Extremely annoying pieces of classical music

[Nick Armstrong]

OK festivities over, Christmas tree fairies are back in the cupboard... How about a few "bêtes noires"? I've just been listening to the French "Tribune des Critiques" programme about The Nutcracker, and I realise that my list of REALLY annoying pieces has three items vying for top spot:

1= Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker" - Pas de Deux.. That ruddy downward scale repeated ad nauseam, louder and louder (ffff by the end )

1= Tchaikovsky "Tatiana's Letter" scene, Eugene Onegin (have avoided it sufficiently long to forget what it sounds like)

1= Liszt "Les Préludes"

Anyone else got any bugbear pieces? (I expect "Bolero" to feature strongly - though I rather like it, in the right hands)

Happy New Year all

[Don Petter]

I would put Ravel's short jacket and that Sorcerer's Apprentice pretty high up (ideally swinging).

[Anna]

Also Dukas' Apprentice - "You're fired"
Orff - O Fortuna
Khachaturian - Sword Dance
RK - Flight of the Bumble Bee
Debussy - L'apres midi

I like Bolero and La Valse !!

[BBMmk2]

Ravel: Bolero. I hate it!!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Caliban, your no.1 hate is one of my favourites. Incidentally, Tatiana's Letter scene is also based upon a descending scale. But such is Tchaikovsky's inspiration that I never became aware that both were written in this way, until it was pointed out to me - on Radio 3.

Just at the moment, anything by Mozart is annoying, but that will pass after a few weeks' rest.

[BetweenTheStaves]

Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1
That tune from Thais....you know the one...

Strange thing is, as Caliban says, it depends how it's played. A good performance of Bolero is...well..quite OK but most are not. Likewise that piece from Thais, most times it's played at a tempo that makes watching paint dry positively con vivace but I did hear it once played superbly...

[Mr Pee]

1= Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker" - Pas de Deux.. That ruddy downward scale repeated ad nauseam, louder and louder (ffff by the end )

I love that Nutcracker Pas De Deux- it's ravishing. To create such magic from a simple G Major scale shows true genius. I suggest you try Simon Rattle's new recording of the complete ballet with the Berlin Philharmonic. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will!

Pieces that irritate- well, I find the novelty of Haydn's "surprise" wears off pretty quickly.

And of course anything by Berlioz, but that goes without saying.

[Uncle Monty]

The final movement of anything by Elgar! ("I am now putting the harmonic progression in place to crank up to the finish.")

[Nick Armstrong]

Caliban, your no.1 hate is one of my favourites. Incidentally, Tatiana's Letter scene is also based upon a descending scale.

Yes, when pausing briefly during writing message #1 to see if I could remember the Tatiana piece, I was vaguely aware that it irritates me for similar 'downward scale' reasons.. but I daren't think any further, because if that damned tune occurs to me, or I hear it, it hangs around like.. well, I can think of a couple of disobliging similes...

Two of the French 'critiques' were saying the same as you, that the Pas de Deux was one of their absolute favourites, "zen" in music, a miracle...

And I know this is a futile thread in the sense that all it will prove is that one man's er-hem person's meat is another person's poison.

But a little lighthearded spleen-venting never hurt anyone... and it's rather cathartic :biggin:

Edit: by :biggin: I meant ... but a big gin sounds quite a good idea...

[PatrickOD]

Not everybody likes Pachelbel's canon. I once passed the time of day with a (famous) visiting musician who waxed eloquent against it.

Not this one, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

[Mr Pee]

The final movement of anything by Elgar! ("I am now putting the harmonic progression in place to crank up to the finish.")

Noooooo!!!!

The final movements of the Elgar symphonies are perfection!!!

I can't abide such crass generalization, although everything by Berlioz is garbage.

[MrGongGong]

The Dream of Sodding Gerontius
the world would have been a much better place without it

[Nick Armstrong]

I love that Nutcracker Pas De Deux- it's ravishing. To create such magic from a simple G Major scale shows true genius.

Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! It sounds to me like someone sticking flashing lights, tinsel and a Ferrari badge on an old Escort and revving it to death Sorry, but it sounds crass to me!

I suggest you try Simon Rattle's new recording of the complete ballet with the Berlin Philharmonic. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will!

I did!! It was one of the versions selected for consideration on the France Musique programme - it was the Rattle and the Dorati/LSO performances that prompted me to start this thread!

[Nick Armstrong]

I'm already loving the cries of "Nooooo!!!" and the occasional mild expletive on this thread (including my own). It's doing me no end of good.

Keep 'em coming folks!!

[Flosshilde]

But a little lighthearded spleen-venting never hurt anyone... and it's rather cathartic :biggin:

& with a big enough gin even the "Nutcracker" - Pas de Deux might sound good