Greetings from Toronto, Canada

[micfuh]

Hello to everyone. No I do not smoke crack and I do mean it! During the late 70's I was in university studying musicology. I bombed out on ear training, especially dictation, and so I left after three years. I have been listening to classical music for 49 years. I have learned more outside university than I learned there. My specific love is 20th century music but all periods fascinate me. Serial music does not scare me, except for Schoenberg's Wind Quintet in all the different instrumentations(winds, strings and violin and piano). Someday I will "crack" this nut. From Alfven to Zemlinsky I try to keep an open mind but a very objective mind. Subjectivity is fine when it is not brutally forced on other listeners. I look forward to discovering and learning about music at this forum.

[SonicMan46]

Hello Micfuh - welcome to the forum!

I'm more into the 18th century (and 50 yrs or so on either side) music but there are a number of active threads going on the 'modern' eras, so plenty here for you to enjoy! 

Wife & I have have vacationed in the summers in Canada many times - Quebec & Ontario have been are destinations most often - Dave

[Brahmsian]

Welcome to GMG, from another fellow Canuck! 

[Karl Henning]

Welcome!

[Fafner]

Hello and welcome!

[mc ukrneal]

Welcome and enjoy yourself!

[bhodges]

Greetings, welcome, and thank you for that nice - and humorous - introduction. Hope you have a good time here.

--Bruce

[Lisztianwagner]

Welcome to the forum, have a nice time here!

[Mirror Image]

Welcome aboard! Perhaps you could give us your 10 favorite composers at the moment?

[springrite]

Serial music does not scare me, except for Schoenberg's Wind Quintet in all the different instrumentations(winds, strings and violin and piano). Someday I will "crack" this nut.

We have lots of people like you here, lots of "nutcrackers" and, we have no shortage of "nuts" here either! Welcome aboard!

[Karl Henning]

. . . all periods fascinate me. Serial music does not scare me, except for Schoenberg's Wind Quintet in all the different instrumentations (winds, strings and violin and piano). Someday I will "crack" this nut.

Good on you for keeping at it!  That's a work I particularly like, so if I might be of any service to you, only give the word!

[micfuh]

It is very hard to list ten favourite composers. There is so much music that I do like and love from all periods. Even that tough nut that I will crack(not smoke), Schoenberg's wind quintet. Some of my die hard favs include Martinu, Hindemith, Janacek, Mahler, Nielsen(for that matter practically all music from Scandinavia), Dohnanyi, Bruckner and so many more including the giants of the 20th century. I should know more of Canadian composers but I do have a real fascination for 20th century American composers. One composer that comes to mind is George Rochberg. His dodecaphonic second symphony is as wonderful as are all the Concord Quartets that I have heard. To my knowledge the seventh quartet hasn't as yet been recorded. It may be more pertinent to list all the music I do not care for. That list is quite small and only contains works that I don't like and not the composers as a whole. I would have to smoke crack to sit through Liszt's symphonic poems. His piano music is incredible but those tone poems have me rushing for insulin. Warning: I look at classical music with an objective outlook. I am rarely subjective but when I am my comments are spiced with heavy doses of objectivity. I promise to turn some of you crazy......hey, I'm crazy, so why not?

[micfuh]

Oh my, I forgot to mention those jaunty composers from the UK. From Byrd and Boyce to Stanford, Elgar, Rubbra and many, many more including the composer who wrote that absolutely divine music from one of the greatest films of all time "The Belles of St. Trinians". I told you  that I am crazy!

[Pessoa]

On another level, my cat is fat.

[North Star]

Welcome to the forum!

It is very hard to list ten favourite composers. There is so much music that I do like and love from all periods. Even that tough nut that I will crack(not smoke), Schoenberg's wind quintet. Some of my die hard favs include Martinu, Hindemith, Janacek, Mahler, Nielsen(for that matter practically all music from Scandinavia), Dohnanyi, Bruckner and so many more including the giants of the 20th century. I should know more of Canadian composers but I do have a real fascination for 20th century American composers. One composer that comes to mind is George Rochberg. His dodecaphonic second symphony is as wonderful as are all the Concord Quartets that I have heard. To my knowledge the seventh quartet hasn't as yet been recorded. It may be more pertinent to list all the music I do not care for. That list is quite small and only contains works that I don't like and not the composers as a whole. I would have to smoke crack to sit through Liszt's symphonic poems. His piano music is incredible but those tone poems have me rushing for insulin. Warning: I look at classical music with an objective outlook. I am rarely subjective but when I am my comments are spiced with heavy doses of objectivity. I promise to turn some of you crazy......hey, I'm crazy, so why not?

Anyone who likes Bruckner, Janacek, Martinu, Scandinavians (I take it that you include Finland there?) and a good deal of Schönberg is not on the 'naughty' list.
And since you're objective, you must love Ravel, too

Oh my, I forgot to mention those jaunty composers from the UK. From Byrd and Boyce to Stanford, Elgar, Rubbra and many, many more including the composer who wrote that absolutely divine music from one of the greatest films of all time "The Belles of St. Trinians". I told you  that I am crazy!

Crazy indeed, since I don't see Britten or RVW there

[Octave]

Welcome, micfuh!  Looking forward to having you join the conversation.

[Papy Oli]

Hello & welcome, micfuh.