# Favourite composer



## Mendelssohn (Nov 24, 2007)

Who do you thing is the best composer:
1.Mozart
2.Beethoven
3.Schubert
4.Chopin
5.Liszt
6.Mendelssohn
7.Other?


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## David C Coleman (Nov 23, 2007)

For me, the greatest composer that has ever lived is Beethoven. Not only for the sheer brilliance of his output, but for what he did to the face of music period. He single handedly dragged music out of the pompous, beureaucratic world of the eighteenth century and gave it a new expressive voice and power which was to influence the musical world forever. And what is more he did this whilst his hearing was increasingly failing him.
Not too belittle other great musical figures. J.S Bach, W.A Mozart and Haydn also come to mind..


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## DeadlyKomplexx (Nov 16, 2007)

I'ma Mozart type dude,but that's just me.Beethoven and Bach and all of them are all amazing as well.


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## marval (Oct 29, 2007)

This a tough call, some of my favourites
Chopin
Mozart
Beethoven
Brahams
Mendelssohn

All rate very highly with me


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

I have not heard many composers whose compositions did not touch some part of me.
Haydn
Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Tchaikovsky
Vivaldi
Brahms
I have enjoyed works by Frederick Delius and Gabrielle Faure. I am eager to hear more by them!
As I am new to Classical every new composer adds another facet to my listening knowledge. It is all great...well most of it.
Don't understand Gullywags Cakewalk and Ho Down


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Hi Mendelssohn, 

From your list, I'll opt for Mendelssohn ... my instrument is classical pipe organ, and I believe that his Sonata's for organ are the greatest. I've played the Sonata I many times in concert - always a favorite for the listener.


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

We've has semantical musings about the difference between "greatest" and "favorite" before. Since the title says "favorite," I'll go with:

1. Beethoven
1a. (other) Wagner
3. (other) Tchaikovsky

I acknowledge the greatness of Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Brahms _et al_- but that trio are probably my "favorites."


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

For overall compositional structure, Brahms
For good tunes Tchaikovsky

Those are my favourites, but the best are obviously Mozart and Beethoven.


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## Ephemerid (Nov 30, 2007)

GREATEST COMPOSER (IMO): J.S. Bach, for sheer inventiveness and economy (I still am amazed that the Sonatas & Partitas for violin are for only ONE violin) and there is something strangely modern about Bach. Sometimes he is a tough cookie, but the rewards are so worth it... 

FAVOURITE COMPOSER (to make a distinction from "greatest" which is certainly a lot more debateable): Claude Debussy, for a strong sense of tonal colour and texture, an amazing harmonic sense (goes without saying really), and subtlety (contrary to the typical accusation, Debussy was very melodic, but you have to listen for it). Debussy's music always grips me in a really special way. 

My favourite runner-ups for personal favourites: Toru Takemitsu and Morton Feldman.

~ josh


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## Aristocrat (Dec 10, 2007)

Well, my favourites would probably be Chopin, Mozart and Rachmaninoff. However, I love so many other composers.

The greatest is very difficult to choose. The obvious choices would be Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. I don't think anyone could place one above the other in regards to Mozart and Beethoven. I don't really see a need for picking a "greatest" composer. It's an impossible choice. They're all incredible.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

In terms of the number of personal favorites each has written...

Beethoven (he was the first composer I heard as a child, so, there's some first impression bias), Shostakovich (for different reasons), Sibelius, Liszt, Mahler, and Malcolm Arnold. I would also recognize Debussy and Rachmaninoff.


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## luigi.di.violini (Dec 11, 2007)

Mozart!! For universality. See Alfred Einstein's "Mozart: His Character and His Work" for further detail.


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## CampOfTheSaints (Dec 11, 2007)

My two favorite composers are at opposing ends of the musical spectrum. I love J. S. Bach of the 1740's, and Shostakovich of the 1940's. 

Go figure.


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

CampOfTheSaints said:


> My two favorite composers are at opposing ends of the musical spectrum. I love J. S. Bach of the 1740's, and Shostakovich of the 1940's.
> 
> Go figure.


I suppose you have listened to their 48 preludes and fugues. I'm interested to know what you think of them.


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## CHasR (Dec 10, 2007)

for me, its not a 'cut-and dry' question:
the 'best' composer IMO is the one whose work endures above his/her contemporaries and most strongly influences followers of their genre within that particular common practice period;

so one could say JS Bach, Vivaldi, Rameau,
Tchaik, Brahms, Dvorak, 
Mozart, Haydn, Rossini,
Beethoven, Berlioz, 
Wagner, Bruckner, Mahler, Strauss,
Palestrina, Morales, Tallis, 
Machaut, Binchois, Dufay, 
Stamitz, Dittersdorf, Sammartini,
for example.


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## CampOfTheSaints (Dec 11, 2007)

In all honesty, I am not a big fan of either preludes or fugues, by either Bach or Shostakovich. In fact, it's one of their few works that I do not care for. For example, I love opera, and I love Shostakovich, but I dislike his only opera "Lady Macbeth". I Love Bach, but his "art of the fugue" leaves me cold, unlike his many other wonderful works.


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## Ephemerid (Nov 30, 2007)

CampOfTheSaints said:


> In all honesty, I am not a big fan of either preludes or fugues, by either Bach or Shostakovich. In fact, it's one of their few works that I do not care for. For example, I love opera, and I love Shostakovich, but I dislike his only opera "Lady Macbeth". I Love Bach, but his "art of the fugue" leaves me cold, unlike his many other wonderful works.


The Art of Fugue is kinda hard to get into (I have the Emerson Quartet's 4tet arrangement but I confess it really is hard to stick with).

Although Glenn Gould is often a bit eccentric in his Bach interpretetions (or ANY interpretations LOL) listening to him on any of Bach's keyboard works opens doors for me. Too bad he recorded the Art of Fugue on pipe organ-- I would've loved to hear him do the whole thing on piano.

I've only heard Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues once, a few years ago and it didn't grab me either, but I'd like to give it another go sometime...

~ josh


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## Morigan (Oct 16, 2006)

fool on the hill said:


> Although Glenn Gould is often a bit eccentric in his Bach interpretetions (or ANY interpretations LOL) listening to him on any of Bach's keyboard works opens doors for me. Too bad he recorded the Art of Fugue on pipe organ-- I would've loved to hear him do the whole thing on piano.


I quite like his organ recording... I really have a hard time getting into Bach played on the piano. It just sounds out of place to me.


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## Ephemerid (Nov 30, 2007)

Morigan said:


> I quite like his organ recording... I really have a hard time getting into Bach played on the piano. It just sounds out of place to me.


That's understandable, considering they didn't have pianos back then! LOL Unfortunately I think I have a bit of a prejudice against the pipe organ-- something I need to look into more... But I like what Stravinsky said about the pipe organ: "The monster never breathes!"

~josh


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## CampOfTheSaints (Dec 11, 2007)

I have to agree with fool on the hill and Stravinsky...... I have never cared for the Organ, pipe or otherwise.  

Bach on the piano? I LOVE IT!!!!  

Especially the Goldberg Varations. Pure bliss!!!!!


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## Handel (Apr 18, 2007)

1. Handel
2. Haydn
3. Beethoven
4. JS Bach
5. Mozart


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I've got these in no particular order, once again.
Brahms
Sibelius
Mahler
Bruch
Elgar
Enescu
Dvorak
Bach
Beethoven
Ysaye


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Handel... I've recently been giving a closer listen to the other Handel. I've recntly gotten Andrew Manze's recordings of the violin sonatas and the second volume of Sviatoslav Richter and Andrei Gavrilov perfoming his keyboard suites... which while not Bach's Well Tempered Clavier certainly have their moments (You can tell I'm not of the mind that dislikes preludes and fugues Actually both Bach's "great 48" and Shostakovich' preludes and fugues are among my favorite pieces by either composer). I've also purchased a recording of Rinaldo with Cecilia Bartoli. I've yet to play this last purchase through. Any comments Handel? One of his best? Not? I am looking forward to it. Handel, as I have noted elsewhere, is a giant who is unfortunately overshadowed by his close proximity to Bach (as Haydn by Mozart or Schubert by Beethoven).


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

My own favorites... in order?

J.S. Bach
W.A. Mozart
Beethoven
Schubert (I am a great lover of lieder)
Haydn
Wagner
Chopin
Handel
Verdi
Puccini
Brahms
Rossini

recently Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Scarlatti...

Order subject to change without notice


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

AccK!! How did I forget Mahler, Bruckner, Richard Strauss, and Debussy?!


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## sirder (Dec 27, 2007)

*First Foot 2008 ;-)))))*

My own personal Favourite Tchiakovsky & Sibelius...so far that is ....Happy New Year to ALL on this Site ...........happy listening


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Hi Sirder. Welcome to TC.


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

Well my favorites are Vivaldi and Handel especially.

I'm not arguing who's the "best", though.


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## EricIsAPolarBear (Aug 18, 2007)

My top 5 given my fairly limited exposure would be
1. Sibelius
2. Debussy
3. Mahler
4. Tchaikovsky
5. Beethoven


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## Tré (Dec 28, 2007)

1) JS Bach;
Just look at the thousands of works he composed. Those keyboard works just fascinate me. Inventions, partitas, sonatas, concertos, sinfonias, Goldberg Variations, French and English Suites...and that's just to name a _little_ of what he did for the _keyboard_.

2) Mozart;
For the amount of education he received, the 41 symphonies are brilliant. Also, the serenades and divertimenti have a tendency to give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Tré said:


> Mozart;
> For the amount of education he received, the 41 symphonies are brilliant. Also, the serenades and divertimenti have a tendency to give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.


Don't you mean _40_ symphonies? 

Just some late-night nit-picking.  I'm currently enjoying Perahia conduct and perform the piano concerto #21 with the ECO.


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## Tré (Dec 28, 2007)

opus67 said:


> Don't you mean _40_ symphonies?


No, I mean 41. Are you not familiar with Symphony #41 in C, K 551? It's quite famous. It's named "Jupiter".

I know my Mozart


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Tré said:


> Are you not familiar with Symphony #41 in C, K 551? It's quite famous. It's named "Jupiter".


I am familiar with the symphony _numbered_ 41.



> I know my Mozart


Oh, do you?  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._37_(Mozart)


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## Tré (Dec 28, 2007)

Ah. That business. I'm not ignorant!  

My copy is Mozart's symphony and I'm sticking to it. He wrote enough on it to call it his own.


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