Five Pieces you would be happy to never hear again

[Alison]

Tough to do but a bit of fun. Here are five of my possible contenders:
Berlioz: Harold in Italy
Beethoven: Mass in C
Busoni: Doktor Faust
Berg: Chamber Concerto
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez

That's a great list Makra! Alan Bennett has gone down in my estimation, ludicrous choices (apart from Pictures).

I'll chuck in the Radetzky March.

[makropulos]

That's a great list Makra! Alan Bennett has gone down in my estimation, ludicrous choices (apart from Pictures).

I'll chuck in the Radetzky March.

I'll happily join you with that bonus, most particularly the audience participation version. I suspect/hope that Alan Bennett may not have been entirely serious about his list either?

[Barbirollians]

I'll happily join you with that bonus, most particularly the audience participation version. I suspect/hope that Alan Bennett may not have been entirely serious about his list either?

I rather like Harold in Italy especially in the Menuhin/Davis version.

I need to add Verdi's Requiem - all very dramatic but I find it very wearing . I will let Les Noces off .

[kea]

Very little I can think of. Rădulescu's Inner Time II and Merzbow's 1930 (and probably a lot more of his output) simply because they were physically painful to listen to the first time I heard them. John Adams's Nixon in China because it crossed the line from merely boring to actively annoying about half an hour in, but I may feel differently in a few decades. One song by Fergie that I don't remember the name of but would know if I heard it (something about big girls don't cry?), due to associations with a bad time in my life. Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra because the narration is insufferable..... ok to be honest, basically any piece with narration in it, but especially that one.

[HighlandDougie]

None. I don't have any. There might be the odd piece here and there that I don't particularly care for (eg Liszt PC1 & 2, RVW Sea Symphony) but I would never say that I don't want to hear them again. The trick in avoiding over-familiarity is to steer clear of some pieces for a while then go back to them.

On the whole I'd much rather hear of boarder's enthusiasms than negative reactions to pieces I love! One or two of you have dropped a notch or two in my estimation with your nominations

I cannot see the point in such lists other than as an excuse to peddle personal prejudices

[MickyD]

I'll happily join you with that bonus, most particularly the audience participation version. I suspect/hope that Alan Bennett may not have been entirely serious about his list either?

I must confess that I have found Alan Bennett a bit tedious too, in his old age. His wit often seems to have turned to personal bitterness which I don't find attractive.

As for the music, I agree with many of your choices, but I also think Petrushka is right - leave off listening to those familiar pieces for as long as you can, then go back to them. I have recently heard new things in Mozart's 40th having left it alone for many years.

[visualnickmos]

None. I don't have any. There might be the odd piece here and there that I don't particularly care for (eg Liszt PC1 & 2, RVW Sea Symphony) but I would never say that I don't want to hear them again. The trick in avoiding over-familiarity is to steer clear of some pieces for a while then go back to them.

On the whole I'd much rather hear of boarder's enthusiasms than negative reactions to pieces I love! One or two of you have dropped a notch or two in my estimation with your nominations

My feeling, too; and to quote HighlandDougie (hoping he doesn't object) "I cannot see the point in such lists other than as an excuse to peddle personal prejudices"

[kernelbogey]

[...] I also think Petrushka is right - leave off listening to those familiar pieces for as long as you can, then go back to them. I have recently heard new things in Mozart's 40th having left it alone for many years.

This is the point for me too. From very early listening (age 6 -7) to Schubert 8 (Unfinished) it is so familiar that I find it hard to truly listen to it, and have to avoid it when it comes up. Beethoven 5 is close to that, in that particular respect.

There are a few pieces which induce me to switch the radio off immediately. I agree with others that sharing their identitiy is unproductive - it's really just personal prejudice (or ignorance).

[ahinton]

Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra because the narration is insufferable

A certain distinguished living conductor/composer used to call Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra The Old Person's Guide thereto.

The trouble with this kind of thing is what I might call the "when" factor; for example, had I been answering when a student at RCM during which time I had to attempt to sing in choral class when they were doing RVW's A Sea Symphony that work would have been on my list (were I to have had one); although it's not top-drawer RVW, it would certainly not be on it today.

That said, I'll discreetly refrain from participation...

[Stanfordian]

This is the point for me too. From very early listening (age 6 -7) to Schubert 8 (Unfinished) it is so familiar that I find it hard to truly listen to it, and have to avoid it when it comes up. Beethoven 5 is close to that, in that particular respect.

There are a few pieces which induce me to switch the radio off immediately. I agree with others that sharing their identitiy is unproductive - it's really just personal prejudice (or ignorance).

Unproductive /Prejudice / Ignorance. Strong words.
But music often brings up a broad range of feelings, doesn't it. However, surely this thread is not be taken too seriously; merely a bit of fun!

[kernelbogey]

Unproductive /Prejudice / Ignorance. Strong words. It's merely a bit of fun!

My prejudice and my ignorance.

[vinteuil]

.

there is music that I like, love, enjoy, appreciate - in various degrees.

there is quite a lot of music that "doesn't do much for me".

there is some music which I actively dislike, for which I wd make the effort of getting up and silencing the radio if it comes on.

In this last category I wd put Orff, Respighi, Weill, Piazzola. And various living choral composers....

.

[Barbirollians]

Unproductive /Prejudice / Ignorance. Strong words.
But music often brings up a range of feelings, doesn't it. However, this thread is merely a bit of fun!

Exactly and Michael Berkeley made the point in Private Passions that we are entitled to say we do not like things and why rather than have to agree with accepted wisdom .

[kernelbogey]

Exactly and Michael Berkeley made the point in Private Passions that we are entitled to say we do not like things and why rather than have to agree with accepted wisdom .

OK - but when I once decried Liszt on the Forum I was told I hadn't listened to enough.... Hence, in part, my 'unproductive' comment above. It seems to me that saying one doesn't like a composer here is likely to mobilise defence for them.

[Stanfordian]

OK - but when I once decried Liszt on the Forum I was told I hadn't listened to enough.... Hence, in part, my 'unproductive' comment above. It seems to me that saying one doesn't like a composer here is likely to mobilise defence for them.

Hiya kernelbogey,


What if it does! Your opinion is equally as valid to me.