Favorite Classical Nationality Poll

[springrite]

In some sports, like football (soccer), golf, table tennis, etc., there have been Country X vs. Rest of the World. In composers, not belittling other nationalities, but I think Germans/Austrians are the one and only logical choice for Country X in this competition.

Then again, this is NOT a competition and instead we are asking for "favorites". But I think my observation is still worth slightly more than $0.02, no?

[Florestan]

In some sports, like football (soccer), golf, table tennis, etc., there have been Country X vs. Rest of the World. In composers, not belittling other nationalities, but I think Germans/Austrians are the one and only logical choice for Country X in this competition.

Then again, this is NOT a competition and instead we are asking for "favorites". But I think my observation is still worth slightly more than $0.02, no?

This is valid only from Classicism / Romanticism onward. Need I remind you that everything that came before (Gregorian chant, Ambrosian chant, Mediaeval, Renaissance, Baroque) was originally a Latin (Italian/Occitan) affair? 

[North Star]

This is valid only from Classicism / Romanticism onward. Need I remind you that everything that came before (Gregorian chant, Ambrosian chant, Mediaeval, Renaissance, Baroque) was originally a Latin (Italian/Occitan) affair? 

For Romanticism onward, Russians/Soviets aren't too far behind.

[Florestan]

For Romanticism onward, Russians/Soviets aren't too far behind.

Only they? What about Scandinavians? Or French? Or Eastern Europeans?

I truly believe Germano-centricity (if that's a word) in music is highly overrated... 

[North Star]

Only they? What about Scandinavians? Or French? Or Eastern Europeans?

I truly believe Germano-centricity (if that's a word) in music is highly overrated... 

I didn't say that only they are - just that they are.

[Florestan]

I didn't say that only they are - just that they are.

I know and agree. I just took one step further in challenging the German supremacy... 

[jwinter]

I voted German/Austrian, Russian, and French. 

Though I must say that I've never once tried or searched for a work because it was German; it's just that many of my favorite composers happen to be such.  Russian composers such as Glinka or Glazunov though I have tried based at least partly on their being Russian.  I suppose "Russian-ness" used musically seems a more tangible quality to me than "German-ness"; perhaps German/Austrian is so prevalent in the classical & romantic music that I focus on that it seems the norm rather than being any sort of "ethnic" music.

[Jean Rivier]

I voted: French, Scandinavian and German/Austrian (per Bruckner). Sorry I left out the Russians   

[Mirror Image]

I voted: French, Scandinavian and German/Austrian (per Bruckner). Sorry I left out the Russians   

Love your avatar, Jean. Most certainly a favorite composer of mine and one I share a birthday with interestingly enough.

[Gaspard de la nuit]

America gets it's own choice but Hungary doesn't?  There's more great Hungarian composers alive right now then there has ever been in American history.

[Mirror Image]

America gets it's own choice but Hungary doesn't?  There's more great Hungarian composers alive right now then there has ever been in American history.

Get a grip. Hungary is included the choice of East Europeans. By the way, I think you greatly undermine everything that has happened in the United States with this statement.

[Gaspard de la nuit]

Ex

Get a grip. Hungary is included the choice of East Europeans. By the way, I think you greatly undermine everything that has happened in the United States with this statement.

My whole point is that Hungary has contributed more than most countries on that list. I think they deserve their own entry. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Whether I have a "grip" or not.

[North Star]

Czechoslovakia isn't exactly lacking in composers, either. But since a lot of them, and the Hungarians, lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it's not so clear-cut to separate them.

[DavidRoss]

What? No Finnish!?

Note: "Scandinavian" is not a nationality. A nation is a group of people sharing a common culture -- i.e. language, values, history -- who usually swim in a common gene pool.

Nor is "East European," "Latin American," etc.

"American" used to be a unique nationality comprising people of diverse background who chose to join together in a common culture--but now what used to be "One nation, indivisible" has been divided into dozens of factions clinging to their own values and languages and histories instead of assimilating into a national melting pot.

[Mirror Image]

My whole point is that Hungary has contributed more than most countries on that list. I think they deserve their own entry. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Whether I have a "grip" or not.

Your opinion is clearly misinformed. Please do more research before making another ignorant post.

[Gaspard de la nuit]

Your opinion is clearly misinformed. Please do more research before making another ignorant post.

Pompous much? I can almost hear you polishing your monocle in the background.

Are you saying the country that produced Liszt, Bartok, Ligeti, Kurtag and Eotvos don't deserve their own choice? Care to explain that to a Hungarian?

[North Star]

What? No Finnish!?

Note: "Scandinavian" is not a nationality. A nation is a group of people sharing a common culture -- i.e. language, values, history -- who usually swim in a common gene pool.

Nor is "East European," "Latin American," etc.

Yeah, I noticed it, too 
Early Sibelius and others from before 1917 are apparently Russian, and after that, Scandinavia must mean Fennoscandia...

Time for a new poll:

Canadian
American
Mexican
Brazilian
Argentinian
Spanish
Portuguese
French
Belgian
German
English
Welsh
Scottish
Irish
Danish
Swedish
Norwegian
Finnish
Dutch
Polish
Hungarian
Slovakian
Czech
Estonian
Russian
Japanese
Chinese
Australian

[Mirror Image]

Pompous much? I can almost hear you polishing your monocle in the background.

Are you saying the country that produced Liszt, Bartok, Ligeti, Kurtag and Eotvos don't deserve their own choice? Care to explain that to a Hungarian?

I never said they didn't deserve their own choice. I love how you put words into my mouth, but I can't include EVERY country in the world in my poll. You're simply making a big deal over nothing. My suggestion is to just get over it. My choice of Eastern European wasn't to make the suggestion that all of these countries are of one mind, culture, etc. because that would be completely ignorant on my part, but it is much easier to group them together for the sake of this poll. Plus, with the amount of votes I allowed each of us to make, many us would burn those votes rather quickly if I included a listing for each individual country.

[DavidRoss]

Yeah, I noticed it, too 
Early Sibelius and others from before 1917 are apparently Russian, and after that, Scandinavia must mean Fennoscandia...

Time for a new poll:

Canadian
American
Mexican
Brazilian
Argentinian
Spanish
Portuguese
French
Belgian
German
English
Welsh
Scottish
Irish
Danish
Swedish
Norwegian
Finnish
Dutch
Polish
Hungarian
Slovakian
Czech
Estonian
Russian
Japanese
Chinese
Australian

OK -- but not the Hungarians!


And instead of American, now we must have Lithuanian-American, Indonesian-American, Basque-American, etc.  (It's gonna be a long, loooong list!)


P.S.  And if you want to have some real fun just change "Scottish" to "Scotch!"

[Gaspard de la nuit]

OK -- but not the Hungarians!

That's not what your mom said!