[Chi_townPhilly]

This topic is on my mind for two reasons. The first is that the Michigan Avenue face of Orchestra Hall in Chicago, USA has 5 names carved in the stone. They are.... BACH___MOZART___BEETHOVEN___SCHUBERT___WAGNER.
I also know that the storied Proscenium Arch of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York bears some names, but (never having attended) I don't know which names are there.

So, drawing on the worldwide experience of the TC contributors:
a) Does anyone have other examples of venues where composers are honored in this manner?, and b) can somebody list the names on the Met's Proscenium Arch?!

 

[Kurkikohtaus]

Interesting.

I wonder who chooses those names, and what the debate around it looked like. The first thing that occured to me when I saw the Chicago names for the first time was "Why Schubert and not Brahms?" Of course, if that were the case, someone else would say "Why Brahms and not Schubert?" So it becomes a bit of a moot point, left as a legacy of the tastes of the powers-that-be at that moment.

In the Czech Republic, the closest parallel to this idea is the naming of the concert hall within the building, which are usually 2 different names.

For instance, the Prague Symphony's building is called the Municipal House, while the actual room is called Smetana's Scene.

The Czech Philharmonic plays in the Rudolfinum, while the room is called Dvořák's Hall.

 

[opus67]

What's the big deal with Wagner anyway?

 

[Chi_townPhilly]

I'm speculating that back in turn-of-the-previous-century America, one was expected to choose either Wagner or Brahms, not both. Many may already be familiar with the oft-quoted story of wording above a fire-escape door at Boston's Symphony Hall (which might date from a similar time), saying "this exit in case of Brahms!"

A monument to the preferences of the movers-and-shakers at that place and time? No doubt. Still, as an experiment, we could ask our musically literate friends which 5 pre-20th century composers they would have placed on that facade. (Orchestra Hall, now called Symphony Center, was completed in 1904.) I think we'd quickly discover that you could do worse.

Really interesting to note the tributes to Smetana and Dvorak (blasted basic keyboard) in the Czech Republic. Any love coming Janacek's way? Is there another country of similar size that's had such a disproportionately great impact on Classical Music?!

Any bets on the proposition that Mozart & Wagner will be the only two names on both Orchestra Hall and the Proscenium Arch?

 

[opus67]

Many may already be familiar with the oft-quoted story of wording above a fire-escape door at Boston's Symphony Hall (which might date from a similar time), saying "this exit in case of Brahms!"

Haha...I've never heard that!

Is there another country of similar size that's had such a disproportionately great impact on Classical Music?!

Finland?

Interesting Link

 

[Kurkikohtaus]

Any love coming Janacek's way?

The third largest city in the country, Ostrava, is home to the Janáček Filharmonie Ostrava: www.jfo.cz

Finland?

Regardless of his overall impact on Classical Music as a whole, Sibelius will always be remembered for his impact on my CD budget.

 

[Chi_townPhilly]

Indeed, Opus, it was an interesting link to find a list of Finnish composers that excluded Part & Rautavaara. I know that Finland's bidding fair to become "the new Hungary" on the conductor front, but The Czech Republic lights them up with regard to composers. So (immaturity alert follows), and with apologies to the Monty Python skit on the "Greece v. Germany" soccer (football) game, let's drop the puck! Finland- C-Sibelius, RW- Rautavaara, LW- Part, LD- Madetoia, RD- Crussel, G- Kilpinen, coach-Salonen. Czech Republic- C-Dvorak, RW- Smetana, LW- Janacek, LD- Martinu, RD- Suk, G- Zelenka, coach- Kubelik. Sibelius centers a "helicopter line," receiving as little help as was given to Litmanen in FIFA play, and Finland has serious problems at the back end. Czech Republic gains a huge advantage from their "triple-threat" forwards, and much sturdier blue line. We make the Czechs to be a HUGE favorite in this match-up

 

[ChamberNut]

And the winner of the Czech vs. Finland hockey game plays the German hockey team:

RW - Schubert, C - Bach, LW - Mozart

RD - Wagner, LD - Brahms

G - Beethoven

Coach - Papa Haydn

Wagner and Brahms are on defence, Wagner being the free wheeling, offensive defenceman, while Brahms is the stalwart stay at home defensive defenceman.

Bach is centerman, because, well, Bach is the Center of all musical influence.

And your best player has to be your goaltender in order to win the championship, and that's gotta be dear old Ludwig Van

Schubert and Mozart are the speedy young wingers who can get into the corners fast.

Oh, and even though I'm Canadian, I'm cheering for Anaheim in the Stanley Cup finals, because Teemu Selanne (Finland ) use to play for the Winnipeg Jets. Even though, Ottawa has a Schubert on their team

 

[opus67]

I didn't know the Germans bought Mozart from Austria. I would probably include the rookie Mendelssohn.

 

[Chi_townPhilly]

It's a small quibble, but Schubert's Austrian as well. (Perhaps you meant Schumann?) R. Strauss is a possibility, or we could go "old fashioned nasty" with Handel. [What have I gotten us into?]

 

[ChamberNut]

Perhaps we should have a "whose on your top scoring line" thread?

 

[opus67]

Someone please rename this thread to 'Composers - etched on the Stanley Cup'.

 

[Morigan]

*foams*

I'm eating Duck for dinner these days.

 

[Keemun]

Let's have a separate Austrian team:

Mozart, Mahler, Bruckner, Dittersdorf, Haydn and Schubert, with Schoenberg as coach.

 

[opus67]

Composers beating each other up...that would be a sight to watch.

 

[Chi_townPhilly]

I'm eating Duck for dinner these days.

I should imagine that there's a high demand for duck around your region, to the point that Chinese restaurants may need more than the traditional 24 hour notice for orders of Peking Duck.

Let's have a separate Austrian team: Mozart, Mahler, Bruckner, Dittersdorf, Haydn and Schubert, with Schoenberg as coach

I'm not sure I'd have Dittersdorf in my top XI (J. Strauss/Hummell/Wolf/Berg/Webern).

Composers beating each other up...that would be a sight to watch

No, not beating each other up, just thrilling us fans by seeing which lineup can out-"score" the other

I'll leave it to others to speculate on the colors of the medals, but I know who'll earn the "podium" finishes: Germany/Austria/Russia (France lost the bronze medal game )

 

[Kurkikohtaus]

Boy, has this thread ever gone to crap.

Also, I take huge exception to Chi_town messing with the Czech lineup.

Janaček is a defenceman, everybody knows that. It's Martinů who is the winger.

 

[Chi_townPhilly]

Boy, has this thread ever gone to crap.

Thus chided, let me tack hard-to-starboard and return to the land of grown-ups (although my childishness sure increased the activity here ). I reseached that the figures on the Proscenium Arch of the Met are... MOZART/WAGNER/VERDI. (I had the option of searching all along, but it would have been more interesting if a contributor had chimed in with this info.) I remember reading that Puccini would "of course" have been included, if it weren't for the fact that his career ascendency post-dated the completion of the Arch. Now, the relative musical merits of Puccini contrasted to those other names might be a debate for another time, but I will say that, if "total performances" is an essential to the hypothetical honor, he belongs, oh, yes, he belongs.

 

[Chi_townPhilly]

I stand corrected

I reseached that the figures on the Proscenium Arch of the Met are... MOZART/WAGNER/VERDI.

Well, I was half-right. Thanks to a book perusal and an updated Wiki, I now know that there are six. Any guesses on who the other three could be (remember, the Arch predates much of Puccini's work)? Here goes:

GLUCK (father of the genre, so they say).
BEETHOVEN (Beethoven?)... and
GOUNOD (interesting).

 

[opus67]

Beethoven?