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

[vandermolen]

I mistakenly thought this was your list of the pieces you, vandermolen,  find "most moving" (the other poll) and couldn't believe my eyes! 

Haha - I'd have had to have undergone a complete personality change (which my wife and daughter might think is a good idea!) 

[mc ukrneal]

You went to school with some real weirdos.      

TD

Orchestral music in general - symphonies - concertos.  From reading GMG for several years I have been made aware of how out of step my listening is compared to most members.  I could be wrong, but the majority of GMG-ers seem to listen to orchestral music most of the time.

So pick your favorite symphony or concerto - and I won't like it.

It's so interesting to read this. I have the opposite impression, that chamber is much preferred!

[kyjo]

New (ish) list:

Prokofiev: Classical Symphony
Rodrigo: Guitar Concerto
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
Verdi's operas
Rossini operas
New Year's Day Concert from Vienna
VW: Serenade to Music
Handel: The Messiah
Schuman's symphonies
Mahler: The Song of the Earth

I know you'll all agree 

Surely you mean Schumann, not Schuman!

[Florestan]

I don't like to hail any composer as this thing or that other either. They all have given their inputs to create this universe called music, if it had been little or much. In my particular case, I'm the guy who fixes more about the inherent sense of beauty from something and judging the beauty on music from many views, emotions and contexts, to and for the mere fact of enjoyment (as for this I look more pragmatical), rather than thinking this work annoys me because his creator is considered a Zeus or an Odin of music  Of course the historical, academic, geographical, even scientific side of it allures me, but it's not the most relevant factor for me. In my opinion, Wagner is clearly one of the true geniuses of Western music, and so far, I haven't felt remorse because of his ideas about mankind, Nazism links, etc. Or if I hate Rossini for its banal methods of apparent simplicity or because he supported such tyrant (in the case it were true, I'm speculating of course). What I love is music as it is, its creativity, its evolution, if it makes smile or cry or admire or long many aspects in your life, the astonishment it creates on people, its impact, the emotions one feels and the spiritual rest if offers you, catharsis, etc. Don't the philosophical-existencialist-emotional super hero  or respect for inspirating yourself or determined fixations.

I much respect your opinion. And you look to be right about the sophistication, greatness and intimacy of the chamber works and piano solo above the symphonic output. About that part I would agree with you.

Well, I think I was too harsh on, and rather unfair to, poor Beethoven. Had he not gone deaf, his music would probably have been quite different. And after all he was my first favorite composer so criticizing him is a bit like reneging my early youth, which I'm not going to do. Heck, I can't even think of a top 10 favorites without him.

Plus, he can't be held accountable for his posterity and I'm not sure he would approve of his status being elevated to that of a musical demigod and his music being the object of a quasi-religious cult.

Yes, I've decidedly been unfair to him. But I still like his chamber and solo piano music much more than his symphonies.

[Ken B]

Well, I think I was too harsh on, and rather unfair to, poor Beethoven. Had he not gone deaf, his music would probably have been quite different. And after all he was my first favorite composer so criticizing him is a bit like reneging my early youth, which I'm not going to do. Heck, I can't even think of a top 10 favorites without him.

Plus, he can't be held accountable for his posterity and I'm not sure he would approve of his status being elevated to that of a musical demigod and his music being the object of a quasi-religious cult.

Yes, I've decidedly been unfair to him. But I still like his chamber and solo piano music much more than his symphonies.

Same is true of Mozart, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, Dvorak, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and even Haydn!

[Jo498]

Both Bach and Wagner are clearly ahead of Beethoven as far as "quasi-religious" cults go and Mozart is probably at least on Beethoven's level, in some cercles also Bruckner. This really a stupid reason for liking or disliking a composer's music.

[vandermolen]

Surely you mean Schumann, not Schuman!

Yes I do. I love the Schuman symphonies (3 and 6 in particular). I'll correct it now. 

[Ken B]

It's so interesting to read this. I have the opposite impression, that chamber is much preferred!

My impression matches San Antone's. And not just orchestral, big orchestral. This place is a real hot bed of fans of gigantic and sometimes bombastic orchestral pieces. The most notorious examples would be the Shostakovich symphonies or some of Strauss's waddling behemoths. (Note how I diplomatically avoid mentioning Havergal Brian.) 

And of course Gustav Mahler or Bruckner wrote big long things too (although much better ones).

[Daverz]

New (ish) list:

Prokofiev: Classical Symphony
Rodrigo: Guitar Concerto
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
Verdi's operas
Rossini operas
New Year's Day Concert from Vienna
VW: Serenade to Music
Handel: The Messiah
Schumann's symphonies
Mahler: The Song of the Earth

I know you'll all agree 

Good listening list... oh,wait...

Admittedly, I've long avoided Messiah for as "christmas shit", certainly a shortsighted prejudice. 

[Jo498]

If anything it Messiah is "Lent sh*t" and I still find it almost indestructability great. But I don't live in a country where it has been commodified in the way it might have been for Xmas season in the US or Britain.

[vandermolen]

I don't think that the Messiah is 'sh*t' just that it doesn't appeal to me. My brother likes it very much and I enjoy other work by Handel.

[Brahmsian]

Another one I forgot to mention.

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos

[Ken B]

Another one I forgot to mention.

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos

Where is Sarge's bazooka when you need it? 

[Jo498]

I am not fond of the first one (especially not the boring dances that follow the first three movements) but I quite like the rest of the Brandenburgs, especially #5 which may be my favorite Bach concerto together with the E major violin concerto. But as with many other pieces, I have listened to this music so often in 30 years, that I rarely put them on nowadays.
I could easily do without the ouverture suites, although the two famous ones (2+3) are nice. And while they are probably not liked by "everyone else", the concerti for 3 and 4 harpsichords are pretty ugly, partly because of the massed harpsi sound. I clearly prefer the Vivaldi original in the case of the 4 soloists concerto and also the violin/oboe reconstruction of one of the 2 harpsichord concerti.

[Christo]

Surely you mean Schumann, not Schuman!

Who's Schumann? 

[Florestan]

Who's Schumann? 

Wow, a Saxon you've never heard of. Cool. 

[Brahmsian]

Where is Sarge's bazooka when you need it? 

I think the dislike stems from the fact that I hate the recorder as an instrument. 

[Jo498]

I think the dislike stems from the fact that I hate the recorder as an instrument. 

Four of them are recorder-free! And there are probably older recordings that have modern traverse flutes in 2 and 4.

[Brahmsian]

Four of them are recorder-free! And there are probably older recordings that have modern traverse flutes in 2 and 4.

It just goes to show you how much I really know these pieces, huh?    My association is Brandenburg = Recorder.  I should revisit the recorder free Brandenburgs.

[Florestan]

It just goes to show you how much I really know these pieces, huh?    My association is Brandenburg = Recorder.  I should revisit the recorder free Brandenburgs.

As Jo said, there's always the option of hearing them with a flute instead. It would be a pity to miss such fine music as Badinerie because of an effing piece of wood.