Pomp & Circumstances March No.1: Do You Like It?

[amateur51]

"... methinks he was just trying to draw attention to himself"

Not something of which one could ever accuse Mandy.

See The Bad (Literary) Sex thread

[Mandryka]

Not something of which one could ever accuse Mandy.

See The Bad (Literary) Sex thread

Question: why do you attempt to derail this thread with a typically cheap and irrelevant comment about another matter entirely?

Whatever your reasons, you're one sad old biddy.

[Op. XXXIX]

I can't think of anything by Elgar that I don't like.

I've never really warmed to 'The Music Makers', but I hope I shall love it one day.

'Gerontius' sends me into ecstatic areas, I'm not really able to confront a live performance, too intense, and I'm not a Roman Catholic!

As for the P&Cs, this is about as good as it gets:

But ultimately, I think the 3rd P&C my favourite.

[Nick Armstrong]

As for the P&Cs, this is about as good as it gets:

knockout (see my message #9 above)

[Op. XXXIX]

knockout (see my message #9 above)

I did, and that's why I was pleased to add my contribution!

[MrGongGong]

'Gerontius' sends me into ecstatic areas, I'm not really able to confront a live performance, too intense, and I'm not a Roman Catholic!

It sends me for a bucket
though I know many people love it (which is fine )

[Pilchardman]

Yes, or no - and why? :)

No, I don't. I'm not a fan of Elgar. I think he's over rated (mostly in Britain).

I do quite like the opening D major section of the march, but not when the famous melody enters. I think it's romanticism at its worst.

[MrGongGong]

No, I don't. I'm not a fan of Elgar. I think he's over rated (mostly in Britain).

I do quite like the opening D major section of the march, but not when the famous melody enters. I think it's romanticism at its worst.

that's not the way to make friends around here

(I'm with you though, I do think Elgar is over rated as a composer ......)

[Panjandrum]

It sends me for a bucket
though I know many people love it (which is fine )

A case of pearls before swine?

[Pilchardman]

that's not the way to make friends around here

(I'm with you though, I do think Elgar is over rated as a composer ......)

I hope nobody takes offence. I'm sure there's lots of stuff I like that people think is dross.

[Pabmusic]

I hope nobody takes offence. I'm sure there's lots of stuff I like that people think is dross.

I certainly take no offence at all - even though I agree with Stravinsky that Elgar is "a supremely great composer of whom the British people should be proud". Elgar was never part of a 'school' or 'movement', which makes him difficult to categorise, but to say he is 'over-rated' is rather dismissive. What does it mean, other than you simply don't enjoy his music? Otherwise, 'over-rated' surely implies that your view is so obviously the right one that you can't understand why anyone could feel differently (Lord Gnome might say "any fool know"), which I doubt is what you intended.

But Elgar has always drawn polarised views. I think it has something to do with the disconcerting feeling of genius that much of the music has - anything less would not raise such controversy. You can talk of Elgar seriously in the same company as Mahler, Strauss, Suk, Szymanovsky, Schmidt and others without embarrassment, while at the same time being defensive about "wider still and wider", or the stink of incense in Gerontius. We don't do this with other composers.

[Pilchardman]

What does it mean, other than you simply don't enjoy his music? Otherwise, 'over-rated' surely implies that your view is so obviously the right one that you can't understand why anyone could feel differently (Lord Gnome might say "any fool know"), which I doubt is what you intended.

What I intended to say is that I view him as a minor composer, not one of great note. I - as I'm sure everyone else does - have a metaphorical ranking into which I place composers, according to what I believe is their import or their talent to move (me). What I don't expect people to do is have the same ranking that I have. (Unless I'm arguing with my brother, in which case he will always, by definition, be Wrong).

[MrGongGong]

Ok

What I mean by "over rated" has little to do with whether I like the music or not
the Elgar enthusiasts often go into great rapture over (in particular !) Gerontius which I find to be pompous, overblown and has a dreadful libretto wallowing in the worst anglo-catholic nonsense. Elgar was a great composer (YES I do mean this) he wrote some great music but the religious fervour of his disciples is a bit excessive.
If one could listen with fresh ears then i'm sure there would be much to enjoy in P&C #1 , however one can't "un-invent" what it has come to represent. For me (and this is IMV ) its similar to so called "dissonant" instrumental music, I hear the dissonance in the same way that you might, but I don't find any "dissonant" instrumental music really unsettling (maybe the opening of Black Angels comes close ?).

[Pabmusic]

Ok

What I mean by "over rated" has little to do with whether I like the music or not
the Elgar enthusiasts often go into great rapture over (in particular !) Gerontius which I find to be pompous, overblown and has a dreadful libretto wallowing in the worst anglo-catholic nonsense. Elgar was a great composer (YES I do mean this) he wrote some great music but the religious fervour of his disciples is a bit excessive.
If one could listen with fresh ears then i'm sure there would be much to enjoy in P&C #1 , however one can't "un-invent" what it has come to represent. For me (and this is IMV ) its similar to so called "dissonant" instrumental music, I hear the dissonance in the same way that you might, but I don't find any "dissonant" instrumental music really unsettling (maybe the opening of Black Angels comes close ?).

Yes, I share similar views of many pieces of music. Gerontius (like anything with a libretto) necessarily suffers from having extra-musical associations. And I do share your dislike of the veneration in which it can be held, which sometimes take attention away from later works (the symphonies and Falstaff, for instance) written when EE's style had 'matured' into Modernism (or whatever -ism you like).

[amateur51]

Question: why do you attempt to derail this thread with a typically cheap and irrelevant comment about another matter entirely?

Whatever your reasons, you're one sad old biddy.

I was merely pointing out your usual pompous assertion clashing with a later post, Mandy. Keep the toys in the pram dear