Tasteless, vulgar and banal music

[Bryn]

What I wrote, Mario, was "less so". Until I heard the Komen/Weil recording the Tan/Norrington was high on my list of fine Op. 80 recordings. I also rather like Levin's improvised alternatives to the introduction Beethoven notated. It's a fine piece d'occasion. It should find a place at the Last Night of the Proms more often.

[Roehre]

Tasteless, vulgar and banal apart from Khatchaturian 3 (which IS horrible), there is IMO hardly music which is all three at the same time. Beethoven's Finale 9 is certainly not (though IMO it doesn't fit well as finale of that particular symphony), nor the Phantasy opus 80. The theme of the Diabelli variations might be called banal, but it isn't tasteless IMO.

The Kaisermarsch as well as the American Centennial march by Wagner are IMO vulgar, tasteless and banal.

From Richard Strauss' output the Festliches Präludium opus 61 comes to mind (in the same mood as K 3 IMO),
Mozart's Divertimento for flutes, trumpets and timpani in C KV187/App.C.17.12 is hardly any better, as are quite a many of those brass dominated symphonies for Louis XIV's and XV's Versailles.

Tasteless and vulgar are e.g. the Andre Rieu arrangements, but its originals aren't.

[Bax-of-Delights]

All this talk of Khacha's 3rd has made me dust off the Chandos recording with the BBC Phil and put it on the deck.

Hold on a minute while the valves warm up...




Let's jack the volume up a bit shall we....




Holy Moses!

The windows just blew out!

Still and all, better than that tedious piece of vulgar and neverending national anthem Berlioz's "Marseillaise"

[Op. XXXIX]

err... Caliban, that would be me then.

A wonderful work.

Seconded.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Tasteless, vulgar and banal apart from Khatchaturian 3 (which IS horrible), there is IMO hardly music which is all three at the same time. Beethoven's Finale 9 is certainly not (though IMO it doesn't fit well as finale of that particular symphony), nor the Phantasy opus 80. The theme of the Diabelli variations might be called banal, but it isn't tasteless IMO.

The Kaisermarsch as well as the American Centennial march by Wagner are IMO vulgar, tasteless and banal.

From Richard Strauss' output the Festliches Präludium opus 61 comes to mind (in the same mood as K 3 IMO),
Mozart's Divertimento for flutes, trumpets and timpani in C KV187/App.C.17.12 is hardly any better, as are quite a many of those brass dominated symphonies for Louis XIV's and XV's Versailles.

roehre: Strauss's Festliches Praeludium - mmm, yummee!!! Don't know the Mozart Divertimento - not in my Decca/Boskovsky Serenades & Divertimenti box, so I'll have to order it along with the Khach 3

Seriously though, I wonder if music lovers can (or even should!) be divided into two halves...those who love the physical thrill of loud music - brass, organ, military band - even if it wouldn't be that exciting at lower volumes because it's a tad lacking in intellectual substance, and those who don't.

I'll even stretch this to feats of prestidigitation, loud preferably (you're on in 5, M. Liszt).

[Ferretfancy]

I think there's a distinction to be drawn between those cases where a great composer nods a little, as in Britten's Young Apollo, or the Beethoven Choral Fantasia, and the output of a lesser light like Khachaturyan who only rarely gets 5 out of 10, in my book at least.

[Donnie Essen]

And the Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem.

I get why this may be seen as such, given the sacredness of it. It makes me like it more, though. I'm not sure how pertinent it is, but I was never around pre-Star Wars, which was the orchestral music that was drilled into me a million times during my childhood, and that sounds awful like Star Wars. Some late Romantic works do get colored by that, which ain't their fault.

I love me some Strauss operas, but have difficulties with his orchestral stuff. It turns me off. Feels icky. Perhaps I'm wrong, though, and ain't giving them a chance. I should listen to them more, given they're kinda esteemed.

[mercia]

I think there's a distinction to be drawn between those cases where a great composer nods a little, as in Britten's Young Apollo, or the Beethoven Choral Fantasia, and the output of a lesser light like Khachaturyan who only rarely gets 5 out of 10, in my book at least.

good point, well made

[Flosshilde]

to my small mind the two don't compare, at least not favourably to the first

Well, I wasn't comparing them, just saying that I like them both.

[Flosshilde]

Actually, I've just thought of some music that's tasteless, vulgar & banal - the UK national anthem. Although, strangely, it ceases to be when it becomes Ives' 'Variations on 'America''.

[Simon]

What a surprise!

[MrGongGong]

Actually, I've just thought of some music that's tasteless, vulgar & banal - the UK national anthem. Although, strangely, it ceases to be when it becomes Ives' 'Variations on 'America''.

What happens in Lichtenstein ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5cGIBz3Wpg

?

[Bryn]

Those knavish Scots have got it coming to them, eh?

[Flosshilde]

What a surprise!

Glad I can still surprise you, Simon

Haven't heard it in Lichtenstein, Mr GG, so I don't know if it's tasteless etc there. It probably is, as, despite Simon's predictable rsponse, it's the music I was referring to, not the words (this time).

[Serial_Apologist]

My particular bete noir would have to be Souster's Lento, by a member of the thoroughly misnamed "English Experimental School". Elgar's "Sea Pictures" would not be far behind.

S-A