GMG Classical Music Forum

Who do you prefer?

I chose Sibelius. He will always win this poll for me for as I think he was the greater composer and his influence is more readily heard than Nielsen's.

Nielsen for me I like the symphonies, concertos and the little stuff.  Sibelius symphonies rock too so it ended up being: Sibelius violin concerto vs Nielsen clarinet concerto... Nielsen wins. :)

Almost too hard to answer....

Love both composers so much! Voted for Nielsen in the end though... :)

They're both absolutely wonderful.....it's even more difficult than choosing between Berg and Schönberg :-X
In the end, I think I'll vote Sibelius.

Quote from: madaboutmahler on February 02, 2012, 12:59:37 PM
Almost too hard to answer....

Love both composers so much! Voted for Nielsen in the end though... :)

Edit: Coming to think about it, where is the banana option?!!! This poll is too hard!

Nielsen. (Never came to grips with Sibelius, tried hard, but can only appreciate his later symphonies, Tapiola, Luonnotar, Lemminkäinen and a few other pieces.  :-\ Love almost everything by Nielsen, though :-*).

Not easy.

Sibelius.

Quote from: madaboutmahler on February 02, 2012, 01:09:09 PM
Edit: Coming to think about it, where is the banana option?!!! This poll is too hard!

Exactly, where's the banana option?!?!

Another poll where I would be surprised if I didn't know the result.  :D  Sibelius is more famous for his symphonies (which are think are more consistent in quality) and those are what the reputation of both composers tends to rest on.

Quote from: starrynight on February 02, 2012, 01:18:08 PM
Another poll where I would be surprised if I didn't know the result.  :D  Sibelius is more famous for his symphonies (which are think are more consistent in quality) and those are what the reputation of both composers tends to rest on.

Even if we were to not look at the symphonies and look at the rest of their music, Sibelius would still win for me because of the tone poems, which are some of the most impressive works to be written in this genre. Liszt may be credited for creating the symphonic poem, but Sibelius took it to a whole new level.

Sibelius - the symphonies, tone poems, violin concerto, string quartet, Andante Festivo, piano music, songs.

Nielsen wrote a couple of great wind concertos, but that's not enough to veer from Sibelius.

I'd have different answers to this if I added everything up:

Nielsen would win on concerti, piano music, chamber music... Sibelius on tone poems, and, grudgingly, symphonies. What would cause me to vote Sibelius is this odd sense in my head that somehow his music is important. (I suspect it has to do with how so many of the finer composers active today are clearly influenced by Sibelius.)

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 02, 2012, 12:42:27 PM
I chose Sibelius. He will always win this poll for me for as I think he was the greater composer and his influence is more readily heard than Nielsen's.

Amen!   0:)

Quote from: madaboutmahler on February 02, 2012, 01:09:09 PM
Edit: Coming to think about it, where is the banana option?!!! This poll is too hard!

In this case perhaps Lingonberry would be more appropriate than banana!

Sibelius was by far the most individual of the two.  He created an entirely different and eminently distinctive soundworld through his orchestration.  He eventually went beyond established forms and moulded his music to create new forms.  When you hear the 7th, you pretty much know why he couldn't go any further, and if you don't, keep listening to it.  Nielsen, whos String Qtts I admire and whose symphonies I have, is nowhere near the utterly original and sonically brilliant sound of Jean Sibelius.
So I voted Nielsen...oops...I voted Sibelius.  And if I could, I would again.   8)
You know you're listening to late Romantic with Nielsen.  But with Sibelius...it's not quite like that.

Quote from: DavidW on February 02, 2012, 12:49:02 PM
Nielsen for me I like the symphonies, concertos and the little stuff.  Sibelius symphonies rock too so it ended up being: Sibelius violin concerto vs Nielsen clarinet concerto... Nielsen wins. :)

Cool, Davey!

Here's another poll wherein I must invoke the fruit

(http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/images/smilies/banana.gif)

Quote from: Scots John on February 02, 2012, 04:47:57 PM
You know you're listening to late Romantic with Nielsen.  But with Sibelius...it's not quite like that.

Curious!  I should have said that I (generally) hear more a Classicist in Nielsen, more of a Romantic in Sibelius.

Quote from: edward on February 02, 2012, 03:39:39 PM
I'd have different answers to this if I added everything up:

Nielsen would win on concerti, piano music, chamber music... Sibelius on tone poems, and, grudgingly, symphonies. What would cause me to vote Sibelius is this odd sense in my head that somehow his music is important. (I suspect it has to do with how so many of the finer composers active today are clearly influenced by Sibelius.)

Excellent case for the vote.

Quote from: karlhenning on February 03, 2012, 04:00:31 AM
Curious!  I should have said that I (generally) hear more a Classicist in Nielsen, more of a Romantic in Sibelius.

That's what my ears tell me too. :)

Easy to choose: I prefer Nielsen.  ;D

    The other option should be Lingonberry, not banana, because it's a Scandionavian  thing.

   Can't choose between the two. But I just might give Nielsen the edge, because he never achieved the fame of Sibelius , and has only become part of the international repertoire in the past 50 years or so. 
Nielsen is the underdog in this case.

Quote from: Cato on February 02, 2012, 04:10:59 PM
In this case perhaps Lingonberry would be more appropriate than banana!

   I think Nielsen was every bit as individualistic as Sibelius, and has his own unmistakable personal style which could not be mistaken for any other composer. Harmonically, particualarly his later works, he is more daring and original. 
   His symphonies are also highly original and unconventional in terms of strucure.  The 5th symphony departs completely from any sense of traditional sonata form, or any other from.
Nielsen's highly original use of  progressive tonality goes even beyond Mahler's .

Sorry...I shall have to pass :(

I spent far too much of my time between the ages of 15 and 17 arguing about that very question with two school friends ;D (I supported Nielsen ;D ;D)

I simply can't go back there now almost half a century later :)

Quote from: Dundonnell on February 04, 2012, 06:58:51 AM
I spent far too much of my time between the ages of 15 and 17 arguing about that very question with two school friends ;D (I supported Nielsen ;D ;D)

What grown-up doesn't tell this story?  ;D