French composers

[Bouter Boogie]

Pick one (or two) of these composers and add comment why 

[Bouter Boogie]

PS: I picked Debussy and Ravel 

[anda]

debussy and satie. why? just because - personal feelings.
(you weren't asking for a rational mathematical justification, right?)

[Kassaa]

Alkan, his symphonie pour piano is genius.

[Selim]

You forgot Dutilleux, Messiaen,  Poulenc...I will vote for Debussy, I realy like the estampes and his Nocturne pour le piano seul.

[llamaman]

My favourite two, are Debussy and Ravel. I don't know why, but they are.

[Etude]

Ravel and Satie.

[thalbergmad]

I voted for Saint saens due to the 5 Piano Concerto's.
I would have voted for Widor if he was on there. But this is a piano forum.

[Goldberg]

I checked Saint-Saens and Chabrier. I also love Poulenc and Alkan, on a good day, and indeed several other non-listed composers. There are also some good Baroque-era ones like Couperin and Rameau.

[Jacey1973]

Oh i really love french music, would love to specialise in it one day. Well in french piano music perhaps. I also picked Ravel and Debussy, i just love them...particulary Ravel think probably because they both wrote alot of piano music which is what i tend to listen to most.

[apion]

Saint-Saens #1, definitely.  Ravel and Franck are tied for no. 2.

[nanabush]

Also Ravel and Debussy... why?  Debussy's preludes/images, and Ravel's tombeau de couperin, jeux d'eau and miroirs.

[dmk]

Chabrier and my other favourites (who are not up there....) Poulenc and Messiaen.

[ravel]

 Debussy and Ravel.
it was an obvious choice for me. didnt have to do too much thinking there hehe.
what can i say as to why?
they are just the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if i were to begin with reasons i  would never end.
also, i think they are not only the greatest french composers, but two of the greatest composers ever from any country.

[Rach3]

Where's Berlioz on this list?

[arpeggiosnake]

Saint- Saens and Franck by far.

[Barbosa-piano]

 My favorite French composers are Debussy and Saint-Saens. It was a hard choice between Ravel and Saint-Saens, but I think Saint-Saens is usually underrated. Many of his pieces are beautiful. I really enjoy other French composers' music. Ambroise Thomas, Faure, Ravel, Couperin, Rameau, August Durand... French music is very interesting... 

Mario Barbosa

[wintervind]

ONLY CHOOSE TWO!!!!
Thats not fair as I would have picked them all

[Jacey1973]

Chabrier and my other favourites (who are not up there....) Poulenc and Messiaen.

Oooh yes Messiaen! He played in a concert at my University (i think in the 80s) with his 2nd wife Yvonne (who is/was (?) a concert pianist...i think they played "Visions de l'Amen" together on our 2 concert grands which we still use for recitals! I always wanted to learn some Messiaen to play on the Steinway that he played on, to see if his spirit was around...hehe

[6ft 4]

Faure's choral works
Ravel's piano

[Jake]

How could Fauré and Satie be up there and not Alkan? 

[Daevren]

How could Saint-Saëns get more votes than Faure and Satie?

Really, Alkan is a very obscure composer. Faure and Satie are big.

[Jake]

Popularity does not equate quality, by any stretch (as supported by that simple comparison). 

Oh, I agree with Saint-Saens getting more votes - he is a superior composer than both Fauré and Satie.

[ravel]

aaaaah, its gonna be interesting to see who wins between debussy and ravel hehe.

[bassoonypiano]

I voted for Debussy as I love everything I have heard of his piano works so far. Both sets of Images, Preludes, Suite Bergumasque(spelling?), Pour le Piano Suite, and especially the Etudes. Too bad the etudes are too advanced for me to learn yet as they are all unique and and are all great!

[Bouter Boogie]

How could Fauré and Satie be up there and not Alkan? 

Sorry  I also forgot to add the option "Other" 

[shasta]

Saint-Saens for his extraordinary concerti.

Cecile Chaminade should be on there.

[Jacey1973]

Oooh come on Ravel - i want him to win, and Debussy to come 2nd  Shall we do some betting? I do actually think Debussy will win though...how can he not?

[Teddybear]

Fauré and Saint-Saëns. They are the most huggable.   /o/

T

[ako]

I voted for Ravel because I love Bolero and his other orchestral works in addition to his piano music. Saint-Seans just because of Rondo Capriccioso (can't spell). I also love Berlioz for his vocal and orchestral music and Faure for his choral and vocal music. At the end Bolero and Rondo Cap. won out even though I have more experience with Faure's songs than with SS's works.

[ted]

Lately I'm getting quite fond of Milhaud's music, and I agree with Shasta that Chaminade deserves a mention.

[Bouter Boogie]

ONLY CHOOSE TWO!!!!
Thats not fair as I would have picked them all

I'm terribly sorry  Otherwise it wouldn't be a poll, eh 

[Dazzer]

Ravel
Poulenc

[thierry13]

I picked Saint-Saens and Ravel. Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit is amazing, jeux d'eau, and mostly all of his stuff. Saint-Saens I don't know much of him, but is etude en forme de valse is a good enough reason to choose him!

[ravel]

actually,
i want it to be a tie between ravel and debussy, both of them are equally my favourites

[pianote]

chaminade and ravelbussy

[c18cont]

Debussy for so many things, Ravel for Jeux d'Eau... , !

How I worked for perfection for senior recital, and still wasn't there....

John

[pianonut]

i picked faure and ravel.  faure because i've played more of him than debussy and like his very serious nature in composition.  ravel because he thinks orchestrally.

faure's theme and variations is introspective and lovely.  also, love his fourth nocturne (op. 26)

i haven't heard ravel's concerto for the left hand in a while.  wondering what impression playing only with one hand has on audiences anymore.  somehow i don't desire to play that as much as his other one in G major.

[pokeythepenguin]

Out of those composers I like Debussy and Ravel, but there alot of french composers I like more.

[Bouter Boogie]

Debussy for so many things, Ravel for Jeux d'Eau... , !

How I worked for perfection for senior recital, and still wasn't there....

John

I luv Jeux d'Eau