Bonjour a tous !!

[Mirror Image]

First, I am an opera lover, so about all the italian repertoire, Mozart operas, French operas can be quite nice, Wagner in small doses, some Strauss, the russian repertoire.
My favorite opera is probably Lucia (de Lamermoor).  I can get a good kick out of contemporary stuff also: I saw 'Coeur de Chien' from Raskatov after the novel from Michael Bulgakov in Lyon last year.  That was really good.
Otherwise, I feel that music starts with J-S Bach.  I do not find enough variety in renaissance or middle-age music. Fine sounding but too much the same.
Since you have "Le divin Claude" as avatar, yes I like Debussy but not so much Pelleas.
Among 20th century French composer, I would put Francis Poulenc on top.  Le dialogue des Carmélites (saw it at the MET, in Paris and in Lyon last year), his sacred music, lieders, chamber music...
Some other 20th century composer I am particular found of Samuel Barber, Edward Elgar, Villa Lobos, Maurice Ravel ....
Among the romantics, Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Mahler, Beethoven (the quartets)
So you see, a lot of different music finds its way to my home.

I'm not too big of an opera fan but Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle is quite possibly my favorite in the medium. Good to see Debussy, Poulenc, Barber, Elgar, Villa-Lobos, and Ravel on your list. Certainly some of my favorites as well.

[Spineur]

What do you think of Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Ralph Vaughan Williams or Jean Sibelius?

Brahms and Schumann are among my favorites, whether you are talking about symphonic music, concertos, lieders, chamber music...  I have a pretty large collection
Vaughan Williams, I cant answer yet because I have sampled only a few work: the lark ascending, some songs (On the Wenlock edge, etc..).  So far I am pretty happy with what I have heard, so intend to continue my exploration.
Only Sibelius is out for me.  I find his music to be too "syrupy and sweet": I drink my coffee black without sugar...

[North Star]

Only Sibelius is out for me.  I find his music to be too "syrupy and sweet": I drink my coffee black without sugar...

Syrupy and sweet ?? ?? ??
I have to ask, which works have you heard -- because that doesn't really make sense to me, at all, considering who else you like. (I mean, fine, if you like only pre-Romantics and Modernists, but with your tolerance of Elgar, Barber, French opera, RVW so far, etc, {and I'm not immune to the charms of any of those either} Sibelius shouldn't raise your blood sugar levels too much...)

Anyway, I would think that you will find that his mature works aren't in general all that syrupy or sweet.

https://www.youtube.com/v/HSDoYJC4DCk  https://www.youtube.com/v/60PGX0RzUvU https://www.youtube.com/v/mKdNRv5l7UQ  https://www.youtube.com/v/uKhCHvaAc3o https://www.youtube.com/v/3ywncteIf7M

[The new erato]

Syrupy and sweet ?? ?? ??

My reaction exactly about this most rugged and granitic of composers when I saw this post an hour ago........

All right, if one only has heard the Valse Triste or one or other tidbits.....

[Mirror Image]

Only Sibelius is out for me.  I find his music to be too "syrupy and sweet": I drink my coffee black without sugar...

Ummm...I don't even know how to respond to this post. I think you have Sibelius mixed up with another composer. One listen to Sibelius' Tapiola will perhaps make you rethink the comment of 'syrupy and sweet'. Please do check his music out. One of my favorite composers.

[aligreto]

Only Sibelius is out for me.  I find his music to be too "syrupy and sweet"

You certainly have puzzled a number of people with that comment, myself included 
If I may just ask what conductor have you listened to interpreting the Granite Man music?

[Brian]

My parents refuse to listen to Sibelius because they think he is an unpleasant modernist who wanted to assail his listeners' ears with dissonance! They see my love of Sibelius as my primary form of "youthful rebellion" 

[mc ukrneal]

Brahms and Schumann are among my favorites, whether you are talking about symphonic music, concertos, lieders, chamber music...  I have a pretty large collection
Vaughan Williams, I cant answer yet because I have sampled only a few work: the lark ascending, some songs (On the Wenlock edge, etc..).  So far I am pretty happy with what I have heard, so intend to continue my exploration.
Only Sibelius is out for me.  I find his music to be too "syrupy and sweet": I drink my coffee black without sugar...

Actually, I get it. That said, I've unexpectedly enjoyed the piano music, which seems more straight-forward than the orchestral stuff. Would suggest trying out some pieces on youtube or something like that...