Classical Music: Which Era/Composer do you prefer?

[MISER SVM]

Hi anyone,

Do you like to listen to classical music? If you do, what kind of music do you prefer?

Among my favourite composers are Bach, Haydn, Gluck, Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Debussy, Prokofiev and Sibelius.

(I didn't mention Mozart because of this terribe hype; nonetheless he is among my favourites too, and I deeply revere his music)

 

[puglover]

I don't listen to classic classical music. However some of my favorite songs were composed by John Williams, who is perhaps my favorite musical artist of all time, in the modern era. Don't know if that counts, but I like it.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Dmitri Shotakovich is my favorite classical composer of all time. i love many of his works, but my favorite is his 5th Symphony, its emotion and vigor is just amazing, especially when youve had the priveledge of playing it. I also enjoy Mussigorsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and Dvorak's 9th Symphony, to the New World.

 

[Till]

Dvorak's 9th. Beethoven's 9th. Wagner. Stravinski's Rite of Spring.
Brahms' Thus spoke Zarathustra.

Anything powerfull, basically.

 

[classical_hero]

Considering my name, I must enter this thread. I generally prefer the Romantic era and from there it is impossible to choose just one composer.

 

[Richard Cribb]

Brahms' Thus spoke Zarathustra.

I assume you mean Richard Strauss rather than Brahms.
My preferred music is pre-1800 with a couple of notable exceptions, and my two favourite eras are the classical one, except Haydn and Mozart I am very fond of the music of people like Christian Cannabich, Leopold Hoffman, Franz Beck, Joseph Martin Kraus and Karl von Dittersdorf, and early Baroque; especially Heinrich Schütz, Johann Herman Schein, Samuel Scheidt, Michael Praetorius, Esaias Reusner, Daniel Speer, Hans Leo Hassler, Claudio Monteverdi and Adam Jarzebski.
Besides I really like the lute music of Valentin Greff Bakfark.

 

[Till]

D'oh, Strauß of course!
Just remembered another one: Smetana's My Fatherland is among my favourites as well.

 

[Atropos]

Brahms all the way, especially the quintets.

 

[sysyphus]

I don't listen to classic classical music. However some of my favorite songs were composed by John Williams, who is perhaps my favorite musical artist of all time, in the modern era. Don't know if that counts, but I like it.

Indeed, Williams has rearranged Beethoven's work better than anyone else.

I'm quite fond of Krystof Penderecki myself.

I like Wagner's music as well, despite the fact he was Nazi scum.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Isn't classical a name of an era?

 

[vbraun]

I tend to like the Romantic Era the best. But like classical_hero, I can't choose one composer.

 

[YNCS]

I have never heard a piece by Mozart that I didn't like.

 

[Atropos]

Isn't classical a name of an era?

Yes (approx 1750-1800). But it is used more loosely to denote music that is not an abomination unto the heavens.

 

[Turner]

I don't really like composers per se. I tend to like pieces more. Bolero is just about my favorite piece of music ever. Thanks to Civ3, I like Haydn, and the sonata that was used. Sonata #49, I think it was. Some Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, to name a few.

Classical is not something I listen to, but more use as background music. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy it though.

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

I've always felt that if you think classical music is only background music, you aren't listening to the right stuff, or giving it it's deserved attention. Classical music can be the most powerful and emotional of all types of music. But then, I am biased because I am a classical pianist. Anyway, I love Rachmaninoff, Godowsky, Schumann, and so much more. Mostly Romantic period stuff.

 

[sysyphus]

I'm not too big on the romatic period, sounds a little too "soundtracky" to me.

 

[Ansar]

Rarely I listen to classical music. But I will mostly listen to compositions. Most of them done by Mozart or Beethoven.

EDIT: and welcome to CFC!

 

[Ciceronian]

I listen to almost exclusively non-modern music (classical music to me is a much narrower category). I love JS Bach above all other composers, and I believe he was the greatest composer ever to walk the earth. At least half the music I listen to is Bach. My favourite music of his is probably the Christmas Oratorio. St Matthew Passion, Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, Organ Works, all brilliant stuff!

Besides Bach I like other Baroque music too. Händel, Vivaldi, Corelli, Purcell, Telemann, Pachelbel and Buxtehude are all definitely good. I rarely stray into Classical music, if I do it will be largely Bach's sons or a bit of Mozart or Haydn. William Boyce is in between the two, and an interesting alternative. But I am also a big fan of Renaissance music! Many of the madrigals are great, really light-hearted and uplifting. Here there are many composers worth mentioning (some of them already mentioned by luceafarul), including Byrd, Lassus, Gibbons, Tomkins, Farmer, Flecha, Janequin, Palestrina, De Prez, Hassler, Schein, Scheidt, Schütz and Praetorius.

 

[vbraun]

I tend to like pieces more. Bolero is just about my favorite piece of music ever.

I'm looking for a good recording of that one. Any suggestions?

 

[Boris Godunov]

Indeed, Williams has rearranged Beethoven's work better than anyone else.

Hmmm? Any links to these? I'd be interested to hear them, I wasn't aware of Williams doing any such arrangements.

I like Wagner's music as well, despite the fact he was Nazi scum.

Tsk. That's really unfair. First of all, Wagner was long dead well before Nazism ever came to be. And while he was certainly anti-semetic in his views, he was a product of his times and his views weren't particularly controversial to Europeans of the era. I don't see any evidence he would have approved of Nazi genocide, either.

Yes (approx 1750-1800).

Almost...more like 1730 - 1825. Beethoven is generally considered the last great Classical composer...and the first great Romantic one.

I'm not too big on the romatic period, sounds a little too "soundtracky" to me.

That's because movie composers have ripped off Romantic-era composers more than anyone else.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Mahler as of yet. Can he be so unknown to people? Or unloved?