Great composers whom you like a few works of, but who usually bore you.

[Sergeant Rock]

It seems that my journey was in the opposite direction.  I started with the Bernstein/CSO recording, have heard a number of others, and whatever enthusiasm I had diminished considerably with familiarity.

...but I like the bold, unabashed scoring and even more Bernstein's over the top performance. In fact the reading is over-top-personified. The great closing moments do not come across with such ferocity in any other recording, not even close. It is as if Lenny and his great CSO went out and made a statement: Take that, Vienna, or Berlin, or Amsterdam ! This is what 8 horns, 6 trumpets and 6 trumpets sound like !

I bought that Bernstein/CSO Leningrad a couple of years ago because some said it might help convince me of the Symphony's greatness. Maybe it's time I finally unwrapped it and took a listen    Not tonight though...maybe tomorrow.

Sarge

[Abuelo Igor]

The "Leningrad" is mostly deadly dull and WAY too long. Shostakovich is rarely terse but this is among his worst and most overblown efforts.

The irony is that I mostly agree with that description when applied to a number of other Shostakovich symphonies (for example, the 11th, which for some reason doesn't attract the same scorn), but it really takes a particularly uninspired performance to make me lose interest in the Leningrad. For the record, I don't think the Star Wars prequels are as bad, either. 

[Jo498]

I don't necessarily disagree about the 11th (I probably do slightly but would have to re-listen). But it is no way as popular as the "Leningrad". tbh I think Shostakovich wrote quite a bit of overlong, overblown and not terribly interesting stuff. But there are also really good pieces!

(As for Star Wars. This is below my radar, I will very likely NEVER watch the prequels and never re-watch the original trilogy. I simply cannot be bothered with that stuff.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

The prequels have a more interesting story than the originals....will have to wait until the rest of the sequels come out but ep vii was a strong  start

[Abuelo Igor]

But there are also really good pieces!

Just after posting the original message in which I kind of said that I didn't like most of his stuff, I realised that I have kind of a soft spot for the Concerto for piano, strings and trumpet. The start of the final movement must be one of the musical passages that pop into my mind most frequently with no warning.

(As for Star Wars. This is below my radar, I will very likely NEVER watch the prequels and never re-watch the original trilogy. I simply cannot be bothered with that stuff.

I was just giving an example of an artistic creation that most everybody hates, or is socially/culturally conditioned to hate, but that some people just happen to enjoy regardless. Some people call that "guilty pleasures", but I don't like the all too frequent association between pleasure and guilt.

[Madiel]

First movement of the Leningrad is superb. But then, I only know one version - Petrenko, who has a reputation for holding Shostakovich's structures together.

[PerfectWagnerite]

The prequels have a more interesting story than the originals....will have to wait until the rest of the sequels come out but ep vii was a strong  start

The entire series is nerdy I think. I can't take any of them. Other franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek are way better done.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

The entire series is nerdy I think. I can't take any of them. Other franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek are way better done.

Pretty nerdy, yes, and I'm more of a Doctor Who fan anyway as Star Wars is in the end pretty meh 

[Mirror Image]

I like Shostakovich's Leningrad, but can only really listen to the Bernstein/CSO performance on DG as this is the only performance that's convinced me that it's at least on par with the better symphonies.

[Karl Henning]

I like Shostakovich's Leningrad, but can only really listen to the Bernstein/CSO performance on DG as this is the only performance that's convinced me that it's at least on par with the better symphonies.

The Caetani recording of the Op.60 is no good?

[Mirror Image]

The Caetani recording of the Op.60 is no good?

I haven't heard it quite some time, Karl. I'm sure it's good just not as devastating as Lenny's.

[Karl Henning]

And welcome back!

[Mirror Image]

And welcome back!

Thanks, Мистер Henning!

[Florestan]

The entire series is nerdy I think. I can't take any of them. Other franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek are way better done.

Star Trek is as nerdy as it gets.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Star Trek is as nerdy as it gets.

How dare you !!! I will set my phaser on KILL on you !

[Jo498]

FWIW I have never seen a Star Trek movie (although admittedly a few of the TV series many years ago) and I never watched the 3rd movie of LotR because I found the second one so bad, having liked the book for a decade before the movies were made. I am not singling out Star Wars as something life is too short for...

[Florestan]

How dare you !!! I will set my phaser on KILL on you !

It really is, though, it used to bore me no end with all those references to science and technology.

Oh, and the unidimensional, lifeless characters...

And that martial "to boldly go where no one has gone before!" was ridiculous, to put it mildy.

(I´m talking about the TV series)

[André]

Webern (although I like the Langsamer Satz as it is atypical Webern  )

Debussy. I like La Mer and, when in the right mood, Jeux, the 3 orchestral images and his Quartet. That's it.

Franck. I adore his symphony and like his violin sonata. But I can't sit through any of his organ or piano music. His other chamber music doesn't appeal much either.

A little Telemann goes a very long way for me.

[kishnevi]

FWIW I have never seen a Star Trek movie (although admittedly a few of the TV series many years ago) and I never watched the 3rd movie of LotR because I found the second one so bad, having liked the book for a decade before the movies were made. I am not singling out Star Wars as something life is too short for...

The second and third ST movies, Wrath of Khan and Search for Spock, are the best of the original movies, and are worth watching. OTOH,  the sixth, Undiscovered Country, is one of the worst films made by anyone. I have never seen any of the later films.

Your decision not to watch the third LotR film was a good one.

[kishnevi]

Oh, may as well post an ontopic comment.

Schonberg
I like most of his earlier works (Verklarte Nacht in particular) but not his later works.

Although bore is not quite the correct term.  I actively dislike Pierrot Lunaire and Erwartung: the entire musical style in those pieces hits me the wrong way.