who is your fave composer?

[chiquita daves spiderling]

Mahler, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. I grew up with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, though recently in music history classes I've learned that I really love Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet and Peter & the Wolf as well as Mahler's symphonies; particularly his 5th.

Sigh I wish this subforum was more active

[Kea of doom]

dropped some caps

Sigh I wish this subforum was more active

Me too. I'm a total classical music dork, but it's hard to get much conversation going about it, outside of talking at home with my pianist-fiancé. Really wish it was less of a niche community (and less old white dudes) than it is, at least for me.

On topic, I have such a hard time ever deciding what my favorite composer is, because it really depends on my mood. I really like Shostakovich, especially his work for strings, but as I mentioned in another thread, I have a "thing" for Beethoven because of his compositional technique. And my "great musical tragedy" favorite is Schubert - I feel like he was so forward thinking for his time! Plus kinda cute in that nerdy, unkempt way lol. I love Mendelssohn for his revival of Baroque music, and Bach for being the Baroque king of all time. But then, I'm also a composer and really love contemporary music, so if I'm in that mood I'm thinking Barber or Messiaen. Or Poulenc. Love Poulenc, too.

But see? Now I've just mentioned like a dozen composers and they're all wonderful in their own way, but I would never be able to pick between them, and probably more! Haha.

[chiquita daves spiderling]

Kea of doom

dropped some caps

Sigh I wish this subforum was more active

Me too. I'm a total classical music dork, but it's hard to get much conversation going about it, outside of talking at home with my pianist-fiancé. Really wish it was less of a niche community (and less old white dudes) than it is, at least for me.

On topic, I have such a hard time ever deciding what my favorite composer is, because it really depends on my mood. I really like Shostakovich, especially his work for strings, but as I mentioned in another thread, I have a "thing" for Beethoven because of his compositional technique. And my "great musical tragedy" favorite is Schubert - I feel like he was so forward thinking for his time! Plus kinda cute in that nerdy, unkempt way lol. I love Mendelssohn for his revival of Baroque music, and Bach for being the Baroque king of all time. But then, I'm also a composer and really love contemporary music, so if I'm in that mood I'm thinking Barber or Messiaen. Or Poulenc. Love Poulenc, too.

But see? Now I've just mentioned like a dozen composers and they're all wonderful in their own way, but I would never be able to pick between them, and probably more! Haha.

Oh my god, you are wonderful. I have virtually nobody aside from my parents that I can talk to about classical music. I adore Shotakovich and was brought up on Beethoven. Schubert I'm not quite as familiar with but I have a couple of his albums somewhere around here. Bach of course is a compositional genius. It's really difficult to pick a favourite,considering there are so many brilliant musicians.

[Kea of doom]

dropped some caps

Oh my god, you are wonderful. I have virtually nobody aside from my parents that I can talk to about classical music. I adore Shotakovich and was brought up on Beethoven. Schubert I'm not quite as familiar with but I have a couple of his albums somewhere around here. Bach of course is a compositional genius. It's really difficult to pick a favourite,considering there are so many brilliant musicians.

Oh dear, now I'm a little embarrassed! Haha. But yes, I totally get what you mean. It's rare to find a bunch of people who are into classical music... it really didn't happen for me until I went to college, since I was a music major and of course everyone there is a giant music dork lol.

With Schubert, I think his charm is his versatility. He wrote music in a lot of different genres that all have a little different feel to them. I would recommend any of his symphonies - I particularly like No. 9, but I think they're all great! He also wrote some really stellar vocal music: I'll leave you with this one. It's long, so you may not want to listen to it all in one sitting, but it's worth it to hear eventually! The story is really fascinating, too... very haunting and deep.


I'm with you on Bach, too. I just sometimes can't believe how much music he wrote and how it all just seems so... smart! Like Mozart, I like but I think he's pretty much just a little kid with a piano. Bach, on the other hand, always strikes me as very mature, even his relatively silly pieces.

But I'll try not to geek out too much =P

[Guardian of my soul]

I can't answer that question, it's impossible, too many to choose from.

[Kasnoy Hyuga]

The only artist I like in general is Maksim Mrvica, or you would say Tonci Huljic. I like upbeat classical songs (Fast) and classical songs rewrote in a faster version or different sound

[rocky road sundae]

I don't have a favorite composer, but I like listening to Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky

[RYKO PiXeLoRd]

Without a doubt I would have to say, Karl Jenkins!

[Exxii_Chem]

I looooovee the Romantic and 20th century eras the most. I think the music had such individuality and passion, it's just all so lovely. Romantically speaking, my favourite composers are Brahms and Schumann. Brahms knew how to write wonderfully melancholy music and it's beautiful! And I just love to look at the works of Schumann in his early career and in late. The contrast is amazing between what he does early, especially the happy time after he got married, and then the absolute craziness that's expressed in his later works. His Fantaisestucke for clarinet just expresses his neurotic, bipolar life in an amazing way. For the 20th century, I just LOVE Holst and Vaughn Williams. The work that they did for the English Folk song revival was just amazing. Not to mention, Holst's Planets Suite was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I am also 200000% in love with Eric Whitacre's orchestral, band, and choral works. He has such a unique, ethereal sound. I just love it.

[Exxii_Chem]

R0CKKK

I don't have a favorite composer, but I like listening to Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky

Oooooh, I love Stravinsky! His three pieces for Solo Clarinet are fantastic! Not to mention the Firebird Suite. Ohhh, music is wonderful!

[rocky road sundae]

Exxii_Chem

R0CKKK

I don't have a favorite composer, but I like listening to Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky

Oooooh, I love Stravinsky! His three pieces for Solo Clarinet are fantastic! Not to mention the Firebird Suite. Ohhh, music is wonderful!

YES. And I play the clarinet too, so I'm obsessed xD

[Lieutenant Commander Data]

Exxii_Chem

R0CKKK

I don't have a favorite composer, but I like listening to Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky

Oooooh, I love Stravinsky! His three pieces for Solo Clarinet are fantastic! Not to mention the Firebird Suite. Ohhh, music is wonderful!

I always feel like there's something in Stravinsky I'm missing. The works of his that I'm most familiar with are the Firebird Suite, Rite of Spring, Symphony of Psalms (and 'Fireworks', I suppose), but the only one of those that really holds interest for me is Psalms.
What else should I look out for?

-
As for my favourite composer, it should be fairly obvious from my username XD

[kathofthecanals]

I'm fond of Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Kosakov, and Rachmaninoff. But I'm not quite sure who my favorites are.

[Exxii_Chem]

R0CKKK

Exxii_Chem

R0CKKK

I don't have a favorite composer, but I like listening to Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky

Oooooh, I love Stravinsky! His three pieces for Solo Clarinet are fantastic! Not to mention the Firebird Suite. Ohhh, music is wonderful!

YES. And I play the clarinet too, so I'm obsessed xD

Awesome! biggrin I love the way that Stravinsky writes for clarinet. I feel he's one of those who can actually do it well. :3 However, I feel Brahms does it best.

[Exxii_Chem]

DSCH

Exxii_Chem

R0CKKK

I don't have a favorite composer, but I like listening to Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Stravinsky

Oooooh, I love Stravinsky! His three pieces for Solo Clarinet are fantastic! Not to mention the Firebird Suite. Ohhh, music is wonderful!

I always feel like there's something in Stravinsky I'm missing. The works of his that I'm most familiar with are the Firebird Suite, Rite of Spring, Symphony of Psalms (and 'Fireworks', I suppose), but the only one of those that really holds interest for me is Psalms.
What else should I look out for?

-
As for my favourite composer, it should be fairly obvious from my username XD

I get what you mean, there is a little something lacking, but I find a lot of his compositional ideas cool. My dad who, I swear, owns just about every recording of a piece of classical music ever. Anyway, I told him about how I want to play the three pieces for clarinet for a senior recital next year and he gives me this CD. I listened to the pieces for clarinet, and then I saw there were more clarinet pieces. I listened to them and it was bizarre--It was a soprano singing and a clarinet. It was weird at first, but I like the idea. It's unique. Also, I need to listen to more Shostakovitch, but I've sight read a clarinet solo version of his Polka From The Golden Age and it was rather fun.