The Hanoverian Kapellmeister VS. Il prete rosso

[Philoctetes]

They both great oratorios, operas but Vivaldi has the edge in the concertos, Handel in the chamber... but what breaks the tie is the warhorse. The four seasons vs the Messiah.  Think about it is there any doubt as to who doms?

I'd hope Vivaldi, whose operas are the sole reason I chose him over Handel.

[Philoctetes]

Oh, I'd have to select Bach over either H. or V.

For me it's such a close call. I mean my favorite pieces would be by Bach (The Art of Fugue, and the Solo Violin Sonatas), but there's more music by Vivaldi that I enjoy (as mentioned previously, his operas).

[Bulldog]

Oh, I'd have to select Bach over either H. or V.

Same here.

[Gurn Blanston]

Look at my record collection; hundreds of Vivaldi and only 1 Handel (violin sonatas). I would (and have, in fact) take Vivaldi over Handel OR Bach any day of the week.

[Philoctetes]

Look at my record collection; hundreds of Vivaldi and only 1 Handel (violin sonatas). I would (and have, in fact) take Vivaldi over Handel OR Bach any day of the week.

Always knew there was a reason I liked you.

[Mirror Image]

Look at my record collection; hundreds of Vivaldi and only 1 Handel (violin sonatas). I would (and have, in fact) take Vivaldi over Handel OR Bach any day of the week.

Same here. I favor Vivaldi over most Baroque composers anyway. He's my favorite. I also like Locatelli, both Scarlatti, Corelli, and Rameau. I do enjoy some Albinoni as well.

[Gurn Blanston]

Always knew there was a reason I liked you.

0:)

Same here. I favor Vivaldi over most Baroque composers anyway. He's my favorite. I also like Locatelli, both Scarlatti, Corelli, and Rameau. I do enjoy some Albinoni as well.

Me too. I generally prefer Italian Baroque to German. Have quite a bit of Locatelli and particularly Tartini. With the violin being my favorite instrument, it is very difficult to not prefer the Italians of that period (and Biber. ).

[Bulldog]

Tea Party enthusiasts favor Vivaldi.

[DavidW]

Tea Party enthusiasts favor Vivaldi.

Oh I getcha naive.   Well done.

[Gurn Blanston]

Tea Party enthusiasts favor Vivaldi.

Low blow, low blow... 

[karlhenning]

You lads are making me smile.

[Florestan]

What about the ultimate poll: What I love vs. What you love? 

[Mirror Image]

Tea Party enthusiasts favor Vivaldi.

Actually people with good taste favor Vivaldi. Political affliation has nothing to do with it.

[Air]

After being introduced to Giulio Cesare, it will have to be Handel.

[Bulldog]

Actually people with good taste favor Vivaldi. Political affliation has nothing to do with it.

Make that "no taste" and we are in agreement.

[prémont]

My acquaintance with Händel´s and Vivaldi´s vocal music is relatively limited, so I cannot judge about this part of their works.

On the other hand I know the lions share of their instrumental music, and I am in no doubt, that I favour Händel. In my ears Vivaldi gets easily repetitive and boring in the long run. Well, he wrote some outstanding works f.i. opus 3, which I consider the acme of his instrumental output. But I never tire of Händel´s harpsichord suites and chamber music, even if he also often recycles thematic ideas.

[kishnevi]

I have a mild preference for Vivaldi.    I think his instrumental stuff is better than Handel's.  Handel's operas are superior to Vivaldi, not really on musical grounds but on dramatic grounds--Handel seemed to be able to pick out better libretti.   And it does help, to an English speaker, that the oratorios are, generally, in English.  But again, that's not a musical consideration.

[Josquin des Prez]

All that is justifiably well put.  I wonder that you don't question the dogma that greater contrapuntal sophistication must mean "better music."

Yeah, but when all other things being equal...

Vivaldi's lack of harmonic sophistication is one of the reason i wasn't able to enjoy his operas as much as i would have liked. This is actually a problem with a lot of high baroque Italian composers, especially Alessandro Scarlatti, who's harmony is often so scant to be non-existent.