Is your favorite composer Beethoven?

[Lisztianwagner]

I definitely love Beethoven's music, he was certainly a genius; but he is my second favourite composer, not the absolute favourite

[71 dB]

Elgar is my favorite composer followed just behind by J.S.Bach. Beethoven is however in my top 10.

I adore Beethoven's string quartets. His violin sonatas are very enjoyable and late piano sonatas are awesome. My problem is Beethoven's orchestral music. I am not completely fond of the way Beethoven often uses orchestra. 

[ibanezmonster]

I just wanted to see how far of a percentage these types of threads can go, because Beethoven is always the winner of favorite composer polls.
4/9... almost 50%, not bad so far.

I mean it in the same way as MNDave's thread- I think his meant exclusively.

[Karl Henning]

Elgar is my favorite composer . . . . 

That was unexpected . . . .

[Karl Henning]

I mean it in the same way as MNDave's thread- I think his meant exclusively.

Still . . . one misses the banana.

[Marc]

Presumably the exceptions being composers who like Arvo Pärt occasionally reminisce about Gregorian Chant... 

Occasionally?

There are zillions of reminiscences of Gregorian Chant and melodies, from Renaissance up to now.
Just to mention Bach's oeuvre: many Lutheran chorales and hymns are directly taken from melodies of Gregorian 'originals'.
These Gregorian 'originals' btw were inspired by many both eastern and western ancient folk songs.
Believe me, it's a perpetuum mobile (until the end ) of mutual influences and reminiscences between secular and religious music and song.

[ibanezmonster]

Still . . . one misses the banana.

I peeled the banana...
and threw the peel on the ground so all of the cars behind me would crash. 

[Karl Henning]

There's a great scene in The In-Laws . . . .

[Karl Henning]

There is 1/3 of a banana in the smoothie I am drinking.

And no Beethoven.

[ibanezmonster]

And no Beethoven.

I can fix that. Just give me a bit of money for a quick flight...

[chasmaniac]

Occasionally?

There are zillions of reminiscences of Gregorian Chant and melodies, from Renaissance up to now.
Just to mention Bach's oeuvre: many Lutheran chorales and hymns are directly taken from melodies of Gregorian 'originals'.
These Gregorian 'originals' btw were inspired by many both eastern and western ancient folk songs.
Believe me, it's a perpetuum mobile (until the end ) of mutual influences and reminiscences between secular and religious music and song.

As the lady said to William James: "it's parodies all the way down."

[Karl Henning]

More conurey than parroty, I'd have thought . . . .

(Not Sean Conurey, to be sure.)

[chasmaniac]

More conurey than parroty, I'd have thought . . . .

(Not Sean Conurey, to be sure.)

The flat earth resting on the back of a giant parakeet... delicious!

[Marc]

As the lady said to William James: "it's parodies all the way down."

And now let's wait for John Tavener's Puke In My Pants.



Or would he prefer Jizz In My Mouth?



OK, I'm off. I'm ruining this very worthwhile poll and thread.

[mszczuj]

Of course, he is.

[Marc]

Zillions?
Not an altogether thoughtful estimation.

John Sebastian Bach (like all great composers) tended to transform everything he borrowed into far more than the original - more complex, more elevated - especially when he borrowed from popular sources that were no more challenging in his days than in ours.

To make an absolute standard of any one composer or movement is self-limiting and therefore self-defeating. If one does one may be  better off making a standard of Bach, who in his genius brought much of what occured before him to a climax & prepared the way for a lot that happened since; than in making a standard out of a form of music - the Gregorian - so stale as to have no force of influence left than influence on composers whose audience is limited to that new public of semi-educated petite bourgeoisie (to the exclusion of sophisticated music lovers)...

...composers like Arvo Pärt and John Tavener, that is

Since, apparently, to you, influences and reminiscences of Gregorious Chant are only synonymous with the taste of 'semi-educated petite bourgeoisie' and therefore are only to be found in music of Pärt and Tavener, I will leave this 'debate' in peace.

But not before saying that your assumption is, IMHO, not an altogether thoughtful estimation.

And also by saying (thread duty) that I like Beethoven, but he's not my favourite composer.

[Brahmsian]

I think I know who is Karl's favourite composer.

It is most certainly Barstakovinsky   

[Karl Henning]

Barstchaikovinskbergcoupaninovinůbaldattlioiz

[Brahmsian]

Barstchaikovinskbergcoupaninovinůbaldattlioiz

That was my 2nd guess! 

I am a little disappointed that I don't see a combination of the letters Johannes Brahms in there, anywhere.  I forgive you though. 

[Geo Dude]

Yes and No.  It is Beethoven and Brahms (I cannot favour one over the others).  These two are my co-favourite composers.

I used to feel this way, but Brahms has edged Beethoven out as my favorite, so I had to select 'Someone else.'