The joy of having one's preferences validated by a higher authority

[ahinton]

Well, there's nothing wrong with Liszt Piano sonata. For piano. It’s got to be the best Piano sonata out there. It was even on the Channel 4 testcard!

I'm not so sure that it's quite the best piano sonata of all time - still less that the inclusion of part of it on Channel 4's test card endorses such a status for it(!) - but it is undoubtedly amoung the peaks of the piano sonata repertoire in any era; Wagner would probably have given it his personal seal of approval as "the best piano sonata out there", but that was more than a century and a half ago when he'd just heard it for the first time.

I would like to see Elgar try and write a work as good as that!

Elgar wrote quite a few works worthy of consideration alongside it, except, of course, that none of them was a piano sonata and there seems little doubt that Elgar could have written such a sonata of anything like the same status as Liszt's - but then why should he, as that was not what he ever seems to have wanted to do (and his piano writing, that in the piano quintet and violin sonata notwithstanding, is hardly something by which any of us - even the most ardent of his admirers -would choose to remember him).

Or indeed, anything decent and I think God agrees with me too.

I've already answered the first part of that above; as to whether God agrees with your negative view of Elgar, that's a matter between you and God, but have you actually asked Him? and, if so, what did He have to say about The Apostles, The Kingdom and, above all, Gerontius? And why, in any case, do you only think that God agrees with you? Don't you actually know for sure?

[Flosshilde]

Absolutely and precisely, ff!

Amazing how one's little trickle of a thought can become transformed into a tree-endangering torrent

Indeed - one's sometimes terrified of making a simple statement for fear that it might engender a lengthy discussion. I mean, just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

well depends on who is counting i suppose ....

[vinteuil]

well depends on who is counting i suppose ....

... but I think you may find that it all depends on what you mean by "depends"

[vinteuil]

... or again :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4XT-l-_3y0

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

precisely .... which is more than can be said for the pin and the angels eh ...?

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

[scottycelt]

... I took Caliban's use of the the terms 'higher authority' and 'validated' to be jocular rather than literal; implying that when one has obvious blind spots, or irrational aversions, it's comforting to know that they're shared with knowledgeable and respected professionals. One doesn't feel so ... alone.

I'm sure some of the replies were also meant to be rather more jocular than literal ...

The point is surely that another 'knowledgeable and respected professional' is just as likely to say that Liszt was a great composer, and that there is simply something lacking in anybody who doesn't concur.

I once read that Andre Previn was reported to have screeched loudly to some colleagues.. 'I can't stand the music of Bruckner, because the composer is always on his knees ... '.

Accordingly, this ignorant amateur has tended to be rather disrespectful towards 'knowledgeable and respected professionals' ever since ... some of them really don't know what they are talking about, so maybe Caliban should beware.

[3rd Viennese School]

Quote. "I've already answered the first part of that above; as to whether God agrees with your negative view of Elgar, that's a matter between you and God, but have you actually asked Him? and, if so, what did He have to say about The Apostles, The Kingdom and, above all, Gerontius? And why, in any case, do you only think that God agrees with you? Don't you actually know for sure? "


I think God prefers Schnittke. I say think cause no one knows anything for sure in this day and age.

[ahinton]

Indeed - one's sometimes terrified of making a simple statement for fear that it might engender a lengthy discussion. I mean, just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

I imagine that the answer to this would depend upon the size of the pinhead, the sizes of each angel's feet (assuming that they have any) and the desire of any angels to do this in the first place; that said, you didn't actually specify (although I assume that you may have meant to do so) that the angels of indeterminate number would, in your conjectural scenario, be dancing or seeking to dance on a pinhead simultaneously, for it would seem that a far larger mumber might be able to do this one after the other. It might even depend also upon whether the music to be danced to was Liszt's piano sonata or something by Elgar...

[ahinton]

Quote. "I've already answered the first part of that above; as to whether God agrees with your negative view of Elgar, that's a matter between you and God, but have you actually asked Him? and, if so, what did He have to say about The Apostles, The Kingdom and, above all, Gerontius? And why, in any case, do you only think that God agrees with you? Don't you actually know for sure? "


I think God prefers Schnittke. I say think cause no one knows anything for sure in this day and age.

Interesting - but (to return to the topic), on whose "higher authority" do you think this? - and why Schnittke? - and do you mean that you think that Schnittke is God's personal preference among the entire pantheon of composers or merely that He prefers his work to that of Elgar?

[Nick Armstrong]

I once read that Andre Previn was reported to have screeched loudly to some colleagues.. 'I can't stand the music of Bruckner, because the composer is always on his knees ... '.

Accordingly, this ignorant amateur has tended to be rather disrespectful towards 'knowledgeable and respected professionals' ever since ... some of them really don't know what they are talking about..

Makes me think of that classic from Tchaikovsky's diary: ‘I played through the music of that scoundrel Brahms. What a talentless bastard’ ...which rather proves your point.

so maybe Caliban should beware.

I'm definitely watching my step when I go out after starting this thread...

[Serial_Apologist]

Makes me think of that classic from Tchaikovsky's diary: ‘I played through the music of that scoundrel Brahms. What a talentless bastard’ ...which rather proves your point.





I'm definitely watching my step when I go out after starting this thread...

I understand Brahms was complimentary about Tchaikovsky's music.

[scottycelt]

Makes me think of that classic from Tchaikovsky's diary: ‘I played through the music of that scoundrel Brahms. What a talentless bastard’ ...which rather proves your point.

Oh no, as far as I'm concerned, it suddenly appears to conclusively prove your own, Caliban ...

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh no, as far as I'm concerned, it suddenly appears to conclusively prove your own, Caliban ...

N'aimez-vous pas Brahms?

[scottycelt]

Aimez-vous Brahms?

'On balance, I rather prefer Tchaikovsky, but what did he know about music? ' ... he replies, in a typically gentle manner ...