Why all this hoopla about who is greater or which music is superior? No music greater than the other..If one likes a particular music or composer it is his greatest..not for everyone..Let people judge in their own interests and tastes and choose..Surely one may be anxious that many in the world are missing out some of the beautiful compositions of IR, but so be it..IR is my most favorite, but that does not give me qualifications to start comparing the great musicians..One would actually end up spoiling the name of IR or someother composer. One can compare the musical styles and skills but has to be careful not to imply that someone is superior to someone else...

Having said that, I think one can make great contribution to the forum like this if one expresses why he likes a particular form of music by lot of introsepction..What makes a particular form of music click to someone...the musical patterns..complexity of compositions..styles..romantic, inspirational, upbeat, devotional, spiritual, gloomy, despair etc.

I think one may have hard time justifying entirely that even Mozart is the greatest composer of WCM if you listen to all his predecessors like Hayden, Handel, Vivaldi, Rossini, Scarletti, Bach, Telemann etc. Mozart is considered the most prolific composer, but not the greatest..(I guess it depends on what is the meaning of "greatest"--most songs composed? yougest composer? most diverse compositions? longest living in history? However, Mozart is clearly prodigious, because of composing many at the youngest age and writing concertos, quartets and quintets, symphonies and operas pretty much with all kinds of insruments. So there is a distint sytle, melody and perkiness in Mozart that is clearly distinct from many composers. But many Baroque composers have created much more wonderful pieces of music.. Likewise, if you listen to Telemann, the 16th century composer, he is appropriately called the king of Baroque (as much as Bach may be thought of king of baroque, but this does much disservice to Bach and Vivaldi) beacuse of his extensive use of violin, oboe, horn and trumpets expressing the musical temperaments of classical era in mumerous concertos. Listening to Telemann's horn and trumpet concertos one could say he is the prolific composer using these instruments in that era. In US, classical stations are pleasantly rediscovering this composer (You are likely to listen to Telemann in seattle's classical radio station, King FM--also broadcast in internet--www.kingfm.org)in classical radio stations which are known to repeat the ubiquitous Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi etc.

BTW, if you listen to some of the Mozart symphonies, there is heavy influence of Hayden's symphonic style. People say Hayden is the King of Symphonies, because he composed well over 100 symphonies..and many other composers tended to imitate his style including Mozart. There may be some truth to this..listening to Hayden may make you feel indeed that he is the King os symphonies. This is probabably true, because he is said to have the most in numbers in terms of symphonies and have made a fortune licensing his music to be played all over Europe during his time. BTW, Mozart had reportedly called Hayden the King of Symphonies..and hence the adage continues to this day..

There are pieces of Dresden Concerti by Johann Heinichen that I think may blow even Mozart away in terms of muscical ingenuity and creativity..but just a few concertos..Many in WCM have not even heard of Heinichen..

Now, IR is perhaps the most prolific and most diverse composer, as much as MSV, that it is a blessing that has happened to TFM. Any prolific composer is bound to leave some crap, beacuse of experimentation and lack of time for a leisurely composition. There are numerous pieces of WCM that one would not even like to listen to, the second time.

I get as much fun listening to IR (selectively) as I listen to Telemann, Mozart, Bach etc. That does not mean that IR or others the greatest. I think the most humble thing one can state is that it is amazing that how IR can compose such beautifull songs (I am ignoring is crappy songs) with as much prolificity as some of the WCM composers and our own MSV. There is no need to agree or disagree with anyone else whether he is superior or inferior to anyone...Such things are excercises in futility and mars some productive discussions that people may want to share..

Let me not forget.. it is also a blessing that ARR has arrived..He is as much talented as MSV, IR..I do not think that there is any doubt.

Just my few cents..