Who is the Best composer in the world???

[buhdaporn]

I want to know the is the best composer in the world
between
1.Beethoven
2.Chopin
3.Liszt
4.Rachmaninoff
5.Mozart
6.Bach

Thank you for your attention,
Put

[communist]

There is no one best of all of them. They were all geniuses so why bother comparing to find who is the best?

[ahinton]

This is an ineffably silly question, to which I will wisely refrain from offering a silly answer.

Best,

Alistair

[communist]

This is an ineffably silly question, to which I will wisely refrain from offering a silly answer.

Best,

Alistair

Are you accusing my answer of being "silly"?

[gep]

Communist, I'm not entirely sure if Alistair's remark is based on your question, I may well be to "Put"'s.

The question "who is the best composer in the world" is by definition an unanswerable one, for reason that one cannot possibly know all music by all composers (even when one narrows “of the world” to “of  Western music”) and even then one cannot apply strict “scientific” measurements of greatness. Because of that alone the question of “who is the greatest” is a silly one indeed!

If you would ask me “who of all composers and their music you know has made the most deep, profound and lasting impression on you”, I would answer “J.S. Bach”, for he manages to do with some simply looking music (a few notes, a few lines) things another composer might need a whole symphony.. But I do not compare him to other composers, because such is impossible. How can I compare Bruckner’s symphonies (who I love deeply) to Bach when Bach composed no symphonies? Or Monteverdi’s operas to Bach when the latter did not compose operas? Can you compare Vierne’s organ works to Bach’s? No, you cannot, for the reason Bach’s music isn’t Vierne’s, and Vierne’s isn’t Bach’s.  The closest I can get is my personal opinion that in the music of Bach all development of that era found its zenith, and that much of what came after would not have been what it became if it hadn’t been for Bach. Of course, all composers stand in the development of music, like all things alive stand in the evolutionary development of life on this planet. But to me, none has been such a crux in that development. Had Bach not existed, Bruckner might have written his symphonies, but I believe they would not have been (i.e. been less) what they are if Bach hadn’t been somewhere in Bruckner’s musical genes.
I am very much aware of the fact that the above may be put rather clumsily, but it may give you an idea of the shape of the reason why I think the question of “who is the greatest composer” is, indeed, a silly one.

All best,
gep

[ahinton]

Are you accusing my answer of being "silly"?

Certainly not. I have no idea how you or anyone might make such a deduction. I described the question as being silly. I made no reference at all to your answer to it and, for the record, I agree with it.

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Communist, I'm not entirely sure if Alistair's remark is based on your question, I may well be to "Put"'s.

The question "who is the best composer in the world" is by definition an unanswerable one, for reason that one cannot possibly know all music by all composers (even when one narrows “of the world” to “of  Western music”) and even then one cannot apply strict “scientific” measurements of greatness. Because of that alone the question of “who is the greatest” is a silly one indeed!

If you would ask me “who of all composers and their music you know has made the most deep, profound and lasting impression on you”, I would answer “J.S. Bach”, for he manages to do with some simply looking music (a few notes, a few lines) things another composer might need a whole symphony.. But I do not compare him to other composers, because such is impossible. How can I compare Bruckner’s symphonies (who I love deeply) to Bach when Bach composed no symphonies? Or Monteverdi’s operas to Bach when the latter did not compose operas? Can you compare Vierne’s organ works to Bach’s? No, you cannot, for the reason Bach’s music isn’t Vierne’s, and Vierne’s isn’t Bach’s.  The closest I can get is my personal opinion that in the music of Bach all development of that era found its zenith, and that much of what came after would not have been what it became if it hadn’t been for Bach. Of course, all composers stand in the development of music, like all things alive stand in the evolutionary development of life on this planet. But to me, none has been such a crux in that development. Had Bach not existed, Bruckner might have written his symphonies, but I believe they would not have been (i.e. been less) what they are if Bach hadn’t been somewhere in Bruckner’s musical genes.
I am very much aware of the fact that the above may be put rather clumsily, but it may give you an idea of the shape of the reason why I think the question of “who is the greatest composer” is, indeed, a silly one.

Nothing "clumsy" about any of this; all very sensible and to the point, I'd say (allowing for the fact that it seems to come from the President of the Netherlands Bach Society!).

So far, then, there seems to be no dissenting voice that seeks to claim other than that the initial question here is "silly"...

Best,

Alistair

[lelle]

Based on how the question is written and the alternatives given to me I give you a "silly" answer and choose Bach

[iroveashe]

From the most objective point of view I agree with gep, and another reason to say Bach, besides the ones mentioned, is that there doesn't seem to be a single mediocre (and with mediocre I don't mean bad, I mean below genius) composition in all of his work, which is not the case in all of the listed composers.

[richard black]

None of them. They're all dead.

[birba]

I'm going to second ahinton's comment.  It is silly.  But there's nothing wrong with that. It's fun to ask these silly questions!

[gep]

None of them. They're all dead.

Bach dead? Beethoven dead? Mozart dead? Etc. dead?
What on earth makes you make such a crazy remark?

[birba]

Hear, hear!

[weissenberg2]

They are not alive but something of them must be in the world 

[richard black]

Bach dead? Beethoven dead? Mozart dead? Etc. dead?
What on earth makes you make such a crazy remark?

Well, none of them ever replies to my emails, and the last time I tapped Bach on the shoulder and tried to talk to him he seemed suspiciously cold and stiff.

Not that any of that would necessarily stop them voting in elections, of course....

[lostinidlewonder]

Georg Philipp Telemann composed more works than any of them, does that make him the best in the world?

[ahinton]

Well, none of them ever replies to my emails, and the last time I tapped Bach on the shoulder and tried to talk to him he seemed suspiciously cold and stiff.

Not that any of that would necessarily stop them voting in elections, of course....

...or indeed claiming the expenses of which almost all composers have an especially vital need...

Best,

Alistair

[gep]

...or indeed claiming the expenses of which almost all composers have an especially vital need...

Best,

Alistair

Surely not having someone drive their official 100,000Euro ministrial car from Germany to Spain (while being flown to the same holiday address) to be driven there some 20km and then have it get stolen?

This was done by a German (Social Democrat) minister, by the way. I trust she isn't a composer....

[ahinton]

Georg Philipp Telemann composed more works than any of them, does that make him the best in the world?

No.

Hey Mr Telemann,
Write me a sonata
(Daylight come
And I want to go and listen to some J S Bach...)
(anon, n.d.)

Best,

Alistair

[gep]

Posted on: Today at 07:13:08 AMPosted by: ahinton 

Insert Quote
Quote from: lostinidlewonder on Today at 05:52:42 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann composed more works than any of them, does that make him the best in the world?

No.

Hey Mr Telemann,
Write me a sonata
(Daylight come
And I want to go and listen to some J S Bach...)
(anon, n.d.)

Best,

Alistair

Anyone wanting proof of that could, for ex., listen to a Bach Violin Concerto first and then to a Telemann one. It's like looking at a Rembrandt first and then a Pollock....
I have a LP-set with a Mathhäus Passion by Telemann. The Bach chorus "Ja nicht auf das Fest" is a slap in the face, a picture of utmost hideous malevolence. The Telemann chorus makes you yawn. You could easily out the text “Wir sind heute froh” onder the same notes and giving  totally the same feeling.

That said, Telemann’s Ouvertures are quite pretty, and sometimes fun, music. Lots more fun than his 1,800 or so church Cantatas, of which the lot couldn’t hold a candle to something like Bach’s “Ich habe genug” Cantata…

gep

[ahinton]

No.

Hey Mr Telemann,
Write me a sonata
(Daylight come
And I want to go and listen to some J S Bach...)
(anon, n.d.)

Best,

Alistair

Anyone wanting proof of that could, for ex., listen to a Bach Violin Concerto first and then to a Telemann one. It's like looking at a Rembrandt first and then a Pollock....

I had no idea that Telemann had pioneered the use of indeterminacy in musical composition by experimenting with the splattering of black spots onto his manuscript paper in order to produce those innumerable (if not quite interminable) sonatas; one must be thankful for fora such as pianostreet to the extent that they offer one the opportunity to learn something entirely new every day!

I have a LP-set with a Mathhäus Passion by Telemann.

You STILL have this? You amaze us all!

The Bach chorus "Ja nicht auf das Fest" is a slap in the face, a picture of utmost hideous malevolence. The Telemann chorus makes you yawn. You could easily out the text “Wir sind heute froh” onder the same notes and giving  totally the same feeling.

That said, Telemann’s Ouvertures are quite pretty, and sometimes fun, music. Lots more fun than his 1,800 or so church Cantatas, of which the lot couldn’t hold a candle to something like Bach’s “Ich habe genug” Cantata…

All above points pretty much agreed! It might indeed be argued that the only thing Telemann did better than Bach is live (i.e. longer)...

Best,

Alistair

[gep]

Quote from: gep on Today at 09:12:38 AM
I have a LP-set with a Mathhäus Passion by Telemann.

You STILL have this? You amaze us all!

Only because nobody wants to buy it from me.
When I was younger I was stupid. I'm no longer young....

gep

[ahinton]

You STILL have this? You amaze us all!
Only because nobody wants to buy it from me.
When I was younger I was stupid. I'm no longer young....

Never mind; at least you can use that recording to illutrate the vast differences of approach between GP and JS to anyone unable otherwise to recognise it, so maybe that particular youthful impulsive purchase was not entirely wasted after all...

Best,

Alistair

[bachapprentice]

None of them. They're all dead.

As long as people play there music and listen to them they are very still alive! Composers like them do not die!

[kitty on the keys]

Yanni--Czerny and Hanon



bad kitty

[gyzzzmo]

Richard Clayderman, no doubt.

[tds]

Richard Clayderman, no doubt.

no his 2nd best. i m d best!

[jcabraham]

I believe his name was Herbert Lurtzburg....

[musiklover96]

they are all amazing, but personally...

GO CHOPIN!

[antichrist]

alkan henselt and the normal groups

[gorucan]

They all are best, and everybody plays whatever suits him!
It very much depends on mood or ocassion where you have to play it.

[ghchopin]

My order of who is best:


1.Chopin
2.Rachmaninoff
3.Beethoven
4.Liszt
5.Bach
6.Mozart

[point of grace]

beetho and rach