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

[Florestan]

OK

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,25581.msg954105.html#msg954105

[(poco) Sforzando]

IOW, music is written by people with feelings and passions, yet nothing of those feelings and passions is to be found in their music.

Yes, but it's hard to draw a fixed correspondence between the circumstances of a composer's life and the emotional content of his music. IIRC, Stravinsky, for example, wrote the Symphony in C, one of his lighter works, during a low emotional ebb in his life after the passing of his wife and during the 2nd WW. Melville after writing Moby Dick: "I have written a very wicked book, yet I feel spotless as the lamb."

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

As you like.  I'm the guy who actually composes, and I cannot assure anyone of any definite, observable relationship between my feelings and passions, and the music I write.  So I'll shut up, and let the thinkers tell me what it's all about.

Funny how whenever a composer responds to the romanticised view of emotions in music it suddenly seems all the more realistic. I agree with what you say here.

[Sergeant Rock]

Yes, but it's hard to draw a fixed correspondence between the circumstances of a composer's life and the emotional content of his music. IIRC, Stravinsky, for example, wrote the Symphony in C, one of his lighter works, during a low emotional ebb in his life after the passing of his wife and during the 2nd WW. Melville after writing Moby Dick: "I have written a very wicked book, yet I feel spotless as the lamb."

Emotions recollected, and subsequently expressed in the art...a not uncommon inspiration for art. It has nothing to do with a current emotional state, which, anyway, is never held for long. I go through many emotions during a typical day. I doubt composers are any different...well, except for Karl, who appears to be at an even keel 24/7 

Sarge

[Turner]

Ives, by far.

But on the other hand I still haven´t really taken up the rather difficult challenge constituted by Janacek´s operas, even though he is otherwise one of my favourite composers. 

[Karl Henning]

Emotions recollected, and subsequently expressed in the art...a not uncommon inspiration for art. It has nothing to do with a current emotional state, which, anyway, is never held for long. I go through many emotions during a typical day. I doubt composers are any different...well, except for Karl, who appears to be at an even keel 24/7 

Sarge

Appearances, well . . . that would be telling 

[Karl Henning]

Emotions recollected, and subsequently expressed in the art...a not uncommon inspiration for art.

I can confirm either end of this, the emotions recollected, and the art which is somehow the result.  The middle puzzles me;  as often as I have done it, it does not seem to me anything like a straightforward transaction.

[North Star]

..well, except for Karl, who appears to be at an even keel 24/7 

Sarge

You mean, when he's not pounding a table or bursting out laughing so hard that the entire block is shaking? 

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[North Star]

I can confirm either end of this, the emotions recollected, and the art which is somehow the result.  The middle puzzles me;  as often as I have done it, it does not seem to me anything like a straightforward transaction.

Indeed, and memories of past emotions are very fickle things indeed, coloured more and more different as time passes.

[Sergeant Rock]

Appearances, well . . . that would be telling 

I can confirm either end of this, the emotions recollected, and the art which is somehow the result.  The middle puzzles me;  as often as I have done it, it does not seem to me anything like a straightforward transaction.

I'm waiting for--eagerly anticipating, actually--a full-blown emotional work by you. I know you can do it!  And it would make Florestan so happy

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

You mean, when he's not pounding a table or bursting out laughing so hard that the entire block is shaking? 

"chortle" (what other response can I possibly give).

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Well, you know . . . I consider Another Think Coming quite honestly emotional music.

[Karl Henning]

"chortle" (what other response can I possibly give).

Sarge

:-)

[Mirror Image]

Ives, by far.

But on the other hand I still haven´t really taken up the rather difficult challenge constituted by Janacek´s operas, even though he is otherwise one of my favourite composers.

You've got to hear Kata Kabanova. One of my favorite operas and I'm not a big fan of the genre.

[Turner]

You've got to hear Kata Kabanova. One of my favorite operas and I'm not a big fan of the genre.

Yeah, I´ve got the Mackerras recording and another one with orchestral excerpts, so at least the foundation for some focused listening is there .

[some guy]

It was Janáček who got me "into" opera. That is, I liked Janáček, a lot. But the amount of music that's not opera is not very much. Coupla hours or so. With most other composers, there are plenty of symphonies and concertos and chamber works to keep one occupied quite nicely without ever listening to any operas. Dvořák, for instance, thought of himself as an opera composer, but there's so much other stuff--I must have been in my forties before I ever heard even Rusalka.

With Janáček, there's not so much choice. If you really like Janáček, you eventually have to listen to some operas if you want to hear any more Janáček. Fortunately, his operas are all pretty cool. And Káťa is certainly a most delightful work.

But once I was snagged, I started listening to other people's operas. Berlioz was next. Then Prokofiev and Shostakovich and Dvořák. And so forth. What a huge world the Janáček operas opened up for me. Eventually, I started buying operas by people I had never even heard of before. Kutavičius was the first: Lokys. Wow. That one's a stunner, to be sure. My first taste of the Lithuanian brand of minimalism. (Which was, of course, only one example of several varieties of minimalism from that area.) And that led to me visiting Lietuva (Vilniaus), hearing more pieces by Kutavičius, meeting Kutavičius (he is lovely, what I imagine Karl being like in 30 or 40 years ), and falling in love with Lietuva.

What fun!!

[Turner]

It was Janáček who got me "into" opera. That is, I liked Janáček, a lot. But the amount of music that's not opera is not very much. Coupla hours or so.

In the interest of truth, it must be said that Janacek wrote at least 11-12 hours of non-operatic music, maybe close to 13 hours or more.

Examples:
Decca 5CD set = 6 hours
supplementary orchestral = at least 2 hours
choral works, folk songs = at least 2 hours
supplementary piano works = 1/2 hour
supplementary vocal works, cantatas etc. = at least 1 hour

[Florestan]

Emotions recollected, and subsequently expressed in the art...a not uncommon inspiration for art. It has nothing to do with a current emotional state, which, anyway, is never held for long.

Of course. Besides, one does not need strictly biographical events to feel something. Verdi led a pretty bourgeois existence yet the depth of feelings and the intensity of passions in his music could not have come but from someone who experienced them. If I were "Josquin des Prez" I would say that this is the mark of genius. I am not, though, so I will content myself with agreeing.

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, I´ve got the Mackerras recording and another one with orchestral excerpts, so at least the foundation for some focused listening is there .

Sounds good to me.