Brahms vs. Tchaikovsky!!!

[Mirror Image]

I really did not expect this poll to be even close.

Yeah I know, I thought Brahms would be way behind Tchaikovsky.

[DavidRoss]

Chamber music: Brahms
Symphonic music: Tchaikovsky
Dessert music: Banana Split!

[springrite]

Chamber music: Brahms
Symphonic music: Tchaikovsky
Dessert music: Banana Split!

I would give Tchailkovsky this one:

Tear Jerker Music

Come one, give me some tears! No? OK, let me try this again... Still nothing? Come on, I will do it again and louder this time, with more emotion... See? Now, let me try just a bit harder... There you go!

[DavidRoss]

Tear Jerker Music

Hands down!

[SymphonicAddict]

This question is impossible for me. I can't choose

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I voted for Brahms because I like his music more.

And Ataraxia (who started this poll) is possibly one of the best handles I've seen! I've had it in mind as a composition title for years but still haven't used it.

[BasilValentine]

Two composers too different for me to meaningfully compare. Tchaikovsky was primarily a composer for the stage — ballet and opera — areas into which Brahms didn't venture. Tchaikovsky wrote lots of programmatic music. Brahms didn't. Brahms is strongest in chamber music, Tchaikovsky barely dabbled. Brahms had strong music for solo piano. Tchaikovsky dabbled. Even the works in the genres they both explored, like symphony and concerto are in different worlds. They are polar opposites for me.

[Rons_talking]

Not even close for me.  Tchaikovsky had a gift for colourful orchestra and lyrical melodies, but his idea of development was to repeat a tune with winds rather than strings. Tchaikovsky has R and J, a few good symphonies, a popular PC, Nutcracker, 1812, etc. All good and appealing.

BUT

Brahms has 4 symphonies, each of which is a masterwork, Soul-stirring PCs and a VC.  A slew of era-defining chamber music, the wonderful Intermezzi Op 117, 118 as well as the German Requiem...and most of the time he didn't use the celeste or cannons. Oh yeah, he was OK with voice as well . I'm not a huge Brahms fan because he's a Romantic, and I'm too impatient to listen to works that exceed an hour (except opera)  A Tchaikovsky suite is always nice, but he only excels in theatrical music (that's at least my favourite music of his). I like symphonies and geese, that Requiem is awfully good!

[Overtones]

I was a big fan of Chajkovskij earlier in my listening career, but now I'm not in love with him anymore, and I cannot say I have ever been in love with Brahms either.

However, I have 5 pieces by Brahms vs 4 by Chajkovskij in my own "250 essential classical music pieces" selection so I guess I'll vote for Johannes

[Jo498]

Not even close for me.  Tchaikovsky had a gift for colourful orchestra and lyrical melodies, but his idea of development was to repeat a tune with winds rather than strings.

I think one should concede that PIT's gift for colourful orchestra and melody was of the highest order and that his craft is usually sufficient for the "absolute" orchestral pieces not to fall apart (I think he is considerably better at cohesion and development than e.g. Rimsky, although he clearly does not come close to Brahms or Beethoven).

BUT

Brahms has 4 symphonies, each of which is a masterwork, Soul-stirring PCs and a VC.  A slew of era-defining chamber music, the wonderful Intermezzi Op 117, 118 as well as the German Requiem...and most of the time he didn't use the celeste or cannons. Oh yeah, he was OK with voice as well . I'm not a huge Brahms fan because he's a Romantic, and I'm too impatient to listen to works that exceed an hour (except opera)

There is exactly one major work by Brahms that is longer than one hour, namely the German Requiem. The concertos, symphonies and great chamber music are at most around 50 minutes, usually shorter, like 30-40 min. And thus shorter than some late Beethoven or late Schubert.

[Christo]

The correct answer is Brahms.

But a better one is Tchaikovsky. 

[anothername]

Same problem here.

[kyjo]

Oh man. Tough choice! I used to much prefer Tchaikovsky to Brahms, but my admiration for Brahms has been ever-growing over the past few years. I've come to view his chamber music, in particular, as some of the pinnacles of the repertoire. Sadly, over-exposure to Tchaikovsky's more famous works has worked against my admiration for his music a bit, but I still have a huge soft spot for many of his works, especially the less ubiquitous ones. So, at this point, it's impossible for me to choose one over the other I love them both

[zamyrabyrd]

I think one should concede that PIT's gift for colourful orchestra and melody was of the highest order and that his craft is usually sufficient for the "absolute" orchestral pieces not to fall apart (I think he is considerably better at cohesion and development than e.g. Rimsky, although he clearly does not come close to Brahms or Beethoven).

Ditto

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Brahms may be the better composer (at least in structure and form of his compositions, which was never Tchaikovsky's forte) but I like Tchaikovsky more. His gift for melody and orchestral color is incredible.

[Jo498]

It all depends on context: Tchaikovsky was so strong in technique and form that his fellow Russian composers sometimes derided him as a "westernized" (or even frenchified) academic composer!

[Judith]

Love both but voted Brahms as have an obsession with him and Schumanns.  Favourite Brahms is Double Concerto

[Mirror Image]

Love both but voted Brahms as have an obsession with him and Schumanns.  Favourite Brahms is Double Concerto

I had a slight feeling you'd go with Brahms on this one.