Was that REALLY worth ... ?

[Roehre]

On the other hand

The Dream of G******** is an abomination

I like understatements

[Nick Armstrong]

The Dream of G******** is an abomination

Only on Planet 2Gongs (and a few others)

[MrGongGong]

I don't expect or even care if anyone agrees with my views on this one
But it is the answer to the question imv

[ahinton]

The Dream of G******** is an abomination

This from a self-confessed member from birth of the society devoted to its composer; hmmm. Anyway, it's utterly wonderful; whilst it may not ultimately have been "the best of him" as he himself said that he thought it to be, I do believe that it was by far the best of him at its time of writing.

[Serial_Apologist]

This from a self-confessed member from birth of the society devoted to its composer; hmmm. Anyway, it's utterly wonderful; whilst it may not ultimately have been "the best of him" as he himself said that he thought it to be, I do believe that it was by far the best of him at its time of writing.

Wasn't Enigma being written at around the same time then?

[Extended Play]

Wasn't Enigma being written at around the same time then?

Yes, wasn't Enigma first performed in 1899?

[Flosshilde]

Isn't the Mozart Musical Joke used for the Horse of the Year Show? And 1812 would be a wonderful over- the-top Tchaik piece if played once a year.

Personaly I would cut half the length off almost anything by Bruckner, but I'm quite aware that that is considered sacrilege around here.

Sally, I was going to suggest anything (or everything) by Bruckner but I thought it would be abit unfair as I've never listened to anything by him. Brahms ditto. But I have listened (or heard) plenty by Mossie & would quite happily consign most of it (except some of the operas & the Gran Partita) to the bin.

[Flosshilde]

in the right hands ...
What do you think of the Left-Hand one?

Is that how Ravel managed to compose two piano concertos at the same time?

[ahinton]

Wasn't Enigma being written at around the same time then?

Not quite; he completed that just before Gerontius. The Enigma Variations, incidentally, were so widely regarded in their early days as mere parochial English music that Richard Strauss and even Busoni conducted the work.

[Pianorak]

. . . Personaly I would cut half the length off almost anything by Bruckner, but I'm quite aware that that is considered sacrilege around here.

Encouraged by Jayne Lee Wilson's advocacy of Bruckner I recently listened to the first five symphonies. Not fair to say what and how much I would cut as I invariably ended up in the arms of Morpheus. Fingers crossed JLW is on hols.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not quite; he completed that just before Gerontius. The Enigma Variations, incidentally, were so widely regarded in their early days as mere parochial English music that Richard Strauss and even Busoni conducted the work.

Aha - thanks, ahinton.

I did read somewhere that Mahler conducted Sea Pictures - a work I happen to detest, but would I be correct in thinking Mahler would have determined what works he conducted, and, that being the case, would have at least held the work in some respect to pass under his baton?

(I can imagine Mahler perusing Elgar's score, and thinking to himself, "Hmmm - looks rather like watered-down me!"!! You wonder what he would have made of Debussy's La Mer, don't you.)

[Roehre]

.... But I have listened (or heard) plenty by Mossie & would quite happily consign most of it (except some of the operas & the Gran Partita) to the bin.

[MrGongGong]

This from a self-confessed member from birth of the society devoted to its composer;

I have never been a member of the Elgar society
it was a JOKE against myself as I have frequently in the past been castigated for my opinions on the dreadful DOG
which is MY view ....................... and i'm sure if you are bothered you could find them in the archive fairly easily
it's best forgotten but if you like it that's fine by me ............. I was only answering the question !

Sea Pictures is also shite but the first symphony is a work of genius , how come ?

The Tchaikovsky fiddle concerto is another work that I would happily never hear again ............ empty gestures aplenty

[teamsaint]

I have never been a member of the Elgar society
it was a JOKE against myself as I have frequently in the past been castigated for my opinions on the dreadful DOG
which is MY view ....................... and i'm sure if you are bothered you could find them in the archive fairly easily
it's best forgotten but if you like it that's fine by me ............. I was only answering the question !

Sea Pictures is also shite but the first symphony is a work of genius , how come ?

The Tchaikovsky fiddle concerto is another work that I would happily never hear again ............ empty gestures aplenty

"How Come?" is a very good question.
As it goes, I completely agree about a couple of the works that you mention.(Elgar 1 certainly is genius , and the Tchaikovsky VC is one of those that I keep going back to thinking I should like it more than I do). Perhaps there is too much focus on the (well known)composer and not enough on the work , to the detriment of some less well known works and composers/musicians.(See Beef Oven's British composers thread).
A bit of celebrity culture at work here?

[MrGongGong]

A few years ago I was at Verbier
and Joshua Bell was due to play the Sibelius concerto
so we all trouped into the big tent
and la and behold he had decided to play the Tchaikovsky instead
So trapped between the well heeled upperclass classical music aficionados of Europe I had to listen to this whole pile of empty gestured posturing
complete with his performance which, although he played all the right notes, seemed to me to be more a display of physical discomfort than anything else
while everyone else is an rapture not for the first time did I feel like a vicar in a brothel (a tutu would have been fine )