Which of these composers do you struggle with the most and why?

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

With modifications, all those are reasons I like Mahler so much.
I like it that he doesn't take an obvious path.
I like the whiplash of moods he creates
I like that he tries to wring everything out of the music that he can, and the music never seems too long
And those lyrical moments...

Well said, Jeffrey, so well said in fact that I'm prepared to forgive your Igor problem.   

[Karl Henning]

Wonderful illustration of how we can tell out the characteristics of a composer's work, and for Listener A they are pluses; for Listener B, minuses.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Barber, Britten, Copland, Ives, Mahler and Sibelius of these are in the caterory "I rather listen to Katy Perry's bubblecum pop than struggle with this)."

Sibelius of these is the one I have struggled the most because I am a Finn. The rest I can ignore much more easily.

I love Sibelius enough to consider trading citizenship in order to be closer to him.  You into this, if possible?  But then you'd be closer to Barber, Ives, and Copland! 

[Karl Henning]

I'm trying to regard Poju's remark about Katy Perry as being something other than scorn for Barber, Britten, Copland, Ives, Mahler, and Sibelius.

Without much success, I admit.

I struggle with his readiness to post rubbish.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

I don't find any of these composers intimidating.  Instead, I would say that together they constitute an astounding body of exceptionally talented, creative, and expressive artists that one would have to go to considerable lengths to rival, from any period in musical history.  Yum them up each and every one.

[Karl Henning]

I don't find any of these composers intimidating.  Instead, I would say that together they constitute an astounding body of exceptionally talented, creative, and expressive artists that one would have to go to considerable lengths to rival, from any period in musical history.  Yum them up each and every one.

Aye.

[Super Blood Moon]

90% of the time, my first instincts at to whether or not I'll like a composer or musician are correct.

[Karl Henning]

90% of the time, my first instincts at to whether or not I'll like a composer or musician are correct.

Do you have an example to furnish, illustrating part of the 10%?

[Super Blood Moon]

Do you have an example to furnish, illustrating part of the 10%?

Bach and Elvis Costello.

[Karl Henning]

Cool.

[kishnevi]

I'm trying to regard Poju's remark about Katy Perry as being something other than scorn for Barber, Britten, Copland, Ives, Mahler, and Sibelius.

Without much success, I admit.

I struggle with his readiness to post rubbish.

I simply see it as a frank statement that he does not care for/connect with the music by those gentlemen, and therefore he focuses on music of composers he does like. Most of us might make similar statements regarding other composers.  It is merely his choices of who he does not care far that seem unconventional. 

I for instance could make the same statement about the music of Stockhausen, or selected works (not the whole swathe, however) by Schoenberg.

[Jo498]

But does not "struggle" somehow involve that one "wants to like/appreciate certain music more"? I wonder why? Because one likes some but not most or the most famous ones? Or because one thinks one should like them because they are famous? Probably not as simple as that.
Mirror Image might feel he should like more of Mahler's better (because he already likes a considerable portion of his music) but probably does not care enough about, say, Zelenka, to bother with struggling. (Zelenka is a random example, no offense intended to either him nor any listener).

[Mirror Image]

"I rather listen to Katy Perry's bubblecum pop than struggle with this)."

Hmmm....

Hmmm....

Hmmm....

I'm at a lost for words with this comment.

[Karl Henning]

I simply see it as a frank statement that he does not care for/connect with the music by those gentlemen, and therefore he focuses on music of composers he does like. Most of us might make similar statements regarding other composers.  It is merely his choices of who he does not care far that seem unconventional. 

I for instance could make the same statement about the music of Stockhausen, or selected works (not the whole swathe, however) by Schoenberg.

Fair enough.

[71 dB]

I'm trying to regard Poju's remark about Katy Perry as being something other than scorn for Barber, Britten, Copland, Ives, Mahler, and Sibelius.

Without much success, I admit.

I struggle with his readiness to post rubbish.

There is no scorn for those composers. Maybe the worship of Sibelius in Finland feels sometimes over the top (while e.g. Einar Englund is ignored).

Hmmm....

Hmmm....

Hmmm....

I'm at a lost for words with this comment.

Well, there is room for easy and entertaining music. Katy Perry is one of the best pop artists of the last decade. Ten years ago I woudn't have believed I would like that kind of pop music, but things happen when you are open-minded. 

[71 dB]

I simply see it as a frank statement that he does not care for/connect with the music by those gentlemen, and therefore he focuses on music of composers he does like. Most of us might make similar statements regarding other composers.  It is merely his choices of who he does not care far that seem unconventional. 

You see it correctly. 

I could have written I rather listen to the music of James Aikman, Gavin Bryars, Margareth Brouwer, Joseph Schwantner, Mieczyslaw Weinberg and Sergio Rendine. I could have also listed The Prodigy, Jonny L, Autechre, Tangerine Dream, The Beatmasters and B12. Struggling with Mahler seems pointless when there is so much music I love (and I find more all the time).

[71 dB]

Now that I think of it, I don't know if there is a real struggle with Ives. I have not heard his music hardly at all. I am actually struggling with the mental image (preconceptions) of his music. I don't think I have Ives' music on any of my CDs. The first thing to do in 2016 is to check out Ives.

I don't like "western films" -kind of heroic music, which is the reason I have avoided many american composers, Ives included.

I was surprised to see how much Naxos has released Ives.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Now that I think of it, I don't know if there is a real struggle with Ives. I have not heard his music hardly at all. I am actually struggling with the mental image (preconceptions) of his music. I don't think I have Ives' music on any of my CDs. The first thing to do in 2016 is to check out Ives.

I don't like "western films" -kind of heroic music, which is the reason I have avoided many american composers, Ives included.

I was surprised to see how much Naxos has released Ives.

Interesting.....I've not heard any American music I associate with these 'western film' themes apart from, say, a couple of pieces by Copland. Carter, Ives, Feldman, Oliveros, Partch, Cage, Zwilich, Crumb, Babbit, Adams, Adams, Reich, Diamond, David Lang, Crawford-Seeger, Riley, Julia Wolfe, Glass, Harris, Higdon, Bernstein, Coates and Barber are pretty much the only composers I know in addition to Copland who come from the U. S. of A. and I find all their works so starkly different to one another that I can't seem to associate American music with 'heroic, western-film-like music.' And that is a very small sample of composers!

[The new erato]

Why did you skip my favorite Piston?

[Mirror Image]

Why did you skip my favorite Piston?

...and William Schuman!