what is the difference between good and bad music

Rap is kinda like some sort of coded message that only a few can understand what all the lingo means. I guess they believe rap helps them to understand what the heck is going on in their world, helps that crowd to deal with current issues.
As does classical help me to deal with issues surrounding my life.
Over at gramophone I posted a topic last week: "how much of all classical music do you like?" I figured there are over 5000+ composers in the past 300 yrs, most of which do not have their scores in recorded mediums. Tulane has (had I should say, as I think flood waters from katrina flooded the basement of the library, where the music room is), the book was a encylopedia of sorts , composers past 300 yers.
I have 25 composers represented on my shelf, and have come pretty much an end of cd buying. I have found all the composers I think are interesting.
So thats only 25 composers out of a possible 100 majors, and another 200+ second tier, and then another 4K marginal composers. Thats like 1% of all classical represented on my shelf. I expect little additions, as I've completed my cd collection in classical just last month.
Some of the gramophone group didn't quite like my post.
Good to me means does the music/composer add any meaning to my life.
Not to say Brahms is bad music, just insignificant for me. Thus Brahms gets no shelf space.
How is this an insult to classical tradition?
Have I tarnished the Brahms image?
I got the feeling some european forum members wre a bit upset that an old european standard was under criticism.
As though I failed to pay proper respects to The Classical Tradition Shrines.

It's a little something called "soul."

The same was asked of Berlioz and Stravinsky.

Bartokfan, your preferences seem to match mine as far as mine go. That's not very far, so I am asking if you would care to name your 25 composers.

Tobias I 'll give a few of my top say, 10 favs. As the list after 10 represents not so much fav composers, as a few fav workd from the composer. IOW I only like a select few of Wagner's operas, Parsifal, Tristan And isolde, The Ring...and then even with those operas, only a very select few recordings. Can you see how this could lead to trouble among fervent classicphiles, and especially among Wagner fans. "you mean you don't like his opera, Flying Dutchman??? But WHY?" One should always have to explain.
Among all clasical composers of the past 300 yrs, i start at Vivaldi, though Corelli is of interest, there are few avaliable recordings, and the one to get is OOP. Should first mention, Folk music from the middleages , is pretty interesting at times. Thomas Tallis, but the recordings I like are OOP. I like a few from Bach, but not the dull Brandenburgs, way too conservative for me. , next is one mass from Haydn. Then I go to Mozart, most everything he wrote has interest ranging from some interest to profound. Then I go to Wagner;s 3 operas mention above. Wagner, the first modern composer. A few works from Grieg,, and a few operas from janacek, several of his works for chorus/orch.. Debussy a major fav, the next most important modern composer, after Wagner. Almost all of Ravel, a super favorite for me. Early Sibelius, pre 1905/sym #1 is OK. Syms 2-7 are of no interest to me.Moving onto Varese, most of second Viennese school, Schonberg, Berg, Webern. Richard Strauu has some excellent operas, select few, select few recordings. Karl Hartmann has some interesting syms. Shostakovich, most of his works. Almost all of Prokofiev. Almost all of Bartok. Some of Charles Ives works. Almost all of Vaughan Williams, select reccordings. Elliot carter, almost everything he wrote. I still have a fondness for some Rachmaninov. I see i missed Rodrigo's concerto's for guitar, select recording. I love Albeniz and also Granados solo piano.
Something from Chopin once in awhile, but not often.
Mussorgsky wrote a great first half in Boris, his Pictures at an Exhibition, with Ravel's orchestration ONLY, and only 1 or 2 recordings. The solo piano version is a bit weak.
Comming to the end of the 20th century, 2 very special composers for me are Allan Pettersson and Alfred Schnittke. btw Schnittke is equally important in music a sare his thoughts and ideas in the book, A Schnittke Reader, edited, interviewed by his close friend, Ivashkin.
I guess the foremention represent less than 1% of the major classical of the past 300 yrs. I'm not complaining. We all come from different backgrounds, and so our uniqueness will show through in our choices. As someone just wrote above, others too, its all about soul.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
btw please ck out a new Indie music group, a local group from Baton Rouge/LSU. Blessed Yes. Go to their web site and myspace site to hear their SMASH HIT (my choice of clurse) called Trace. This to me has soul. btw Blessed Yes did not win the MTV University contest. Which is another story.
After you hear Trace, post a note on my topic Blessed Yes. Be honest, if you don't like it, tell me so, if it needs work, tell me that also. I hear the few rought spots. But remember they are only 1 yr band.
Later.....