Topic: Your Top 5 Most Joyful Composers

[Florestan]

While browsing through this:

http://www.antonin-dvorak.cz/

I stumbled upon this:

Music should always be joyful, even when it is tragic.

IDo you agree with this apparently paradoxical statement? If no, you may skip this thread. If yes, who are your top 5 composers in this respect?

My list, chronological order:

Haydn
Mozart
Schubert
Tchaikovsky
Dvorak

Have at it, and thanks for participating!

[Todd]

I should like to know how Memorial to Lidice conforms to the selected quote.

[Florestan]

I should like to know how Memorial to Lidice conforms to the selected quote.

Well, that's a very good question indeed. Regardless, could you please share your list?

[Todd]

Well, that's a very good question indeed. Regardless, could you please share your list?

I do not agree with the statement, so I have no list to offer.

[Florestan]

I do not agree with the statement, so I have no list to offer.

Fair enough, forget about the statement. Please, give me your top 5 most joyful music composers, period.

[Todd]

Haydn
Chabrier
Francaix
Rossini
Johann Strauss

[Florestan]

Haydn
Chabrier
Francaix
Rossini
Johann Strauss

Thanks a lot. Except Francaix, whose oeuvre is an unknown quantity to me, all others are a constant source of joy for me as well.

Where should I start with Francaix?

[Todd]

Where should I start with Francaix?

My exposure is fairly limited, but literally everything I've heard falls into the joyous category.  Select something at random.

[Florestan]

My exposure is fairly limited, but literally everything I've heard falls into the joyous category.  Select something at random.

Will do, thanks again.

[Brian]

Where should I start with Francaix?

As Todd says, all but maybe 2 Francaix works are pure joy, but perhaps the piano concerto, double piano concerto, and piano concertino are good starting points, or a collection of chamber music (like the wind quintets and L'Heure du berger). There's a wonderful miniature oboe concerto called L'horloge de Flore. The ballets are all on Hyperion (including The Emperor's New Clothes), which makes them more expensive to collect.

You'd particularly enjoy the conceits behind some of his solo piano works: "Five Encores," all named for the reason you might play that particular encore (No. 3: In case of success, No. 4: In case of triumph, No. 5: In case of delirium!), and the "Promenade d'un musicologue eclectique," containing a series of affectionate portraits of his favorite composers, and then a very not affectionate parody of 12-tone 

Francaix is a perfect choice to go alongside Haydn, Dvorak, J. Strauss, and Chabrier. Hmmm, wonder if Handel would fit here...

Edit: Dug up two (very old - 2013 - I often don't remember the works anymore!) reviews I wrote for MusicWeb covering orchestral and chamber Francaix, and a couple MWI reviews of other music by other people which you may also find useful.

[Florestan]

As Todd says, all but maybe 2 Francaix works are pure joy, but perhaps the piano concerto, double piano concerto, and piano concertino are good starting points, or a collection of chamber music (like the wind quintets and L'Heure du berger). There's a wonderful miniature oboe concerto called L'horloge de Flore. The ballets are all on Hyperion (including The Emperor's New Clothes), which makes them more expensive to collect.

You'd particularly enjoy the conceits behind some of his solo piano works: "Five Encores," all named for the reason you might play that particular encore (No. 3: In case of success, No. 4: In case of triumph, No. 5: In case of delirium!), and the "Promenade d'un musicologue eclectique," containing a series of affectionate portraits of his favorite composers, and then a very not affectionate parody of 12-tone 

Francaix is a perfect choice to go alongside Haydn, Dvorak, J. Strauss, and Chabrier. Hmmm, wonder if Handel would fit here...

Thanks a lot.

Following Todd's and your recommendation, Francaix is now top priority on my to-do list.

[Florestan]

Edit: Dug up two (very old - 2013 - I often don't remember the works anymore!) reviews I wrote for MusicWeb covering orchestral and chamber Francaix, and a couple MWI reviews of other music by other people which you may also find useful.

Will read asap, thanks.

EDIT: and your list is...?

[Jo498]

Beethoven who wrote Ode and die Freude and "O namenlose Freude"

Bach who wrote "Jesu bleibet meine Freude" etc.

Mozart who wrote "Welche Wonne, welche Lust"

Handel who wrote "Rejoice greatly" etc.

Haydn for whom I cannot recall a joyful text right now but who wrote lots joyful instrumental music

With the exception of Handel, the other would be in my unconditional top five anyway.

[Florestan]

Beethoven who wrote Ode and die Freude and "O namenlose Freude"

Bach who wrote "Jesu bleibet meine Freude" etc.

Mozart who wrote "Welche Wonne, welche Lust"

Handel who wrote "Rejoice greatly" etc.

Haydn for whom I cannot recall a joyful text right now but who wrote lots joyful instrumental music

With the exception of Handel, the other would be in my unconditional top five anyway.

Great list, thank you.

Handel is quite underrated when it comes to joyfulness, methinks. I mean, his Italian cantatas are delightful.

[springrite]

Haydn
Dvorak
Jacques Ibert
Mozart
Lehar

[Florestan]

Haydn
Dvorak
Jacques Ibert
Mozart
Lehar

Thanks. Ibert, a new name for me. What is it with these Frenchmen, are they all so joyfull?

[Scion7]

What is it with these Frenchmen, are they all so joyfull?

Yes, that Robespierre and Cardinal Richelieu were a barrel of larfs.

[Florestan]

larfs.

What?

[Jo498]

"Dopo notte" from Ariodante and the very first aria from Messiah (although in content more exhortative than jubilant) are among the first pieces I think of.

[Florestan]

"Dopo notte" from Ariodante and the very first aria from Messiah (although in content more exhortative than jubilant) are among the first pieces I think of.

Well, thanks --- sort of.

The idea of this thread is not that X composed two or three joyful things --- the idea is that most of their output is joyful.