One Hit Wonders

[Josquin des Prez]

As noted above by Val, Pachelbel is only a one-hit wonder if you're not paying attention to 17th century music.

Except that Pachelbel organ music sucks. Shallow exercises in virtuosism and little more.

[Gurn Blanston]

To even momentarily consider Handel a "one hit" composer is so utterly misguided as to warrant no comment .........

Glad you didn't let it stop you though.

It seems like we lack definition of a "hit". I propose that it is a piece that is known even outside of our little community to the public at large. Thus there are lots of qualifiers.

[Mozart]

Vanilla Ice.

[Nunc Dimittis]

Cyril Scott:  Lotus Land. 

This was even a hit outside of the classical music world at least in the US.  During the late fifties this piece was recorded frequently by many in the "exotica" genre such as Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Gene Rains and Arthur Lyman.

[Symphonien]

Another one could be Modest Mussorgsky.

[techniquest]

Looking at it literally, I would vote for Gorecki. Yes, I know he has written many works (I especially like the 2nd symphony) but his only hit has been the 3rd symphony 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'.

[Symphonien]

Looking at it literally, I would vote for Gorecki. Yes, I know he has written many works (I especially like the 2nd symphony) but his only hit has been the 3rd symphony 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'.

Yes, Gorecki I would consider a perfect example. Or at least, he belongs to the category of "has written other good works, but these tend to be overshadowed by one that has become extremely popular" like Holst and the Planets.

[Nunc Dimittis]

Holst keeps getting mentioned as a one hit wonder with The Planets.  Does no one remember his setting of "In the Bleak Mid Winter"?  This Christmas hymn is consistently voted, year after year, as one of the most popular Christmas pieces in polls conducted by the BBC.  At my church (in Sacramento, CA) it is also a popular piece at Christmas services.  The non-classical music listening public likes it.  It's a hit.

[BachQ]

Another one could be Modest Mussorgsky.

Nope.  As will be explained on Tuesday on the Mussorgsky thread, he has at least a half-dozen hits.

By way of preview:

Boris Godunov
Night on Bare Mountain
Pictures at an Exhibition
Songs and Dances of Death

[jochanaan]

Holst keeps getting mentioned as a one hit wonder with The Planets.  Does no one remember his setting of "In the Bleak Mid Winter"?  This Christmas hymn is consistently voted, year after year, as one of the most popular Christmas pieces in polls conducted by the BBC.  At my church (in Sacramento, CA) it is also a popular piece at Christmas services.  The non-classical music listening public likes it.  It's a hit.

But how many people remember it's by Holst?

I would have to say that most "one-hit wonders" don't deserve that status.  That's certainly true of Taco Bell, uh, Pachelbel , Albinoni, Balakirev (I've played his D minor Symphony in orchestra), Dukas, Holst and others.  And as for Stravinsky, even by the most conservative estimates he's at least a 3-hit wonder.

On the other extreme, it's also grossly unfair to accuse Vivaldi of "writing the same concerto 500 times."

[Sergeant Rock]

It seems like we lack definition of a "hit". I propose that it is a piece that is known even outside of our little community to the public at large. Thus there are lots of qualifiers.

Yes...Beethoven for instance. The Fifth. Or Schubert, the Unfinished.

Sarge

[quintett op.57]

It seems like we lack definition of a "hit". I propose that it is a piece that is known even outside of our little community to the public at large. Thus there are lots of qualifiers.

Haydn has 0, hasn't he? 

[Haffner]

To even momentarily consider Handel a "one hit" composer is so utterly misguided as to warrant no comment .........

I thought that was pretty uniformed as well. However, i nearly committed the same obtusity when thinking of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Then again, I'd certainly put Vivaldi way out ahead of Handel according to "one-hit" wonderism.

Handel, in my opinion, approaches the level of J.S. Bach in terms of overall impact.

[quintett op.57]

I thought that was pretty uniformed as well. However, i nearly committed the same obtusity when thinking of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Then again, I'd certainly put Vivaldi way out ahead of Handel according to "one-hit" wonderism.

Handel, in my opinion, approaches the level of J.S. Bach in terms of overall impact.

Handel was probably the most admired composer for decades after his death, the most admired by Haydn and Beethoven, and one of Mozart's favourites.
His influence concerns operas (especially Mozart's), oratorios, orchestral music and even Beethoven's piano sonatas....

[Haffner]

Handel was probably the most admired composer for decades after his death, the most admired by Haydn and Beethoven, and one of Mozart's favourites.
His influence concerns operas (especially Mozart's), oratorios, orchestral music and even Beethoven's piano sonatas....

Astounding composer, and you put that really well Q.

[quintett op.57]

Astounding composer, and you put that really well Q.

some can do better.
Took me a while to understand Q was me   

[Josquin des Prez]

Then again, I'd certainly put Vivaldi way out ahead of Handel according to "one-hit" wonderism.

Why? Other then the Four Seasons and his Opus 3 (which admittedly is quite brilliant, too bad it never matched this effort again), what other 'hits' does Vivaldi have?

[loudav]

Yes, Gorecki I would consider a perfect example. Or at least, he belongs to the category of "has written other good works, but these tend to be overshadowed by one that has become extremely popular" like Holst and the Planets.

Okay, taking that definition, Pachelbel would certainly be a one-hit wonder, but so (as noted above) would many other composers. If, for example, Vivaldi is (consistent with that definition) put in the category, or Ravel for Bolero, then what really is the point of this discussion for people here who listen a bit more deeply into the catalog? Few of the true one-hit wonders in pop music wrote anything else worth listening to, even for cognoscenti.

Except that Pachelbel organ music sucks. Shallow exercises in virtuosism and little more.

That's just bent. His Ciacona in f is one of the most moving organ works I know. He may not be quite at Buxtehude's level, but he's certainly in the room.

[Haffner]

Why? Other then the Four Seasons and his Opus 3 (which admittedly is quite brilliant, too bad it never matched this effort again), what other 'hits' does Vivaldi have?

What I meant was, Vivaldi was more of a "one-hit wonder" than Handel, although he certainly had more than "one" hit.

[Que]

Why? Other then the Four Seasons and his Opus 3 (which admittedly is quite brilliant, too bad it never matched this effort again), what other 'hits' does Vivaldi have?

Not just the "Four Seasons" but the whole cycle "Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione", the Stabat Mater, some of the motets (ever heard of "Nulla in mundo pax sincera"?), the famous "Gloria" (RV 589), the oratorio "Juditha Triumphans". And the mandolin concertos are maybe more entertaining than brilliant, but the are most certainly a very popular "hit".

And there is much more that is not known but deserves to be "a hit"...

I rest my case.

Q