5 Worst Composers Ever!!

[listener]

The former member SAUL whom some may recall from a couple of years ago.

[PaulR]

The former member SAUL whom some may recall from a couple of years ago.

impossible.  Everyone on his youtube channel says he's great.

[TheGSMoeller]

That composer with that mustache, you know the one. Can't stand his music, or his mustache.

[Lethevich]

That composer with that mustache, you know the one. Can't stand his music, or his mustache.

Yes, Nietzsche *was* a terrible composer

[snyprrr]

Yes, Nietzsche *was* a terrible composer

There's a good 'bad' one!

[Lake Swan]

Most plumbers make terrible composers.

[Christo]

Wow, it's a bloodbath here! Yikes! Every man for themselves!!

Karl Jenkins!! (and they tore him apart)

Just applause for this nominee to be heard from this side. 

[froghawk]

In terms of the greats, I really don't care for Mozart, Wagner, or any composer named Strauss, but I consider these personal failings rather than failings on the part of the composers.  Sure, I could argue that Wagner was a jerk who gave Hitler most of his ideology, but what does that say about his music?

There are plenty of less respected composers I can't stand.  In the film department, James Horner comes to mind - I absolutely despise his work, and unfortunately it appears in some decent films so it's hard to just not listen to.

[jlaurson]

In terms of the greats, I really don't care for Mozart, Wagner, or any composer named Strauss, but I consider these personal failings rather than failings on the part of the composers.  Sure, I could argue that Wagner was a jerk who gave Hitler most of his ideology, but what does that say about his music?

Indeed. Nothing. It would also be an incredibly silly thing to say, since only the (subjective) "jerk" part would arguably be correct, and the rest a load of... well, silliness.

If you want to talk proto-Nazis... a little J.G. Fichte or Bruno Bauer and most of all Houston Stewart Chamberlain* go a long way. Wagner -- unlike his Hitler-bunking daughter-in-law -- had nothing to do with Hitler and his ideology... except of course for the lengthy treatise in Mein Kampf on subversive Jewish influences in the depiction of Sélika's island from act 4 of L'Africaine. That's said to be pretty much taken out of Wagner's playbook.

*Admittedly Wagner's son-in-law, but you can't blame R.W. for attracting right-wing weirdos.

[Mirror Image]

In terms of the greats, I really don't care for Mozart, Wagner, or any composer named Strauss, but I consider these personal failings rather than failings on the part of the composers.  Sure, I could argue that Wagner was a jerk who gave Hitler most of his ideology, but what does that say about his music?

There are plenty of less respected composers I can't stand.  In the film department, James Horner comes to mind - I absolutely despise his work, and unfortunately it appears in some decent films so it's hard to just not listen to.

You had me at Mozart, Wagner, and any composer named Strauss, but then you had to talk about film music. Don't get me started on this!

[Sammy]

Currently, there are only two composers that are on my bottom list (least appreciated - I don't go for that "worst ever" nonsense.)

Vivaldi - his stuff bounces off me immediately.

Howard Hanson - An irritating musical personality.

[froghawk]

Indeed. Nothing. It would also be an incredibly silly thing to say, since only the (subjective) "jerk" part would arguably be correct, and the rest a load of... well, silliness.

If you want to talk proto-Nazis... a little J.G. Fichte or Bruno Bauer and most of all Houston Stewart Chamberlain* go a long way. Wagner -- unlike his Hitler-bunking daughter-in-law -- had nothing to do with Hitler and his ideology... except of course for the lengthy treatise in Mein Kampf on subversive Jewish influences in the depiction of Sélika's island from act 4 of L'Africaine. That's said to be pretty much taken out of Wagner's playbook.

*Admittedly Wagner's son-in-law, but you can't blame R.W. for attracting right-wing weirdos.

What?  Wagner was a notorious anti-semite despite the fact that most of their benefactors were Jewish and he would sleep with their wives.  I've even held Hitler's personal collection of Wagner records.

[Cato]

Yes, Nietzsche *was* a terrible composer

I have commented some years ago that Nietsche, as a composer, was an interesting philosopher.

A candidate worthy of the topic:


Richard Proulx, who apparently received a music degree from Larry's School of Fine Composition, is the name at the top of a card with "music" for the Mass which Catholics in my diocese are supposed to try to sing. 

Boring, boring, boring: I have seen more interesting harmonization exercises, and to make it worse, he manages to misplace accents, to place long syllables on the wrong beat, to put the word "God" on an 8th-note as part of a series of 8th notes going down the scale, etc. etc.  It is so awful that the congregation has unconsciously altered the notes to make them more sensible, e.g. changing the notes for a long accented syllable from an 8th to a quarter or longer, which forces our organist to make some adjustment.  She tried to follow the music and force the issue, but the result was a mess.

Our diocese is notorious for such feeble-minded and incompetent decisions.   

[dyn]

What?  Wagner was a notorious anti-semite despite the fact that most of their benefactors were Jewish and he would sleep with their wives.  I've even held Hitler's personal collection of Wagner records.

wagner's anti-semitism doesn't mean much, (a) it was quite common in europe at the time and (b) it was kind of a calculated ideology on his part to discredit Meyerbeer and Mendelssohn, two composers of the same generation who found great success while Wagner was still mediocre and unknown, of which he was (at the time) quite envious ;P

actually wagner's political beliefs such as they are were pretty internationalist/left-anarchist, with a lot of inspiration from Bakunin, Proudhon etc. a lot of "universal brotherhood of mankind" sort of stuff. if i'm not mistaken there's a whole book about wagner's politics floating around somewhere, don't remember details. sure he became a lot more of a nationalist after the emperor started to support his work, but before that he got kicked out of plenty of places for being a subversive. or maybe that was the wife-stealing, you never know with Tricky Dick >.>

[kishnevi]

Leonard Bernstein supposedly said "I hate Wagner on bended knee."

And from "Edmund Crispin" (Bruce Montgomery)'s detective novel Swan Song (featuring Gervase Fen),  comes this observation from one of the characters (the setting is a production of Meistersinger at Oxford not long after WWII)

though as the whole cycle of operas is devoted to showing that even the gods can't break an agreement without bringing the whole universe crashing about their ears,  I've never been able to see what possible encouragement Hitler got out of it....

[Mirror Image]

I despise most of these new Contemporary composers who think what they're doing is so hip and cool. Sorry guys/girls I would rather listen to my obnoxious nephew spout off about Spongebob than listen to that freaking rubbish.

[kishnevi]

I despise most of these new Contemporary composers who think what they're doing is so hip and cool. Sorry guys/girls I would rather listen to my obnoxious nephew spout off about Spongebob than listen to that freaking rubbish.

I'm not a huge fan of any contemporary composer, but truth to tell I prefer most of the current crop to almost anything of what was then considered "modern" or "avant garde"  in the 1960s/70s.   Much of that was to my ears pure rubbish.

[Mirror Image]

I'm not a huge fan of any contemporary composer, but truth to tell I prefer most of the current crop to almost anything of what was then considered "modern" or "avant garde"  in the 1960s/70s.   Much of that was to my ears pure rubbish.

Yeah, what a horrible time for classical music. I mean sure you had composers pushing the envelope and experimenting with electronic instruments, but where's the heartfelt lyricism and beauty in this junk?

[The new erato]

wagner's anti-semitism doesn't mean much, (a) it was quite common in europe at the time and (b) it was kind of a calculated ideology on his part to discredit Meyerbeer and Mendelssohn, two composers of the same generation who found great success while Wagner was still mediocre and unknown, of which he was (at the time) quite envious ;P

actually wagner's political beliefs such as they are were pretty internationalist/left-anarchist, with a lot of inspiration from Bakunin, Proudhon etc. a lot of "universal brotherhood of mankind" sort of stuff. if i'm not mistaken there's a whole book about wagner's politics floating around somewhere, don't remember details. sure he became a lot more of a nationalist after the emperor started to support his work, but before that he got kicked out of plenty of places for being a subversive. or maybe that was the wife-stealing, you never know with Tricky Dick >.>

Yes, he supported whatever was in his own best interest and made the modern Tricky Dick a beacon of moral standards in comparison.

[Florestan]

I could argue that Wagner was a jerk who gave Hitler most of his ideology

You'd be wrong. The true forerunner of Hitler, extermination of the Jews included, is none other than Martin Luther. Check if in doubt.