Love your videos relating your work with reading! The passion is infectious and makes me want to listen to so many more works from these composers and get more into fantasy!
This was so much fun!!! I loved all these comps and the way you quickly explained each composer for us music lay people. For the Mozart composer you need to expand into sci-fantasy authors to the prodigy that is Christopher Ruocchio! Writing Empire of Silence in college and the next bunch of books through his 20s…he is the closest comp we have I think.
Excellent video Josh, I always really have loved how you have discussed books in a manner where it feels as if you are also discussing and breaking down a composition
This was an excellent video Josh. What a unique and fantastic idea this was. I’m a huge fan of classical composers especially, but I also enjoy many of those you mentioned outside of that era. Great author comparisons!
Absolutely my favorite of all your videos!! Thanks. All comparisons make sense (apart from Stravinsky and Zelazny). I could not find an author to compare Mozart with either, unless you’d step outside of fantasy. But even then I’d have to think about it real long. I will think about Debussy, Chopin & Shostakovich (next to Mahler my favorite composer). Thanks again, Josh for this inspiring video!
Fun video, Josh! Being a huge fan of both composer number one and author number one, I found myself immediately and enthusiastically agreeing with you. I love your second comparison too, while number three made me laugh. The possible comparison you offer for Mozart makes sense to me, though I’ve read only four books by the author so far. Great job on all these picks - you offer so many convincing parallels!
Amazing video, Josh ! Thank you ! Loved it, without knowing anything about composers. Now I really want to see a piano duel ! I think the comparisons were extremely interesting. I think you should add recommendations for people (like me!) who know very little about classical music, for pieces from these composers that we should listen to in order to better understand your comparisons.
Glad you enjoyed the video! I was originally going to have music of each composer playing during the video, but found the licensing was taking forever, so I just scrapped it. In retrospect, I should've kept the music and just de-monitized the video.
Fun (and educational) video, Josh! Here are my suggested analogues in your Other category: Claude Debussy -- Patricia McKillip Frederic Chopin -- Jo Walton Dmitri Shostakovich -- China Mieville Benjamin Britten -- J.K. Rowling Vaughan Williams -- C.S. Lewis Alexander Borodin or Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov -- Robert E Howard George Handel -- Michael Moorcock
@@RedFuryBooks McKillip is well worth reading. Just lovely, ephemeral prose and inventive storytelling (hence a good fit for Debussy). Forgotten Beasts of Eld is my favorite of her works I’ve read so far, but none has been bad yet :)
@@thelibraryladder I’ll confess I chafe a bit at Vaugh Williams paired with Lewis, mostly because Lewis has never clicked with me but I have a strong natural affinity for Williams. (So it says a lot more about me than about your suggestion :) Just to be contrarian, I’ll nominate Vaughn Williams to match with Robert Holdstock. It’s a bit tenuous, since Holdstock gets so dark and Williams is so ennobling, but Williams *does* appear as a character in Lavondyss, the second book of the Mythago Cycle. Holdstock said this was because he felt Williams’s interest in elements of folk music reflected the work he was attempting with the Mythago Cycle. (Side note: Mythago Wood and Lavondyss are both well worth reading, if either of you hasn’t yet picked him up. My first published academic article was a narratologic study of the Mythago Cycle.)
@@paulwilliams6913 I thought Williams' Englishness, his fascination with folklore and folk music, and his work composing religious music were good fits with Lewis. I think your suggestion of Holdstock as an analogue for Williams is a great one, though, based on what I recall from Mythago Wood (I haven't read Lavondyss).
@@thelibraryladder like I say, my reaction to Lewis was far more personal than analytic :) I actually think Lavondyss is superior to Mythago Wood, though that’s far from a uniform reaction. I like the whole series but I do think the first two are easily the strongest.
This was interesting. When you were describing Brahms, it actually made me think of Adrian Tchaikovsky, who can write in many genres. I used to know more about all these composers. I play the piano and I took music history in college. But that was a long time ago. I don't play as much piano these days, and my major in college was biology so I stopped learning about music.
Might be one of my favorite videos you've made, Josh. Your pairings make sense and I learned a ton about these composers. Really, high value stuff here even though you led with it's a "just for fun" statement. I think it's way better than that. 100%.
This is one of my favorite videos from you! ❤ I couldn’t agree more with your pairing of Beethoven and Martin! 🙌🏼 That was my favorite! I got such a kick out of the Vivaldi and Eddings comparison. 😆 I think many of Schubert’s Lieder are sublime, but Erlkönig came to mind when you mentioned Abercrombie. I have only read Lord of Light, but I can see the Zelazny and Stravinsky connection. This was fun!
Erlkonig was my introduction to Schubert's lieder! Abercrombie would have fun with a story like that. Glad you enjoyed the parallels, because I know you understand them all deeply!
Gene Wolfe was a master of all facets of the craft, both short and long fiction (inducted into that lofty order of Sci Fi Grand Masters for a reason). He was as prolific a writer as many that worked at it full time, despite keeping his day job well into his middle years. Just about all his works were speculative fiction, yet he could build the Taj Mahal in any sandbox -- the 4 novel Book of the Long Sun, for example, contains one crime novel, one spy thriller, one war novel, and one utopian novel that combine to form a perfectly cohesive scifi narrative. He did not have the most prestigious education, but he was an autodidact and perhaps a polyglot -- he taught himself Greek sometime before or while writing his Latro trilogy, which follows a Greek soldier at the time of the second Persian War, I guess for authenticity and to effectively set up the puzzles and mysteries that he loves to plant throughout his stories. And his technique, his style, his wisdom, all were unparalleled, so he could show up opponents in a typewriter showdown with the ease and efficiency of Magnus Carlson (though he would do it with the grace and humility of Roger Federer). There's your Mozart.
Well that was fun :) Ok, got a couple suggestions for Mozart: 1) Le Guin, mostly because I consider her the greatest genius of 20th century genre fiction, with a special precision. But you make a good case for your Handel comparison, so I guess that’s that. Though you could then switch Handel to Jack Vance, who wrote prolifically but today only his Tales of the Dying Earth are regularly in print from a major publisher. 2) Lord Dunsany claimed that he wrote his books and stories in single drafts (and with a homemade quill pen!), so he may suit for that reason. 3) Susanna Clarke. While she entered the scene later in life (first publications happened in her late-40s), and her output has been slim, everything she’s put out has had a genius quality. Gaiman said that the first story of hers he read was so exceptional that, even as a veteran author, he felt it was like watching a novice sit down at a piano and flawlessly play a symphony.
What a brilliant video idea! I think your comparisons are all very apt. For Debussy I would put forward Kazuo Ishiguro - incorporates both Western and East Asian influences and themes, his writing is always beautiful, ethereal and mysterious. As a musician myself, would you mind me borrowing your idea with my own spin on it?!
Really interesting video concept, Josh! Wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this with other authors & composers. Here are my suggested list: - Sergei Prokofiev -- Astrid Lindgren - Igor Stravinsky -- J.K Rowling - Arnold Schoenberg -- Emilio Salgari - I'll offer an alternative for Hector Berlioz with Jack Vance considering the inspiration of the Vancian magic system in Dungeons & Dragons was inspired by the magic system in «Tales of the Dying Earth» series. - When you was talking about Beethoven my mind initially thought of Tad Williams, since he bridged the gap between Tolkien-like fantasy and modern fantasy and been highly influential on the genre. Which brings me to grrm, i know he has written other works but his most iconic is ASoIaF. Much like Edvard Grieg's most iconic work is «In the Hall of the Mountain King». I also can't really think of an author that would fit with Mozart.
I agree that Tad Williams could fill that GRRM slot with Beethoven as he has served as a bit of a bridge composer. But I had to consider just the heights that they've both reached in popularity, and GRRM was definitely above Tad in that regard. I don't know a couple of your authors above, so I'm going to google them in a minute - thanks!
Fun video, I really enjoyed it. Before I even clicked play my thought was that you had better align Robin Hobb up with Mozart or I was going to rage stop the video lol
Excellent video! Wagner is my favorite composer, so you're really selling me on the author comp. ;) I'd be the first to admit I'm an amateur when it comes to composers, but there are a few authors I'd like to see comparisons for, so here I go: R. Scott Bakker--Wagner This one's easy for me: my favorite author and my favorite composer. Each man's work deals with dark and mythic themes, and each one has plenty of critics (though I find myself strongly disagreeing with said critics). Dan Simmons--on the basis of your description, I'm going to go with Haydn. Simmons is a titan of the science fiction genre, and he's also a grand master of horror, not to mention an author of historical, literary, and thriller fiction. His first novel, Song of Kali, won the World Fantasy Award, though Simmons himself has said he doesn't consider the novel fantasy (and I agree). I haven't listened to nearly enough Haydn, but based on how you described him, the parallel I'd argue for is fantastically diverse output. Frank Herbert--Brahms Dune needs no introduction: it's had an enormous influence not only on science fiction, but also on fantasy, and I tend to think it has plenty of Sturm und Drang. To my eye, both Herbert and Brahms can be understood as innovators at, or very near, the beginning of new creative paradigms: each went on to define much of the genre going forward.
I haven't read Bakker yet, but from what I've heard that this can work really well pairing him with Wagner. Dan Simmons being the multi-genre author works with Haydn just like King. Thanks for checking out the video!
I was thinking Wagner for Abercrombie and Paganini for Guy Gavriel Kay ... For Leonard Bernstein I think of Neal Stephenson, for Shopen i think of Lynn Flewelling, and for J K R i think of Shostakovich... Those are just my immediate associations, not much thought behind it... Great video! 😊👍
I love this video! For J. K. Rowling I would have said Prokofiev since Rowling is often credited with getting people into reading and Peter and the Wolf is often the first classical music children experience. My teachers played it for us in primary school and got every one to play one of the animals. I've loved classical music ever since.
Josh I have done this with art. The Bound and the Broken is to Miro as Until the Last is to Seurat or Farseer is to Rousseau as Liveship is to Caravaggio!!
For Mozart, I would support the Terry Pratchett pairing (even though I’ve only read five of the Discworld books)! I also would suggest Adrian Tchaikovsky: he’s previously said in interviews that his first drafts are very close to the final drafts of his books. And he’s so prolific.
My Mozart match would be Gene Wolfe. His ability to keep everything in his head from start to finish is exemplified in Book of the New Sun. We see in book 5, written as something of a coda to the 'real' story, his ability to bring out details in the earlier books that show us he was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs through them that he would pick up in #5. And I would move Terry Pratchett out of the Mozart slot and match him with Berlioz, especially because of Symphonie Fantastique. A wild and wacky story through the symphony to match the uncontrollable humour of Pratchett. There is a story concerning his Reqiuem when he was challenged about the ability of the choir to fulfill his expectations. The choir filled the balcony while down below there were four brass bands (one in each corner of the theatre) and six sets of tympani adding to the full orchestra, and everyone was playing at full tilt. Berlioz replied, "You must hear them bursting their lungs to try and get through."
I can definitely see the wackiness of Pratchett lining up with the semi-lunacy of Berlioz! And you weren't the only to choose Gene Wolfe for Mozart - I definitely need to read him!
For Mozart: How about Ferdia Lennon whose debut is 5 stars but he is in his 30’s. Although I think that Eragon author wrote his book as a teen, he is no Mozart. I am sure you will get Suneater as an answer but I waded through 2 books and a few chapters of a third to see the greatness which never came through for me, just a few bursts of a Gong or Symbols.
Yeah, I did consider Paolini because he started so young, but didn't do much after that. (With that in mind, I could make a controversial case for him being Felix Mendelssohn).
For Robert Jordan...Anton Bruckner. Not as long as Mahler,but his symphonies are long. Also, the long winded (in a good way, the journey feel), strolling element. He doesn’t develop terse motifs like Beethoven, but is a more “stroll, walk in an expansive park” composer. I really felt that, in the first movement of Symphony 9. Wheel of Time feels like that (long, descriptive, leisurely, no rush at all. Very different from Beethoven, who is tight and highly developed) . And he doesn’t have the angst (Malazan) that Erikson brings to you, or Mahler does. What does Wheel of Time feel like to you? Thanks, Daniel
Daniel, I think this is a perfect comparison. I also think that both artists have their fans and detractors, which lines up as well and is an added dimension.
I think the only ones that might be mad are fans of Vivaldi or Eddings; or any Tchaikovsky fans that don't like The Wheel of Time! I think the rest are pretty respectful!
Interesting topic. Maybe Moorcock could be compared with someone like Schoenberg because of the way he broke from tradition and championed a new wave in the same way Schoenberg abandoned tonality and was at the forefront of the experimental music of the 20th century.
Very fun video! I don't think it's really a good comparison, but it would have been funny if you'd done Tchaikovsky and Tchaikovsky. I also will say although I'm by no means a connoisseur of classical music or familiar with most of Tchaikovsky's pieces, I personally don't like the Jordan/Tchaikovsky comparison as much as the others, as I do think that Tchaikovsky is a better composer than Jordan is an author. Tchaikovsky's pieces (at least the famous ones) seem very much the opposite of Jordan to me in that they stand out partially by having very few boring parts.
Hi Josh, as someone totally ignorant of classical orchestral composers what does that world look like today? In terms of how music is discussed and how people are revered. I think one thing I have noticed as the internet age has come about and as the volume or percieved volume of artists or even in the realm of sports, athletes grows there feels like less a culture that sees something in the present for how great it may be? An example could be in sports, where in the 90s you had athletes such as Michael Jordan who almost has a mystism attached to the stories around him, whereas in the modern age of basketball we almost turnaway from the great talent present before us because we hold onto the legacy of what came before. So as someone ignorant of the genre of music you are passionate in, what is the ecosystem like? Do modern composers get recognised, or have there just not been ones that have come close to the classical names we hear all the time? And why is that?
A good question. Most modern classical music composers honestly put out music that disappears rather quickly; there are very few names of the last few decades that have consistently put out compositions that have a lasting legacy of performances. John Adams and Philip Glass to name two of the bigger names. As to your second question as to why modern composers don't get recognized as much, it honestly has to do with popularity and ticket sales. Put on a concert of all Beethoven's music, and you'll fill the seats; put on a concert with three new composers you've never heard of and people won't show up. Modern classical music - at least in terms of the major symphony orchestras - has become less adventurous in what they perform because most concert goers don't go to the Symphony to hear the Symphony, they go to the Symphony to hear specific works being performed. There are some organizations trying to change that, but it's really tough. I'll end here as I can go on for days!
The video I never knew I needed! This was both fun and educational, I am so ignorant when it comes to musical history ouch 🥲 Loved hearing all your reasonings for these match-ups, seems like you had a lot of fun ;)
Love your videos relating your work with reading! The passion is infectious and makes me want to listen to so many more works from these composers and get more into fantasy!
Thank you!
This was so much fun!!! I loved all these comps and the way you quickly explained each composer for us music lay people.
For the Mozart composer you need to expand into sci-fantasy authors to the prodigy that is Christopher Ruocchio! Writing Empire of Silence in college and the next bunch of books through his 20s…he is the closest comp we have I think.
I like this answer!
I'm starting Ruocchio next month so I'm excited you made this comparison!
Excellent video Josh, I always really have loved how you have discussed books in a manner where it feels as if you are also discussing and breaking down a composition
Thank you!
This was an excellent video Josh. What a unique and fantastic idea this was. I’m a huge fan of classical composers especially, but I also enjoy many of those you mentioned outside of that era. Great author comparisons!
Glad you liked it, Chas!
I so enjoyed this Josh. Thanks!
Thanks, John!
Absolutely my favorite of all your videos!! Thanks. All comparisons make sense (apart from Stravinsky and Zelazny). I could not find an author to compare Mozart with either, unless you’d step outside of fantasy. But even then I’d have to think about it real long. I will think about Debussy, Chopin & Shostakovich (next to Mahler my favorite composer). Thanks again, Josh for this inspiring video!
Thank you - glad I enjoyed it!
I love when content creator really lean into what they know. Only you could make this video and that is what makes it great.
Thanks for checking it out!
Great video! As an Erikson fan I loved the Mahler comparison.
Thanks
Fun video, Josh! Being a huge fan of both composer number one and author number one, I found myself immediately and enthusiastically agreeing with you. I love your second comparison too, while number three made me laugh. The possible comparison you offer for Mozart makes sense to me, though I’ve read only four books by the author so far. Great job on all these picks - you offer so many convincing parallels!
Thanks for checking it out! And Bach/Tolkien was the only easy choice as they are the undisputed father figures of their respective genres!
Amazing video, Josh ! Thank you ! Loved it, without knowing anything about composers. Now I really want to see a piano duel ! I think the comparisons were extremely interesting. I think you should add recommendations for people (like me!) who know very little about classical music, for pieces from these composers that we should listen to in order to better understand your comparisons.
Glad you enjoyed the video! I was originally going to have music of each composer playing during the video, but found the licensing was taking forever, so I just scrapped it. In retrospect, I should've kept the music and just de-monitized the video.
Fun (and educational) video, Josh! Here are my suggested analogues in your Other category:
Claude Debussy -- Patricia McKillip
Frederic Chopin -- Jo Walton
Dmitri Shostakovich -- China Mieville
Benjamin Britten -- J.K. Rowling
Vaughan Williams -- C.S. Lewis
Alexander Borodin or Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov -- Robert E Howard
George Handel -- Michael Moorcock
Thanks, Bridger! I haven't read those first three authors but Mieville and Jo Walton are on the "someday" TBR.
@@RedFuryBooks McKillip is well worth reading. Just lovely, ephemeral prose and inventive storytelling (hence a good fit for Debussy). Forgotten Beasts of Eld is my favorite of her works I’ve read so far, but none has been bad yet :)
@@thelibraryladder I’ll confess I chafe a bit at Vaugh Williams paired with Lewis, mostly because Lewis has never clicked with me but I have a strong natural affinity for Williams. (So it says a lot more about me than about your suggestion :)
Just to be contrarian, I’ll nominate Vaughn Williams to match with Robert Holdstock. It’s a bit tenuous, since Holdstock gets so dark and Williams is so ennobling, but Williams *does* appear as a character in Lavondyss, the second book of the Mythago Cycle. Holdstock said this was because he felt Williams’s interest in elements of folk music reflected the work he was attempting with the Mythago Cycle.
(Side note: Mythago Wood and Lavondyss are both well worth reading, if either of you hasn’t yet picked him up. My first published academic article was a narratologic study of the Mythago Cycle.)
@@paulwilliams6913 I thought Williams' Englishness, his fascination with folklore and folk music, and his work composing religious music were good fits with Lewis. I think your suggestion of Holdstock as an analogue for Williams is a great one, though, based on what I recall from Mythago Wood (I haven't read Lavondyss).
@@thelibraryladder like I say, my reaction to Lewis was far more personal than analytic :)
I actually think Lavondyss is superior to Mythago Wood, though that’s far from a uniform reaction. I like the whole series but I do think the first two are easily the strongest.
This was interesting. When you were describing Brahms, it actually made me think of Adrian Tchaikovsky, who can write in many genres. I used to know more about all these composers. I play the piano and I took music history in college. But that was a long time ago. I don't play as much piano these days, and my major in college was biology so I stopped learning about music.
Yes, I need to read more Adrian Tchaikovsky - I've only read one so far.
Might be one of my favorite videos you've made, Josh. Your pairings make sense and I learned a ton about these composers. Really, high value stuff here even though you led with it's a "just for fun" statement. I think it's way better than that. 100%.
Thank you, my friend! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is one of my favorite videos from you! ❤ I couldn’t agree more with your pairing of Beethoven and Martin! 🙌🏼 That was my favorite! I got such a kick out of the Vivaldi and Eddings comparison. 😆 I think many of Schubert’s Lieder are sublime, but Erlkönig came to mind when you mentioned Abercrombie. I have only read Lord of Light, but I can see the Zelazny and Stravinsky connection. This was fun!
Erlkonig was my introduction to Schubert's lieder! Abercrombie would have fun with a story like that. Glad you enjoyed the parallels, because I know you understand them all deeply!
Gene Wolfe was a master of all facets of the craft, both short and long fiction (inducted into that lofty order of Sci Fi Grand Masters for a reason). He was as prolific a writer as many that worked at it full time, despite keeping his day job well into his middle years. Just about all his works were speculative fiction, yet he could build the Taj Mahal in any sandbox -- the 4 novel Book of the Long Sun, for example, contains one crime novel, one spy thriller, one war novel, and one utopian novel that combine to form a perfectly cohesive scifi narrative. He did not have the most prestigious education, but he was an autodidact and perhaps a polyglot -- he taught himself Greek sometime before or while writing his Latro trilogy, which follows a Greek soldier at the time of the second Persian War, I guess for authenticity and to effectively set up the puzzles and mysteries that he loves to plant throughout his stories. And his technique, his style, his wisdom, all were unparalleled, so he could show up opponents in a typewriter showdown with the ease and efficiency of Magnus Carlson (though he would do it with the grace and humility of Roger Federer).
There's your Mozart.
This was beautifully written - thank you!
@@RedFuryBooks All praise to the Grand Master
I am with RedFuryBooks on this one - as much as I love GW, I don't think any author could compare to Mozart... Maybe Shakespeare...
This video is a lot of fun and now I want to listen to some of these composers!
Awesome!
As a classical music lover and a frequent fantasy reader, this comparison was sheer genius. What a great idea!
Glad you enjoyed it!
one time i accidently walked into a bbq place thinking it was a subway and i was so embarrassed.
Well that was fun :)
Ok, got a couple suggestions for Mozart:
1) Le Guin, mostly because I consider her the greatest genius of 20th century genre fiction, with a special precision. But you make a good case for your Handel comparison, so I guess that’s that. Though you could then switch Handel to Jack Vance, who wrote prolifically but today only his Tales of the Dying Earth are regularly in print from a major publisher.
2) Lord Dunsany claimed that he wrote his books and stories in single drafts (and with a homemade quill pen!), so he may suit for that reason.
3) Susanna Clarke. While she entered the scene later in life (first publications happened in her late-40s), and her output has been slim, everything she’s put out has had a genius quality. Gaiman said that the first story of hers he read was so exceptional that, even as a veteran author, he felt it was like watching a novice sit down at a piano and flawlessly play a symphony.
Great nominations for Mozart!
Great idea for a video, I enjoy it .
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a brilliant video idea! I think your comparisons are all very apt. For Debussy I would put forward Kazuo Ishiguro - incorporates both Western and East Asian influences and themes, his writing is always beautiful, ethereal and mysterious. As a musician myself, would you mind me borrowing your idea with my own spin on it?!
Absolutely! Post away and be sure to tag me - I'd love to watch the video!
@@RedFuryBooks Thankyou! It'll be a little while yet but I'll be sure to tag you.
@@SamNot-so-wise awesome - I look forward to it!
Really interesting video concept, Josh! Wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this with other authors & composers.
Here are my suggested list:
- Sergei Prokofiev -- Astrid Lindgren
- Igor Stravinsky -- J.K Rowling
- Arnold Schoenberg -- Emilio Salgari
- I'll offer an alternative for Hector Berlioz with Jack Vance considering the inspiration of the Vancian magic system in Dungeons & Dragons was inspired by the magic system in «Tales of the Dying Earth» series.
- When you was talking about Beethoven my mind initially thought of Tad Williams, since he bridged the gap between Tolkien-like fantasy and modern fantasy and been highly influential on the genre.
Which brings me to grrm, i know he has written other works but his most iconic is ASoIaF. Much like Edvard Grieg's most iconic work is «In the Hall of the Mountain King».
I also can't really think of an author that would fit with Mozart.
I agree that Tad Williams could fill that GRRM slot with Beethoven as he has served as a bit of a bridge composer. But I had to consider just the heights that they've both reached in popularity, and GRRM was definitely above Tad in that regard. I don't know a couple of your authors above, so I'm going to google them in a minute - thanks!
Fun video, I really enjoyed it. Before I even clicked play my thought was that you had better align Robin Hobb up with Mozart or I was going to rage stop the video lol
Yeah, I kind of should have done that!
Excellent video! Wagner is my favorite composer, so you're really selling me on the author comp. ;)
I'd be the first to admit I'm an amateur when it comes to composers, but there are a few authors I'd like to see comparisons for, so here I go:
R. Scott Bakker--Wagner
This one's easy for me: my favorite author and my favorite composer. Each man's work deals with dark and mythic themes, and each one has plenty of critics (though I find myself strongly disagreeing with said critics).
Dan Simmons--on the basis of your description, I'm going to go with Haydn.
Simmons is a titan of the science fiction genre, and he's also a grand master of horror, not to mention an author of historical, literary, and thriller fiction. His first novel, Song of Kali, won the World Fantasy Award, though Simmons himself has said he doesn't consider the novel fantasy (and I agree). I haven't listened to nearly enough Haydn, but based on how you described him, the parallel I'd argue for is fantastically diverse output.
Frank Herbert--Brahms
Dune needs no introduction: it's had an enormous influence not only on science fiction, but also on fantasy, and I tend to think it has plenty of Sturm und Drang. To my eye, both Herbert and Brahms can be understood as innovators at, or very near, the beginning of new creative paradigms: each went on to define much of the genre going forward.
I haven't read Bakker yet, but from what I've heard that this can work really well pairing him with Wagner. Dan Simmons being the multi-genre author works with Haydn just like King. Thanks for checking out the video!
I was thinking Wagner for Abercrombie and Paganini for Guy Gavriel Kay ... For Leonard Bernstein I think of Neal Stephenson, for Shopen i think of Lynn Flewelling, and for J K R i think of Shostakovich... Those are just my immediate associations, not much thought behind it...
Great video! 😊👍
I love this video! For J. K. Rowling I would have said Prokofiev since Rowling is often credited with getting people into reading and Peter and the Wolf is often the first classical music children experience. My teachers played it for us in primary school and got every one to play one of the animals. I've loved classical music ever since.
I'd actually place Sergei Prokofiev with Astrid Lindgren for that exact reason.
Prokofiev/Rowling works great with that in mind! Glad a teacher played that for you when you were young! :)
@@Zivilin Yeah, any children's book that is very influential and gets people into reading would work I think.
Josh I have done this with art. The Bound and the Broken is to Miro as Until the Last is to Seurat or Farseer is to Rousseau as Liveship is to Caravaggio!!
Oh that's cool!
For Mozart, I would support the Terry Pratchett pairing (even though I’ve only read five of the Discworld books)! I also would suggest Adrian Tchaikovsky: he’s previously said in interviews that his first drafts are very close to the final drafts of his books. And he’s so prolific.
I need to read more Tchaikovsky! Someone below said I should've paired Tchaikovsky with Tchaikovsky!
This was a delight is more ways than four
Thanks! It was fun to put together.
My Mozart match would be Gene Wolfe. His ability to keep everything in his head from start to finish is exemplified in Book of the New Sun. We see in book 5, written as something of a coda to the 'real' story, his ability to bring out details in the earlier books that show us he was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs through them that he would pick up in #5.
And I would move Terry Pratchett out of the Mozart slot and match him with Berlioz, especially because of Symphonie Fantastique. A wild and wacky story through the symphony to match the uncontrollable humour of Pratchett.
There is a story concerning his Reqiuem when he was challenged about the ability of the choir to fulfill his expectations. The choir filled the balcony while down below there were four brass bands (one in each corner of the theatre) and six sets of tympani adding to the full orchestra, and everyone was playing at full tilt. Berlioz replied, "You must hear them bursting their lungs to try and get through."
I can definitely see the wackiness of Pratchett lining up with the semi-lunacy of Berlioz! And you weren't the only to choose Gene Wolfe for Mozart - I definitely need to read him!
For Mozart: How about Ferdia Lennon whose debut is 5 stars but he is in his 30’s.
Although I think that Eragon author wrote his book as a teen, he is no Mozart.
I am sure you will get Suneater as an answer but I waded through 2 books and a few chapters of a third to see the greatness which never came through for me, just a few bursts of a Gong or Symbols.
Yeah, I did consider Paolini because he started so young, but didn't do much after that. (With that in mind, I could make a controversial case for him being Felix Mendelssohn).
Ravel - Tad Williams, as Bolero is a 14 minute crescendo
But more favorably, perhaps Grieg for Howard or Moorcock?
Actually I think Grieg and Howard are a perfect pairing, now that I think about it. Grieg was a master of the miniature, as was Howard.
For Robert Jordan...Anton Bruckner. Not as long as Mahler,but his symphonies are long. Also, the long winded (in a good way, the journey feel), strolling element. He doesn’t develop terse motifs like Beethoven, but is a more “stroll, walk in an expansive park” composer. I really felt that, in the first movement of Symphony 9. Wheel of Time feels like that (long, descriptive, leisurely, no rush at all. Very different from Beethoven, who is tight and highly developed) . And he doesn’t have the angst (Malazan) that Erikson brings to you, or Mahler does. What does Wheel of Time feel like to you? Thanks, Daniel
Daniel, I think this is a perfect comparison. I also think that both artists have their fans and detractors, which lines up as well and is an added dimension.
Wagner is really his own fantasy writer
That's absolutely true! I tried to find a corollary with Wagner having written the librettos of his Ring Cycle backwards, but couldn't find one.
I don't really know composers, so someone tell me if I should be mad at Josh
I think the only ones that might be mad are fans of Vivaldi or Eddings; or any Tchaikovsky fans that don't like The Wheel of Time! I think the rest are pretty respectful!
Interesting topic. Maybe Moorcock could be compared with someone like Schoenberg because of the way he broke from tradition and championed a new wave in the same way Schoenberg abandoned tonality and was at the forefront of the experimental music of the 20th century.
I really like that comparison!
Very fun video! I don't think it's really a good comparison, but it would have been funny if you'd done Tchaikovsky and Tchaikovsky. I also will say although I'm by no means a connoisseur of classical music or familiar with most of Tchaikovsky's pieces, I personally don't like the Jordan/Tchaikovsky comparison as much as the others, as I do think that Tchaikovsky is a better composer than Jordan is an author. Tchaikovsky's pieces (at least the famous ones) seem very much the opposite of Jordan to me in that they stand out partially by having very few boring parts.
Haha the Tchaikovsky/Tchaikovsky idea made me chuckle - I honestly wish I'd thought of it!
Hi Josh, as someone totally ignorant of classical orchestral composers what does that world look like today? In terms of how music is discussed and how people are revered. I think one thing I have noticed as the internet age has come about and as the volume or percieved volume of artists or even in the realm of sports, athletes grows there feels like less a culture that sees something in the present for how great it may be?
An example could be in sports, where in the 90s you had athletes such as Michael Jordan who almost has a mystism attached to the stories around him, whereas in the modern age of basketball we almost turnaway from the great talent present before us because we hold onto the legacy of what came before.
So as someone ignorant of the genre of music you are passionate in, what is the ecosystem like? Do modern composers get recognised, or have there just not been ones that have come close to the classical names we hear all the time? And why is that?
A good question. Most modern classical music composers honestly put out music that disappears rather quickly; there are very few names of the last few decades that have consistently put out compositions that have a lasting legacy of performances. John Adams and Philip Glass to name two of the bigger names. As to your second question as to why modern composers don't get recognized as much, it honestly has to do with popularity and ticket sales. Put on a concert of all Beethoven's music, and you'll fill the seats; put on a concert with three new composers you've never heard of and people won't show up. Modern classical music - at least in terms of the major symphony orchestras - has become less adventurous in what they perform because most concert goers don't go to the Symphony to hear the Symphony, they go to the Symphony to hear specific works being performed. There are some organizations trying to change that, but it's really tough. I'll end here as I can go on for days!
@@RedFuryBooks thanks for the explanation Josh
The video I never knew I needed! This was both fun and educational, I am so ignorant when it comes to musical history ouch 🥲
Loved hearing all your reasonings for these match-ups, seems like you had a lot of fun ;)
It WAS fun, Esmay! Thanks for watching! :)