Unpopular Opinions

[Concord]

Duke Ellington is overrated.

[TheGSMoeller]

Duke Ellington is overrated.

Classical? Jazz? Or overall overrated?

[Concord]

Classical? Jazz? Or overall overrated?

He's long been a favoirite of jazz critics, but he's also become the darling of classical types who want to promote his work as great American music "beyond category."  But I find his work rather bland and uninteresting, no matter how you approach it. I agree with Rudi Blesh's assessment: "The laurels of Stravinsky and Hindemith are safe, and, as for jazz, the Duke never played it." 

[DavidRoss]

Duke Ellington is overrated.

That's how I felt at 18.

[TheGSMoeller]

He's long been a favoirite of jazz critics, but he's also become the darling of classical types who want to promote his work as great American music "beyond category."  But I find his work rather bland and uninteresting, no matter how you approach it. I agree with Rudi Blesh's assessment: "The laurels of Stravinsky and Hindemith are safe, and, as for jazz, the Duke never played it."

That's how I felt at 18.

Interesting, I will admit I don't know much of his outlet, but his name is all over the history books. Give me Satchmo any day, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, or even Cab Calloway. 

[Brian]

I hate, hate, hate Orff's "Carmina Burana."

[Drasko]

"Wagner's music is fungal. I think Wagner is a fungus. It's a sort of unnatural growth. It's parasitic in a sense – on its models, on its material. His material doesn't grow symphonically – it doesn't grow through a musical logic – it grows parasitically."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/28/composer-thomas-ades

[DavidRoss]

"Wagner's music is fungal. I think Wagner is a fungus. It's a sort of unnatural growth. It's parasitic in a sense – on its models, on its material. His material doesn't grow symphonically – it doesn't grow through a musical logic – it grows parasitically."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/28/composer-thomas-ades

Unpopular?

[Lisztianwagner]

"Wagner's music is fungal. I think Wagner is a fungus. It's a sort of unnatural growth. It's parasitic in a sense – on its models, on its material. His material doesn't grow symphonically – it doesn't grow through a musical logic – it grows parasitically."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/28/composer-thomas-ades

These words are not very new to me; Nietzsche said: "Wagner is not a syllogism, but a disease".

[Karl Henning]

Unpopular?

+ 1

[Carolus]

I hate, hate, hate Orff's "Carmina Burana."

So, you disagree with the Nazis. They love it.

[Mirror Image]

Interesting, I will admit I don't know much of his outlet, but his name is all over the history books. Give me Satchmo any day, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, or even Cab Calloway. 

If we're talking about big bands, then give me Stan Kenton's big band over them all. Beautiful harmonies and arrangements. The musicians Kenton chose were always top-notch. Some incredible players like Lee Konitz, Art Pepper, Shelly Manne, Shorty Rogers, Conte Candoli, Zoot Sims, Lucky Thompson, Stan Levey, etc. have been members of his big band.

[Corey]

I hate, hate, hate Orff's "Carmina Burana."

What's to dislike about children singing "I am aflame with love" in Medieval Latin?

[Superhorn]

    Tommy's ridiculous comments about Wagner show that he is suffering from A.D.E.S.  I don't know what that stands for, but it's a terrible pun on AIDS. 

[mahler10th]

Country Western Music.  Absolute pish most of it.  And over the years, the boundaries of the Country music  soundworld has been stretched out a little bit to encompass more pish which doesn't sound like Country - ala Classical Music with its dreadful 'crossover' genre.  County music is lonely Hillbilly singin'.  There is little about horses and mountains and wild things - 'country' music is all about something that is lost, usually a woman or a sense of place.  It's melodies are so simple, a six year old child could be the new Merle Haggard.  Even in Scotland we have nutcases who don ten gallon hats, holsters and lassoos for a big night out of Country Singin'.
With the help of a resurrected Bruno Walter, I would like to corral all them rednecks and their stetson hats in the mountains of North Dakota, fence them off Wintertime and leave them there - that might give them a sense of what they should be singing about.  There is nothing in Country Music that delights, unless you are of the mindset to get drunk and cry or jump in a vat of boiling porrige.   

[DavidRoss]

Yeah. Here's some of that crap country & western music (which originated with the folk music of the Scottish and Scots-Irish settlers in Appalachia):

http://www.youtube.com/v/HFeB7zTGesk

[mahler10th]

Yeah. Here's some of that crap country & western music (which originated with the folk music of the Scottish and Scots-Irish settlers in Appalachia):

http://www.youtube.com/v/HFeB7zTGesk

Darn 'em Scottish rednecks.  I might have known we were somehow responsible for it.  Typical.  Next thing you know Buicks, Penicillin, refrigerators, telephones, televisions,  and all manner of other popular things will be blamed on the Scots too.

***puts stetson on, fixes holster, adjusts kilt, leaves room***

[DavidRoss]

***puts stetson on, fixes holster, adjusts kilt, leaves room***

Perhaps that explains why there are no Scottish cowboys!

[Rinaldo]

Country Western Music.  Absolute pish most of it.  And over the years, the boundaries of the Country music  soundworld has been stretched out a little bit to encompass more pish which doesn't sound like Country - ala Classical Music with its dreadful 'crossover' genre.  County music is lonely Hillbilly singin'.  There is little about horses and mountains and wild things - 'country' music is all about something that is lost, usually a woman or a sense of place.  It's melodies are so simple, a six year old child could be the new Merle Haggard.  Even in Scotland we have nutcases who don ten gallon hats, holsters and lassoos for a big night out of Country Singin'.
With the help of a resurrected Bruno Walter, I would like to corral all them rednecks and their stetson hats in the mountains of North Dakota, fence them off Wintertime and leave them there - that might give them a sense of what they should be singing about.  There is nothing in Country Music that delights, unless you are of the mindset to get drunk and cry or jump in a vat of boiling porrige.   

Now I know how you folks must have felt when I called Berlioz a hack.

[Florestan]

There is little about horses and mountains and wild things - 'country' music is all about something that is lost, usually a woman or a sense of place. 

Why would that upset you? It only proves that the cowboys are sensitive souls.