# Who's the most handsome composer?



## OldFashionedGirl

Another no important thread. Who's the most handsome composer for you?


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## Jobis

Brahms when he was young was very handsome.


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## ptr

Leif Segerstam excels in handsomeness!









/ptr


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## ArtMusic

Good old Rossini


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## Guest

George Gershwin - no homo


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## dgee

arcaneholocaust said:


> George Gershwin - no homo


Not a phrase I've seen in a while - well done!


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## Morimur

Stravinsky, of course!


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## hpowders

Why Mussorgsky, of course!

He got his good looks from breathing in the healthy air atop Bare Mountain.:tiphat:


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## julianoq

Not sure about the looks, but who can match Villa-Lobos style?


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## Jonathan Wrachford

i don't know, but maybe...let's see...ummm...Chopin, maybe, well, at least in the live photo he's a pretty swell looking chap!


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## Weston

George Enescu


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## brianvds

ptr said:


> Leif Segerstam excels in handsomeness!
> 
> View attachment 40884
> 
> 
> /ptr


Oh, I thought that was Brahms, shown shortly after a time machine took him to see a concert of contemporary classical music.


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## brianvds

Franz Liszt:










Well, I'm sure HE thought he was the most handsome anyway...


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## hpowders

Let's face it. Many of the great composers' likenesses aren't going to be mistaken for Robert Redford, Rock Hudson or Richard Burton.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Weston said:


> George Enescu
> 
> View attachment 40896
> View attachment 40897


HAH! I've always thought so too! A prince among handsome composers!

Of course, I'm biased to my favorite Russians. I mean, just type "Russian composer" into Google images, basically hot guys the whole page. 

Let my just simplify it for you:


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## Morimur

Huilunsoittaja said:


> HAH! I've always thought so too! A prince among handsome composers!
> 
> Of course, I'm biased to my favorite Russians. I mean, just type "Russian composer" into Google images, basically hot guys the whole page.
> 
> Let my just simplify it for you:


Say...have you seen the film, 'Fatal Attraction' and if so, are you a fan of Glenn Close?


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## Huilunsoittaja

Lope de Aguirre said:


> Say...have you seen the film, 'Fatal Attraction' and if so, are you a fan of Glenn Close?


You're not the first person to mention than actress to me...  I don't really think she looks like me though.


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## Cosmos

No but have you guys seen young Schubert?


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## Morimur

Huilunsoittaja said:


> You're not the first person to mention than actress to me...  I don't really think she looks like me though.


I wasn't referring to looks but rather the character she plays in that film. But never mind, it was meant in jest...Mostly. :tiphat:


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## Morimur

Cosmos said:


> No but have you guys seen young Schubert?
> 
> View attachment 40905


Oh, he's dreamy!


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## brianvds

hpowders said:


> Let's face it. Many of the great composers' likenesses aren't going to be mistaken for Robert Redford, Rock Hudson or Richard Burton.


You're going to set off a new lookalike thread...


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## brianvds

Cosmos said:


> No but have you guys seen young Schubert?


He was the one who played in that stupid vampire movie, right?


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## Stavrogin

Huilunsoittaja said:


> HAH! I've always thought so too! A prince among handsome composers!
> 
> Of course, I'm biased to my favorite Russians. I mean, just type "Russian composer" into Google images, basically hot guys the whole page.
> 
> Let my just simplify it for you:


Funnily one of those was voted the ugliest!


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## Couac Addict

Claude Debussy


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## Blancrocher

You made me choke on my coffee with that one, Couac Addict.


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## hpowders

Seriously though, in my opinion, John Corigliano is about as good looking as male composers get. :tiphat:


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## Celloman

Well, I don't know about the handsomest composer...but the prettiest composer just might have been Clara Schumann.


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## clavichorder

Huilunsoittaja said:


> You're not the first person to mention than actress to me...  I don't really think she looks like me though.


Hahaha, Aramis.


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## norman bates

I don't know, Eric Whitacre maybe. In the past Percy Grainger, Leonard Bernstein and Peter Warlock weren't bad looking.
Also Ned Rorem wasn't a ugly guy in his youth


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## Huilunsoittaja

Stavrogin said:


> Funnily one of those was voted the ugliest!


As much as I don't like Stravinsky very much, I don't think he was really that ugly. I guess he put himself in ugly lights because he liked it, but he didn't do that all the time. Here's a handsome photo:


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## brianvds

Celloman said:


> Well, I don't know about the handsomest composer...but the prettiest composer just might have been Clara Schumann.


Yes, and the most endearing thing about it is that, being half blind (judged by the size of the notes in front of her) she herself never realized just how pretty she was. But Robert and Johannes both had good taste, didn't they?


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## Stavrogin

Huilunsoittaja said:


> As much as I don't like Stravinsky very much, I don't think he was really that ugly. I guess he put himself in ugly lights because he liked it, but he didn't do that all the time. Here's a handsome photo:


I meant Prokofiev


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## Donata

Mahler when he was younger.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Stavrogin said:


> I meant Prokofiev


Well, Stravinsky beat Prokofiev big time on that poll, so I think he's pretty securely not the ugliest


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## Simon Moon

Samuel Barber when he was young.


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## Piwikiwi

Lily Boulanger of course


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## Stavrogin

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Well, Stravinsky beat Prokofiev big time on that poll, so I think he's pretty securely not the ugliest


Uh, i checked it too long ago then


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## Skilmarilion

Yours truly, of course. :tiphat:


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## bigshot

Duke Ellington had style


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## EdwardBast

Billy Strayhorn had substance


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## brianvds

I would argue that Sandra Bullock is the most handsome composer. Note that I am emphatically not arguing that she is a particularly good composer. I would guess that her very best work consists of tuneless, improvised humming in the shower. But this thread is not about who's the best, but who's the most handsome, so there you go.


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## Morimur

brianvds said:


> I would argue that Sandra Bullock is the most handsome composer. Note that I am emphatically not arguing that she is a particularly good composer. I would guess that her very best work consists of tuneless, improvised humming in the shower. But this thread is not about who's the best, but who's the most handsome, so there you go.


Sandra Bullock? Nothing special. Charlotte Casiraghi on the other hand, is a beauty.


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## dgee

Living in a stylish era probably helps


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## hpowders

It's got to be Mozart. This is the one cool dude Constanze fell in love with.

It's the way I will always remember him.


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## Vaneyes

One-tooth Haifu.


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## Morimur

Vaneyes said:


> One-tooth Haifu.
> 
> View attachment 41070


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## Sid James

Best looking composers that come to mind are:

*Liszt, Gershwin, Rachmaninov, Puccini, Mahler, Bernstein.*

I suppose its how one defines it, for example in terms of Rachmaninov he's not conventionally handsome, but those Eurasian type features are distinctive and where noted in his day too (and now in terms of advertising here, I see quite a few Eurasian models being used).



hpowders said:


> Let's face it. Many of the great composers' likenesses aren't going to be mistaken for Robert Redford, Rock Hudson or* Richard Burton*.


RB played RW but I don't think of this composer as handsome, or more handsome than others.


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## brianvds

Sid James said:


> RB played RW but I don't think of this composer as handsome, or more handsome than others.


Never heard of this film. But the funny thing is, Richard Burton has always somehow reminded me of Wagner, even though without makeup etc. he doesn't really resemble him all that much. Perhaps I should have become a casting agent...


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## Guest

I'd like to claim that I meet half the criteria...and I'm not a composer.


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## brianvds

MacLeod said:


> I'd like to claim that I meet half the criteria...and I'm not a composer.


Well, it's simple: whistle a few notes, then you're a composer. No one said you had to be a GOOD composer. Your main challenge is going to be beating out Sandra Bullock in the handsome department.


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## violadude

When he was young, Messiaen had the sexy nerd thing going.


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## Guest

brianvds said:


> Sandra Bullock


Ooohhh, Sandra Bullock...now she's a GREAT composer!!!


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## Stavrogin

Mjaskovskij for the handsome villain role.


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## JCarmel

I think Liszt had a lot going for him...even into middle age, as here....& what's more...he _could _compose!


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## hpowders

Sid James said:


> Best looking composers that come to mind are:
> 
> *Liszt, Gershwin, Rachmaninov, Puccini, Mahler, Bernstein.*
> 
> I suppose its how one defines it, for example in terms of Rachmaninov he's not conventionally handsome, but those Eurasian type features are distinctive and where noted in his day too (and now in terms of advertising here, I see quite a few Eurasian models being used).
> 
> RB played RW but I don't think of this composer as handsome, or more handsome than others.


Bernstein was quite good-looking, I agree!


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## brianvds

JCarmel said:


> I think Liszt had a lot going for him...even into middle age, as here....& what's more...he _could _compose!
> 
> View attachment 41078


Reminds me a bit of the actor Judd Hirsch...


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## Morimur

It's interesting, a bunch grown men getting all 'hot and bothered' over _another_ bunch of men...not that there's anything wrong with that....depending on one's perspective...I'll just leave this here. Tee-hee!


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## Cosmos

Lope de Aguirre said:


> It's interesting, a bunch grown men getting all 'hot and bothered' over _another_ bunch of men...not that there's anything wrong with that....depending on one's perspective...I'll just leave this here. Tee-hee!


But how can we _not_ be hot and bothered by all these hunks


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## Debusatie

Liszt, Young Tchaikovsky, Scriabin
Ravel definitely had a look too.


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## Arsakes

I change 'handsome' to 'good looking' for better description.

most of all Brahms.

Palestrina looks badass somehow!










and you know who's the boss:










But the most badass:


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## Oliver

Gustav Mahler, without a doubt.









(and his wife...)


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## Cosmos

Just found a picture of young Rautavaara, thought I'd make it my avatar


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## Brad

Cosmos said:


> No but have you guys seen young Schubert?
> 
> View attachment 40905


Just speculating..but if Schubert looked this good when he was young then things must've gone well with the ladies...hence he received syphilis and turned into a mushroom


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## dgee

Brad said:


> Just speculating..but if Schubert looked this good when he was young then things must've gone well with the ladies...hence he received syphilis and turned into a mushroom


Or with the gentlemen Brad - just sayin


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## Wood

And the winner is....










Thomas Tallis :tiphat: my old avatar.


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## Stavrogin

Cosmos said:


> Just found a picture of young Rautavaara, thought I'd make it my avatar
> 
> View attachment 41147


... Rautaavatar


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## Sid James

JCarmel said:


> I think Liszt had a lot going for him...even into middle age, as here....& what's more...he _could _compose!
> 
> View attachment 41078


Yep, and half the women of Europe - especially aristocratic women - would agree with you. 24 documented love affairs (and counting?). This guy made Mick Jagger look like a monk!


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## Perotin

Hector Berlioz


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## Vaneyes

Lope de Aguirre said:


> It's interesting, a bunch grown men getting all 'hot and bothered' over _another_ bunch of men...not that there's anything wrong with that....depending on one's perspective...I'll just leave this here. Tee-hee!


And last night at the White House Correspondents Dinner, we were informed by Obama that Huckabee and Hannity swoon over Putin's bare chest.


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## Delilah

Brahms was a babe!
Beethoven had potential, but was too grumpy-looking  (can't say I blame him!)


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## brianvds

Delilah said:


> Beethoven had potential, but was too grumpy-looking












_________________________________________


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## mirepoix

My companion has spoken and apparently Bernstein is the most handsome composer. I'm overlooking the fact that apart from this thread, a few CD covers and a lecture we watched on YouTube is the sum total of her knowledge about what composers look like.


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## Brad

Here's classicFM's answer

http://classfm.co/933ehZ


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## hpowders

The most handsome composer is whoever is enthralling me with his genius at the moment.


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## hpowders

Celloman said:


> Well, I don't know about the handsomest composer...but the prettiest composer just might have been Clara Schumann.


I'll second that, enthusiastically!


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## Sudonim

There's also this guy:









And a little later, when he started to gray at the temples to achieve that Distinguished Older Gentleman look:









(He _was_ a composer, remember ...)


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## mamascarlatti

Without a doubt Puccini. Sexy AND badass. He has what my mum used to call "come to bed eyes". No wonder Mrs P was insanely jealous.


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## hpowders

Sudonim said:


> There's also this guy:
> 
> View attachment 41508
> 
> 
> And a little later, when he started to gray at the temples to achieve that Distinguished Older Gentleman look:
> 
> View attachment 41510
> 
> 
> (He _was_ a composer, remember ...)


Yeah. Bernstein was devilishly handsome and he had irresistible charisma to go with it.


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## Retrograde Inversion

With the "prettiest female" thread going strong, it seems only fair in the interests of gender equality to revive this one.

One obvious candidate, looking every bit like an Edwardian military man, until you see those soulful, poet's eyes:









Same stache/eyes combo:









But for just eyes alone (the window to the soul, as they say), the prize has to go to:


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

COAG  but Harry Partch is better


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## Pugg

Retrograde Inversion said:


> With the "prettiest female" thread going strong, it seems only fair in the interests of gender equality to revive this one.
> 
> One obvious candidate, looking every bit like an Edwardian military man, until you see those soulful, poet's eyes:
> 
> View attachment 90480
> 
> 
> Same stache/eyes combo:
> 
> View attachment 90481
> 
> 
> But for just eyes alone (the window to the soul, as they say), the prize has to go to:
> 
> View attachment 90482


You do know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?


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## hpowders

Sudonim said:


> There's also this guy:
> 
> View attachment 41508
> 
> 
> And a little later, when he started to gray at the temples to achieve that Distinguished Older Gentleman look:
> 
> View attachment 41510
> 
> 
> (He _was_ a composer, remember ...)


Yes, Bernstein for me was the most handsome.

Karajan? He looks like his face was chiseled out of marble to play Siegfried. Too cold and uninviting for the likes of me.


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## DavidA

hpowders said:


> Yes, Bernstein for me was the most handsome.
> 
> *Karajan?* He looks like his face was chiseled out of marble to play Siegfried. Too cold and uninviting for the likes of me.


What did he compose?


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## Guest

Pictures of an uninviting cold faced conductor.


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## Francis Poulenc

For sure this guy looks good:










When he was older and sporting a beard, he reminded me of Hemingway:


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## pcnog11

How about Paganini?


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## starthrower

ArtMusic said:


> Good old Rossini


Just try to fix your daughter up with this rotund beast and see if she agrees?


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## Rhinotop

This kind of questions are so... curious


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## Rhinotop

Stavrogin said:


> Mjaskovskij for the handsome villain role.


It gives me the same impression :lol:


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## micro

Schoenberg at the age of 29


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## TSWO

Liszt! Period! The guy was the first pop-idol (avant la lettre) in western history after all!


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## Woodduck

micro said:


> Schoenberg at the age of 29


Age improved him. You don't want to scare people before you're 50.


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## Gordontrek

Would it be against forum rules to start a "Who's the UGLIEST composer/conductor" thread??


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## micro

Woodduck said:


> Age improved him.


Yes I think so, but this pic was really weird, he was only 29 but looked like a communist leader of a banana republic.


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## Woodduck

Gordontrek said:


> Would it be against forum rules to start a "Who's the UGLIEST composer/conductor" thread??


No, but it would be contemptibly mean. And fun.


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## KenOC

We did that. Stravinsky won.

http://www.talkclassical.com/31759-whos-ugliest-composer.html


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## Retrograde Inversion

Apart from baby pics, I don't think I've ever seen any photos of Schoenberg earlier than that one.
When did he start going bald? 

Theory: his subsequent musical development was caused by PTSD brought on by premature hair loss.


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## hpowders

DavidA said:


> What did he compose?


I would ask him but he's decomposing.

To decompose means you had to first, compose.


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## Pugg

TSWO said:


> Liszt! Period! The guy was the first pop-idol (avant la lettre) in western history after all!


Strong statement I do hope we don't have to agree on this?


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## David OByrne

TSWO said:


> Liszt! Period! The guy was the first pop-idol (avant la lettre) in western history after all!


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## Pugg

David OByrne said:


>


Very flattering picture .


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## PeterFromLA

Morton Feldman is my guy!


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## ST4




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## ST4

PeterFromLA said:


> Morton Feldman is my guy!
> 
> View attachment 90526


He's always had a badass-ness about him


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## ST4

You can't forget this handsome devil who shook the foundations of music in 1921:


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## Pugg

ST4 said:


>


Not handsome, good picture though.


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## Oliver

Pugg said:


> Not handsome, good picture though.


Not handsome? How bloody high are your standards?


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## Janspe

Look at Ravel in this pic - click to enlarge - holding a cigarette with reckless abandon, gazing thoughtfully at something we can't see, just hanging out with friends; I can almost hear _Le gibet_ playing in the background.









Competition over.


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## Pugg

Oliver said:


> Not handsome? How bloody high are your standards?


The Liszt pic on the previous page will do.


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## starthrower

Annette Peacock


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## Judith

Liszt. He looked like King Richard III in his younger day and I have a thing about him lol!!


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## philowen

A young Tchaikovsky. But I am biased.


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## Pugg

philowen said:


> View attachment 90536
> 
> 
> A young Tchaikovsky. But I am biased.


First of all : Welcome to TalkClassical.
Pleas tell us why you are biased?


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## Guest

starthrower said:


> Annette Peacock


And she accept paypal.


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## kartikeys

I. 
I'll happily exclude myself for my seniors.


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## Bettina

Judith said:


> Liszt. He looked like King Richard III in his younger day and I have a thing about him lol!!


I have a thing for Liszt too! He's one of my composer crushes. If I'd been alive back then, I would have been one of those hysterical fans trying to grab his handkerchief! :lol:

Beethoven is my other composer crush. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but the power of his music gets me going!


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## Vaneyes

It doesn't matter, composers never leave their composing huts.


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## hpowders

ST4 said:


> You can't forget this handsome devil who shook the foundations of music in 1921:


So Josh is Varese?


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## philowen

Hi Pugg!

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am biased 'cause of him being my favourite composer. I do not really know anyone who loves classical music as much as me, but my general impression is that classical aficionados consider him vulgar. He's certainly one of the most accessible and he was my introduction into this beautiful art form. That being said, Liszt wasn't too bad a looking fellow either. If this portrait is to be trusted:


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## philowen

Pugg said:


> First of all : Welcome to TalkClassical.
> Pleas tell us why you are biased?


Hi Pugg!

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am biased 'cause of him being my favourite composer. I do not really know anyone who loves classical music as much as me, but my general impression is that classical aficionados consider him vulgar. He's certainly one of the most accessible and he was my introduction into this beautiful art form. That being said, Liszt wasn't too bad a looking fellow either. If this portrait is to be trusted.


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## ST4

hpowders said:


> So Josh is Varese?


Really?


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## Pugg

ST4 said:


> Really?
> 
> ]


That's cheating, more like.......


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## ST4

Pugg said:


> That's cheating, more like.......
> View attachment 90559


Hdpowders said that Edgard Varese looks like Josh Hutcherson... 

Iannis looks nothing like Edgard???


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## Retrograde Inversion

Ahem. I don't think we should be making jokes about someone who lost an eye in wartime.


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## ST4

Retrograde Inversion said:


> Ahem. I don't think we should be making jokes about someone who lost an eye in wartime.


He was reasonable attractive when he was younger actually:










And I don't see any physical resemblance to Edgard Varese as Pugg is trying to imply


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

I'll vote for Eddie


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## ST4

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> I'll vote for Eddie


He was a handsome devil!


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## ST4

Gershwin:










Thoughts?


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## hpowders

ST4 said:


> Gershwin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thoughts?


Get outta here!!! :lol:


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## hpowders

ST4 said:


> He was reasonable attractive when he was younger actually:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And I don't see any physical resemblance to Edgard Varese as Pugg is trying to imply


Looks like Michael Douglas in Wall Street.


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## OldFashionedGirl

View attachment 90574

I'm sexy and I know it


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## Pugg

OldFashionedGirl said:


> View attachment 90574
> 
> I'm sexy and I know it


Alas you use a wrong attachment, so we will never know.


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## Pugg

ST4 said:


> Gershwin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thoughts?


Big nose and to much make up.


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## Pugg

ST4 said:


> Hdpowders said that Edgard Varese looks like Josh Hutcherson...
> 
> Iannis looks nothing like Edgard???


Remember our old friend Xenakiboy who left us so dramatically with a poem.


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## hpowders

For me it is the youthful Brahms.









Hey, Johannes, what the hell happened to you????


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## Larkenfield

Morimur said:


> Stravinsky, of course!


Mosy definitely... when he's staying out of trouble.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese




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## hpowders

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


>


Jay Leno?


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## hpowders

Larkenfield said:


> Mosy definitely... when he's staying out of trouble.
> 
> View attachment 96182


Driving fast and getting caught by the cops? Just another Rite of Spring.


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## Pugg

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


>


Needs to wear a snood at nights .


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## brianvds

hpowders said:


> Driving fast and getting caught by the cops? Just another Rite of Spring.


Actually he was caught trying to interfere with the U.S. presidential election, on behalf of the czar.


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## Minor Sixthist

hpowders said:


> View attachment 40890
> 
> 
> Why Mussorgsky, of course!
> 
> He got his good looks from breathing in the healthy air atop Bare Mountain.:tiphat:


Are you sure about that...?


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## Minor Sixthist

always a nice lad


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## Tallisman

Oswald Von Wolkenstein. What a charmer :kiss:


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

brianvds said:


> Actually he was caught trying to interfere with the U.S. presidential election, on behalf of the czar.


Ah so he is the ground zero........................


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## hpowders

L'Histoire' du Felón.


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## Pugg

Minor Sixthist said:


> View attachment 96189
> 
> 
> always a nice lad


Very distinguished in anyway .


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## Omicron9

Actually, I'm more handsome than any composer mentioned in this thread. Just look at my avatar! Over there, on the left:
<-----

The perfect blend of both black and white fur. The elegant, elongated snout; the distinctive face of serene bovinity. The alert radaresque ears, ready to absorb all classical music. The unique spotting pattern on my sides. Part of my nose is pink! How many composers can lay claim to that?

That's handsomeness.


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## mathisdermaler

micro said:


> Schoenberg at the age of 29


I guess he's handsome... In an atonal sort of way


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## Capeditiea

it is a toss up between Messeian, Sorabji, or Weber.


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## vesteel

Webern, obviously.


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## vlncto

Tristan Foison:


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## Merl

Salieri. He may have had a face like a robbers dog to some but to others he was gawwwwwwwwjus!


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## Gallus

William Lawes, England's most important composer between Gibbons and Purcell


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## janxharris




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## christomacin

brianvds said:


> _________________________________________


Ludwig van Grumpthoven composing "Rage Over A Lost Bunny"


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## christomacin

starthrower said:


> Just try to fix your daughter up with this rotund beast and see if she agrees?


He had the "Jolly Fatman" look going for him, I suppose. He would have made a great Department Store Santa, methinks.


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