# 3 Composers, 3 Favorite Works, and 3 Best Works (3x3x3)



## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

Alright here are the Questions:
1. Choose 3 Different Composers? (from any era(s), and they don't HAVE to be your favorites)
2. What are you're 3 favorite Compositions (of any genre) they wrote? (3 for each)
3. From a compositional standpoint, such as theory-wise, etc..., what do you feel are their 3 best compositions? (again 3 for each and any genre)

(If you want to go a step further you're welcome to narrow it down to individual movements of larger works.)

Please note that this is ALL opinionated, so let's not get into TOO many arguments here... This is just for fun, and maybe to discover some new beloved and cherished music.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Ooh, right then.

*Beethoven* 
_Favourites_
"Moonlight" Sonata
Symphony #9
Grosse Fuge
_Best_
Grosse Fuge
Symphony #9
Symphony #5

*Bach*
_Favourite_
WTC
Mass in B Minor
Orchestral Suite #3
_Best_
WTC
Musical Offering
Art of Fugue

*Schnittke*
_Favourite_
Viola Concerto
Concerto Grosso
Choir Concerto No.1
_Best_
Concerto Grosso
Viola Concerto
Variations on a Chord


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

I just tried to do Stockhausen and it was impossible. The guy made new inventions left and right that belong in the first category, and a favorites list ain't exactly easy either.

I'll have to try an easier one with fewer compositions:

*Alban Berg*

_Best: _
Violin Concerto
Wozzeck
Lulu

_Favorite:_
Lulu
Drei Orchesterstucke
Altenberg Lieder

*Brian Ferneyhough*

_Best:_ 
Sonatas For String Quartet
String Quartet No. 6
Etudes Transcendentales

_Favorite:_
Shadowtime
Firecycle Beta
String Quartet No. 6


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## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

MoonlightSonata said:


> Ooh, right then.
> 
> *Beethoven*
> _Favourites_
> ...


Haha, well I can't say as that I'm surprised to see the Moonlight Sonata on list of a user by the name of MoonlightSonata. lol I'll have to look into some of those Schnittke works. Thanks for the response!


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## SeptimalTritone (Jul 7, 2014)

For Stockhausen.... Kontakte, Sternklang, Sirius, Plus Minus, Momente, and Tuesday (including the greeting, the main opera portion, and oktophonie) are all amazing... I want to include more but these 6 pieces are a great introduction on the electronic, instrumental, and vocal front.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

SeptimalTritone said:


> For Stockhausen.... Kontakte, Sternklang, Sirius, Plus Minus, Momente, and Tuesday (including the greeting, the main opera portion, and oktophonie) are all amazing... I want to include more but these 6 pieces are a great introduction on the electronic, instrumental, and vocal front.


I have not heard Plus Minus and will now proceed to hide my shameful face.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

*Beethoven*

Favorite:
1. Symphony No. 9
2. String Quartet No. 15
3. String Quartet No. 14

Best:
1. Symphony No. 9
2. String Quartet 13 with Grosse Fuge
3. String Quartet No. 14

Honestly, _any_ of the above three plus String Quartet No. 15 and the "Hammerklavier" could be seriously considered his greatest work.

*Brahms*

Favorite:
1. Symphony No. 4
2. Piano Quintet
3. Symphony No. 1

Best
1. Symphony No. 4
2. Ein Deutsches Requiem
3. Clarinet Quintet

*Bruckner*

Favorite:
1. Symphony No. 9
2. Symphony No. 7
3. Symphony No. 8

Best
1. Symphony No. 9
2. Symphony No. 8
3. Symphony No. 7


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## poconoron (Oct 26, 2011)

Mozart:

Don Giovanni
Marriage of Figaro
Symphony 40

Beethoven:

Symphony 7
Symphony 4
Piano concerto 4

Bach:

Orchestral Suite #3
Art of Fugue
Mass B minor


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## SeptimalTritone (Jul 7, 2014)

Brahms... string sextet 2, string quartet 1 - 3, piano quartet 3, and clarinet trio. (no symphonies or requiem for you guys, sorry!)

Cage... Imaginary Landscapes, Four, Fourteen, *Roaratorio* (seriously you guys listen to Roaratorio!), Cartridge Music, 4'33", Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano, Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra, Europera, Atlas Eclipticalis with Winter Music, Bird Cage, etc.


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## SeptimalTritone (Jul 7, 2014)

nathanb said:


> I have not heard Plus Minus and will now proceed to hide my shameful face.


Here you go then! It's a wonderful serial/aleatoric instrumental ensemble work.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2015)

SeptimalTritone said:


> Brahms... string sextet 2, string quartet 1 - 3, piano quartet 3, and clarinet trio. (no symphonies or requiem for you guys, sorry!)
> 
> Cage... Imaginary Landscapes, Four, Fourteen, *Roaratorio* (seriously you guys listen to Roaratorio!), Cartridge Music, 4'33", Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano, Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra, Europera, Atlas Eclipticalis with Winter Music, Bird Cage, etc.


I would love to hear your thoughts on the Roaratorio (which I have yet to give a really adequate listen...it's a bit hectic for casual fare) and the Europeras (which I have yet to hear at all!). The Prepared Piano Concerto, Cartridge Music, and Atlas Eclipticalis w/ Winter Music would be my three favorite works of his, I think. But there's also Music Of Changes and all his Etudes...


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## SeptimalTritone (Jul 7, 2014)

nathanb said:


> I would love to hear your thoughts on the Roaratorio (which I have yet to give a really adequate listen...it's a bit hectic for casual fare) and the Europeras (which I have yet to hear at all!).


They are both "everyday" in both their setup (involving prerecorded everyday sounds and voices and instruments) and expressive style. Meaning they combine the noise of the every day with the spirituality of conscious awareness. If you enjoyed the Imaginary Landscapes (in particular the fourth one with the radios) you will like these.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Looking in my collection I notice some of the most interesting composers are way too prolific for me to choose three of anything, while others also interesting are not prolific enough and I can't even find three works to mention. Or I don't remember them well enough.

I'll sleep on it.


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

*Prokofiev*
Favorites:
Symphony no6
Piano Concerto no2
Piano Sonata 7

Best (Popular Opinion)
Symphony no5
Romeo and Juliet 
Peter and the Wolf

*Sibelius*
Favorites
Symphony no2
Symphony no5
Finlandia

Best
Symphony no2
Symphony no5 
Violin Concerto

*Stravinsky*
Favorites
Rite of Spring
Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Symphony of Psalms

Best, Musicology(?)
Rite of Spring
Petrushka
Dumbarton Oaks


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Beethoven:

My favorites:
Piano Concerto 5
Missa Solemnis
Choral Fantasy [guilty pleasure]

His best:
Symphony 9
Grosse Fuge
Missa Solemnis

Mahler:

My favorites:
Symphony 5
Symphony 9
Das Lied

His best:
Symphony 9
Symphony 6
Das Lied

R. Strauss

My faves:
Salome
Ein Heldenleben
Alpine Symphony

His best:
Salome
Also sprach Zarathustra
Die Frau ohne Schatten


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

20centrfuge said:


> *Stravinsky*
> Best, Musicology(?)
> Rite of Spring
> Petrushka
> Dumbarton Oaks


I think many would consider something like Les Noces or Requiem Canticles worthy of a top three spot in terms of sheer quality.

Personally, If I absolutely had to do a Stravinsky list, my favorites would be:

Les Noces
Duo Concertant
Threni


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Bevo said:


> Alright here are the Questions:
> 1. Choose 3 Different Composers? (from any era(s), and they don't HAVE to be your favorites)
> 2. What are you're 3 favorite Compositions (of any genre) they wrote? (3 for each)
> 3. From a compositional standpoint, such as theory-wise, etc..., *what do you feel are their 3 best compositions?* (again 3 for each and any genre)


It will be hard to separate my favorites from what I feel are the best as opposed to what I'm told are the best, but I do see the difference. I went with composers who are not my currently favorites to make it a little easier.

*G. F. Handel*
Favorites
Organ Concerto No. 14 in A major (contains the happiest movement of all time)
Keyboard Suite No. 16 in G major, HWV 441 (fantastic gigue finale!)
Oboe Concerto in B-flat Major, HWV 302a

Best
Messiah
Giulio Cesare
Water Music Suites*

Ligeti*
Favorites
Requiem
Lux Aeterna
Clocks and Clouds

Best
Atmospheres
Études for Piano
Mysteries of the Macabre (or Requiem -- I'm torn!)

*Nielsen, Carl*
Favorites
Helios Overture
Symphony No. 2 "The Four Temperaments"
Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable"

Best
Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable"
At the Bier of a Young Artist 
Wind Quintet


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

One composer: Aaron Copland.

Three favorites: Appalachian Spring, Clarinet Concerto, Billy The Kid.

Three best works: Four Piano Blues, Piano Variations, Piano Quartet.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Schubert

Best:
String Quintet
Winterreise
Symphony No. 9 (or are we supposed to call it 8 now?)

Favorite:
Quartet in G
Schwanengesang
4 Impromptus, Op. 90

Mahler

Best:
Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 9
Das Lied

Favorite:
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 7
Das Lied

Brahms

Best (this is pretty questionable):
Symphony No. 4
Piano Pieces Op. 118
Clarinet Quintet

Favorite:
Violin Sonata in G
Symphony No. 2
Clarinet Quintet


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## maxshrek (Sep 14, 2011)

Mahler
Best
2nd Symphony
8th Symphony
9th Symphony

Bach
BWV 1080
BWV 891
BWV 829

Beethoven
op.133
op.95
op.81a


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I'll skip the "best" part as I have no qualifications to select on that criterion.

Favourites from Mahler:
Das Lied von der Erde
Kindertotenlieder
Symphony 4

Favourites from Schubert:
String quintet
Symphony 8 Unfinished
Winterreise

Favourites from Brahms:
Clarinet quintet
Deutsches Requiem
Violin concerto


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Verdi:
Don Carlo
La Traviata 
La Forza del Destino.

Mahler:
Symphony 2
Symphony 3
Symphony 8

Mozart:
Grand partita.
Cosi Fan Tutte.
le Nozze di Fifaro.


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## Guest (Jun 11, 2016)

Art Rock said:


> I'll skip the "best" part as I have no qualifications to select on that criterion.


Maybe that's a better way of saying what I was thinking: if I think it's a "best" that would therefore be a "favourite"...?


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