Which composers and conductors didn't dislike the work of several leading composers?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Stravinsky's widely quoted disdain for Schoenberg's muse was not without its exceptions. He regarded the latter's violin concerto as the finest of the 20th Century, his own notwithstanding, IIRC.

Much of Stravinsky's most disdainful comments on the Music of Schönberg were made in the years when he didn't know very much of it. When Craft facilitated his greater knowledge of the work, the greater his admiration of it grew. But he was never at home in the Second Viennese School's late Romantic expressive aesthetic - the technical aspects were what fed his enthusiasm and imagination.

Schoenberg similarly based his disdain of Stravinsky's Music more on the aesthetics associated with it than on deep knowledge of the Music itself (although IS was much more frequently performed than AS). Sadly he died before Craft (who visited the Schoenberg house when he was preparing a performance of the Violin Concerto) could enact a similar (r)approachement.

[LeMartinPecheur]

To take your Britten and Brahms example, a composer of Britten's stature can probably think "I know about these things - Brahms is overrated".

An odd thing about BB's attitude to Brahms is that he seems to have been seriously impressed with him in his youth. See John Bridcut's Britten: lots of fascinating lists showing (eg) that he bought scores of Brahms's F minor pf sonata in April 1926 (roughly the tenth score he bought and kept in his library), the Alto Rhapsody in Oct 27, German Requiem in Dec 1927, C minor 4tet op51/1 in Dec 28, 4th symphony Apr 29. Bb 4tet op67 Apr 29, 3rd symph Nov 29, A minor 4tet op51/2 in Dec 29 (so that's the full set!), then Horn trio, symphs 1 &2 (again the full set), Haydn Vars, clt sonata in F min arr vla, Song of Destiny and Song of the Fates, Pf conc 1, Str 5tet no 2, Pf conc 2, pf vars op 21/1. This last is Feb 31, then no further Brahms scores to end of the list in Dec 38. He bought records of Brahms songs in 1936 and the Double Concerto in 1929.

So he seems definitely to have experienced quite a late de-conversion - a road from Damascus moment?!

There's an interesting quote too, alas undated: "It's not bad Brahms I mind, it's good Brahms I can't stand."

Yet he made a classic live Aldeburgh recording of the Liebeslieder waltzes!

[Lat-Literal]

An odd thing about BB's attitude to Brahms is that he seems to have been seriously impressed with him in his youth. See John Bridcut's Britten: lots of fascinating lists showing (eg) that he bought scores of Brahms's F minor pf sonata in April 1926 (roughly the tenth score he bought and kept in his library), the Alto Rhapsody in Oct 27, German Requiem in Dec 1927, C minor 4tet op51/1 in Dec 28, 4th symphony Apr 29. Bb 4tet op67 Apr 29, 3rd symph Nov 29, A minor 4tet op51/2 in Dec 29 (so that's the full set!), then Horn trio, symphs 1 &2 (again the full set), Haydn Vars, clt sonata in F min arr vla, Song of Destiny and Song of the Fates, Pf conc 1, Str 5tet no 2, Pf conc 2, pf vars op 21/1. This last is Feb 31, then no further Brahms scores to end of the list in Dec 38. He bought records of Brahms songs in 1936 and the Double Concerto in 1929.

So he seems definitely to have experienced quite a late de-conversion - a road from Damascus moment?!

There's an interesting quote too, alas undated: "It's not bad Brahms I mind, it's good Brahms I can't stand."

Yet he made a classic live Aldeburgh recording of the Liebeslieder waltzes!

Oh yes - I have heard that phrase before. I would never have known who said it. Arguably, his stated position was to help advance his individual or rebel status. While others in the 1930s were for German composers, he was more for Stravinsky and Purcell. But what you say leads to a further thought - it may well be wrong to expect composers to be consistent.

[Serial_Apologist]

Much of Stravinsky's most disdainful comments on the Music of Schönberg were made in the years when he didn't know very much of it. When Craft facilitated his greater knowledge of the work, the greater his admiration of it grew. But he was never at home in the Second Viennese School's late Romantic expressive aesthetic - the technical aspects were what fed his enthusiasm and imagination.

Schoenberg similarly based his disdain of Stravinsky's Music more on the aesthetics associated with it than on deep knowledge of the Music itself (although IS was much more frequently performed than AS). Sadly he died before Craft (who visited the Schoenberg house when he was preparing a performance of the Violin Concerto) could enact a similar (r)approachement.

There's a quote, somewhere, of Stravinsky being claimed to say, "If I had my way with Mozart's symphonies, I'd remove all the development sections; they'd be fine then!"

[Richard Barrett]

it may well be wrong to expect composers to be consistent.

Once more, composers are no more or less likely to be consistent than anyone else.

[Lat-Literal]

Once more, composers are no more or less likely to be consistent than anyone else.

Well, yes, I am not, as I hope most of my actions suggest, anti composer.

Again, I accept your point which I hoped had been implied in what I wrote.