Is your favorite composer Beethoven?

[DavidRoss]

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.)

I suspect that Beethoven is not the King of France's favorite composer.  Don't know about his hair style's favorite composer.  A toss-up, perhaps, among Handel, Bruckner, and Frank Zappa.

And thanks for the illuminating discourse on the technical distinction between Mahler and Beethoven.  I had been laboring under the misapprehension of Mahler's "trademark" style as "Blaaah-blah, blah-bla-blaaah-blah, blaaah-bla-blah-bla-blah-bla-blaaah-blah." I'm grateful for the correction.

[mc ukrneal]

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).

Yeah - CPE was great!

[Karl Henning]

Fruit option void where prohibited by Occupy Banana Grove

[Karl Henning]

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.

Oh, the grand old King of France
He had a hip coiffure,
His valets powdered all his wigs
Twice a day, just to be sure.

[Karl Henning]

[Bach is] always treated with reverence

Wrong.

[Elgarian]

... in a recent paper by one Dr. Blabbermouth, he convincingly argues for Blah-blah-blah-blah-... instead.

Well, he's the person responsible for the theory that most of Someone Else's major works were composed by someone else. I don't think we need to take his view seriously.

[Karl Henning]

Could be worse. The alternative to Beethoven could be Anyone Else.

[Elgarian]

I suspect that Beethoven is not the King of France's favorite composer.

This gets my vote for the most perfect response in this thread. Its simplicity is so complex that I'm still chuckling. (Or is it because its complexity is so simple? Bertrand Russell, where are you when we need you?)

And thanks for the illuminating discourse on the technical distinction between Mahler and Beethoven.  I had been laboring under the misapprehension of Mahler's "trademark" style as "Blaaah-blah, blah-bla-blaaah-blah, blaaah-bla-blah-bla-blah-bla-blaaah-blah." I'm grateful for the correction.

I think even the most rigorous-minded scholars of the king of France's musical tastes admit to some element of subjectivity when it comes to Mahler. "Blaaah-blah, blah-bla-blaaah-blah, blaaah-bla-blah-bla-blah-bla-blaaah-blah" can sound surprisingly similar to "Blah-blah-blah-blah" for some listeners, regardless of hair style.

[Elgarian]

The alternative to Beethoven could be Anyone Else.

I have analysed this statement for category errors and found none.


[Thinks: it must be true, then....]

[Josquin des Prez]

Wrong.

Relatively speaking, it is correct.

Everyone else instead of Beethoven? More stupid relativistic talk from the usual suspects.

[Josquin des Prez]

[Thinks: it must be true, then....]

It isn't. Thinking isn't anything that is usually done around this parts, of course.

[Karl Henning]

Everyone else instead of Beethoven? More stupid relativistic talk from the usual suspects.

I missed that; who said it?

[Josquin des Prez]

I missed that; who said it?

I don't see the difference.

Is Mendelssohn greater then Beethoven? No, he isn't. Is there anything else to be said on the subject?

[Elgarian]

It isn't.

Doh! Just when you think you've got something straight, this happens.

Thinking isn't anything that is usually done around this parts, of course.

But to look on the bright side, there's no shortage of slightly strange senses of humour.

[bhodges]

Doh! Just when you think you've got something straight, this happens.

But to look on the bright side, there's no shortage of slightly strange senses of humour.

--Bruce

[Elgarian]

--Bruce

I'll just have a little chuckle along with you, Bruce, if I may?

[bhodges]

I'll just have a little chuckle along with you, Bruce, if I may?

But of course!

--Bruce

[prémont]

Thread duty: I have got many favorite composers. LvB is one of these.

[Elgarian]

But of course!

--Bruce

Thanks. I'm working on the principle: 'Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Think, and you think alone.' Or did I misquote something, there?


(By the way, I just noticed your James Turrell avatar. I was very taken by a visit to one of his skyspaces a couple of years ago.)

[bhodges]

Thread duty: I have got many favorite composers. LvB is one of these.

I feel similarly. For the record, in my teens I thought Charles Ives was my favorite composer (he's still way up there) and later, Bartók, and even more recently, Gérard Grisey. But the reality is: there is no single composer whom I could single out as "my favorite." I get illumination and inspiration from too many different types of composers to choose one above all the others.

--Bruce