Is your favorite composer Beethoven?

[DavidRoss]

Damn  skippy! 
(Along with a few others)

[Brian]

1. Beethoven
1a. Dvorak

Beethoven only wins on listen count.

[Mirror Image]

And I know for whom! ; )

[TheGSMoeller]

Ok, I'll admit it, Beethoven is......not my favorite composer. Sorry for the suspense. 

However, since Beethoven is an important subject here, I will say that my favorite compositions from Ludwig Van are Symphonies No. 3 & 7, Piano Concerto No.5 and any of his Piano Sonatas, just pick any of them, I love them all.

[ibanezmonster]

Slightly over half. Between Bach, Beethoven, and Mahler, anyone else have any different favorites? 
Beethoven takes up half, Mahler takes up 1/4.5, and Bach would probably take over the rest.

Something is off here. 

[Lethevich]

A thread with a title like this is more likely to draw the clicks of lovers rather than neutrals

[ibanezmonster]

A thread with a title like this is more likely to draw the clicks of lovers rather than neutrals

True, but Dave's thread wasn't titled "Is your favorite composer Mahler?". Or maybe just asking the question would itself like that would influence the voting...?

[DavidRoss]

Between Bach, Beethoven, and Mahler, anyone else have any different favorites? 

Yes.

[Mirror Image]

Between Bach, Beethoven, and Mahler, anyone else have any different favorites? 

Considering I don't like any of the composers you mentioned, yes.

[The new erato]

Bach, Beethoven and Brahms is a tie, so I cannot really vote.

[Opus106]

Ok, I'll admit it, Beethoven is......not my favorite composer.

Da-da-da-daaah...

[Elgarian]

I protest that the poll is an invitation to commit something resembling a category error. We are asked: Is your favorite composer Beethoven? To which the implied logical alternative answers would be:
1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Only on Thursdays when the moon is full.
4. Banana.

However, what we are actually offered is either 'Yes' (which is acceptable) or 'Someone else', which is not.  'Someone else' is not an answer to the question that was asked. It's like being asked if your hair is green, and replying 'My dog is ill'.* For this poll to be acceptable, the poll would need reconstructing as follows:

Who is your favourite composer?

1. Beethoven
2. Someone else.
(With the additional fruit option, where required.)

I placed my vote before I discovered this unfortunate error, and would like to test opinion about whether others share my dismay, and request action. Therefore, please vote in the following poll:

Do you want this poll to be reconstructed, and results so far declared null and void?

1. Beethoven.                               
2. Someone else.
3. I require additional fruit options.
4. Don't bother me about this, I'm busy.



*For those pet-lovers who are anxious, I should make it clear that my dog is not ill. (In fact I do not have a dog, and so the question 'Is your dog ill?' would pose, for me, a similar philosophical dilemma to the one with which we are now faced.)
My hair, however, is green.**


**Only joking.

[Opus106]

Alan, when you have the time, I'd appreicate it if you would provide an analysis of the similarities and differences in the structures of the works by Beethoven, Mahler and Someone Else.

[Brahmsian]

Looks like we need to have a "Is your favorite composer Beethoven, Bach or Mahler....or someone else" SPF poll, to settle the matter. 

[DavidRoss]

I protest that the poll is an invitation to commit something resembling a category error. We are asked: Is your favorite composer Beethoven? To which the implied logical alternative answers would be:
1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Only on Thursdays when the moon is full.
4. Banana.

However, what we are actually offered is either 'Yes' (which is acceptable) or 'Someone else', which is not.  'Someone else' is not an answer to the question that was asked. It's like being asked if your hair is green, and replying 'My dog is ill'.* For this poll to be acceptable, the poll would need reconstructing as follows:

Who is your favourite composer?

1. Beethoven
2. Someone else.
(With the additional fruit option, where required.)

I placed my vote before I discovered this unfortunate error, and would like to test opinion about whether others share my dismay, and request action. Therefore, please vote in the following poll:

Do you want this poll to be reconstructed, and results so far declared null and void?

1. Beethoven.                               
2. Someone else.
3. I require additional fruit options.
4. Don't bother me about this, I'm busy.



*For those pet-lovers who are anxious, I should make it clear that my dog is not ill. (In fact I do not have a dog, and so the question 'Is your dog ill?' would pose, for me, a similar philosophical dilemma to the one with which we are now faced.)
My hair, however, is green.

Not grue or bleen?

Just think how much better off the world would be if only everyone who votes understood category errors.  You've done the world a service here, Alan--almost as great as providing a free year-long course in the fundamentals of economics to every citizen.

[North Star]

I protest that the poll is an invitation to commit something resembling a category error. We are asked: Is your favorite composer Beethoven? To which the implied logical alternative answers would be:
1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Only on Thursdays when the moon is full.
4. Banana.

However, what we are actually offered is either 'Yes' (which is acceptable) or 'Someone else', which is not.  'Someone else' is not an answer to the question that was asked. It's like being asked if your hair is green, and replying 'My dog is ill'.* For this poll to be acceptable, the poll would need reconstructing as follows:

Who is your favourite composer?

1. Beethoven
2. Someone else.
(With the additional fruit option, where required.)

I placed my vote before I discovered this unfortunate error, and would like to test opinion about whether others share my dismay, and request action. Therefore, please vote in the following poll:

Do you want this poll to be reconstructed, and results so far declared null and void?

1. Beethoven.                               
2. Someone else.
3. I require additional fruit options.
4. Don't bother me about this, I'm busy.



*For those pet-lovers who are anxious, I should make it clear that my dog is not ill. (In fact I do not have a dog, and so the question 'Is your dog ill?' would pose, for me, a similar philosophical dilemma to the one with which we are now faced.)
My hair, however, is green.**


**Only joking.

But there probably is someone else, whose favourite composer indeed is Beethoven!

[Josquin des Prez]

I think an interesting poll would be, which composer can't you bear to talk negatively about?

I have an hunch Bach would win by a landslide. Except for some off comment about his music being learned and difficult, he's always treated with reverence, even by people who don't listen to his music (those poor unfortunate souls).

[Elgarian]

Alan, when you have the time, I'd appreicate it if you would provide an analysis of the similarities and differences in the structures of the works by Beethoven, Mahler and Someone Else.

Well, to the best of my knowledge Navneeth, the current state of scholarship proposes that Beethoven goes Da-da-da-DAH, while Mahler goes Blah-blah-blah-blah. (Someone Else, as one might expect, does something else. That is his immediately recognisable 'trademark', really.)

I hope that's clear? I try to avoid technical language as far as possible, but of course there are times when there's no other way to explain - as here.

[Opus106]

Mahler goes Blah-blah-blah-blah.

Interesting you say that, since in a recent paper by one Dr. Blabbermouth, he convincingly argues for Blah-blah-blah-blah-... instead.

[Elgarian]

Just think how much better off the world would be if only everyone who votes understood category errors.

It would be OK up to a point, Dave. I think after a while people would become bored by lengthy discussions of the King of France's hair style. (Or lack of one.)