Unpopular Opinions

[Karl Henning]

My feeling that reducing the Dvořák symphonies to bracketology seems likely to be an unpopular opinion 

[TheGSMoeller]

My feeling that reducing the Dvořák symphonies to bracketology seems likely to be an unpopular opinion 

Bracketolgy of composers works is the new Lists of "Your Favorite".   Gotta keep these threads fresh.

[Karl Henning]

Bracketolgy of composers works is the new Lists of "Your Favorite".   Gotta keep these threads fresh.

Let us live into the now!  0:)

Of course, I am all for us having fun.

[DaveF]

finale tiers - 7, 6, 8 || 5, 4 || 3, 1, 2, 9

Splendid! The finale of the New World is a stinker, which can be entirely chopped up into 4-bar phrases (and then thrown in the recycling).  Its only value is that the finale of the Cello concerto kicks off in exactly the same vein, leading you to expect the same 4-bar tedium - but then you get a proper finale (Dvořák's greatest of all, maybe - that opinion can't be too unpopular).  Handsome amends are made, in other words.

[DaveF]

I think Mrs. Rock might be the only member here to advance that opinion 

Is she a member?  Are we allowed to guess which one?  She clearly holds some fairly unusual, even bizarre, opinions, so... that doesn't narrow it down much.

[Sergeant Rock]

Is she a member?  Are we allowed to guess which one?  She clearly holds some fairly unusual, even bizarre, opinions, so... that doesn't narrow it down much.

Yes, she's a member...though she's only posted five times in the last ten years. Her username is Mrs. Rock. Her essential, desert island briefcase choices:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,17151.msg447333.html#msg447333

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Dvorak first movements: 8, 7, 9, 6, 4, 5, 2, 3, 1
Dvorak slow movements: 9, 3, 7, 8, 6, 4, 5, 2, 1
Dvorak scherzos: 4, 8, 7, 9, 6, 2, 5, 1
Dvorak finales: 7, 8, 6, 3, 9, 2, 4, 5, 1
Overall split into tiers: 8, 7, || 9, 6, 3, || 4, 2, || 5, || 1

The major difference is: I like the First and Fourth way more than you do! 

Dvorak first movements: 7, 4, 8, 1, 9, 3, 5, 6, 2
Dvorak slow movements: 9, 4, 7, 3, 8, 5, 1, 6, 2
Dvorak scherzos: 8, 4, 7, 9, 6, 1, 5, 2
Dvorak finales: 7, 8, 9, 3, 1, 5, 2, 6, 4,

This was not easy to do. I really do love them all almost equally. No tiers for me. The First gives as much pleasure as the other eight. That should be unpopular enough for this thread.

Sarge

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Dvorak keyboards are cooler than Dvorak symphonies

(Although that's not actually my opinion. Perhaps it is an opinion that exists, just putting it out there)

[Ken B]

Dvorak keyboards are cooler than Dvorak symphonies

(Although that's not actually my opinion. Perhaps it is an opinion that exists, just putting it out there)

Ravel keyboards are cooler than Ravel orchestras, Bolero excepted. 

(The same is true of Debussy of course but it's not an unpopular opinion when it's about Debussy.)

[amw]

Now here is an unpopular opinion!!! I would like to hear more about this 

DaveF covered part of it. Plus, it takes even longer to end than No. 1 (or at least feels that way) which is saying something. And that "three blind mice" theme just irritates the h*ck out of me.

I was once at a concert where a guy in the audience got a heart attack in the middle of the movement. The paramedics who carted him out got a longer round of applause than the symphony.

[kishnevi]

Dvorak keyboards are cooler than Dvorak symphonies

(Although that's not actually my opinion. Perhaps it is an opinion that exists, just putting it out there)

His piano works do seem to be underated.

[Madiel]

Ravel keyboards are cooler than Ravel orchestras, Bolero excepted. 

(The same is true of Debussy of course but it's not an unpopular opinion when it's about Debussy.)

Ahem. Do you actually know what a Dvorak keyboard is?

Because I honestly can't tell if you're trying to make a lamer joke or just missing the point of the original one.

[Florestan]

Ravel keyboards are cooler than Ravel orchestras, Bolero excepted. 

I've quite recently heard live both the original two-piano version of Ma mère l'Oye and its orchestrated incarnation, and the latter is vastly better than the former. The chirping birds, the chinoiseries, the raucous voice of the beast, the apotheosis of the enchanted garden --- all these and many more other nuances and shades are much clearer, colorful, beautiful, effective and impressive when played by a whole orchestra. It's no wonder that Ravel eventually orchestrated it.

So yes, that's definitely impopular in my book. 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

[(poco) Sforzando]

I think we're safe not ranking the scherzo of no.3.

No wonder it's an unpopular opinion.

[DaveF]

Yes, she's a member...though she's only posted five times in the last ten years. Her username is Mrs. Rock. Her essential, desert island briefcase choices:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,17151.msg447333.html#msg447333

Sarge

Ah, thank you for the intro - she's clearly got better things to do than post on GMG (if there are any better things to do).  Lady of taste, though - Freischütz - mmm.

[Pat B]

Spend a week with it and you will never want to go back.

[Florestan]

There is no such thing as absolute music. All music is essentially expressive.

[(poco) Sforzando]

No wonder it's an unpopular opinion.

Unfortunately, much as I enjoy the Dvorak symphonies, when I once tried listening to them all in a row (this was on a long drive from NY to DC), after a while I couldn't really tell one from another.

[Monsieur Croche]

There is no such thing as absolute music. All music is essentially expressive.

I wonder in what terrible universe of not at all great education someone got the idea that non-programmatic music (absolute music) = "Not Expressive" Music. 

Because that IS Just Wrong On So Many Levels, lol.