Not good pieces by good composers

[verismissimo]

Prompted by Vladimir Jurowski's current Prokofiev fest.

As a start:

Beethoven's Battle Symphony
Tchaikovsky's 3rd Piano Concerto.

Others?

[Pabmusic]

Richard Strauss: Festmusik der Stadt Wien

[Roehre]

Richard Strauss: Festmusik der Stadt Wien

Which is an excellent piece compared with his Festliches Präludium op.61

Btw. Beethoven's cantata Der glorreiche Augenblick op.136 is not a brilliant work either, not by chance composed for the Vienna Congress as was Wellington's Victory.

[Pabmusic]

Which is an excellent piece compared with his Festliches Präludium op.61

So true!

[Nick Armstrong]

Richard Strauss: Festmusik der Stadt Wien

Oh I love that!

Agreed that Festliches Präludium op.61 is an absolute dog's breakfast though And old Richard couldn't write choral music to save his life, I think.

Borrowing from another thread: the 'Reformation' Symphony and 'Elijah' by Mendelssohn qualify, in my book

[MrGongGong]

'Elijah' by Mendelssohn

Couldn't agree more

and the dreadful Beethoven "Battle Symphony"

(and Gerontius but I don't want to go on about that now do I ........)

[Nick Armstrong]

(and Gerontius but I don't want to go on about that now do I ........)

No you don't

PS: drrrrring drrrrrrrrring... it's for you-houuu!

[Mr Pee]

1812 Overture.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(and Gerontius but I don't want to go on about that now do I ........)

Yes you do. It's your idee fixe.

I suppose to be fair on the Battle Symphony, it was written to be played by a machine, rather like the precurser of today's electronic keyboards.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

And old Richard couldn't write choral music to save his life, I think.

Caliban, please do have a listen to his a cappella work 'Der Abend': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSVbiPqXqtc

It's a vocal painting of dusk in mythological times leading into ‘fragrant night’ as Phoebus descends from his chariot. It's written in 16 parts and begins with an ethereal note on the first syllable of the word ‘strahlender’, a G held by the first three soprano parts, in turn, for 20 bars, creating an warm, evening glow.

[Roehre]

Caliban, please do have a listen to his a cappella work 'Der Abend': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSVbiPqXqtc

It's a vocal painting of dusk in mythological times leading into ‘fragrant night’ as Phoebus descends from his chariot. It's written in 16 parts and begins with an ethereal note on the first syllable of the word ‘strahlender’, a G held by the first three soprano parts, in turn, for 20 bars, creating an warm, evening glow.

Der Abend (op.34) as well as the Deutsche Motette (op.62, unbelievable but true: contemporary with the Präludium !) are just two examples of Richard Strauss' ability to write (in both cases 16 part) a capella choral music.

[Chris Newman]

I agree absolutely with Caliban about the Reformation Symphony and Elijah. I have tried over many years to find what people see in the symphony. His main theme may have been his tribute to Schubert and his Great C Major Symphony but comes across as a monstrous jokey version suitable for a Hoffnung Concert. There are some lovely moments in Elijah but the sum of the dirgey bits squashes them flat.

Gerontius is a work of great beauty and genius. As with much religious music at its best, whilst it is playing, it makes me wish I was too.

1812 needs to be played rather than treated as a warhorse. The celebrated Fistoulari had twice failed to convince me as a teenager it was good as he raced through it at Victor Hochauser "Tchaikovsky Nights" at the Albert Hall. Years later I was convinced first by Boris Brott (There's a rave from the grave! He is still going in the Uat one of these same nights. I secretly thought I had grown out of them but a good friend meant well and insisted on taking me as a birthday present. Brott conducted it with soul, expression and mostly slowly. My Silvestri recording comes close to it. I know it can work with or without the vast extra forces that impresarios like to add.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I don't think that the main theme of the Reformation symphony could have been a tribute to Schubert's 9th as the Reformation was composed in 1830 and Mendelssohn didn't know the Schubert until Schumann drew his attention to it in 1838.

I could really 'put the cat among the pidgeons' here and say Beethoven's 6th. Also Britten's The Golden Vanity, it really is cringeworthy, especially that horrid little march at the start. Even my favourite composer RVW composed one really bad work IMO 'The Poisoned Kiss'. Others would include Shostakovich's 12th Symphony and the Tchaikovsky Piano Sonatas.

[VodkaDilc]

I Also Britten's The Golden Vanity, it really is cringeworthy, especially that horrid little march at the start..

That could be said of Let's make an opera/The Little Sweep too - largely due to the libretto (and the dated diction in BB's recording. It's too dated to be enjoyed as authentically correct.) The LMAO prelude is best ditched, but there's some good music in the opera itself - so I would not suggest it as a contender for "not good pieces".

[EdgeleyRob]

Even my favourite composer RVW composed one really bad work IMO 'The Poisoned Kiss'.

RVW is also my favourite composer but I can't be doing with that harmonica romance thingy so I'll nominate that particular piece. BTW there is some wonderful music in 'The Poisoned Kiss' IMO.
And why does my beloved Mendelssohn get such a raw deal on here?, his music seems to be getting slated on nearly every thread.