The most boring music you've heard

[eyeresist]

I think we are supposed to take one disc at a time instead of listening to them all simultanuously.   

Speed-listening. It sounds worse but ends much quicker. I should try it for Wagner.

[LVB_opus.125]

No, that would defeat the purpose.  If you were to use real music, workers might consciously listen to it.  The stuff is suposed to work subliminally--something akin to the subsonic heartbeat playback hucksters use to increase audience susceptibility to suggestion.  There's probably a website that explains Muzak^® if you're really interested. 

I do understand it, but I fight it like Tyranny! I don't work under the original "muzak," but rather one of their (muzak's) stations that plays a mix of popular music spanning from the 60's to present time. These are actual songs that play on the radio, rather than straight muzak. And it's pretty much impossible to NOT listen to them consciously. I know most of the words of the songs, and I can anticipate the chorus within the first few bars of the song. Knowing that I have to hear the same songs day in a day out, and bad ones at that, cause mild feelings of depression, or simply irritation. This music in no way makes workers more productive. If I could simply ignore the music, then it would be no problem. So I figure that if I have to LISTEN to the music, then the music might as well be good.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well, yes, admittedly the St. Matthew Passion lacks the festive brilliance of the B minor mass or the Magnificat, and it is more introspective, far longer, and somewhat less dramatic than the St. John. But only the instrumental works, Jez? Then you're missing a great deal of first-class Bach: the mass, the cantatas, passions, motets . . .

I know, I know. But we all develop in different ways. Perhaps the vocal Bach is a revelatory experience for my maturer years...

[Grazioso]

Yep--pop. And what I heard was neither lyrically nor musically intelligent, but about as vapid as it gets.

To call Rush a pop band would be like insisting Debussy is Baroque or Louis Armstrong is free jazz. Either you're not listening critically or don't know the difference.

[Sergeant Rock]

No, neither of the ones I've listened to seems to be HIP . . . .

My SMP isn't HIP either, and the soloists are artists I admire, even love (Mathis, Baker, Schreier, DF-D, Salminen). As I was listening, though, I thought just the opposite of Sfz's comment: that I might enjoy a HIP performance more (it would probably be over quicker anyway  )

To regain some of my lost credibility, I will say I like the St. John Passion, and love the Weinachtsoratorium and the B minor Mass. It's only the SMP I find intolerably stuffy and boring: like a 20 minute Lutheran sermon expanded to three and a half hours....*shudder*

Sarge

[DavidRoss]

I do understand it, but I fight it like Tyranny! I don't work under the original "muzak," but rather one of their (muzak's) stations that plays a mix of popular music spanning from the 60's to present time. These are actual songs that play on the radio, rather than straight muzak. And it's pretty much impossible to NOT listen to them consciously. I know most of the words of the songs, and I can anticipate the chorus within the first few bars of the song. Knowing that I have to hear the same songs day in a day out, and bad ones at that, cause mild feelings of depression, or simply irritation. This music in no way makes workers more productive. If I could simply ignore the music, then it would be no problem. So I figure that if I have to LISTEN to the music, then the music might as well be good.

Ah, I see.  It's not Muzak^®, just piped in pop music that you don't like.  I wouldn't like that either and would probably protest...but without much hope of change. 

[DavidRoss]

To call Rush a pop band would be like insisting Debussy is Baroque or Louis Armstrong is free jazz. Either you're not listening critically or don't know the difference.

Ah.  You're using "pop" to refer only to the genre within pop music sometimes called "pop" or "pure pop," distinguishing it from other types of pop music, like disco, country, R&B, soul, hip hop, salsa, rock and roll, rock, etc.  I'm using "pop" in the broad sense.  Rush is a pop band, just like Debussy is a classical composer (but neither Classical nor Baroque).

I've had similar discussions before, even on this forum, usually with fans of "progressive rock" or one of the sub-sub-genres of metal ("I'll have some Speed/Death/Heavy/Black/Thrash Metal with a lemon twist on the rocks, please").  No good purpose is likely to be served by speculating about the reasons for that, so I won't. 

 

[DFO]

Boring? Anything by Haendel's. Can't stand it.

[DavidRoss]

Boring? Anything by Haendel's. Can't stand it.

Welcome, DFO!  Have you ever visited http://classicalmusicmayhem.freeforums.org ? 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Welcome, DFO!  Have you ever visited http://classicalmusicmayhem.freeforums.org ? 

Don't listen to him, DFO... 

[karlhenning]

Thank you for the merry mirth, friends!

[DavidRoss]

Thank you for the merry mirth, friends!

We aim to please!  (Not everyone, of course.  Some we aim to cause sufficient irritation that they may repent the error of their ways.    Mirth provocation is intended only for those able to appreciate it.  I should probably do penance of some sort (listening to Handel, perhaps?) for steering an unsuspecting newbie toward the Corkster, but something told me DFO can handle himself just fine.  )

Cheers, bros!

[max]

I wonder if you put all the members here together if a concensus as to who is not boring is possible. The composer's name probably begins with B and it's not Brahms. He's already been inappropriately eradicated.

[Brian]

who is not boring...The composer's name probably begins with B and it's not Brahms.

Not Borodin?

[M forever]

I wonder if you put all the members here together if a concensus as to who is not boring is possible.

No, it's not. Most of the members here are boring themselves anyway.

[knight66]

Sarge, The St M....My SMP isn't HIP either, and the soloists are artists I admire, even love (Mathis, Baker, Schreier, DF-D, Salminen). As I was listening, though, I thought just the opposite of Sfz's comment: that I might enjoy a HIP performance more (it would probably be over quicker anyway   )

Oh.....you need a different fix on it. The opening chorus lasts about 14 minutes on that version and in every way, despite the soloists, it is dead in the water.

McCreesh would give you a jolt, one to a part, beautifully sung and played, plenty of drama and on two discs. So, a lot shorter than that second Richter performance that you have. Of course, you don't then get Baker in Oh Golgotha..but you can't have it all anyway.

Mike

[(poco) Sforzando]

No, it's not. Most of the members here are boring themselves anyway.

Of course, that sentence can be read in two ways, as I frequently bore myself silly reading some of the threads here. But I suspect the intended meaning was closer to "Most of the members themselves are boring anyway."

[Brian]

No, it's not. Most of the members here are boring themselves anyway.

Well, we're glad you hang out with us anyways. And we are thankful for the services you perform on this board:

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well, we're glad you hang out with us anyways. And we are thankful for the services you perform on this board

Yes - he isn't called M(asochism) forever for nothing.

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge, The St M....My SMP isn't HIP either, and the soloists are artists I admire, even love (Mathis, Baker, Schreier, DF-D, Salminen). As I was listening, though, I thought just the opposite of Sfz's comment: that I might enjoy a HIP performance more (it would probably be over quicker anyway   )

Oh.....you need a different fix on it. The opening chorus lasts about 14 minutes on that version and in every way, despite the soloists, it is dead in the water.

McCreesh would give you a jolt, one to a part, beautifully sung and played, plenty of drama and on two discs. So, a lot shorter than that second Richter performance that you have. Of course, you don't then get Baker in Oh Golgotha..but you can't have it all anyway.

Mike

Thanks for the recommendation, Mike. I'll give it a try.

Sarge