Instruments associated with Composers?

[fergus]

Idle thoughts fill empty heads I know but I was just thinking about what instruments I particularly associate with certain composers. My answers to myself were....

Bach – Oboe. I am constantly aware of the instrument in his music; while it is never dominant is is always obvious to me.

Mahler – Harp. It never seems to be far away in his orchestration and I love the way that it can underline certain passages even with his huge orchestration and yet be very effective.

Brahms – Horn. This instrument is not always ever present but he did write some lovely music for it; perhaps being something of a mellow fellow he instinctively liked the sound of it himself?



Anybody else like to share their thoughts on such a profound subject?

[Rocker]

Chopin - Piano

[bombasticDarren]

Mahler – Harp. It never seems to be far away in his orchestration and I love the way that it can underline certain passages even with his huge orchestration and yet be very effective.

If I am honest the instrument that springs to mind with Mahler, for me, is the triangle :-S

For some reason I always associate the snare drum with Shostakovich too....

...I must be a frustrated percussionist ;-)

[Seán]

There are several instruments that I would associate with Mahler:
the trumpet;
the French horn;
and the C sharp clarinet

I would associate the piano with Martinů's symphonic works and a foghorn, sorry I mean alto saxophone with Rachmaninov's.

[fergus]

If I am honest the instrument that springs to mind with Mahler, for me, is the triangle :-S

I must listen more closely for that one!

[fergus]

Thanks for the interesting replies guys.

[Jared]

Janacek - Trumpet

is always one which springs to mind...

[Rocker]

Jimi Hendrix:

RH Fender Strat setup for leftie
RH Gibson Flying Vee setup for leftie

both into Marshall amp at 11.......

[Jose Echenique]

Boccherini- cello
Paganini- violin
Frescobaldi- cembalo

[Diapason]

I have to say, I don't know how to answer this apart from
Mozart - Clarinet

Well, I could also say things like
Bach - organ
Messiaen - organ
Widor - organ
Vierne - organ
Dupré - organ
Franck - organ
Buxtehude - organ

...but that might get old very quickly.