Originally posted by SR: What would the objective criteria be for REALLY being able to pick a "best". Number of compositions ? Number of notes ? The order in which chords are used ? Number of melodies that can be sung in the shower ? Amount of money generated in composers life ? or afterword ?
Any comparison based on quantity is abosultely invalid. I think this debate will be very long and won't bring us to any result, as everybody has different opinions.
Maybe I will have to agree with those who say that there are a few composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc. that can be considered the best. But it is difficult to abandon my absolutist idea.
Originally posted by chopithoven: Any comparison based on quantity is abosultely invalid. I think this debate will be very long and won't bring us to any result, as everybody has different opinions.
Maybe I will have to agree with those who say that there are a few composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc. that can be considered the best. But it is difficult to abandon my absolutist idea.
The only real objective way to carry out a debate such as this is to establish criteria that is agreed by all--such as who had better contrapuntal skills, who's music made a greater influence on those composers that followed, who's music is generally more appealing to the masses, and so forth.
Originally posted by Rod: I suspect this position is the norm, but I would rate Handel's concerti over Bach's, and I've got some H sonatas that are brilliant and deep, and harpsicord stuff that sounds almost Beethovenian in invention and dynamism - never does the instrument sound so bold and powerful. Yet Bach's efforts have little emotional impact on me whatsoever! Bach's emotion is in suspention, tasteful, but not so much on a personal level for me. he spent too long in the church I think.
Perhaps I needed to be a bit more specific. While on one hand I could do without the Brandenburg Concerti I could not stand to be without all the fugues for the keyboard instruments. Some of those move me as profoundly as any other composer's works. And, like you indicated, Handel's instrumental works are generally more interesting; however, I stand by the fugues as one of the highest forms of writing (for me, personally) which is one reason that I stand in deepest respect of Beethoven in regards to his fugues in his chamber music.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sorrano: The only real objective way to carry out a debate such as this is to establish criteria that is agreed by all--such as who had better contrapuntal skills,
Bach
who's music made a greater influence on those composers that followed,
Wagner
who's music is generally more appealing to the masses, and so forth.
Originally posted by Sorrano: The only real objective way to carry out a debate such as this is to establish criteria that is agreed by all--such as who had better contrapuntal skills,
Bach
who's music made a greater influence on those composers that followed,
Wagner
who's music is generally more appealing to the masses, and so forth.
Johann Strauss
Doesn't really help much!
Except that in this topic we are comparing only Mozart and Beethoven. I think it would help a great deal to have established criteria--otherwise we are all disagreeing on one point or the other.
Originally posted by Sorrano: Except that in this topic we are comparing only Mozart and Beethoven. I think it would help a great deal to have established criteria--otherwise we are all disagreeing on one point or the other.
I think we would disagree whatever criteria we came up with - you could ask some of the world's greatest musicians and they wouldn't be able to answer this question to everyone's satisfaction, they could only express their own personal preference.
I wanted to mention how nice it was to find someone willing to devote the required hours to administrate a site devoted to Beethoven who also had a balanced POV about other composers.
I wanted to mention how nice it was to find someone willing to devote the required hours to administrate a site devoted to Beethoven who also had a balanced POV about other composers.
Regards
Steve
Thanks Steve - I think my musical background is responsible for that - Beethoven has to be put into context and the wider the knowledge of other composers the better we are able to do that. Beethoven might not have thought much of his contemporaries (there wasn't a lot of competition mind you) but he did have great respect for the composers of the past, particularly Handel, Bach, Mozart, Haydn . His judgement was as usual sound and these composers are still rightly held in high regard around the world. As a musician I simply do not see it in terms of competition - great music is great music no matter who wrote it.
Originally posted by Sorrano: You can have my copy of the Four Seasons if you want. (Along with a few other of Vivaldi's works I never listen to anyway.)
Thanks, but no thanks...especially if it's the version by that idiot 'Kennedy'.
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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 01-12-2002).]
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