Which works are a joy no matter who interprets them?

[Mark]

I'm not sure how many of you will agree with me on this, but I find there are some pieces - large and small - that seem immune to ruination no matter who interprets them. I'm thinking of works like Ravel's String Quartet in F (I've heard and loved five different recordings), and Beethoven's Fourth Symphony (12 recordings heard, not a dud among them).

Can you think of any others, supposing you agree with me at all? And if you do agree, what is it that makes some works less prone to sounding so very different, despite being played by so many different performers?

[carlos]

To me,no work can by a joy when it's badly played. A lousy interpretation ruin any piece. For example, Prokofieff's piano Tocatta
is a marvelous piece, but played by Martha, at 30 notes per second.
loose any sense and it's pure s... IMHO.

[BachQ]

I can usually find some kernel of delight in every interpretation of Cage 4'33 which I've encountered .......

[DavidW]

I agree with Carlos.  Could you think of any work that you would enjoy if played by say a three year old on trash can lids with a hammer?

[Mark]

I agree with Carlos.  Could you think of any work that you would enjoy if played by say a three year old on trash can lids with a hammer?

Macmillan's 'Veni, Veni Immanuel'?

[Bogey]

Sorry to get off track a bit lot, but is that a young Richard Nixon in your avatar Carlos?



He actually played one as a kid:

[George]

Have any of the - ahem - "tapes" of those early performances sufaced? 

[Bogey]

Have any of the - ahem - "tapes" of those early performances sufaced? 

Now that was clever....well done.

As far as we know only the composer John Adams has access to these. 

[Keemun]

Sorry to get off track a bit lot, but is that a young Richard Nixon in your avatar Carlos?

Quite a striking resemblance.    (I think it's Leonid Kogan.)

[carlos]

OK, OK, you force me to change it. There's great Toscha,
one of the most vibrating and powerfull sounds on any
violinist past or present.

[hautbois]

I'm not sure how many of you will agree with me on this, but I find there are some pieces - large and small - that seem immune to ruination no matter who interprets them. I'm thinking of works like Ravel's String Quartet in F (I've heard and loved five different recordings), and Beethoven's Fourth Symphony (12 recordings heard, not a dud among them).

Beethoven 4th yes! And anything by Mendelssohn that i have already heard of seems to be much pleasing when done at the right tempo, which is mostly apparent. (Fast and furious!)

Howard

[karlhenning]

I'm very nearly inclined to say the Shostakovich Fifth;  I've only heard one genuine turkey.  Apart from that one outlier, the piece well sustains a variety of approach.

[hornteacher]

I agree with Carlos.  Could you think of any work that you would enjoy if played by say a three year old on trash can lids with a hammer?

Or in my case, a middle school band.