Music you don't "get"

[Diapason]

Still reeling from the revelation that Fergus doesn't like Chopin, not to mention Jared's abhorrence of matters French and Romantic, I started to point the judgement at myself. I never get String Quartets, and I never get Haydn. (You can imagine how far off my radar Haydn's String Quartets are!)

Anyone else like to unburden themselves?

[DaveF]

Most piano music for me, I've tried countless times but it NEVER holds my attention for long. Even Piano Concertos I have problems with. Despite all of this I love French and German Organ music.

Others.... Bruckner, Charles Ives

[Jared]

^^ I LOVE Romantic music... just not the French stuff.. or Wagner... or anything involving Organs... ;-)

I also LOVE Papa Haydn... so tell me, is there any Haydn you do like? The Creation, surely? Let's start from the bits you're OK with, and see if we can slowly build up your love of his extensive, magnificent body of works?

[Seán]

Ah geez, where do I start? Right, I don't get:

Vaughan Williams; (sorry Jared, sorry Darren)
Elgar; (sorry lads, sorry, sorry)
Most opera (singers bore me to tears);
Most of Bach's and Baroque sacred music in general (feck sake, I've just slaughtered a sacred cow here, I'll be lynched. I will have to work on this, I know, I am missing out here.)
Dvorak's Symphonic Dances
Ravel's Bolero
Holst's The Planets


Finally, what an absurd proposition: one not liking Chopin's Piano music, or Haydn's music either, silly really!!

[Jared]

Most piano music for me, I've tried countless times but it NEVER holds my attention for long.

what is it with you Oirish and your dislike of the Piano?

Dave, I'd strongly suggest a couple of the later Mozart Piano Concertos... ;-)

[Seán]

Most piano music for me, I've tried countless times but it NEVER holds my attention for long.

what is it with you Oirish and your dislike of the Piano?

Dave, I'd strongly suggest a couple of the later Mozart Piano Concertos... ;-)

Oi matey, count me out of that statement, mind your pen, I love the piano, I always have, ever since I was a young lad listening to Jazz. [Not crazy about the organ though.]

[Seán]

Most piano music for me, I've tried countless times but it NEVER holds my attention for long.

Dave, I'd strongly suggest a couple of the later Mozart Piano Concertos... ;-)

Agreed. Or Prokofiev's Thrid Piano Concerto, it is wonderful.

[Diapason]

This could be better than I expected...!

FIGHT!! FIGHT!!!!

[Jared]

Ah geez, where do I start? Right, I don't get:

Vaughan Williams; oh good grief, there's no hope for the lad...
Elgar; I like him, but I know of plenty who don't... he does divide opinion.
Most opera it's a real problem for me, too... I must admit.
Most of Bach's and Baroque sacred music in general yes, you are going to be lynched... we really need to work on this one with you...
Dvorak's Symphonic Dances do you mean his Slavonic Dances or his Symphonic Poems? the latter don't tend to find much love; they are an acquired taste.
Ravel's Bolero hooray! hooray! someone else who actually thinks its hideously overrated!!
Holst's The Planets let's face it, you don't really like the English very much, do you?

Finally, what an absurd proposition: one not liking Chopin's Piano music, silly really!! Yes, the man needs to be placed in the public stocks and be pummelled with rotting vegetables... ;-))

[Diapason]

Oh, and on Haydn, I don't *hate* any of it, and I accept that it's great stuff, but it just doesn't speak to me. Truth be told, I find the early classical stuff difficult in many ways, and I rarely listen to it. As much as I *admire* the music, it never crosses my mind to stick on some Mozart, for example.

I think that many pieces from the classical period, and indeed string quartets, fall into that area of "What people who don't know anything about Classical music think all Classical music sounds like". As a young whippersnapper I always tried to avoid that stereotype, and I think I'm still at it.

I don't hate opera, but I certainly don't get it either. I find that big operatic quarter-tone-vibrato soprano voice to be one of the most unpleasant sounds in all of music. Seriously.