IMSLP Forums

Hello! I discovered imls today and it's my top site now, because I want so many scripts for piano and I never find them! I need to buy them...and here in Portugal they're very expensive.
I'll soon start uploading too.
I want everybody to tell who he/she thinks that is the greatest composer ever. I'm doing a study, so, every answer I receive, I'll be apreciated.
thank you all.

Although Bach was probably more inventive than Mozart, keep in mind that just because he (as well as Romantic composers) are inventive, does not simply make them better. You are asking for the greatest composer not most innovative composer.

For me Mozart is the one who, although mainly works with current material is the only one who uses whatever material to the greatest possible ends, and thus has the greatest achievement of any composer.

"The greatest composer" vs. "my favourite composer" - the answers to those questions are not necessarily the same.

I thing the greatest (in the sense of the greatest genius, or the greatest use of the intellect in developing music) was probably Mozart - with Beethoven not far behind.

As far as "favourite", I have a theory that your favourite composer is the one whose personality is most similar to your own (whether you are consciously aware of it or not). Thus, this composer will be the one whose music pushes all of your subconscious "buttons" and affects you most on an emotional and intellectual level. My favourite composer has always been Schubert, since I first discovered classical music when my age was still in the single digits.

aldona

I would have to nominate Bach as my favorite composer (I know I know...). He is the one composer that I feel I can only admire and never reach or touch in any way. I also have great love for the other great composers (Mozart, Beethoven, etc), but for me Bach is special Perhaps because I've liked him for a long long time... (or maybe just that I love counterpoint)

LISZT, it's all fireworks!

aldona wrote: I have a theory that your favourite composer is the one whose personality is most similar to your own (whether you are consciously aware of it or not).

this is a very interesting theory, but it doesn't happen all the time. For example, my favourite composer is Bach, but my personality is most similar with Chopin...! They have completely different ways of expressing themselves through music. Each one has their own "style".

I think that there are favourite composers for many situations. It deppends on our spirit. The composer who we consider being the greatest is the one wich music seems to belong to the spirit state wich we like most. Or we are fascinated for..! For example, Bach's music is so well organized and so beautiful! That's how I wanted my life to be...!! but I'm like Chopin's music! very romantic.. and sad too. this theory of mine is very stupid ....but I think it's worth talking about it. share oppinions is so good. that's why I like this forum so much

For example, my favourite composer is Bach, but my personality is most similar with Chopin...!

Chopin admired Bach and drew a lot from him. :p

IMO, your favourite composer is determined from who you listened to a lot (especially while young) or in turning points of your life. For example, I only started liking classical music three years ago (Although I had heard it my entire life I found it boring) the composer through which I discovered classical music was Mozart (And particular, a simplified version of K331 first movement). One can easily be taught through various life situations to like one composer over the other. My mother HATES Wagnerian music, mainly through bad experience with it (i.e. 1920-60 movies that have VERY BAD Wagnerian style music) and just lack of experience. I too found Wagnerian music boring, yet the more I listened the more I love it and now it is one of my favourite. Same is happening with Chopin's music. Experience and the way you experience music is very important in developing "taste". With certain music, you must listen to it in a particular state of mind otherwise you will dislike it, you should also listen to the more memorable and quickly and easily accessible melodies and pieces (For example, Ride of the Valkyries for Wagner, and possible the Polonaise in Ab(?) and the Great Waltz(?) for Chopin)

My favourite composer is Mozart, yet I feel I am closer to R.Straus, Beethoven or Mahler in character.

Tchiakovsky all the way. He gave us so many amazing peices, The Violin concerto, the Piano concerto no. 1, Romeo and Juliet Fantasy, 1812, the list goes on. My Favorite composer is Brahms or Shostakovich, Brahms violin concerto is one of my alltime favorites, and shostakovich is so intense and passionate. I dont truley think there is just one Best composer, I guess if you break it down into the time periods and the type of composition you might be able to get doen to one, but I think it is just favorties being said

Myself, I think I like them all (even Vivaldi, when it's played right!). I'd throw in Dvorak (add diacritics where appropriate) and Borodin. And Strivinsky. But I think my favorite still has to be Beethoven.

IMO, your favourite composer is determined from who you listened to a lot (especially while young) or in turning points of your life.

Interesting thought...or is it the other way around? what determines which music you are drawn to in those turning points of your life?

As for what you listened to while young...my parents were both into classical music, and my memories from early childhood contain a lot of Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven (my dad's favorites) and operas by 19th century Italian composers (my mother's favorites), but I still recall the time I stumbled across a recording of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony at the age of about 9-10 and it completely blew me away.

(I must have been quite some 9-year-old! These days, I would be sent to the school counsellor and tagged as a potential mass murderer!)

aldona

That's what I mean, you stumbled upon the Schubert, much like me with the Mozart k331.

I too listened t mainly Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven when I was younger. :p

ArcticWind7 wrote:That's what I mean, you stumbled upon the Schubert, much like me with the Mozart k331.

Wait... is K.331 the minor key (a?) sonata? If so, then I also remember liking it a lot when I was little I would listen to a friend of mine play it over and over...

LISZT, it's all fireworks!

Hehehehe, why am I not surprised that Funper is a Liszt fan! I think he's really an under-rated composer in many ways. Yes, there are fireworks galore but there's quite a bit there beyond the fireworks (attractive as they are), too.

[q]Wait... is K.331 the minor key (a?) sonata? If so, then I also remember liking it a lot when I was little Smile I would listen to a friend of mine play it over and over...[/q]Yep, but the minor key movement is the last, I fell in love with the first oddly enough.

imslp wrote:Wait... is K.331 the minor key (a?) sonata? If so, then I also remember liking it a lot when I was little I would listen to a friend of mine play it over and over...

K.331 is in A major, the third movt. (the famous "rondo alla turka") does start minor, but finishes in A major.

The minor key sonata you're thinking of is most likely to be K.310 in a minor, there's another (K.457 in c) but the a minor is the famous one.