Old warhorses you're still glad to hear clip-clopping by

[Nick Armstrong]

I've been thinking about why it is that I'm still glad to hear some old musical warhorses that I've heard times without number; whereas other pieces make me groan and switch off, metaphoraically and/or literally.

Examples for me would be Elgar's 'Enigma Variations' and Dvorak's 'New World' Symphony. I'm always happy to hear them, especially in interesting new performances. Indeed, I'll actively decide to listen to both those sometimes, and put on the CD or iPod tracks - particularly in the performances I love most (Kondrashin/Concertgebouw for the Dvorak, Oramo/CBSO for the Elgar).

I wonder if it is a mark of their musical quality? Maybe not - probably just a question of personal taste, as so often in rather aimless threads like this one. It's relevant amid the hoo-hah about endless repetition of certain pieces in the morning on R3.

Anyway, just musing aloud, really - and interested to hear others' views and 'welcome warhorse' candidates....

[Alison]

Yes, I tuned into R3 and caught Tom Service wittering on about
the New World Symphony ..... and thought how much I wanted to listen to it again.

Bruch's Violin Concerto is a most welcome warhorse for me.

I hate folk tirading against La Valse and Bolero yet confess one is not always in the mood for them.

[PatrickOD]

Funny you should ask, Caliban. This morning I heard Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for the first time in ages, and similar thoughts went through my mind. It's hardly a warhorse, more a Shetland pony, but I still think it's a little jewel, and comes up fresh each time I hear it.

[Mahlerei]

Chabrier's España (especially if it's played by Ansermet and the OSR).

[Nick Armstrong]

And funny you should mention EKN, Patrick - I was going to refer to it as an example of a piece that tends to make me think "Oh no.. "

It would have to be played very very well for me to be excited about it.

On further thinking, I do believe it has to do with musical quality. The Dvorak and Elgar pieces I mentioned in #1 are both complete masterpieces, and manage to harness melodiousness with inexhaustibility in a rare way.

[vinteuil]

Caliban - an interesting line of thought...

warhorses (WHY "warhorses"??? ) I'm happy to hear again and again wd include, yes Dvorak New World, also Beethoven Piano Concertos and Symphonies (always so many different ways to approach them) ; probably also the Enigma - 'cos I don't know Elgar so hear it relatively rarely...

warhorses I race to turn off wd include - yes, Eine Kleine N'musik;also Serenata Notturno Bolero, Pavane - and Pavanng pour Ungg Infangg Defungg ; Thais ; Temple Saint ; Ride of the Valkyries out of context ; the so-called "Bach" so-called "organ" T & F in d min ...

[Lateralthinking1]

I never tire of Rachmaninov's second piano concerto. It stirs the spirits and it will always remind me of coming back from Rottingdean across the South Downs to a sunset. One of the places I heard it first.

I think of it each time I do that journey and it is only broken by the monstrosity that is Brighton football's club's new ground on the edge of the Downs. Maybe I should ring in to Your Call!

Incidentally, I went back to Radio 3 Breakfast this morning. I found it quite a tonic actually after a week or two of the Today programme and Nick Ferrari on LBC. I just couldn't take the news any more.

[Nick Armstrong]

I never tire of Rachmaninov's second piano concerto.

Lat, 100% agreed - not a whiff of the stable about it, just a fantastic piece of music full stop. (I love No 3 even more).

Vin, also 100% agreed about the turn-offs although an exceptional performance could prove the rule. I'd add "1812" and "Marche Slave" but we're cantering close to my 'Extremely Irritating' thread here....

[PatrickOD]

Oh gosh! I set myself up there! I thought I was asked to nominate a warhorse I liked to hear. I didn't realise that I would be subjected to a taste committee, in itself a rather tasteless body, don't you think?

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh gosh! I set myself up there! I thought I was asked to nominate a warhorse I liked to hear. I didn't realise that I would be subjected to a taste committee, in itself a rather tasteless body, don't you think?

Quite so, tasteless and entirely inappropriate - but I don't think you were my dear fellow, these are merely divergences of view. I fully expect one of the anti-Elgarians to come along and attempt to administer a lethal injection to my favourite old nag 'Enigma variations'...

[barber olly]

I think the problem with the Pavanes is they are both beautiful pieces played to death on Breakfast, as is Moldau and any number of others. The problem with the warhorses is that we are too often served in bits eg Enigma Nimrod, Planets Jupiter, New World 'Going Home' movement, Bruch VC1 whichever movementy they want to fill the appropriate sized gap in the schedule. I have enjoyed the Back to Back complete symphonies - Eroica, Sym Fant, Tchaik 6, Dvo 8, Brahms 1, all gloriously played in full (Currently listening to Runnicles Mahler 3, which followed his New World), yesterday we had his Mahler 2. Let's get back to full works and then we'll love the fillers which are played less frequently. This morning we were given the lure of Shost 7, and got the first movement and then that rarity K525! In the days of Rob and Jono on CD Masters we got the whole thing sourced from a Melodiya LP from 1968 by Svetlanov. Essential Classics I thought was improving but it seems to have gone backwards, perhaps Roger has put Rob on a warning for playing the esoteric card!

[amateur51]

Oh gosh! I set myself up there! I thought I was asked to nominate a warhorse I liked to hear. I didn't realise that I would be subjected to a taste committee, in itself a rather tasteless body, don't you think?

[Simon B]

Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (maybe not quite as much of a warhorse as some mentioned already, but still qualifies IMO) seems to have joined my rather short personal list of "welcome warhorses".

Or at least I hope it has, since (by complete coincidence - no, really!) I'm going to the LSO/Gergiev concert at the Barbican later which ends with this very piece...

The key may be that I actively avoid listening to it (and others on the list, e.g. The Planets) like the plague other than on my own terms - i.e. infrequently and in carefully chosen live concerts or recordings. In that sense perhaps they're not welcome warhorses at all and I'm contradicting myself.

Part of the problem with many such works is that they so often get performances with an "Oh no, not this again..." undercurrent that the professionalism of the performers can't conceal. Or they're just played as slightly insipid vacant showpieces. I can't count the number of Engimas, Rach Pag's, Boleros, Romeo and Juliets (take your pick from at least Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev - it makes no odds) falling into either or both categories that I've endured...

Every so often, someone will play these pieces like they really mean it - once more revealing their true brilliance.

[Nick Armstrong]

YAY! Another favourite *warhorse is here: amateur51 !!

Come on, ammy - what's your poison?




*note I deleted the 'old'

[Chris Newman]

[QUOTE=Simon B;103363]Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (maybe not quite as much of a warhorse as some mentioned already, but still qualifies IMO) seems to have joined my rather short personal list of "welcome warhorses".

I see the new Manfred Honeck/Pittsburg SO version is on the shop shelves. After the Proms and the reviews it has received I'll give it a canter.