Tasteless, vulgar and banal music

[MrGongGong]

Don't you mean Howard Skempton's Lento ?
i don't think Tim Souster wrote a piece with that name ?? (let me know if he did though !)

I'm with you on Sea Pictures (and the dreadful Gerontius ........... yes yes I KNOW you all love it )

[StephenO]

Elgar's "Sea Pictures" would not be far behind.

S-A

How could you?! The poems may leave something to be desired but the music - wonderful, beautiful, stirring stuff, particularly when sung by Janet Baker.

[rubbernecker]

Here's how you've voted so far (in no particular order):

1) Khatchaturian Third Symphony
2) Britten Young Apollo/ Simple Symphony
3) Strauss Festliches Praeludium/ Ein Heldenleben
4) Elgar Sea Pictures/ Gerontius
5) Tchaikowsky Letter Scene/ Nutcracker Pas de Deux
6) Beethoven Choral Fantasy Op 80
7) Lloyd Webber - everything
8) Karl Jenkins - everything
9) John Rutter - everything
10) Brahms Handel Variations/ Sym 4 (3rd mvt)
11) Wagner Marches
12) Mozart Divertimento in C KV187
13) The British national anthem
14) Howard Skempton Lento

It's not a particularly illuminating list, is it? I suppose we might conclude that there are a few good composers who may have had off days and a few bad composers who will never have a good day. And there's also the music whose merits we disagree on. So far the only consensus that seems to have been reached is that Khatch 3 is very loud. Anyway, keep 'em coming.

[rubbernecker]

How could you?! The poems may leave something to be desired but the music - wonderful, beautiful, stirring stuff, particularly when sung by Janet Baker.

I agree with StephenO. I think the Sea Pictures are sentimental, possibly bordering on mawkish, but very lovely nonetheless. Certainly not kitsch

[Don Basilio]

I'm amused to see Italian bel canto has not been mentioned.

Despite Bellini's reputation in the past as the tasteful bel canto composer (he's a bit like that lovely Chopin that my daughter plays after dinner and he didn't do corny comedies) the duet from Puritani "Suona la tromba" and the Grand March from Norma are unashamed bits of oompah, that must have been ground out by every town band in Italy for the annual festa at some time.

The Grand March in fact is echoed in every cabaletta movement in Act 1 up to and including the wonderful "Casta diva" (by which I mean the entire scena from "Norma vieni" onwards.) It's tasteless, vulgar and banal and I love it.

[Flosshilde]

the duet from Puritani "Suona la tromba" and the Grand March from Norma are unashamed bits of oompah, that must have been ground out by every town band in Italy for the annual festa at some time.

Verdi wrote a fair few of those as well - & none the worse for it.

[Uncle Monty]

Is anyone familiar with Julian Lloyd Webber's "Jackie's Song"? Not only was this awful piece of piffle opportunistically tossed off just as the film "Hilary & Jackie" appeared, thus tending to confirm all our suspicions that the Webber family is missing the genes for shame and embarrassment, it is also apparently a flagrant rip-off of "Begin The Beguine", but without the interesting bits

[salymap]

Herold's overture to'Zampa' hits all the criteria for this thread but I love it to bits. We can't be tasteful all the time

[Roehre]

Herold's overture to'Zampa' hits all the criteria for this thread but I love it to bits. We can't be tasteful all the time

That makes two of us then, salymap

[Don Basilio]

Early in his career, John Betjeman wrote a book about architecture called Ghastly Good Taste. I've never read it, but the title strikes me as a worthwhile warning.

[MrGongGong]

The Album : VOLK by Laibach probably falls into this category BUT its great stuff and very conscious in its pomposity

[Mary Chambers]

Here's how you've voted so far (in no particular order):


2) Britten Young Apollo/ Simple Symphony

Although, as I've said, I tend to agree about Young Apollo, I don't agree that the Simple Symphony is banal, tasteless or vulgar. I think it's a charming piece - no more, but still charming. It was intended by Britten for schoolchildren to play, and although he was 20 when it was published, it's based on pieces he wrote between the ages of 9 and 12. There is as a result a sort of naivety, but not, to my mind banality.

,

[Uncle Monty]

Although, as I've said, I tend to agree about Young Apollo, I don't agree that the Simple Symphony is banal, tasteless or vulgar. I think it's a charming piece - no more, but still charming. It was intended by Britten for schoolchildren to play, and although he was 20 when it was published, it's based on pieces he wrote between the ages of 9 and 12. There is as a result a sort of naivety, but not, to my mind banality.

,

Yes, I agree with that. Despite my antipathy to most of Britten, I've played in this a few times with great pleasure. Obviously it's not Beethoven 5, but on its own terms, as what it is, you can't fault it at all.

No one has mentioned Gloriana yet, I think. Surely there are some bits of that that tick all three boxes?!

[mercia]

I love the Simple Symphony (don't remember voting for it), not least the ecstatic finale coda

[Mary Chambers]

.

No one has mentioned Gloriana yet, I think. Surely there are some bits of that that tick all three boxes?!

I like Gloriana! (Apart, perhaps, from the libretto ). I think I've heard it's going to be on at Covent Garden in 2013, conveniently both Britten's centenary year and the 60th anniversary of the Coronation.