Which composer is the least dispensible?

[guest2]

If you could have the works of only one of them, which would you prefer to keep: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven or Brahms?

[John Cummins]

If you could have the works of only one of them, which would you prefer to keep: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven or Brahms?

At first, each seems indispensable.  Brahms's structural & harmonic advances and underlying ardency; Beethoven, for being, essentially, the Romantic Bach; Mozart, for the marriage of human heart and mind with superhuman, almost alien, powers. 

But all 'flow' from Bach: e.g., advanced harmony from the chorales, motivic development from the chorale preludes, structure and ardency from all over, and superhuman enough. 

If Schubert were added to the list would he be the first to go? 

[Milly Jones]

I would keep Mozart personally, but Bach is nevertheless indispensable.  All of these composers flow from one another.  Schubert is my next favourite after Mozart.   It is a very difficult question because each is indispensable in a different way.

[Reiner Torheit]

Beethoven.  The others are dispensible.  Only Beethoven gives voice to the human soul.

[Roehre]

Voluntarily I would take either Beethoven or Brahms, and leave Mozart and Bach.
The first two do appeal to me much more than Mozart or JSBach do, and I do think that although it generally is nice music (but no more than that), approximately 75% of Mozart's work is not better than  contemporary works by others anyway.

And with a gun put to my head: Beethoven.

[biroc]

Bach.

[smittims]

Not long ago I would have said Mozart, but I'm coming to think that Beethoven is more important to me personally.

Each has something the other hasn't. Mozart is so good for one's sanity because of his healthy attitude of acceptance towards life. He seems to be one of those people who takes life's buffets and rewards with an equal grace, whereas Beethoven did make a lot of his own problems by his expectations of others. But in the end I think he knew more truly what the struggle was about.

I'm very glad that I don't have to choose between them . In many ways, Schubert has the best of them both, and  I never tire of him.
 

[Dear Prudence]

For me, Mozart I can do without but I could not survive without Beethoven.  As Reiner says, he gives voice to the human soul.

[Serenus Zeitblom]

Only Beethoven gives voice to the human soul.

Janacek as well, perhaps?

I don't think I could answer this question at all sensibly.  Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Wagner - all indispensible in their different ways.

[Tony Watson]

Of these, it would have to be Mozart for me, as the only one of the four I can listen to any time and who excelled in just about every musical genre. But if I could choose any other composer, then it would be Prokofiev.

[Reiner Torheit]

Janacek as well, perhaps?

Yes, but his name doesn't begin with "B.." ;)  I managed to catch KATYA KABANOVA in Cambridge this week on a brief visit to UK - and what you say about the human soul is certainly in that extraordinary piece.

[A]

For me I could live without Mozart and Beethoven but I would find it hard to choose between Brahms and Bach as I listen to and play both regularly. With a gun to my head - Bach , as I can listen to , and play his music in most moods.

A tricky one Gerard !

[t-p]

I am late on this thread, but still want to reply.

I think each composer add something to our understanding of life and ourselves. It is great to have them all.

I love Bach. I love Mozart's grace and Beethoven with his struggles. At the end he accepts and his anwer to question - Must it be -  yes it must.
I think I can do without Brahms. I love his violin sonatas and his piano variations and Intermezzos. I love his symphonies too. But if they will put gun to my head I would probably give up Brahms.
But I love them all.
I loved meeting my friends here and to hear their opinions. Many things are personal.