Game: This or That

Nothing's offensive. It's my problem, not his. A few years ago (ah! many, now that I think of it), I used to have a radio alarm clock set to a classical station. For a few years, I used to wake up to Chopin, Shubert, Mozart--the gentle stuff. Then the station got a new morning DJ, whose philosophy, apparently, was that people needed to be jolted and annoyed FROM BED. Out went Chopin's gentle stardust, in came Dvorak's flying peasant skirts. I put up with it for about six months, and when it didn't stop, I switched to a beep beep beep alarm. On an intellectual level, Dvorak's fine, of course, but on an intimate level, I've never really forgiven him.

Edit: Yes, you're over my head, too, North. I'm impressed but mystified. :) Maybe some one else can choose.

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Originally Posted by Lykren

You got me. I think I listened to Shosta's 14th Symphony a long time ago, but I've never even heard of Schnittke or his Requiem. (I hope I didn't offend your national pride when I chose Brahms over Sibelius by the way ;) I'm listening to the Sibelius VC right now and it's better than I remember.)

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National pride doesn't enter the matter, but Sibelius is among my favourite composers, as is Brahms. I'm not sure which one's VC I'd pick, to be honest. The symphonies and tone poems are Sibelius's strongest works. And Luonnotar.
Never even heard of Schnittke? The Requiem is a nice place to start. Then there's the Faust Cantata, Choir Concerto, Piano Quintet, String Quartets, the symphonies, etc.

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We can wait until I have time to listen to Shostakovich's 14th Symphony and this Schnittke guy's Requiem, and then I can report back, or wait for someone else to answer, but I kind of don't think anyone else will be too familiar with them either (MorpheusSandman probably could answer if he was around these days) so you might want to change your question. Sorry!

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Berlioz or Chopin?

Chopin. Life can be beautiful.

Disposable razors or electric shavers?

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Originally Posted by Pompey Bum

Nothing's offensive. It's my problem, not his. A few years ago (ah! many, now that I think of it), I used to have a radio alarm clock set to a classical station. For a few years, I used to wake up to Chopin, Shubert, Mozart--the gentle stuff. Then the station got a new morning DJ, whose philosophy, apparently, was that people needed to be jolted and annoyed FROM BED. Out went Chopin's gentle stardust, in came Dvorak's flying peasant skirts. I put up with it for about six months, and when it didn't stop, I switched to a beep beep beep alarm. On an intellectual level, Dvorak's fine, of course, but on an intimate level, I've never really forgiven him.

Edit: Yes, you're over my head, too, North. I'm impressed but mystified. :) Maybe some one else can choose.

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I'm guessing Some Chopin or Schubert works could have worked at getting you out of bed, too. ;)
Another early morning favourite is surely Beethoven's Great Fugue.

No doubt, but the station didn't used to play them at 5:00 in the morning.

Disposable razors or electric shavers?

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Originally Posted by Pompey Bum

Chopin. Life can be beautiful.

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An excellent answer. Of course, Berlioz can be beautiful too. :)

Electric shaver

Chopin mazurkas or preludes?

Berlioz

Charlie Parker or John Coltrane?

Preludes (or Waltzes)

Augustine or Luther?

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Originally Posted by North Star

Another early morning favourite is surely Beethoven's Great Fugue.

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You tease, you!

I've never read either! But Trane over Bird for sure.

Oboe or clarinet? Careful now!

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Originally Posted by Lykren

You tease, you!

I've never read either! But Trane over Bird for sure.

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Ditto.

Clarinet.

Calvin or Hobbes? (you can interpret this either way...)

Wise choice :devil:

Hobbes, I'm a solipsist! edit: I see what you did there... going with the comic strip interpretation here...

Electronic music or punk rock?

Punk

And Hobbes over Calvin, but only just.

Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen?

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Originally Posted by Pompey Bum

And Hobbes over Calvin, but only just.

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Comic strip characters or theologians?

Haven't read since childhood, and those were watered-down versions of Grimm I bet, but, I like Andersen's whimsicality. I also have fond memories of the ornate illustrations. So him not Grimm.

Mary Barnard's Sappho, or Anne Carson's? Pompey, if you answer you're not allowed to say Sappho's Sappho! :D

Pentti Saarikoski's Sappho. ;)

Renoir or Monet?

I'm not fond of Impressionism, but Renoir

Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller?

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Originally Posted by Pike Bishop

I'm not fond of Impressionism, but Renoir

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Well, neither was Renoir ;)

Williams, but I must get more familiar with both, really.


Picasso or Van Gogh?

Gogh, Gogh, Gogh! Not a shred of uncertainty for me. I'm hopelessly emotional.

I also need to read more Williams and Miller. American drama's something I've not delved into.

Okay, painters, hmm. Turner or Constable?

Agreed on Gogh.

Hah! I very nearly posted that pair :)
As much as I love Constable's nature studies, Turner wins easily with his masterful use of oils and watercolours.

Vermeer or Rubens?

Vermeer

Pollock or DeKooning?

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Originally Posted by North Star

Agreed on Gogh.

Hah! I very nearly posted that pair :)
As much as I love Constable's nature studies, Turner wins easily with his masterful use of oils and watercolours.

Vermeer or Rubens?

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Oh yes they're usually a pair. Turner? Agreed.

For me Vermeer. Rubens to me is too blunt or too obvious or something. Vermeer of course could be too subtle for some people's taste. I know stluke is a huge Rubens fan, he loves to talk about Rubens' women. Fleshy nudes are fun, I suppose. But GWPE is more seductive in my eyes, Girl With a Red Hat more deliciously tangy, Woman With a Pearl Necklace a symbol (as I see it) of worship to the mystery of materiality more profound than Helene Fourment.

Rembrandt or Da Vinci?

EDIT: late again. DeKooning I think. Other than Rothko not really into Abstract Expressionism, though.

So, Rembrandt or Da Vinci?

Rembrandt by default.

Hume or Kant?

Rembrandt over Leonardo for me too

Hume.

Einstein or Newton?

Hume all the way.

Einstein...although Newton made a larger break from his predecessors.

Wallace Stevens or William Carlos Williams?

Wallace Stevens, by a big margin; he's an all-time favorite. Williams is quite good though.

Johnny Cash's late work or early work?

E: Late Cash

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Originally Posted by Pike Bishop

Einstein...although Newton made a larger break from his predecessors.

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That might be debatable - all of natural science - and society - was totally altered by both men's work.

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Wallace Stevens or William Carlos Williams?

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Stevens

Mahon or Muldoon?

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Originally Posted by North Star

E: Late Cash


That might be debatable - all of natural science - and society - was totally altered by both men's work.

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Of course it's debatable; there's no fully quantifying or qualifying scientific influence...and I never said science wasn't also altered by Einstein's work. However, Einstein was far more dependent on Newton's calculus--and even his flawed optics--than Newton was on the insufficient mathematics of his predecessors.

Muldoon. I've never read either, but I've heard much more about him...and a good call on Stevens.

Marlon Brando or James Dean?

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Originally Posted by Pike Bishop

Of course it's debatable; there's no fully quantifying or qualifying scientific influence...and I never said science wasn't also altered by Einstein's work. However, Einstein was far more dependent on Newton's calculus--and even his flawed optics--than Newton was on the insufficient mathematics of his predecessors.

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Fair enough.

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Marlon Brando or James Dean?

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Brando.

Dickinson or Melville?

Melville

Joseph Conrad or Ford Madox Ford.

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Originally Posted by Pompey Bum

Melville

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Pshawwwww. Well, okay. Melville's appeal is mostly a mystery to me; care to elucidate your feelings for us benighted?

Ford. Neither are particular favorites, but The Good Soldier is just wicked. Conrad kinda clunks along, stylistically, in my opinion.

Diego Rivera or Paul Gauguin?

Whaling's a Massachusetts thing. :)

Gauguin by kazillions.

Sheridan le Fanu or Bram Stoker?

I like Stoker, but Le Fanu wins this one easily.

Ghosts or zombies?

Ghosts are scarier but zombies are more fun. Ghosts seem evil, probably because they seem smarter. Zombies are just dumb and messy. So zombies.

Slow lumbering zombies or fast turbo-zombies?

oh my, if I have to personally be in the zombie mine field, I want to go with the slow lumbering kind. i am not interested in fair competition there! but if I am just watching them on tv, id be okay with their turbo cousins.

the northeast in the dead of winter or the southeast in the height of summer?

Northeast. I do cold much better than heat.

Rage or sorrow?

I get sad all the time and rarely angry. Maybe a change would be nice!

Improvising or planning, with regard to art you make?

re: "Whaling's a Massachusetts thing."... and Emily isn't?

Improv... after planning (it's like magic sometimes)

Inspiration or perspiration ?

You got to have both to succeed in any art form. Subconscious improvising has to inform the rational planning of craft, and vice versa. My art is literary criticism, so I lean towards the planning. However my perception and appreciation of the art I critique and theorize about needs to be guided by the pleasure--"jouissance"--of the text and the free flow of my thoughts.

Surfing of snowboarding?

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Originally Posted by tailor STATELY

Inspiration or perspiration ?

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Both, can't do without either.

Surfing or snowboarding?

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Originally Posted by tailor STATELY

re: "Whaling's a Massachusetts thing."... and Emily isn't?

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Fair enough. :)

I'm Ishmael, who are you?
Are you with the Pequod's crew?
And do you come without a doubt
To freely stick the fish that spout?
How dreary to be Ahab,
The silly sulking sod!
To sail the seas of destinies
And kill his father's God.

Old whale bone used for art (scrimshaw) or total ban?

Way to go for obscurity dude :)

Pro-scrimshaw!


The internet, where you can textually interact with people like you, or real life, where you can physically interact with people not so like you?