Who is the Greatest (Not Favourite) Composer

And where does Brahms fit in?

Good question.

What I love about brahms is that his pieces have soul. THey have this being in them that is hard to describe that leaves you craving for more and a simple innocence in them that I enjoy very much. He's very different from composers of that era. (though I still greatly dislike, his late clarinet sonata)(maybe someday I will find apreciation for that piece?)

I think this list is missing a very important choice: Schoenberg. Although many people find his music hard to listen to, his innovation definatly makes him one of the greatest. He was the person that liberated dissonance and broke the constraints of tonality. While many of these other composes have done influential things (beethoven espeically), none have done something so essential to their era as the creation of both acceptance of the taboo and a creation of an entire new system of music.
I vote for schoenberg.

Can i vote for two? Schoenberg and Beehtoven.!

Hmm.. I think we all should name the 10 composers we think are the greatest, create an unbiased list out of that and restart this poll. What do you people say to that? It could actually be pretty interesting!

Hmm.. I think we all should name the 10 composers we think are the greatest, create an unbiased list out of that and restart this poll. What do you people say to that? It could actually be pretty interesting!

That's a fantastic Idea.

He was the person that liberated dissonance and broke the constraints of tonality.

That's why I hate him.

Ha ha.

Thats horrible, greatly dislike I think would work better.

Schoenberg freed me. Its sorta like.... I can have my cake and eat it to.

Beethoven was certainly master of all the forms of music at the time. His symphonies are perhaps the best illustrations of just how much and how far you can get with one idea. Of course Beethoven started as a Classical composer, but died as a Romantic composer bringing forth this new era. Thats really why i think hes the greatest.

Mozart, was a genius. There is nothing you can do to his music to make it stronger or better, it is quite frankly perfectly done. As a matter of fact I heard of a course demonstrating how you can't change any Mozart piece without weakening it.

good points, and i must say, i love your avatar.
Guns of the Patriots?