My opinion about many well-known classical composers?

Bach was the greatest for his sheer virtuosity in counterpoint and span of emotion.
Mozart is second. Great for his inventiveness, sensitivity, and subtlety are breathtaking. God’s angels touched his brow. He is easily the most endearing composer for his playfulness and unpretentiousness.
Beethoven is third. Great for his fearlessness and muscularity – full of conviction.
Brahms is fourth – He was Beethoven in different clothing – not quite as fearless.
Bizet was a great composer and much underrated, full of true originality. Had he lived another thirty years, he would have done astonishing things. Mozart probably poured out all he had in his thirty one years on earth. The same cannot be said of Bizet.
Berlioz was a great composer, somewhat underrated, but a poor orchestrator. His instrumentation almost never blends well. Wagner took himself too seriously. In some ways, he was the first minimalist, hence the leitmotif. Despite his audacious and bombastic nature, he was also truly sensitive. Vivaldi is a plainly enjoyable musician. Great in his own way. Basically a harmonist but extremely inventive. Verdi is perhaps the greatest opera composer. Perhaps. Poulencis a wonderfully inventive composer – there’s more there than meets the ear. He is easily greater than anyone writing these days and most composers writing in his day as well. Sibelius is much, much overrated, though I admire him for his violin concerto. Saint Saenz had no appreciation for the dark side of things, but he wrote wonderful music nonetheless. He was also a great genius at other endeavors. Tchaikovsky had plenty of experience with tragedy, but he took himself too seriously. One could make extensive cuts in most of his music and not miss anything. Prokofiev was a genius – play his music slowly and see. Stravinsky was an original, but not prolific enough. Bernstein was a great Broadway composer. I believe the greatest work in classical music is Mozart’s piano concerto #20 in d minor. How about performers? My favorite and the very best violinist of all time: Heifetz. Followed by Leonid Kogan followed by Ivry Gitlis followed by averyone else. Hilary Hahn? Unbelievably brilliant – currently the best violinist in the world – super human - a machine. Shaham? Fantastic violinist with a wonderful, extremely pleasing sound. Leila Josefowics is another genius - beyond gifted. My favorite pianist: Brendel. My favorite violist: it really doesn’t matter. My favorite cellist: Starker. My favorite orchestra: London. My favorite ensemble: English Concert. Most noble musicians?

Nicolo Paganini, Zino Francescatti, Isaac Stern, Leonid Kogan, Ivry Gitlis, Robert Shaw

Favorite Artists?

Burne-Jones, Caravaggio, Canaletto, Constable, Titian, Vermeer, Ingres, Renoir, Seurat, Waterhouse, Wright, Braque, Picasso, Hopper, Chagall