vtfreestyle224 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I'm sorry if this overlaps with other topics, but I thought this might be an interesting idea. I think we too often see questions like "who is the best overall classical composer?", when in reality, many of them excelled in some areas and were weaker in others. I thought it would be interesting to break down this question into the various composition types. For example: Who is the best composer of... - symphonies - operas - piano pieces - violin pieces - string quartets/quintets - piano chamber music - etc. And of course, you can mention your favorite overall composer as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfreestyle224 Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 As I said in the original post, I was interested in knowing people's favorite composers by composition type. In fact, that's the title of the thread.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austenite Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Well, I'm taking my shot, and am pretty sure that I'll take some heat for my answers as well, despite these showing my well-known preferences... Overall favorites: Tchaikovsky, Mahler. Symphonies: Mahler, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky. Operas: Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Wagner (not a big fan of his, but can't deny his overwhelming influence), Rossini. Ballet: Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Ravel, Prokofiev, Khachaturian. Piano (solo) pieces: Chopin, Debussy. Piano (concerti): Rachmaninov, Grieg, Prokofiev, Bartok. Violin & viola pieces: Vivaldi, Beethoven, Mozart, Hindemith. Cello pieces: Saint-Säens, Shostakovich. Piano chamber pieces: Brahms. String quartets: Shostakovich, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Borodin. Tone poems: Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss. Lieder: Mahler, Schubert, Tchaikovsky. Choral music: Haendel, Mahler, Orff, Gorecki. I might be adding something else, but that's it for now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojar Voglar Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Classical symphonies: Mozart - both g minor symphonies, Beethoven's 3rd Romantic symphonies: Schubert's unfinished, Tchaikovsky's 4th, 5th and 6th, Mahler's 4th, Maadetoja's 2nd Modern symphonies: Prokofiev's 1st, Shostakovich's 1st and 5th, Rautavaara's 3rd, 5th (especially recommended!) and 7th, Duttileux's 1st and 2nd Slovenian symphonies: Skerjanc's 4th and 5th - this one is on youtube, Skerl's 4th Tone poems: R. Strauss - undisputed master Operas: Verdi, Puccini, R. Strauss's Rosenkavalier, Sallinen, Golob, Kozina (Equinox) Piano Concertos: Rachmaninov's 2nd (I dislike the 3rd though), Rautavaara's 1st, Prokofiev's 2nd Violin Concertos: Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian, Prokofiev's 1st, Rautavaara Clarinet Concertos: Mozart, Weber, Lindberg Cello Concertos: Dvořak, Shostakovich's 1st, Rautavaara, Kokkonen, Golob String quartets: Beethoven (undisputed master), Grieg, Bartok, Shostakovich, Sallinen's 3rd Piano sonatas: Beethoven, Skrjabin, Prokofiev I would write more, but my daughters are awake, I just don't have time now. ;) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treehugger1995 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Symphonies: Mahler, Shostakovich, and Beethoven opera: Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, John Adams and Philip Glass are not as good, but I really like their operas piano: Chopin....duh....also Liszt is good too, as well as Beethoven Violin: Mendelssohn Oboe: Bach, Vaughan Williams, Mozart, Strauss, Albinoni, Telemann string quartets: Haydn, Beethoven Saxophone: Philip Glass concerto for Sax. Quartet Wind Ensemble: Grainger, Shostakovich, Holst, John Mackey, Frank Tichelli Alive today: Joel Puckett, John Corigliano, Theofandis (did I spell it right?), Jennifer Higdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokkemon Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Overall: Mahler Symphonies: Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Berlioz, Saint-Saens Operas: Wagner, Humperdinck, Verdi, Rossini, Bizet, Leoncavallo, Incidental Orchestral (Overtures etc): Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Bartok, Saint-Saens, Rimsky-Korsakov, Lutosławski, Schoenberg (among others) Ballet: Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev Keyboard (solo): Bach, Beethoven, Lizst, Schumann, Widor (organ) Concertos: Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Grieg Chamber: Bach String quartets: Beethoven, Tone poems: Strauss, Debussy Lieder: Mahler Choral music: Mendelssohn, Rutter, O.C. Christiansen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimenN Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Symphonies: Mozart, Kraus, Haydn Operas: Monteverdi, Handel Keyboard : Froberger, Franz Tunder, Buxtehude, Frescobaldi, Bach, Reincken, Böhm Concertos : Torelli, Corelli, Albinoni, Petri, Dall'Abaco, Locatelli, Bach Vocal music; Schutz, Monteverdi, Tunder, Buxtehude Chamber : Corelli, Buxtehude, Torelli, Dall'Abaco, Locatelli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Locrian Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 - symphonies Charles Ives - operas Mozart - piano pieces Beethoven - violin pieces Paganini - string quartets/quintets Elliott Carter - piano chamber music Miles Davis - etc. Stravinsky - favorite composer Your mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuohey Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 These are all likely to change from day to day but for today anyway: - symphonies Schnittke, Bruckner, Simpson, Beethoven, Lutoslawski, Knussen - operas I detest all opera that I've heard but I'll go with Wagner because of his influence on pretty much everyone. - piano pieces (solo) Beethoven, Debussy, Ligeti, Messiaen, Schnittke, Dallapiccola - piano pieces (concerto) Bartok, Lutoslawski, Mozart, Milhaud, Berkeley - violin pieces Lutoslawski, Bach, Berg, Ades - string quartets/quintets Beethoven, Bartok, Shostakovich, Carter, Simpson, Berg - chamber music Messiaen, Martinu, Brahms, Takemitsu - Vocal music Schubert, Barber, Berg, Schoenberg, Schnittke Overall: Beethoven. I know it's the cliched choice but I honestly could've written Beethoven under every heading (except vocal and opera) and it would have been completely justified. I don't think there has been or ever will be a better composer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siwi Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Symphony: Beethoven, Haydn, Sibelius, Mahler, Lutoslawski, Nielsen Opera: Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Janacek, Britten Tone poem: Sibelius, R.Strauss, Dvorak Other orchestral music: Stravinsky, Ligeti, Elgar Solo piano: Bach, Beethoven, Bartok, Brahms, Messiaen, Debussy, Rachmaninov Chamber: Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, Carter, Boulez, Schubert Song: Faure, Schubert, Schumann Choral: Elgar, Tallis, Haydn, Josquin des Prez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvothe Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Oh my, such in astute question to composers. For me i do have a list of composers handy. I know where to find them when I want to listen to them. Nevertheless, I never partial towards any one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfreestyle224 Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 I guess I might as well answer my own question: Symphonies: Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky String Quartets: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert Piano Chamber Music: Brahms, Dvorak, Schubert Overtures: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos: Goldmark, Mendelssohn, Sibelius Viola Concertos: Bartok, Hindemith Cello Concertos: Dvorak, Elgar Piano solos: Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Schubert Overall favorite: ...... probably Tchaikovsky, but it's hard to pick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.fseventsd Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 of the composers i've been listening to lately chamber music - lachenmann, barrett, sciarrino, kagel, nono, marini, sainte-colombe orchestral music - messiaen, dutilleux, murail, vivier, lutoslawski music with soloists - carter, berio choral music - ferneyhough, berio, gesualdo, stravinsky, xenakis solo vocal music - ligeti, codex chantilly composers piano music - schumann electronic music - stockhausen, reynolds, zorn, boulez opera - sux |:< composer most likely to be mentioned somewhere on this list in the near future - radulescu favourite composer - idk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kagenui Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Has no one heard Mozart's Piano concertos? :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokkemon Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Has no one heard Mozart's Piano concertos? :facepalm: We have, they just all suck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kagenui Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 We have, they just all suck. You Sir, are ignorant and have bad taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokkemon Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Thank you, I will keep that in mind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfreestyle224 Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Has no one heard Mozart's Piano concertos? :facepalm: I actually love his 20th piano concerto, I just haven't listened to enough piano concertos to have a list of favorite composers in that category. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.fseventsd Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Has no one heard Mozart's Piano concertos? :facepalm: ya kv 491 and 595 are best, 450 is gud, 453 has a really nice slow movement. 503 would better be called a symphony for piano and orchestra imo they're not as good as the requiem though 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrcramer Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 they're not as good as the requiem though which is exceptionally good because it was his last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.fseventsd Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 which is exceptionally good because it was his last. no it's exceptionally good because of the music lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrcramer Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 no it's exceptionally good because of the music lol i know, I was just kidding;) But it is the only Mozart work I like. Its gloomy, deliciously sad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfreestyle224 Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 i know, I was just kidding;) But it is the only Mozart work I like. Its gloomy, deliciously sad... I find many of his minor key works to be very good. I think it's a shame that he didn't write more. I think I heard somewhere that he liked writing in major keys because it made minor key development sections more interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luderart Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 - Symphonies: Beethoven, Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart, Shostakovich (esp. 4th & 8th) - Operas: Mozart, Verdi - Piano pieces (solo): Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann - Piano Concertos: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach - Violin solos: Bach (undisputed master), Paganini - Violin Concertos: Bach (also double concerto), Beethoven, Brahms, Khatchaturian - Cello Solos: Bach (ultimate master) - Cello Concertos: Elgar - String quartets: Beethoven (undisputed master), Cherubini, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Franck, Mansurian, Shostakovich (4th, 5th, 7th & 8th in particular), Martinu - String Quintets: Mozart (undisputed master, nothing like k. 516), Schubert, Bruckner - Piano chamber music: Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn Categories you had failed to mention: Overtures: Beethoven Oratorios: Handel Masses: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn Requiems: Mozart, Cherubini, Faure Ballet: Tchaikovsky, Khatchaturian Organ Solo: Bach (undisputed master) Modern Choral Favourite Composer: Pärt Favourite Modern Contemporary (Living) Composers: Pärt, Mansurian, Sharafyan Some favourites I cannot quite place into a category: Rameau, Handel (concerto grossos), Dvorak 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJS Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 One day when you grow out of your "everything dark and brooding is totally awesome" phase, you will realize how great Mozart's major-key works are as well. Just because they have a sunnier disposition does not mean they are lesser works (although, admittedly, his minor-key works/movements are very, very, very good). Choosing between the later concertos (which, along with opera, was the category I would say he most consistently wrote masterpieces) is difficult, but 20, 21, 24, and 25 seem to me to be a bit above the rest. Only #26 is somewhat of a let-down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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