Greatest all around musician (artist), of all time and of today

[Ken B]

But it seems the votes for Bach are more grounded in that those who nominate him mean that he was a greater composer than e.g. Enescu, not that he excelled in more different fields or was more versatile. Apart from the importance and amount of teaching, "Composer, virtuoso on two or more instruments, leader of orchestra/choir" applies to many great composers (especially in Bach's Era).

Even Beethoven (whom I can hardly imagine as a good teacher) had some famous pupils (Czerny was probably a more important musician than e.g. Goldberg, of course this is probably not Bach's or Beethoven's fault or merit.)

Bach had some successful pupils. WF, CPE, JC as well as Heinichen. He was famed as the greatest organist of his day, and the greatest improviser.  That's why he was fetched before the king, and we have the Musical Offering. AND he's the greatest composer.

[Gurn Blanston]

Fux was not only Bach's favorite composer, his textbook, Gradus ad Parnassum was the single most influential composition text for the next 100+ years, and was used directly by Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven, among many others, and through them by their students and their students etc. Besides which he was also a great organist. He was an Austrian who rose to the top of his profession at a time when 99% or his competition were Italians in an environment which favored Italians.   

It is fair to say I didn't just pick that name out of thin air.   

[Florestan]

Fux was not only Bach's favorite composer, his textbook, Gradus ad Parnassum was the single most influential composition text for the next 100+ years, and was used directly by Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven, among many others,

Then how come that he wasn´t able to follow his own textbook and write music on a par with Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven? 

Oh, and the whole thing of X was the favorite composer of Y sucks... Handel said that his cook knew more counterpoint than Gluck. 

[Jo498]

Heinichen was two years Bach's senior and never his pupil (he was a pupil of Bach's predecessor at the Thomasschule).

I do not want to dispute anyone's opinion that Bach was "the greatest composer". But this is not the point of this thread here. Bach also was a very versatile and well-rounded musician. But there were many in his time and age who were similarly well-rounded (or later e.g. Mozart, also a virtuoso on keyboard, violin and viola and a famous improviser). Unless one puts in "greatest composer" it is not at all obvious that Bach should "win" the specific question of this thread.

[San Antone]

Has anyone answered the second half of the question in the thread title? "Greatest all around musician (artist), of all time and of today"

[Gurn Blanston]

Then how come that he wasn´t able to follow his own textbook and write music on a par with Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven? 

Oh, and the whole thing of X was the favorite composer of Y sucks... Handel said that his cook knew more counterpoint than Gluck. 

Strictly your opinion; not necessarily a fact.

Handel is no favorite of mine, so anything I say about him will be skewed (by your logic anyway).   I would rather listen to Gluck, but that's just me.

[San Antone]

I would rather listen to Gluck

I just purchased a DVD of Alceste and have been enjoying it very much.  It might be my first real listen to Gluck.

[Gurn Blanston]

Has anyone answered the second half of the question in the thread title? "Greatest all around musician (artist), of all time and of today"

It's a ridiculous question on the face of it, since it appears to postulate the greatest musician of all time is still alive today, which is a doubtful prospect at best.

You don't even know if, for example, Bach or Mozart or Beethoven or Liszt was the 'greatest' because you never heard them play. Just like their peers never heard Richter or Heifetz or Casals...

I was reading the other day that there was a church organist in Vienna in the 18th century who was considered by some pretty damned knowledgeable peers to be the greatest keyboardist of all time. He is so obscure I never heard his name before and can't remember it now! Maybe HE is the greatest musician?   

[Gurn Blanston]

I just purchased a DVD of Alceste and have been enjoying it very much.  It might be my first real listen to Gluck.

+1

I've only heard a fraction of Gluck and enjoyed every bit of it so far. His peers thought him extraordinary...

[Florestan]

Bach is still relevant today, very much a huge presence of our time .. and his work endlessly teaches. "Now there is music from which a man can learn something."

Mozart, too. Beethoven, too.

[Florestan]

Strictly your opinion; not necessarily a fact.

That Fux didn´t wrote music on a par with Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven? Maybe; but an opinion shared by a critical mass for more than 2 centuries and a half becomes a fact. 

[San Antone]

It's a ridiculous question on the face of it, since it appears to postulate the greatest musician of all time is still alive today, which is a doubtful prospect at best.

I took it to be asking for two names: one from the past and one still working today.

[springrite]

I took it to be asking for two names: one from the past and one still working today.

Ditto!

[Karl Henning]

It's a ridiculous question on the face of it, since it appears to postulate the greatest musician of all time is still alive today, which is a doubtful prospect at best.

That's how I read it at first, too (as a superfluity).  But then I thought, it may be taken as sheltering us living composers from the greats of the past.

Either way, a doubtful endeavor, no quarrel 

I took it to be asking for two names: one from the past and one still working today.

Ditto!

[San Antone]

Still ridiculous.

[Karl Henning]

What, it isn't a horse race? 

These threads, it's the journey, not the destination 

[springrite]

Well, it's not like I asked for "the greatest human being who ever lived, and the greatest human being in my family"... 

[San Antone]

What, it isn't a horse race? 

These threads, it's the journey, not the destination 

[San Antone]

No offense intended, springrite.

0:)

[springrite]

No offense intended, springrite.

0:)

I know!