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May 3, 2005
Which Composer Are You?
No, no quiz. I just decided to stake a claim before it all became the rage. So--if my blog were to be compared to a composer I would most like it to be compared to:
Wait, a moment of suspense. Perhaps I should list my reasons why before I tell you who?
My all-time favorite composer--able to capture light in music in ways unattained since--truly the symboliste or imagiste of the musical worlds. His music is the perfect accompaniment to impressionism, post-impressionism, and imagist and symbolist poetry. It even goes well with Rene Magritte and Yves Tanguy (less so with Dali, who is much more de Falla or Granados.)
Given that the imagist school is one that I love dearly and which I have followed in much of my own writing (though, of course, not in every detail). I am pleased to announce that the composer I would most like to be compared to is
Yes indeed, Claude Debussy.
Okay, now y'all can choose your own.
Posted by Steven Riddle at May 3, 2005 12:06 PM
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Comments
Spike Jones, I guess.
Yes, yes, he was more of an arranger than a composer. Me too.
Posted by: Tom at May 3, 2005 1:44 PM
Vivaldi works for me
Posted by: TSO at May 3, 2005 1:58 PM
Mozart ... I go with the classics.
Posted by: Julie D. at May 3, 2005 1:59 PM
Dear Julie,
And having met you, I'd say Mozart was just about perfect.
Dear TSO,
What can I say?
shalom,
Steven
Posted by: Steven Riddle at May 3, 2005 2:13 PM
I'll have to go with Tchaikovsky.
Posted by: psalm 41 at May 3, 2005 4:44 PM
I actually TOOK the quizilla test on this one and came out Franz Liszt....a composer I came close to detesting after years of technique! If I had to choose, I'd pick the OTHER pianist whose music can satisfy almost any emotion in me. Of course, I like to think that my life isn't quite the soap opera his was!!
Did you guess? Frederic Chopin
Posted by: Laurel at May 3, 2005 10:07 PM
If we changed the rules to say, "you live in a world with only five human voices and no musical instruments", I'd go with Thomas Tallis. Otherwise, Mozart.
Posted by: grateful_catholic at May 4, 2005 6:07 AM
Dear Grateful--
Tallis is a very fine choice with or without a rule change. I'll mark you down for Tallis. :-))
shalom,
Steven
Oh, by the way, we're Catholics of almost exactly the same vintage. 1984! Not nearly so ominous a year as Orwell would have.
Posted by: Steven Riddle at May 4, 2005 6:27 AM
I have no idea. Steven, you'll have to pick for me.
If I had to choose, I would say an anonymous writer of the most annoying commercial jingles you ever heard.
Yep! That's me!
Posted by: MamaT at May 4, 2005 11:23 AM
Dear MamaT,
For the purposes of our discussion here, let's just stretch a point and grant you the down-hominess of Mr. Nelson himself. I think he writes his own music and that sure as heck makes him a composer. (Of course, I'm not expert, so I could be wrong in these assumptions--in which case we'll waive all that and say Mr. Nelson anyway.) :-)
shalom,
Steven
Posted by: Steven Riddle at May 4, 2005 12:25 PM
Oh dear. I suppose it would have to be Karlheinz Stockhausen. Certainly Domenico Scarlatti, Anton Webern, Morton Feldman, and Claudio Monteverdi are runners up, though, but when it comes to number one, I always reach for Hymnen.
Although, there are those moments of Haydn that can't be beat, and Mahler, and Respighi. Come to think of it, Berio might even be better than Stockhausen to describe what I do.
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at May 6, 2005 3:25 AM
Dear Erik,
What a surprise--I was certain that you'd choose Brahms after all you've written about him!
shalom,
Steven
Posted by: Steven Riddle at May 6, 2005 7:05 AM
If I don't go to confession regularly and be a good boy, I fully expect to have to listen to Brahms for all eternity. It is certainly enough motivation to shoot for at least imperfect contrition.
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at May 6, 2005 6:24 PM
The irreducible Frank Zappa.
Posted by: Eupholome at January 13, 2008 9:21 PM