though, because they are both so crucial in such different ways.


----------



## Boston Charlie (Dec 6, 2017)

It took me a long time to enjoy the music of Britten, but even longer to enjoy Schoenberg who left me all but mystified for decades. I really wanted to like Schoenberg, if only because he was such a character who was uncompromising in his musical vision. All-in-all, though I have to give my vote to Britten if only for the beautiful "Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings".


----------

