Bach is the very best composer.

[Sergeant Rock]

Bach is the very best composer: Of course not.

Sarge

[Opus106]

Really interesting and tough question. Bach is one of my top 5 composers. But I think it's impossible to pin down what it means for a composer to be the greatest of all. Is it the number of "great" works that counts? Is the best composer the one who wrote the "single greatest" work (if there is such a thing)? What is greatness anyway? It's also difficult to compare greatness in works from e.g., the Baroque and the Romantic era. Also, for me the question always arises whether one can compare a composer who lived very long with one who died young, but might have had even greater potential, as reflected in the works he did have the chance to write.
The composer who might have become the "very best" in my view is Schubert, if only he had had the chance to live longer than 31 years - he created some of the most sublime music at such a relatively young age.

I see that you are new here. Welcome aboard.

[knight66]

Nice opening up of the topic Verena. I tend not to take too seriously the suggestions that anyone is definitely the greatest, or any piece. I don't see the whole of classical music as some kind of beauty contest, where we have to find a greatest anything.

In most such discussions, it ends up revolving around personal taste as defended by habit and repute.

Dave was very much tongue in cheek when he started the thread.

Mike

[Opus106]

Dave was very much tongue in cheek when he started the thread.

And usually when he starts any thread.

[MN Dave]

Is Mrs. Rock a sock puppet?

[Lethevich]

The best composer is obviously Ferde Grofé.

[MN Dave]

The best composer is obviously Ferde Grofé.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

[knight66]

The best composer is obviously Ferde Grofé.

He was certainly the best composer of that name.

Mike

[Verena]

I see that you are new here. Welcome aboard.

Thanks Navneeth!   

[Verena]

I don't see the whole of classical music as some kind of beauty contest, where we have to find a greatest anything.

yeah, completely agree, Mike

[Sergeant Rock]

Is Mrs. Rock a sock puppet?

Well, if she is, she's a very contrarious one

Sarge

[MN Dave]

Or perhaps Sarge has been the puppet all along! 

[karlhenning]

Really interesting and tough question. Bach is one of my top 5 composers. But I think it's impossible to pin down what it means for a composer to be the greatest of all.

Indeed.

If it were at all possible to solve for "greatest composer," then Bach could possibly be it.  Certainly he's a contender.

[MN Dave]

More than a few votes for Heinrich Bananafanamomana.

[karlhenning]

The Decidedly Not vote is of interest, too.

[Sergeant Rock]

Or perhaps Sarge has been the puppet all along! 

Sarge, startled by Dave's assertion, checks his skin which does feel oddly...woolen 

[MN Dave]

Sarge, startled by Dave's assertion, checks his skin which does feel oddly...woolen 

And those shiny, black button eyes...

[MN Dave]

[karlhenning]

Food Fight!

[Norbeone]

I voted that he is the best, although I realise that I cannot (nor can anyone), without a degree of inadequacy, argue that any composer is the absolute greatest. But Bach's music is the one I always come back to (almost every single day), even when I happen to be in a Webern mood, or a Britten or Stravinsky or Beethoven or Schoenberg or Prokofiev mood, I will always find myself needed a good strong dose of Bach, as if I were actually addicted. I can think of many solid and explainable reasons for my love of Bach, but I suppose, with art, nothing transcends that intense gut feeling, that indescribable reaction one gets when listen to whatever it may be.

Anyway, I'm away to listen to some JS.