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Sibelius Or Schoenberg?

  • Neither, I dislike both

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  • I have not listened sufficiently to decide

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  • I have not listened to any of their music to decide

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Sibelius Or Schoenberg?

8K views 96 replies 40 participants last post by  MacLeod 
#1 ·
A friend of mine loves every note by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). His contemporary Schoenberg was active during a similar time period (1876-1951).

Whose music do you prefer?
 
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#2 ·
While Sibelius is not my everyday composer,and I seldom listen to his music, the few that I did have on some occasions were OK. So I picked Sibelius.
 
#3 ·
Pretty much this. I'm not as hot on Sibelius as most on here, but I do like Sibelius Symphony No. 1. Symphony No. 4 is like seeing a wrecked car flipped over and on fire. Intriguing, but in an odd way. I don't dislike the rest of Sibelius, but it would hardly be my first choice when grabbing for a CD from my collection.
 
#10 ·
Sibelius is one of my very favorite composers, so this is not much of a competition for me. I like just about all of his music, although there are a couple of his pieces that I still need to crack. Schoenberg's all right, but I'm not that into much of his music. Perhaps I don't listen to him quite enough, but I personally prefer Webern.
 
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#15 · (Edited)
Oh dear, Sibelius is ahead? How can that be? Theodor Adorno wrote, "If Sibelius is good, this invalidates the standards of musical quality that have persisted from Bach to Schoenberg.” The well-known theorist and conductor Rene Liebowitz followed up with an even more direct shot, describing Sibelius as "the worst composer in the world."

Really, no matter what you think of Schoenberg, he’s got to be better than that! :eek:
 
#17 ·
Oh dear, Sibelius is ahead? How can that be? Theodor Adorno wrote, "If Sibelius is good, this invalidates the standards of musical quality that have persisted from Bach to Schoenberg." The well-known theorist and conductor Rene Liebowitz followed up with an even more direct shot, describing Sibelius as "the worst composer in the world."

Really, no matter what you think of Schoenberg, he's got to be better than that! :eek:
I don't know where they were coming from, it would be nice to read if they had something more specific to say about his music.
 
#32 ·
I tried to get into "Verklarte Nacht" - sorry, it didn't reach me at all and also nothing else by Schoenberg

Regarding Sibelius: I adore Karelia-Suite(!!), Finlandia, Valse triste, the awesome endings of symphony 2 and 5 (but only the endings), and I like the Violin Concerto, but apart from that ... I couldn't find more that would speak to me ... What else could I try to reach Sibelius?
 
#35 ·
Schoenberg Schoenberg Schoenberg Schoenberg Schoenberg Schoenberg all the way to the hear after.
Na just kiddin, not even a competition as far as I am concerned so Sibelius is the man.
 
#40 · (Edited)
I listened through all of the pieces composed by Sibelius, available as Sibelius Edition from BIS. The experience was one of the most rewarding hours for me as I loved not only the major pieces, but the minor pieces, sketches, fragments, etc. It also made me realize how much I love Sibelius. I listen to Schoenberg and like him, too, but not every minor pieces by him.
 
#48 · (Edited)
I listened through all of the pieces composed by Sibelius, available as Sibelius Edition from BIS. The experience was one of the most rewarding hours for me as I loved not only the major pieces, but the minor pieces, sketches, fragments, etc.
Are those with the Lhati S O and Vanska Osmo I think all premier recordings of first draft etc very good and much lighter than his subsequent rehashing but I like all versions.
 
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#42 ·
There seems to be strong statistical evidence pointing to a Sibelius preference.
 
#47 · (Edited)
I prefer Sibelius. But this thread puts me in mind of a dog my younger bother kept, part hound, part German Shepherd. Poor Coby flunked out of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) canine training program. They start them out on tennis balls, then marijuana scented tennis balls, then bags of … well, you get the picture. Coby flunked out with a terminal tennis ball obsession, was given a "less-than-competent discharge," and put up for adoption. My brother is a sucker for hard luck cases. Anyway, Coby was always with the tennis balls. If one was stuck under a chair he would stake it out for hours until someone freed it. Walkies? Not without my tennis ball. Tug of war? Not a chance. Fetch? Only if it's a tennis ball. Why a terminal obsession? Because in chasing a tennis ball in a yard full of covetous rival dogs, he ran full tilt into a stone wall and broke his neck. Dead in seconds. What's the connection? I pictured two tennis balls bearing the inscriptions "Schoenberg" and "vs. _________," and wondered: What early Schoenberg trauma is behind this obsession?
 
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