Favourite composer?

[ihatepop]

Hello, fellow music companians!

Just asking, who is your favourite composer and why?
If you can, include the name of your favourite song written by that composer.

Cheers,
ihatepop

[Kassaa]

Hello, fellow music companians!

Just asking, who is your favourite composer and why?
If you can, include the name of your favourite song written by that composer.

Cheers,
ihatepop

Song?

[zheer]

Chopin PC in e minor , Rachmaninoff PC in c minor , Beethoven fur elise , Brahms PC in d minor. 

  Chopin = poetry , Beethoven = energy , Rachmaninoff = romantic ,  Brams = Strength

  RESULT earth - wind - fire - water.

[Waldszenen]

Brahms, Symphony No. 4

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9

Tschaikowsky, Manfred Symphony

Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3

[ihatepop]

Song?

Oh,sorry...composition

[apion]

Favorite Composer: Brahms

Why?  Piano Concertos 1 and 2; Paganini variations; violin sonatas; piano quartet/piano quintet

[soliloquy]

Iannis Xenakis: "Herma"- Musique Symbolique, Erikhton, ST/4

Krzysztof Penderecki: Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra, Cello Concerto No. 1, Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra

Pierre Boulez: Deuxieme Sonate pour Piano, Incises, Troisieme Sonate pour Piano

Michael Finnissy: Solo Concerto No. 4, Snowdrifts, Folklore

Brian Ferneyhough: Lemma-Icon-Epigram, String Trio, Cassandra's Dreamsong

Alberto Ginastera: Piano Concerto No. 2, Piano Sonata No. 1, Harp Concerto

John Corigliano: Etude Fantasy, Piano Concerto (1968), Symphony No. 1

Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: Piano Sonata No. 1, Nocturne "Gulistan", Solo Concerto

Eino-juhani Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 1, Symphony No. 7, Flute Concerto

Samuel Barber: Piano Concerto Op. 38, Violin Concerto Op. 14, Capricorn Concerto



Those are my top 10, in that order, although that list changes every day

[thorn]

Debussy, Ravel and Liszt are my faves (couldnt possibly choose between them).

Debussy- hard to pick favourite piece, but at the moment, Reflets dans l'eau.
Ravel- Has to be Ondine
Liszt- probably Chasse-Neige, although again hard to choose

[musik_man]

Beethoven

Why?
Symphony 5
Symphony 6
Symphony 7
Symphony 9
Piano Concerto 1
Piano Concerto 2
Piano Concerto 3
Piano Concerto 4
Piano Concerto 5
Sonata op.53 'Waldstein'
Sonata op.54
Sonata op.106
Sonata op.109
Sonata op.111
String Quartets op.18
String Quartet op.132
Violin Sonata 'Kreutzer'
Fidelio
Mass in C major
Missa Solemnis

I think those reasons speak for themselves.

[mike_lang]

Who: Prokofiev
What: Piano Concerto No. 2
Why: The nervous breakdown (to my ears) that constitutes that climax of the first movement.  For him in general, I just love the instrumentation he uses - more woodwinds, esp. clarinet and oboe, than a lot of others that I listen to (Beethoven, Mahler, Rachmaninov, Grieg, etc.).

Best,
ML

[jre58591]

i cannot pick just one favorite composer, so here is a list of my top 5, in no specific order, with my favorite pieces by each composer:

alkan - concerto for solo piano, le festin d'esope, grande sonata "les quatre ages"
kapustin - variations, sonata no 2, trio for cello flute and piano
medtner - sonata romantica, piano concertos no 2-3, night wind sonata
rachmaninoff - piano concerto no 1, selected etudes and preludes
scriabin - sonatas no 1,4,8, piano concerto, prometheus

this list changes every few minutes or so. it even changed a few times while i was typing it.

EDIT - cut down to size.

[mike_lang]

I would like to politely point out that the topic concerns one favorite composer, one favorite piece, and a reason why.  This does not seem to invite unqualified top ten lists of piano repertoire.

In the interest of staying on topic for an original thread,
ML

[ihatepop]

I would like to politely point out that the topic concerns one favorite composer, one favorite piece, and a reason why.  This does not seem to invite unqualified top ten lists of piano repertoire.

In the interest of staying on topic for an original thread,
ML

Well...if they can't think of one specific composer to choose from I suppose they could...but I also think that they should not include TEN, y'know...

[elias89]

Beethoven

Why?
Symphony 5
Symphony 6
Symphony 7
Symphony 9
Piano Concerto 1
Piano Concerto 2
Piano Concerto 3
Piano Concerto 4
Piano Concerto 5
Sonata op.53 'Waldstein'
Sonata op.54
Sonata op.106
Sonata op.109
Sonata op.111
String Quartets op.18
String Quartet op.132
Violin Sonata 'Kreutzer'
Fidelio
Mass in C major
Missa Solemnis

I think those reasons speak for themselves.

op.110 is missing in your list

[musik_man]

op.110 is missing in your list

As good as op.110 is, I don't like it as much as op106, 109 and 111.

[burstroman]

Schubert wrote so many favorites:  Quintets in C and A minor, Impromptu in G flat, Sonatina #1 for violin and piano, Fantasie in F minor, etc.

[ihatepop]

Schubert wrote so many favorites:  Quintets in C and A minor, Impromptu in G flat, Sonatina #1 for violin and piano, Fantasie in F minor, etc.

Yes...I guess that is true...although I prefer Chopin...

[sportsmonster]

well.....chopins sonata no3 (final mov) is my biggest obsession of all times. i play it on the piano all the time. the theme, rythm, energy, etc in that song makes you addicted. and it is also a big tecnically challenging and played by many piano virtuosos.
Yhe piece might be just a bit overplayed, but still, i have seen many pianists win competitions with that piano piece.

chopin will always be my most favorited composers. i could spend my whole life just playing from his music. he has so many beutiful piano pieces and themes. and many is show off thecnically as well. i like hes combination between thecnically challenging and that it sounds good at the same time. (excuse my bad english)

[phil13]

Oh God, I hate replying to these threads. I can never just pick ONE.

At the moment:

Chopin- Polonaise-Fantasie and Barcarolle
Scriabin- Etudes Op.2-1, 8-11, 8-12 (both versions)
Medtner- 'Night Wind' Sonata, Fairy Tales 20-1, 34-2
Rachmaninoff- Piano Concerto No.2 in C-, Op.18

Phil

[mike_lang]

well.....chopins sonata no3 (final mov) is my biggest obsession of all times. i play it on the piano all the time. the theme, rythm, energy, etc in that song makes you addicted. and it is also a big tecnically challenging and played by many piano virtuosos.
Yhe piece might be just a bit overplayed, but still, i have seen many pianists win competitions with that piano piece.

chopin will always be my most favorited composers. i could spend my whole life just playing from his music. he has so many beutiful piano pieces and themes. and many is show off thecnically as well. i like hes combination between thecnically challenging and that it sounds good at the same time. (excuse my bad english)

Sidenote - Pogorelich has a great recording of this sonata, and his rendition of the final movement is the clearest I've heard!

Best,
ML

[houseofblackleaves]

I believe that - MY OPINION - is that Chopin was the greatest pianist to ever live.  Anyone who agrees with me knows why, and those who don't, it's just my opinion.

The only other composer that came close was Rachmaninoff.

Chopin - Etudes, Impromptus, and selected waltzes and mazurkas

Rachmaninoff - First sonata (it was the first peice of his that I heard of his, and it is so, so incredibly neglected...) Piano concerto no.2 op.18 (BEST Piano concerto of all time) Etudes-Tableaux, and his sonata for cello and piano.

[Waldszenen]

I believe that - MY OPINION - is that Chopin was the greatest pianist to ever live.  Anyone who agrees with me knows why, and those who don't, it's just my opinion.

A tough matter, considering there are no recordings of Chopin's playing and the only thing we're left with are the musical criticisms of others during his time.

[elevateme]

Chopin PC in e minor , Rachmaninoff PC in c minor , Beethoven fur elise , Brahms PC in d minor. 

  Chopin = poetry , Beethoven = energy , Rachmaninoff = romantic ,  Brams = Strength

  RESULT earth - wind - fire - water.

what are you on?

[monsieurrenard]

I believe that - MY OPINION - is that Chopin was the greatest pianist to ever live.  Anyone who agrees with me knows why, and those who don't, it's just my opinion.

Pianist? I don't ever recall hearing a recording of our friend Chopin. 

As for me, if, for the sake of staying on topic, I had to pick one, it would be Liszt and his sonata.

[sportsmonster]

The only other composer that came close was Rachmaninoff.

hmm..what about liszt? often when i was very young i would mix up chopin and liszt.
liszt has 12 trancendental etudes, paganini etudes, libestraume, rhapsody, sonetto etc. and just with that i think he is getting close. Chopin , Rachmaninov and liszt ar my top 3 favorite. (in my opinion)

[klavierkonzerte]

schumann anyone?

i just love him