Piano Forum

I don’t think all those other composers are bad also don’t just randomly bash composers you don’t like! I do mot like Stravinsky and Schoenberg but that doesn’t mean it is bad! Maybe it is the restrained romanticism. Schumann is also one of my favorites and he dosen’t deserve to be bashed like this.

I never said Beethoven and Bach are bad composers (it'd be a cyclopean proportions bullshit); I love them from the bottom of my heart, actually; I said what I said, namely that Schumann's genius (with "Genius" here meaning creative flair, deep understanding of "form" and everything that might go by the name of "musical intelligence") is superior to that of the above-mentioned composers. In fact, I 'bashed' only Chopin.

More important than Beethoven? I can understand.
More important than Bach? Please, give me some of what you're smoking.

I did not mention importance, also because if you mean “importance” from a historical point of view (i. e. how the musical output of Bach and Beethoven influenced later composers), then it is obvious Schumann is not that important.

.Every single part of that is wrong.
Chopin is far from "inconsistent," was a genius, and wasn't trying to be as poetic as composers like Liszt and Ravel (who literally transcribed poems for piano).
"Living room melodies" What could you possibly mean by this?
Also, no one treats him as the "Messiah of music," at least that I've seen.

Well, sorry to disappoint you, nothing Chopin wrote has ever caught my attention or exerted any fascination on me. I consider him the most mediocre of composers, capable only of creating catchy melodies for aristocratic "living-rooms"  and lacking any compositional skill whatsoever. He never innovated, never experimented, he was capable of creating not-so-bad melodies but the problem is that was then unable to develop them; in the few compositions that contain a hint of counterpoint (Ballade 4, for example) it is evident that his ability to think polyphonically was very poor; his musical vision was dichotomous (and therefore blindly close-minded): melody for the right hand, accompaniment for the left). The truth is that he wrote almost only for piano not because he really wanted to write only for this instrument, but because he was unable to write for an ensemble, let alone for orchestra; i will say more: truthfully, he was not able to write decently (although many claim that he is the most pianistic composer of all) even for piano, since his works contain bits so uncomfortable and absurd that one would think that he worked as a madman with the precise aim of writing in the way that is the most adverse to the natural anatomy and physiology of the hand, and don't tell me that I'm just envious because these bits don't turn out well for me: They're not difficult, they're badly written.
 

I don't think I would consider many of the romantics "genius". However, I absolutely love Schumann's piano works too and do think there's an emotional directness and connection that not many composers come close to. If you read the thread that liszt-and-the-galops attached, you can see some reasons. (I had a really fun time reading that too.) According to thalbergmad, the hate for Schumann comes from the piano concerto. I don't like his piano concerto either and find it to be boring A Minor dragging melodies, but have to say that his piano output has some of my all time favorites including the relatable, spontaneous Humoreske.

Also, don't compare him so harshly to other composers. To each their own, and I don't get the hate either, but calling Chopin whatever you did is a bit extreme. I'm not the biggest Chopin fan, and used to not like him, but I doubt you really think that about him. It seems you're using your opinion of Chopin et al to conflate your view on Schumann's music.

I'm curious, what are some of your favorite Schumann pieces, and why do you see him as such a magnificent composer? IMO he's one of the best composers in terms of solo piano pieces, but would love to hear more of your thoughts on the matter.

I will answer you as soon as possibile. Now I haven't enough time.