Top10 compositions that you don't like but everyone else does

[vandermolen]

I can well understand your feelings about it - the line between cloying (as you say) and achingly beautiful can be thin and read differently contingent on temperament.  Rachmaninoff (need I say more?) was moved to tears by it.  I've fully forgiven you, but you should know that your British citizenship is being reviewed...

Yes, I can remember that about Rachmaninov. I will then have to take out Dutch citizenship as my mother's family originated from there. 

[amw]

I do not know the Berg well enough, but I do not dislike it; certainly no syrupy tunes and "shallow" fireworks as in some others. Overall 20 century violin concertos tend to be somewhat more interesting to me than romantic ones. My favorite is probably Shostakovich 1st, but I find e.g. Britten, Szymanovsky, Martinu and some others comparably underrated.

I think 20th century violin concertos are in general better than 19th century ones, and in fact the genre seems to have really taken off in the 20th century perhaps spurred by the 19th's failure to produce more than a handful of tolerable ones.

20th century favourites of mine would be Prokofiev No. 2, Bartók No. 2 (apart from the longwinded finale), Dutilleux, Ligeti & Holliger. Not much of a Britten fan, but Szymanowski, Stravinsky and Shostakovich No. 1 are rather interesting as well, though I wouldn't call them favourites.

(I kind of wish Medtner had written a violin concerto, that would be something to hear)

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Yes, I can remember that about Rachmaninov. I will then have to take out Dutch citizenship as my mother's family originated from there. 

"From the Windmill," of course!  I shoulda thought o' that!

[EigenUser]

I think 20th century violin concertos are in general better than 19th century ones, and in fact the genre seems to have really taken off in the 20th century perhaps spurred by the 19th's failure to produce more than a handful of tolerable ones.

20th century favourites of mine would be Prokofiev No. 2, Bartók No. 2 (apart from the longwinded finale), Dutilleux, Ligeti & Holliger. Not much of a Britten fan, but Szymanowski, Stravinsky and Shostakovich No. 1 are rather interesting as well, though I wouldn't call them favourites.

(I kind of wish Medtner had written a violin concerto, that would be something to hear)

I've always found the longwinded movement of the Bartok 2nd to be the 1st. I like that piece very much, but not as much as other Bartok. I like the Ligeti VC better than the Bartok, actually.

And I love the Stravinsky VC. Fun to play, too, and the 4th movement is the only real tricky one (which I've never attempted). The first movement reminds me a lot of Scherzo a la Russe, which is one of my favorite works of his, short and insignificant as it may be.

[North Star]

I've always found the longwinded movement of the Bartok 2nd to be the 1st. I like that piece very much, but not as much as other Bartok.

Blasphemy! 

[vandermolen]

"From the Windmill," of course!  I shoulda thought o' that!

Yes I think that's right or 'from the mill' as in 'Miller' in the UK - I prefer Van der Molen though as ( in England at least) it sounds more aristocratic 

[Bruckner is God]

 Beethoven's 9th. It seems everybody else love it, but I don't like it. God knows i have tried, but I'm just not into it.

[Ken B]

Beethoven's 9th. It seems everybody else love it, but I don't like it. God knows i have tried, but I'm just not into it.

That's one of my choices too. We here a club.

[Rinaldo]

Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.

Again and again I fail to hear what's so fantastique about it.

[Ken B]

Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.

Again and again I fail to hear what's so fantastique about it.

I had a similar reaction for years, until I heard  a period performance. Try Minkowski if you haven't. But Harold in Italy and R&J are still better.

[Rinaldo]

I had a similar reaction for years, until I heard  a period performance. Try Minkowski if you haven't.

I have not. Noted, thanks! I'm still not ready to give up.

[AdamFromWashington]

Beethoven's 3rd Symphony. I've only listened to it all the way through once or twice. I get bored. I don't have this reaction to any other of Beethoven's Symphonies (though I do struggle with the violin concerto...).

[aligreto]

Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.

Again and again I fail to hear what's so fantastique about it.

I wonder if you have heard this version....





These things are very subjective I know but I think that  this version is magnificent! It is really well played, the performance is very assertive and there is great tension throughout. It is a wonderfully theatrical version.

[Linus]

I never enjoyed Berlioz' "Scene d'amour" from his Roméo et Juliette.

I've noticed that several people on these boards love this piece and that Berlioz himself thought it his best. Personally, I find the piece underwhelming.

This is frustrating as I've become a huge fan of Berlioz otherwise. It's like when I tell fellow lovers of Monty Python that I don't like the "Dead Parrot sketch".

[Christo]

R Strauss 'Ein Heldenleben' (what a bore!  ) - I know you'll all agree.
Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music and The Wasps Overture (and he is one of my very favourite composers)
Most music by Mozart apart from the Clarinet Concerto, PC 21 and the Requiem.
Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra
Verdi's operas
Rossini's operas
Scenes and Arias by Nicholas Maw
Walton's 'Facade'
Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme (although I love his Pathetique Symphony)

Haha! Only some minor disagreement here, so the main shock is one of recognition.  Yet, I do love the two RVW pieces and also all of Rodrigo's guitar concertos (there are five of them, to annoy you). And to the Verdi en Rossini operas I've to add Puccini, though I do love the later Respighi operas (to be honest, I hardly play operas and if I do, mostly Janáček, Barber, Respighi and Vaughan Williams, composers who put the music first IMHO). I think I better reserve another reply for presenting my own longueurs. 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Beethoven Violin Concerto
Schumann Piano Concerto
Handel Messiah
Puccini Madama Butterfly
All Vaughan Williams
All Vivaldi
Most Rachmaninoff except the Symphonic Dances and Paganini Rhapsody
All Havergal Brian and Braga Santos

[(poco) Sforzando]

I never enjoyed Berlioz' "Scene d'amour" from his Roméo et Juliette.

I've noticed that several people on these boards love this piece and that Berlioz himself thought it his best. Personally, I find the piece underwhelming.

This is frustrating as I've become a huge fan of Berlioz otherwise. It's like when I tell fellow lovers of Monty Python that I don't like the "Dead Parrot sketch".

Wow. I think Berlioz was right.

[71 dB]

I don't like Beethoven at all. Just too portentous for me. Especially the symphonies. (not a fan of symphonies!)

How about Beethoven's late String Quartets?

[Christo]

All Havergal Brian and Braga Santos

Haha.  As they say, bien étonné de se trouver ensemble. Two totally different composers heaped together in three words. 

[vandermolen]

Nearly all Richard Strauss. Didn't Tchaikovsky say that he'd never seen such lack of talent and pretentiousness linked together. I know you'll all agree. 
Most Mozart but that's not to deny his genius. Prefer Haydn.
I rarely listen to Dvorak but like the Cello Concerto and Symphony 8
Not a fan of opera so can't stand things like Puccini etc.
Anything by Verdi.
Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music (uncharacteristically self-congratulatory) and the Wasps Overture. He remains probably my favourite composer.
Elgar: Serenade for Strings (ok to listen to if you are doing the washing up)
Wagner.