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

[North Star]

I think I might have the thread winner:

Beethoven, Symphony #5

I have been noticing in the past couple of years a nascent dislike of this piece. Very odd, and a bit disturbing, but true none the less.

Yes, Ken's achievement here must surely be unbeatable. 

[Karl Henning]

Yea, verily.

[Jo498]

I don't think Ken beats "most music by Mozart" although this may be cheating, because it is so unspecific...

[vandermolen]

I don't think Ken beats "most music by Mozart" although this may be cheating, because it is so unspecific...

[vandermolen]

I liked Façade the first time I heard it, but it doesn't wear at all well.  It's cute the first couple of times . . . .

And I love many of Walton's scores. I find Facade rather too 'precious'.

[Mirror Image]

And I love many of Walton's scores. I find Facade rather too 'precious'.

Yep, definitely not one of my favorite works of Walton's.

[Ken B]

And I love many of Walton's scores. I find Facade rather too 'precious'.

Me too. I love Walton. The concertos, both symphonies (especially 1), the Feast, the chamber music. Even the film music. A smallish output but very high quality. But Facade I have just never been able to get.

[vandermolen]

Me too. I love Walton. The concertos, both symphonies (especially 1), the Feast, the chamber music. Even the film music. A smallish output but very high quality. But Facade I have just never been able to get.

His Henry V film score is marvellous - very inspiriting.

[Dax]

My immediate thought was Berg's violin concerto (can't make head or tail of it), but then there are also a number of 19th century violin concertos which don't grab me either - Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bruch. The Mendelssohn however is fine, of course!

[Karl Henning]

His Henry V film score is marvellous - very inspiriting.

Just now listening to the Suite, don't think I had ever done so before.  Excellent music;  the passacaglia for the Death of Falstaff is particularly well done.

[EigenUser]

My immediate thought was Berg's violin concerto (can't make head or tail of it), but then there are also a number of 19th century violin concertos which don't grab me either - Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bruch. The Mendelssohn however is fine, of course!

I'm the same way. I bought a copy of the score last week to help. In that respect, I'd buy Gruppen, too, if it wasn't over $100 (I did manage to get it from the library, but somehow that's not the same).

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

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)

Oh, Vandermolen, not VW's Serenade to Music; recant, please.  "The man that hath no Serenade to Music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds..."

[vandermolen]

Oh, Vandermolen, not VW's Serenade to Music; recant, please.  "The man that hath no Serenade to Music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds..."

this is my fault I know (as with Mozart I realise that most people really like this music). I just find the Serenade a bit cloying and prefer the orchestral only versions. Recently I listened to it again having been told off for not liking it in the pages of the VW Journal ( you see I am a great fan of the composer) and did enjoy it more than before but, to be quite honest, it has never greatly appealed to me. Maybe because when I first came across it in my youth I had difficulty appreciating non-orchestral music, so maybe it is a bit of a blind spot for me.

[vandermolen]

My immediate thought was Berg's violin concerto (can't make head or tail of it), but then there are also a number of 19th century violin concertos which don't grab me either - Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bruch. The Mendelssohn however is fine, of course!

I rather agree with this. I have never appreciated Berg's VC. Mind you I am not that keen on the one by Sibelius either and he is one of my favourite composers.

[vandermolen]

Just now listening to the Suite, don't think I had ever done so before.  Excellent music;  the passacaglia for the Death of Falstaff is particularly well done.

Glad you like it Karl. You should lookout for the narrated version with either Laurence Olivier (EMI-very cheap) or Christopher Plummer (Chandos). The EMI version is conducted by the composer and contains some fine other film (movie ) music by Walton. The Chandos is conducted by Marriner. Both are excellent ( mustn't turn this into a Walton thread!  )

[amw]

My immediate thought was Berg's violin concerto (can't make head or tail of it), but then there are also a number of 19th century violin concertos which don't grab me either - Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bruch. The Mendelssohn however is fine, of course!

Interesting, I've had similar thoughts about a lot of Romantic violin concertos, with Mendelssohn again being the main exception (and even in his case it's mostly the first movement that's exceptional—same with the Tchaikovsky; good first movement, rather boring second + third ones). I do find Dvořák's uniformly good as well, though find it's mostly the last two movements I listen to.

[Jo498]

I love the Mendelssohn concerto, can endure the Tchaikovsky about once a year or so, similar for the first Bruch (have not heard the others) and the Glasunov. The Brahms is another favorite, but the Beethoven I respect more than I love it and it is clearly not one of my favorite Beethoven pieces.

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.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

this is my fault I know (as with Mozart I realise that most people really like this music). I just find the Serenade a bit cloying and prefer the orchestral only versions. Recently I listened to it again having been told off for not liking it in the pages of the VW Journal ( you see I am a great fan of the composer) and did enjoy it more than before but, to be quite honest, it has never greatly appealed to me. Maybe because when I first came across it in my youth I had difficulty appreciating non-orchestral music, so maybe it is a bit of a blind spot for me.

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...

[Mirror Image]

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.

Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 may very well be my favorite VC ever.

[vandermolen]

Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 may very well be my favorite VC ever.

Mine too along with the No. 2 by Allan Pettersson.