Which composer are you most like?

[Nick Armstrong]

Bit of a fanciful one, this. Triggered by something AMcG said on Record Review this morning.

It isn’t really about (or rather, only about) liking their music - it’s ‘which composer ARE you most like?’ - not ‘do you most like’.

Is there a composer whose personality (as far as one can understand it), attitudes, reported quotes, lifestyle, etc., as well as their music, give you a sense of a sort of common identity?

Increasingly, I think I am Brahms…

[mercia]

caliban off to work

[Nick Armstrong]

caliban off to work

(I might have borrowed Elgar's bicycle...)

[ahinton]

(I might have borrowed Elgar's bicycle...)

Meself. Pity, perhaps...

[Pabmusic]

In some ways (at least) I'm Hubert Parry. Always prepared to write something for any reason, generally a 'decent' person (certainly with good intentions) and perhaps a little 'put upon' by those who know what I can do and that I'll do it.

Story of my life.

[french frank]

John Dowland Sans beard, of course.

[Stanfordian]

To a tee I'm a doppelgänger for the irascible Sir Charles Villiers Stanford but loyal, honest and kind hearted. Oh, but without his talent!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Howard Ferguson. I write very infrequently, but I'm reasonably please with what I've done.


If Caliban can become Brahms, I can become Ferguson.

[jean]

I'm Hildegard of Bingen, without a doubt.

(Spellcheck thinks I mean Hinge - & Bracket, presumably!)

[mercia]

wikipedia says

Brahms was fond of nature and often went walking in the woods around Vienna. He often brought penny candy with him to hand out to children. To adults Brahms was often brusque and sarcastic, and he often alienated other people. His pupil Gustav Jenner wrote, "Brahms has acquired, not without reason, the reputation for being a grump, even though few could also be as lovable as he." He also had predictable habits, which were noted by the Viennese press, such as his daily visit to his favourite "Red Hedgehog" tavern in Vienna, and his habit of walking with his hands firmly behind his back, which led to a caricature of him in this pose walking alongside a red hedgehog. Those who remained his friends were very loyal to him, however, and he reciprocated with equal loyalty and generosity.........He was often the butt of jokes for his long beard, his cheap clothes and often not wearing socks

me, Gesualdo

[jean]

me, Gesualdo

Does your wife know?

.

[Roslynmuse]

I have found myself identifying strongly with aspects of both Finzi and Elgar when I've read their biographies. But I haven't put pencil to manuscript paper since I did my Finals 30 years ago...

[Lat-Literal]

Not sure in terms of character that the question is the right way round for me. Without wishing to sound overly odd, I tend to identify less with the character of composers than with their musical character and the musical character of the range of music I listen to is close to defining self-identity. This, though, has changed in very recent years so that there is now a bit more objectivity. I doubt that the latter has been all to the good personally.

As for composition, I can't write but have woken up on occasions with symphonic music, choirs etc in my head. Ideally in classical music I would be writing along the lines of RVW but it would be considerably more idiosyncratic. So, for example, it would include a few blue notes of Ethiopian piano and spanish guitar. Moving completely into realms of fantasy I'd strive for the sounds of a Kandinsky painting. I realise this qualifies for pseuds corner.

[Flosshilde]

I wonder if anyone will lay claim to Wagner

[Flosshilde]

I might tentatively claim Tchaikovsky, but I think I'd have to check up on a bit more detail to be sure.