'best' composer

[watcher]

Hi! This is watcher again! I would like to add to the point I made earlier, about beethoven being a titan. I just listened to fur elise, I think it is brilliant! It is so quiet and the beauty is magnificent. It just goes to say that beethoven is the titan on the mountain, bending the rays of the sun so he could view the land for millions of miles. <p>[This message has been edited by watcher (edited 11-24-2000).]

[thrillhouse]

Thanks Allyn. I appreciate your appreciation of my appreciation of classical music. I've never really known too many people I can discuss it with, and I think this bulletin board is just snazzy. I have to admit, since I stopped playing the cello, and since I graduated from school, my study of classical music has dwindled, but my love of it never will. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Allyn:<BR><B> <P>Thrillhouse, I enjoy reading your comments. You seem passionate about the subject, and that's something I enjoy! GO THRILLHOUSE GO!<BR> <P></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>

[watcher]

Thrillhouse, I want you to know that I agree with you. I love these message boards! I get to express my love of classical music and of Beethoven especially. I would like to take the time to thank the wonderful people at beethoven.com for everything about this website. I love to post my views here regarding classical music, and I hope I will always have this in the future as I continue my voyage of beethoven's music.

[Sir Stewart]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by watcher:<BR><B>Thrillhouse, I want you to know that I agree with you. I love these message boards! I get to express my love of classical music and of Beethoven especially. I would like to take the time to thank the wonderful people at beethoven.com for everything about this website. I love to post my views here regarding classical music, and I hope I will always have this in the future as I continue my voyage of beethoven's music.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Thank you!<BR>Sir Stew<P>

[AnnaEmilia]

Luigi, by all categories! He is THE man for me;-)<P>

[watcher]

Hi, Sir Stewart, watcher here, I think you are going to have a wonderful time here at beethoven.com! Keep posting and have a merry christmas and a rich new year!

[Kevin]

...if we want to try and categorize composers like this (something that'll always be up for argument!), I'd offer this view:<BR>BAROQUE<BR>Bach: inventor Handel: inventor/perfector<BR>CLASSICAL<BR>Haydn: inventor Mozart: perfector<BR>ROMANTIC<BR>Beethoven:inventor/perfector (idealistic romantic) <P>Now it gets trickier:<P>Schumann: attempted perfector (romantic)<BR>Lizst: inventor (eclectic romantic)<BR>Brahms: neutral (smoothed out Beethoven, if you will)<BR>Schubert: neutral (emulated Beethoven)<BR>Chopin: perfector (romantic)<BR>Saint Saens: perfector (French romantic)<BR>Berlioz: inventor (eclectic French romantic)<BR>Debussy, Satie, etc.: inventor (low-key romantic)<BR>Wagner, Mahler: inventor (heavy-handed, imperious romantic)<BR>Mendelssohn: inventor ("postmodern" classical/romantic hybrid)<P>Actually, I would have to disagree with your assessment of Bach as an inventor. He was critisized during his lifetime (especially by his more successful - during his life - sons) as being too conservative. His kids called him "old fashioned" because he was still writing in the old style while the classical age was budding. (His son Christian was a major influence on Mozart, e.g.) What he did was to simply take Baroque counterpoint to a perfection that had never been heard before.

[Kevin]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by thrillhouse:<BR>[B]I don't like the idea of categories (inventor, perfector, plain composer) for composers. I don't think they saw themselves in that light. They just composed to their heart's content. No one invents music. And when you say perfector... what are they perfecting? who are they perfecting for? I don't think they were inventing or perfecting, they are artists composing what sounds right to them.[B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I am a composer myself with a Master's degree in composition. I say this only to say that, as a composer, I have always wanted to be an innovator. I have come to the realization, however, that when I write, what comes out (as you say, "sounds right" to me) ends up being more of something that builds on previous forms and structures and harmonies and, therefore, is more perfecting than inventing.<P>Here I must qualify what I meant by perfecting. I don't necessarily mean it as a matter of an ojective qualitative measure, but as a tendency towards one side or another. I simply find it interesting that, put on the scales of these two opposite characteristice, certain composers' pieces tend to tilt the scales to one side or the other. Whether it was their intent or not, with hindsight at our disposal, it is interesting (to me) to see where each composer might fall. <P>...and even more interesting to me is the ideas that such a comparison has elicited from everyone in this discussion group (which is the real beauty of it, INMHO).<P>Thanks!<BR>

[watcher]

The more I think about it, I believe Beethoven was (and still is.) an inspiration to us all. As I have said on this message board, he was the titan on the mountain who was bending the light rays so he could see for millions of miles. Well, he inspires us to do the same. To bend the rays of light so we can see for millions of miles and hopefully to explore what we do find on the mountain top.<BR>

[watcher]

The more I think about it, I believe Beethoven was (and still is.) an inspiration to us all. As I have said on this message board, he was the titan on the mountain who was bending the light rays so he could see for millions of miles. Well, he inspires us to do the same. To bend the rays of light so we can see for millions of miles and hopefully to explore what we do find on the mountain top.<BR>

[watcher]

The more I think about it, I believe Beethoven was (and still is.) an inspiration to us all. As I have said on this message board, he was the titan on the mountain who was bending the light rays so he could see for millions of miles. Well, he inspires us to do the same. To bend the rays of light so we can see for millions of miles and hopefully to explore what we do find on the mountain top.<BR>

[~Leslie]

Hi Serge, hello everyone, this forum has a nice vibe. <P>It all depends on what I'm looking for.<BR>Here's a few that find their way to spinning round on my disc player:<P>Bach- the definitive organ, harpsichord, and counterpoint man<P>Mozart- for celestial hook melodies, serenity, and charming operas<P>Beethoven- passionate, dynamic thematic building skills, for the philosophical and idealistic view<P>Debussy - for French Impressionism<P>Chopin - for super piano chops<P>Copland - for the Americana<P>Tchiakovsky - for the ballet<P>Strauss - for ballrooms and riding halls <P> <P>

[LVBfurimmer]

I believe that Beethoven will always be the greatest. No other composer ever accomplished what he accomplished. There is so much variety in his music, every peice has its own charecteristics, but with Mozart they all sound the same. I am not denying Mozarts talent, but he has too many peices that sound alike. <P>Beethoven is the eternal flame of music.

[watcher]

I agree, Beethoven will always be the eternal flame of music. God bless Beethoven! Merry Christmas!!!

[watcher]

Hello and good day! I just got through listening to Beethoven's ninth, and I found exhilirating! From the point he throws the lightning bolts from the proverbial mountain top, from his beginning his search for joy until he finally finds the joy he has been looking for all of his life. I will say this once more, is it not amazing that this magnificent symphony was deaf? I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish all of you a Happy New Year.

[Emster]

Bach was definitely a master of his work. Not only was he a nice Lutheran boy, but he consistently he created beautiful works of art, both sacred and secular. It is my understanding that he wrote a cantata for every church holiday (Lutherans have alot). Kevin, I think that as a student of music, you can appreciate Bach. He makes analyzing music a little easier in the first few years of theory.

[barfle]

Unless I missed it, I'm the first one to bring up Tchaikovsky's name in this forum. From where I'm listening, his music is almost instantly familiar. Piano Concerto #1, 1812 Overture, Swan Lake, all have tunes you can hum on the way home. Maybe some of you will have other opinions, but music's gotta sing and it's gotta dance. I read a statement about Tchaikovsky once that said words to the effect of "His music takes a very familiar path, but it's where I want to go."

[Lon]

Gabrieli gets my vote - just think of the leap he made from voices to instruments at the turn of the century (1600) that really began modern musical evolution to which Bach, Handel, Hayden, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Strvinsky, and Copland added their personal stamps. Truly inspirational.