Chopin overrated?

[catchketchup]

Now, now...

I only said that his idea of chopin being overrated made it sound like that. I specifically said I wasn't out to bash anyone's opinions.  How can a composer be overrated? And I agree With J carey. Its all about preference. So how can you call a composer overrated simply because he "cannot compare to those like beethoven and bach" Who can compare for that matter? These discussions make me sick as well. It would have been more appropriate topic if it was more along the lines of "I dislike chopin, how about you?" BUt Overrated? Please. Is that to say the rest of us are incompetent somehow for enjoying him? I don't think so...

Exactly I agree completely...

This really is a silly argument. You cannot "rate" composers and their works. There is no scale to follow that applies to all music in the world. Music is music and it cannot be judged. You either like it or you don't. Now i think we should respect each other's opinions on the matter and quickly end the discussion as, like i said before, it is getting us nowhere fast...

-Tony-

I don't necessarily agree with what Tony said. A composer can be criticized for writing "ordinary music" that has no ingenuity in form etc. I'm NOT saying Chopin was a composer who wrote music that "only sounds beautiful to the ear", but I feel that, his popularity would have been "more justified" (ie. less people would have thought he was overrated) if he spent so much of his energy, inspiration in writing "salon works", such as Waltz in B minor etc
Many of the melodies Chopin used in his salon works are very sentimental, graceful, emotive - but, aside from the melodies, harmonies, are these "works that only a genius can write"? I like Chopin, but when I hear some of his simple, ternary Mazurkas, I often feel that, how difficult are these for us to compose? (I'm not saying they're easy to compose, but in terms of form - I don't think Chopin did his best in composing them)
I definitely think music can be rated - The argument that "music cannot be rated" sounds to me, more like "don't ever question the greatness of my favorite composers"
If this is not true, then, one could make up an argument that pop music is just as great as classical music.

[lelle]

Chopin wrote some good music and some boring music, like most composers. His etudes, preludes, ballades, etc are all gorgeous, amazing pieces. While other pieces, like some of the walzes are repetitive and boring.

That's all there is to it, really.

[pocho]

Why do threads like this even get posts?

[doctor_ivory]

Why do threads like this even get posts?

The same reason people like Justin Beiber get fans 

[thalbergmad]

I don't necessarily agree with what Tony said.

Perhaps he does not either, since he made these remarks 5 years ago.

Thal

[gyzzzmo]

Chopin has his lesser and better pieces, still for pianists chopin is without doubt one of the best (if not the best) composer we know. For that he can never be overrated, at least not for his piano repetoire