Your own five favorites to listen to, versus the five you think are greatest

[ChamberNut]

You mean, they could be German or Austrian? 

Oh well......that just changes everything then!  0:)

I can put Mozart AND Beethoven on the same list, and not feel guilty now. 

[ChamberNut]

I'm a Nationalist.  I'm changing my picks (To English speaking North American composers):

Copland
Adams
Crumb
Cage
Ives

[MN Dave]

I'm a Nationalist.  I'm changing my picks (To English speaking North American composers):

Copland
Adams
Crumb
Cage
Ives

Now you've gone and done it.

[karlhenning]

Dm is going to pillory you! 

[karlhenning]

He may even possibly increase your font-size! 

[MN Dave]

He may even possibly increase your font-size! 

SAY IT AIN'T SO...................!!!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Apparently the top 5 is Clash of the Teutons.

Teuton Comin'! (Compose Like an Egyptian)

[marvinbrown]

  Let me see if I can put a twist in this thread by stating the following:

Greatest (for an opera fan):

  Wagner
  Verdi
  Mozart
  Puccini
  Richard Strauss

  Favorites to listen to (for an opera fan):

  Wagner
  Verdi
  Mozart
  Puccini
  Richard Strauss/ Janacek
  Bellini/ Bizet/ Leoncavallo/ Mascagni (an every "one hit" couple of hits wonder there is out there!)

  marvin

[Lethevich]

I'm a Nationalist.  I'm changing my picks (To English speaking North American composers):

Copland
Adams
Crumb
Cage
Ives

An intolerable bias towards the letter C!

[Chaszz]

...for non-classical
duke ellington-charlie parker
thelonious monk-john coltrane
miles davis-frank zappa

Respectfully suggest you open your ears to the Armstrong Hot Fives and Hot Sevens of 1925-28.

[Bonehelm]

Favourites:

HOLY TRINITY: Mahler, Bruckner, Wagner
Beethoven
Chopin

Greatest:
HOLY TRINITY: Mahler, Bruckner Wagner
Beethoven
Bach

[Wanderer]

My favourites for today would be:

Beethoven
Ives
Tchaikovsky
Elgar
Mahler
Enescu

[quintett op.57]

So then, there is either a conspiracy or we've all been brainwashed if:

If a list of 5 or 10 "Greatest Composers", either prepared by music "experts", composers, and such are dominated by German speaking composers?   

conspiracy? not really but ...
The first musicologist (XIXth century) were all germans or austrians and were given the task to glorify the german nation. Obviously, there writings greatly influence our musical knowledge.
Nevertheless, it also allowed german music to be really more influential than it would have been without.

The enormous impact of italian music is sometimes (often?) denied, especially during the baroque era but a Paganini is not to be forgotten (I'm not saying his music is perfect)
Regarding Eastern Europe & Russia, we're quite ignorant (Mr Henning would acquiesce)

PS : I'm not an anti-german at all - my fav 5 include Haydn, Beethoven, Bruckner & Strauss.

[Ten thumbs]

To return to the subject with a little extra 

  A selection from the Greatest

  Purcell
  Mozart
  Beethoven
  Prokofiev
  Shostakovich

  Favorites for listening

  Bach
  Schubert
  Tchaikovski
  Debussy
  Mel Bonis
 
  Favorites for playing (piano)

  Beethoven
  Schubert
  Chopin
  Fanny Hensel
  Medtner

[MN Dave]

To return to the subject with a little extra 

  A selection from the Greatest

  Purcell
 

0:)

[Haffner]

Favourites:

HOLY TRINITY: Mahler, Bruckner, Wagner
Beethoven
Chopin

Greatest:
HOLY TRINITY: Mahler, Bruckner Wagner
Beethoven
Bach

Naturally, I love those favorite you have. But I have trouble leaving Mozart, Verdi, and J. Haydn out. That's just me. 5 was impossible.

[eyeresist]

Apparently the top 5 is Clash of the Teutons.

LOL!!!


Karl, why do you hate Germans so?

[eyeresist]

for non-classical
duke ellington-charlie parker
thelonious monk-john coltrane
miles davis-frank zappa

Do you know Benny Goodman's small-group stuff? Would definitely fit in there (I hope).

BTW, I hope everyone is aware that Goodman commissioned work from Bartok, Malcolm Arnold, and Copland. (Woody Herman commissioned Bernstein and Stravinsky.)

[eyeresist]

Yeah, I know he wasn't a composer or great innovator. Just askin' is all....

[LVB_opus.125]

Favorites, as of right now, anyway (Bach never was in my favorites, until the informed opinions at GMG helped me make some purchases and I've been hooked ever since).

According to my last.fm listening guide, these are my favorite five, as per most played:

Bach - 2486
Beethoven - 670
Mozart - 421
Haydn - 397
Schubert - 355

This neglects to mention that most played doesn't necessarily translate to "favorite." For instance, I currently LOVE listening to Richard Strauss and I'd perhaps prefer Brahms and Schumann over Schubert and Mozart. And I'm never quite sure how I listen to Haydn so much, as I have only really been affected deeply by his vocal works, and string quartets. I guess they add up. I have this idea that over listening to what I consider to be "GREAT!!" works, such as Beethoven's 9th, somewhat diminshes their power over time, so I take care to listen to works that are that powerful and affecting only when I wish to wear my heart on my sleeve.

Now whose greatest? I'm not going down that road, but Bach/Beethoven/Mozart must figure in. The other two may vary.