I appreciate your perspective - it’s clear you have a deeper background in music theory than I do. I’m coming at this from a general listener’s standpoint, so my view is naturally different.

When I said “German symphonic approach,” I simply meant music where emotion is carried through structure like long pieces that unfold like a story. Some people love the architectural, intellectual side of music; others connect more to the immediate emotional expression. Both are completely valid.

And about Maria João Pires:
I wasn’t referring to opera at all. I only meant that her playing leans toward intimate, emotional storytelling rather than grand symphonic architecture.

From hence I marched through some history of music. This has at first hand nothing to do with emotional versus intellectual dimensions of the respective music.

It’s just the impression I got from your comments: you seem to lean toward structure and innovation as the core measure of “greatness” - mentioning dramatic arcs, formal development, and naming Bach, Handel, and Haydn as the primary giants of the 18th century. That’s a respectable musical lens.

I guess from a technical, historical viewpoint, your argument makes sense. From a listener’s and performer’s lens, Mozart and Chopin feel like giants, not “secondary” ones. I think both viewpoints can coexist.