Who is the greatest?

[nik0tine]

You can't deny the fact that classical music (or to be more technical, baroque music) is awesome. Who do you think is the greatest classical musician ever, and why?

[Big D]

Greatest classical musician?
There've been so many, it's hard to say. However, the late cellist Jacqueline du Pre was pretty amazing.

The greatest composer, of course, is Mozart, though Beethoven and J. S. Bach aren't far behind. Mozart had an amazing level of talent, and produced a vast quantity of fine music during his short life. His compositions are always lively, usually uplifting. They may sometimes lack some of the dark grandeur or deeper meaning found in other composers' works, but the sheer quality more than makes up for it.

[nik0tine]

Greatest classical musician?
There've been so many, it's hard to say. However, the late cellist Jacqueline du Pre was pretty amazing.

The greatest composer, of course, is Mozart, though Beethoven and J. S. Bach aren't far behind. Mozart had an amazing level of talent, and produced a vast quantity of fine music during his short life. His compositions are always lively, usually uplifting. They may sometimes lack some of the dark grandeur or deeper meaning found in other composers' works, but the sheer quality more than makes up for it.

sorry about that, i meant composer. everyone else, just ignore the fact that i said musician. my mistake.

[Big D]

Whoops, I goofed as well :D
If I'd actually noticed the poll, I probably would've figured you meant 'composers'.:)

Virtually every famous composers has many great works. Vivaldi, Dvorak, Mussorgsky, Berlioz, Elgar, Bruckner... however, all of Mozart's music is of a consistent, unfaltering standard. Every work stands out in some way.

[White Raven]

Though I enjoy Bach, Mozart Beethoven's music for it's originaliy, I just can't get enough of Gershwin.

I can listen to Rhaspody in Blue over and over and over agian.

[Trumpet Thief]

Though I have enjoyed many classical pieces from all of them, my favorite would have to be Mozart.

[jrgen]

Janus

[Casey]

I like Satie and Chopin myself. OH and Nobuo Uematsu if that counts. :D

[-N-]

I'd say Uematsu's too eclectic to be just considered classical.

I'm torn between J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart. There's just SO MUCH musical intricacy in Bach's fugues and other compositions. The point-counterpoint echoes, the perpetual Well-Tempered Clavier, and other stuff has just so many repercussions not just in music, but extends to mathematics and Escher's art as well. Mozart is creative genius - coming up with so many compositions at such a young age, and able to improve on others works just by listening to them once. And did I mention Don Giovanni? Holy crap that's good. I'd liken Bach to Indian raga-players, who have to work creatively within rigid constructs, and Mozart to a creative composer who broke from those constructs. I don't know which is more amazing - the ability to bend rules to your will, or the ability to break them to your will. I probably lean towards Mozart just because I like his pieces more (esp. Don Giovanni). Always count on sentiment to break the tie between two logical choices. ;)

[War Angel]

Can't beat Beethoven for his talent and his music's emotional charge.

[chu52]

Beethoven's 9th symphony was featured in an Evangelion angel fight, thus he is trully great.

[Polaris]

Albinoni Tomasso... it's the best!

[Rostum]

Debussy.

[Calliope]

*starts Bruckner hailing*

[chu52]

Greensleeves did rock

[nik0tine]

Whoever wrote Green Sleeves

I think that's Mozart but i really don't know. Could be Bach as well.

[Kirobaito]

Mozart's horn concertos=<3.

[-N-]

KB: HA! You DO listen to stuff other than country!

All: Greensleeves original composer is unknown. It's a random English folk song.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

I've got to say Beethoven, solely for the Sonata de Luna. Most of his other stuff is kind of irritating, but i can literally (and have) looped that piece for hours and never bored of it. Gershwin is excellent as well.

[Moose Knight]

Listen to Gustav Holst's 'The Planets.' This rules.

[Lord Chainsaw]

Sorry but I got to give this to my man Bach.

While I really, really do enjoy Mozart's music, I just associate more with Bach's tunes. The beginning of one of his particular pieces on the organ is used in the SNES game Soulblazer when you are in the world hub. I've also heard his piece used in Castlevania 2 at the game over screen.

I also enjoy Beethoven, but not to the degree of the others. His 9th Symphony (I think that one could be Clockwork Orange, I'm not sure) is excellent as is the Moonlight Sonata, my favorite piano piece of all time.

And yes, Greensleeves does rock. It feels so medieval. You just know it was inspiration in such tracks as Flame Stag's stage in Megaman X2 and the outside plains of Sandoria in Final Fantasy XI.

Great poll by the way, this is an awesome thing to discuss.

[nik0tine]

Listen to Gustav Holst's 'The Planets.' This rules.

This guy is AWESOME! I am listening to some of his stuff right now, and jesus, they are masterpeices. His suite in Eb is amazing, and so are all of the 'planets' that i have heard so far. I so wish i could compose music like this.