Best Composers By Composition Type

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.

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....

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.

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. ;)

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

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.

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

- 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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Has no one heard Mozart's Piano concertos? :facepalm:

Has no one heard Mozart's Piano concertos? :facepalm:

We have, they just all suck.

We have, they just all suck.

You Sir, are ignorant and have bad taste.

Thank you, I will keep that in mind.

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.

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

they're not as good as the requiem though

which is exceptionally good because it was his last.

which is exceptionally good because it was his last.

no it's exceptionally good because of the music lol

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...

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.

- 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

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.