Musical confessions

[Lat-Literal]

I can only name 350 classical composers off the top of my head. While they are mainly in alphabetical order, many of the pronunciations are almost certainly wrong.
For a maximum of two seconds, I was very surprised that "Les Miserables" had been written by "Arnold" Schoenberg. But a part of me still believes it.
The last time I saw Rolf Harris live, I queued up for his autograph on a CD - following subsequent events in the news, the CD is no longer in my house.
I have only blagged my way into one gig without a ticket - it was for the Sultans of Ping FC where the security staff were otherwise engaged in the dead bee dance.
The difference between "Breakfast on 3" and "Essential Classics" seems so slight to me that it irritates me at 9am when it is claimed a new programme is starting.
I quite like Abba but have a very big thing for the pop song "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" by Agnetha Faltskog which inexplicably sank without trace in the 1980s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPCuCvAAELQ

[teamsaint]

I can only name 350 classical composers off the top of my head. While they are mainly in alphabetical order, many of the pronunciations are almost certainly wrong.
For a maximum of two seconds, I was very surprised that Les Miserables had been written by "Arnold" Schoenberg.
The last time I saw Rolf Harris live, I queued up for his autograph on a CD - following subsequent events in the news, the CD is no longer in my house.

The last time I saw Rolf live, he played just before Richard Thompson.



RT was an awful lot better than RH........

[Pianorak]

I often can't tell Sibelius from Tchaikovsky - or Stork from Butter.

[Stanfordian]

In 1975 I was really angry and disappointed at having to miss Jasper Carrot, who at the time was having a big chart hit with the song 'Funky Moped', in performance live at my local cricket club.

[Serial_Apologist]

A whole back I heard an interview with the composer Anthony Payne, in which he "confessed" to his great love for the Delius/Vaughan Williams generation of Englsih "pastoral" composers, as well as for Schoenberg and other modernists who had likewise equally influenced his own compositional direction; and as one whose tastes also encompass once considerered outmoded musics I felt at last able to relax, in the knowledge that there was nothing intrinsically abnormal about mine.

[cloughie]

That's true of me too - know the Spring best of all and the Rhenish is the one I like and listen to least as it seems to go on for ever .I think it would be the one I would be most likely to fns myself thinking what is this is if coming across it on the radio .

I don't have the problem with the Schumann Symphonies, but though I can tell you the K numbers I couldn't necessarily tell you which Mozart PC on a blind listening. (Now there's an interesting term!)

[ahinton]

Here’s my initial list:
I like Abba

Doesn't that depend on the music that uses this A-B-B-A form? (actually, I believe that one of the group - I forget which - had some interest in Sorabji's 100 Transcendental Studies that their compatriot Fredrik Ullén's recording for the Swedish BIS label).

I don’t know a rising fifth from a rissole

You can eat a rising fifth.

I have tuned into Classic FM

But did you first turn up and afterwards drop out?

I don’t recognise cuts in Bruckner and I’m often blissfully unaware of what edition is being used

You mean you're not Jayne Lee Wilson (ah, but which of us is?!)...

I attended a Gary Glitter concert while at university and thoroughly enjoyed it

Well, that was presumably before his hobbies were discovered.

[Serial_Apologist]

I often can't tell Sibelius from Tchaikovsky - or Stork from Butter.

The first, and parts of the second symphonies, yes - but one couldn't confuse "En Saga", or anything Sibelius wrote after the Violin Concerto with Tchaikovsky, surely?

And I'm sure you can tell Bjork from stutter!

[ahinton]

I often can't tell Sibelius from Tchaikovsky - or Stork from Butter.

Is that where the expression "I can't believe it's not Sibelius" originated?

[cloughie]

Here’s my initial list:

I like Boney M

I like Abba

Why are these viewed as confessions. Not difficult to like two acts at the top of their art, great songs, great arrangements, great performers.

[Beef Oven!]

[QUOTE=ahinton;619722]

You can eat a rising fifth.

You mean you're not Jayne Lee Wilson (ah, but which of us is?!)...

Well, that was presumably before his hobbies were discovered.

Too right, it was!

[Tony Halstead]

I've been playing the piano for 65 years, ever since my mother tried to teach me at the age of 6, and I'm still utterly useless at it!

You beat me to it... I started the piano 64 years ago and with some difficulty got into music college ( the old RMCM) in 1962 as a 'first study' pianist. After only 3 weeks into the first term I realised how useless I was, and switched to French horn as first study.

[Tony Halstead]

I don't have the problem with the Schumann Symphonies, but though I can tell you the K numbers I couldn't necessarily tell you which Mozart PC on a blind listening. (Now there's an interesting term!)

I'm pretty sure I can 'tell which' with all the Mozart piano concertos.
Maybe it's something to do with the fact that I played ( horn) in maybe half a dozen of the Barenboim recordings, ALL of the Perahia ones, about 4 of those by Uchida, about 10 of Bilson's and all of Levin's!

[cloughie]

I've been playing the piano for 65 years, ever since my mother tried to teach me at the age of 6, and I'm still utterly useless at it!

I have been having lessons for two and half years now. I am probably a year or so younger than you. I am enjoying the experience but why oh why is it so difficult to get it right?

[Nick Armstrong]

And I'm sure you can tell Bjork from stutter!

That's very good!

blind listening. (Now there's an interesting term!)

... akin to the phrase in my OP which I couldn't be bothered to change:

love seeing what different conductors and orchestras make of them.

I think you mentioned that you have never heard any of them performed live? Might explain this inexplicable thing.....

There may well be something in that. The reason I can distinguish No 3 is that I once played in a performance (Trombone 1 - very high, written for alto trombone iirc, I was trying to do it on a tenor... [yeah yeah, cue jokes... ])