Your FIVE favorite composers.

[Jacob Royal]

Yes, I did say five.
You do not have to say why.
Just put them in order from favorite to fifth favorite.

1. Beethoven
2. Tchaikovsky
3. Frank *EDIT* Franck (sorry, I never spell his name correctly)
4. Liszt
5. Schubert

If your opinions differ (by that I mean if you hate a composer that someone else loves), please be civil in your arguments. That is more of a reminder for me than a request for you :)

 

Since I can still edit my list (hehehehe) I have a new one

1. Beethoven

2. Tchaikovsky

3. Strauss, R.

4. Shostakovitch

5. Barber for his Adagio (I've only heard that one piece by him)/ Mozart (For Sym. 40, Eine Kleine, violin+viola duets, Mass, and Requiem)

HM Liszt

[Michael T]

The quartets in A minor and C minor are wonderful as is the Piano Quintet and Clarinet, Quintet. The Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto, Double Concerto and the Symphonies are all masterworks of the highest order. Sorry to butt in but I couldn't resist.
For me, Brahms is the master at what Schoenberg called 'developing variation'.

Les Harper said:

Hmmmm. . ..That's a toughy. I like his piano works -- any number of Intermezzos (Intermezzi?) There's an orchestral piece called Academic Festival Overture. Being a rock guy, you'd probaby love the beginning of it. He has one or two symphonies that use choral parts at the end. In fact, all of his choral pieces are so rich.

Brahms has a certain depth and darkness. Even his "happy" moments contain an underlying somberness.

When you get a chance, check out my variations on his famous lullaby called Dare We Dream.


Doug Lauber said:

Les, What are your favourite compositions by Brahms?

[Les Harper]

Thanks for butting in! You're right about the variations, by the way. What amazes me is the way he can create these dark chords and melodies that aren't muddy at all. His piano pieces often use left-handed triads, but it works beautifully.

Michael Tauben said:

The quartets in A minor and C minor are wonderful as is the Piano Quintet and Clarinet, Quintet. The Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto, Double Concerto and the Symphonies are all masterworks of the highest order. Sorry to butt in but I couldn't resist.
For me, Brahms is the master at what Schoenberg called 'developing variation'.

Les Harper said:

Hmmmm. . ..That's a toughy. I like his piano works -- any number of Intermezzos (Intermezzi?) There's an orchestral piece called Academic Festival Overture. Being a rock guy, you'd probaby love the beginning of it. He has one or two symphonies that use choral parts at the end. In fact, all of his choral pieces are so rich.

Brahms has a certain depth and darkness. Even his "happy" moments contain an underlying somberness.

When you get a chance, check out my variations on his famous lullaby called Dare We Dream.


Doug Lauber said:

Les, What are your favourite compositions by Brahms?

[Doug Lauber]

I was first introduced to Brahms through a friend who played a vinyl of his Piano Quintet. I was blown away by the rhythmic intensity which seemed rock-like. I liked the structure too. The brooding. The passion. Then I discovered the 1st Symphony/1st mov with a slow hovering melody over a pounding rhythm. I saw that he was kinda 'retro' in his fantastic use of counterpoint. Over the years I have moved away from that degree of somberness although I like assorted Requiems by many composers. Go figure. I do like his vibrant 'happy' moments in his 4th Symph. I need to listen to his full repertoire. I also had the 3 Piano Quartets on vinyl- Guaneri & Rubinstein. It's hard to find the one in A Major on CD. Love his chamber music. It's inspiring.

[Marissa Mylet]

1. Danny Elfman
2. Claude Debussy
3. Tchaikovsky
4. Bernard Herrmann
5. Rachmaninov

(1-5, most favorite to lesser favorite)
Spot 5 is almost always changing; at the moment, I guess Rach wins.

[Doug Lauber]

Marissa Mylet said:

1. Danny Elfman
2. Claude Debussy
3. Tchaikovsky
4. Bernard Herrmann
5. Rachmaninov

(1-5, most favorite to lesser favorite)
Spot 5 is almost always changing; at the moment, I guess Rach wins.

I too like Elfman- I've got Music For A Darkened Theater, Sleep Hollow, and Dolores Claiborne, to name a few favorites. My fav Herrmann is Hitchcock's Vertigo. Fantastic!

[Steve Ada]

Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Bartok
Charles Ives

[Michael T]

I think I spot the odd one out. Not because his name doesn't begin with B but because he is the only one who wrote an incoherent babble of a sonata ( Concord) LOL!

Sorry, no offence intended!

Steve Ada said:

Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Bartok
Charles Ives

[David Jacques]

1. Ludwig van Beethoven

2. Gustav Mahler

3. Antonin Dvorak

4. Erik Satie

5. Johannes Brahms

 

At least, this is what I thought, but according to iTunes, it is:

1. Aaron Copland

2. Philip Glass

3. Antonin Dvorak

4. Journey (haha)

5. Erik Satie

[Stephen Hatchfield]

1. Beethoven

2. Brahms

3. Clara Schumann

4. Wagner

5. Mozart

[Pepper Williams]

1. Tchaichovsky

2. Stravinsky

3. Shostakovitch

4. Beethoven

5. William Walton

I'm partial to the Russian composers and frankly, it should be top ten (I left out some more favorites):)