# The first greatest songwriter ever in their times



## aioriacont (Jul 23, 2018)

Before Schubert took the lead through his lieder ( ;-) ) , being the best songwriter of all times, we had a genius long before him, who composed for a very different form: Monteverdi and his madrigals.

All His Books of madrigals can be considered the most amazing set of songs ever released in the golden counterpoint eras. Polyphony mixed with emotions, pure art, pure soul, pure love. Much better than the Irish and Scottish Songs Crap Beethoven released later.

Monteverdi, so underrated, so less commented. Unfair to one of the greatest geniuses of the gold Renaissance era (equally underrated).


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Can people stop constantly making threads like this? "The greatest", "the best", "better", "underrated", "overrated", "your top 10". Oy vey.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Idea for thread:

*POLL: The Greatest and favorite threads on Talk Classical*


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

And again the answer is Guillaume!


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

I don't see Schubert as being particularly superior in the area (the lieder) other than the fact he wrote more than 600 of them. People talk about how good Schubert's lyrics is, but in my view, that sort of stuff is secondary to what makes classical music unique or great. (Perhaps I'm just not that enthusiastic about lieder in general.) In my view, Mendelssohn (Lieder ohne worte), Schumann (Liederkreis Op. 24, Dichterliebe Op.48, Traumerei), Chopin (Polish songs Op.74, and books of Mazurkas, which are basically "songs without words") are just as good. Mendelssohn is better at handling the accompaniment in my view. 


aioriacont said:


> Schubert took the lead through his lieder ( ;-) ) , being the best songwriter of all times, we had a genius long before him, who composed for *a very different form*: Monteverdi and his madrigals.


Why are you comparing lieder to "a very different form", and at the same time regarding both the same thing? By that logic, I would personally prefer this over everything Schubert wrote for the solo voice:


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

Good luck trying to sing Monteverdi tunes around the piano bar...


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Top 10 Most Beautiful Songs by Henry Purcell
Top 10 Happiest Songs by Henry Purcell


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> Can people stop constantly making threads like this? "The greatest", "the best", "better", "underrated", "overrated", "your top 10". Oy vey.


I don't mind it so much if I know (or perhaps even suspect) that the writer knows sufficient alternatives to make some of of comparison. But ultimately for great music there rarely (probably never) is a best. And, I don't know about others, but I find my views on a recording's merits vary depending on my mood. As for composers, I am with you.


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## aioriacont (Jul 23, 2018)

Enthusiast said:


> I don't mind it so much if I know (or perhaps even suspect) that the writer knows sufficient alternatives to make some of of comparison. But ultimately for great music there rarely (probably never) is a best. And, I don't know about others, but I find my views on a recording's merits vary depending on my mood. As for composers, I am with you.


the truth is that they are all awesome

of course, Bach is the utmost best PERFECTION made human, but the other are great too


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Enthusiast said:


> I don't mind it so much if I know (or perhaps even suspect) that the writer knows sufficient alternatives to make some of of comparison. But ultimately for great music there rarely (probably never) is a best. And, I don't know about others, but I find my views on a recording's merits vary depending on my mood. As for composers, I am with you.


The problem is the type of discussion that it encourages. I'd rather see threads with more general titles like "great songwriters of their times" or "20th century Russian music" or "Beethoven sonata recordings", which promote interactive and critical discussion that can (and usually does) go in a better, more interesting, and more helpful direction. Of course nothing in these threads would stop people from sharing their favorites or their nominations for "greatests" anyway.


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## AngusMcFife (Jul 8, 2020)

Walter von der Vogelweide


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