Most annoying, overplayed, and butchered pieces in common repertoire

[lisztwasgod]

There are so many pieces out there that everyone plays in competition, that all recitals seem lacking without, and that the too young and inexperienced take up with idealistic hopes of accomplishing the at-that-point insurmountable...as a result, these pieces are overplayed in recitals, over-represented in repertoires around the globe, universally heard as staples of classical music not because of the genius but because of the simplistic form and tonally pleasant melody and/or difficulty that accentuates talent in the pianist for simply playing the notes correctly. There are so many works that fall into these catergories. Please understand, these are not works to be found uninspiring or "bad" per se, but merely misrepresented as cornerstones and integral fixtures of the common music repertoire...feel free to add to this list in your posts (for example, everyone feels they have to play islamey to prove themselves, and as a result, it is overplayed and many dont even capture the musicality over the notes!)

[fuel925]

You know what *I* find annoying? This flaming of timeless pieces of music, just because they are popular. Have you maybe thought they are popular for a reason? (and not for the reasons you list). There's an attitude that a lot of people on these forums have that a piece is only good if it is obscure... thats the annoying thing, not the music you have listed.

[pita bread]

Did you not read his intial post or something?

[quantum]

Scales, chords, arpeggios, Hannon and other elements common of technique building.   

[luc]

The Entertainer? What's this?

[janne p.]

The Revolutionary Etude is quite overplayed, and I think I've heard Rach 2 more often than Rach 3. Mozart Sonata Facile K. 545 1st movement and Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major ("Elvira Madigan") are also overplayed.

But I still love all these works, and don't get tired of hearing them (good versions of course, as with everything else.) My fiancée is quite the opposite, some music gets damaged when she hears or plays it too much, like Moonlight 1st mvmnt or Finlandia (she's a violinist.) I pity her a little, as both these works are really great masterpieces which I enjoy hearing over and over again, which she can't.

[thalbergmad]

The Entertainer? What's this?

Joplin

[phil13]

I agree that many of these pieces you stated are played too often by people who don't know what they are doing. Keep in mind that there are great performances of these pieces. In my mind, Brendel's playing of the 'Pathetique' is absolutely perfect. Same with Serkin's recording of 'Moonlight'.

But YOU forgot the most overplayed piece of Beethoven of all: Fur Elise. I would have voted for that.

Phil

[hodi]

schumann's arabesque isn't overplayed at all.

and i dislike fur elise

[viking]

Rach 3 isnt overplayed.  If it was, many people could play it.  However, not many people can play it.  It might be played often by the worlds professionals, but its all a matter of demand.  They wouldnt play it if there werent thousands of people wanting to hear it would they?

I havent ever heard the entertainer in a recital.

Islamey isnt overplayed either.

[Jacey1973]

I think there is an element of snobbery to this thread. Don't get me wrong i agree many of the pieces listed are overplayed - to us as musicians, but i can see why.

It's an ongoing cycle - these pieces are loved and therefore overplayed (think Classic FM...UGH i hate that radio station- now who's the snob?!) therefore the general public and fairly young musicians/pianists etc who are starting out instantly want to be able to play something recognisable, because that is all they are ever played on commercial classical radio stations or those free ("romantic moods" etc etc) CDs you get with newspapers (you know - they don't even list what orchestras or soloists are featured on the back of these free CDs, that's pretty criminal??!)

I try and encourage "Classic FM" listeners like my mother, to switch to BBC radio 3 - it is healthier i.e alot more educational and they don't cut off concertos after the 1st movement, plus there's no annoying adverts every 5 seconds.

[Jacey1973]

Oh on the subject of Classic FM and is it just me who hates Ludovico Einaudi's "music"? He also looks a complete prat when he's "performing".

[6ft 4]

Hungarian Rhapsodie 2 is hilarious.

Radio 3 still plays way too much modern, sentimental, really high notes on the violins type stuff and not enough Bach or Mozart.

And the presenters are still surprisingly ignorant.

The Daily Mail CDs don't even list the real name of the pieces lol (e.g. "Air on a G string")

[leahcim]

Please understand, these are not works to be found uninspiring or "bad" per se, but merely misrepresented as cornerstones and integral fixtures of the common music repertoire...

Yep. Digital piano or synth, turn up reverb to "11" Enter elderly [usually female] relative - You just need the first few bars of "I dunno what it is, but it's my favourite piano piece, can you play it?" "Err, Moonlight sonata?" "Could be"....at which point you're "really good, how long have you been playing?" "About a day" "Wow, a prodigy"

Furry Liza nearly fits into that - not the least because it's another "If this doesn't get  my leg over, sod it, I'll finish the Symphony / Concerto" tune, but it's more sinned against w.r.t mobile phone ring tones / kids toys / computer games than on the piano [as are Mozart themes, especially since it increases your IQ  ]

[pita bread]

Furry Liza

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Jacey1973]

Radio 3 still plays way too much modern, sentimental, really high notes on the violins type stuff and not enough Bach or Mozart.

And the presenters are still surprisingly ignorant.

Oh and this is coming from somebody who would only tune into a Proms concert if it featured Bach, Beethoven or Mozart? I admit they are Gods but there is so much more out there - it's not all "really high notes on the violin type stuff"! LOL, that says it all.

I find radio 3 has a great balance: www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 - my favourite radio station 

[leahcim]

I think there is an element of snobbery to this thread. Don't get me wrong i agree many of the pieces listed are overplayed - to us as musicians, but i can see why.

I find the stuffy tuxedo, wine and cheese. Movement-less passive audiences really off-putting TBH - and that's sponsored by Radio 3.

Like going to shakespeare comedies and knowing when to laugh at the right place, but the joke hasn't been funny for 200 years.

Last night of the proms [when the sorry realisation that there aren't any decent English composers is proved every year] is one notable exception I suppose, but nevertheless it's an exception that proves the rule.

When I play the demo of one of the Chopin pieces on my digital piano my 6 yo flies around the house with no less enthusiasm than he jumps around to a pop tune - I like to think of folk dancing to Mozart, standing next to Bach with instruments and joining in [or singing] and I couldn't sit in the atmosphere of the average concert hall for 10 bars, let alone 3 movements.

There's an irony when a performer basically has to learn how to move and the audience has to force themselves not to.

[apion]

Tchaik 1 is butchered 90% of the time.

[6ft 4]

The Sheherazade, hmmmm:

"Really high notes on the violin type stuff says it all" i gotta agree lol.

Leahcim, seriously have as many babies as possible, every one of ur posts is ART!!!!

Another funny thing that u get at concerts is that half the audience seem to only come for the encore. Must be quite depressing as a conductor seeing a random part of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite get far more enthuastic applause than a momental hour long Beethoven symphony.

Oh and this is coming from somebody who would only tune into a Proms concert if it featured Bach, Beethoven or Mozart?

+ Haydn

[ahmedito]

I chose 2.

1- The tchaik. Because of a very personal reason. In the dorms where I live, one of the violinist has a bad habit of getting really drunk, sitting at the piano in the bottom floor at 3 o clock in the morning, and, while banging away at the begining chords as loud as he can sings the theme in the loudest most obnoxious voice. Then he starts laughing like crazy and repeats until someone wakes up, goes downstairs and shuts him up.

2- The minute waltz, because, unlike the moonlight sonata and other stuff on the piece, this one is continually butchered by supposed pros and advanced level students who play it at breakneck speed losing all the charm and breadth of chopins phrasing.

[princessdecadence]

I chose 2.

2- The minute waltz, because, unlike the moonlight sonata and other stuff on the piece, this one is continually butchered by supposed pros and advanced level students who play it at breakneck speed losing all the charm and breadth of chopins phrasing.

I completely agree with you.  I killed the waltz myself, self-taught it at grade 2 skill and if I ever post a recording of my playing, I will probably get butchered myself. *nervous grin* Every bluemoon I still play it for fun now though - not even trying to make it Chopin's beautiful minute waltz, tis most fun to play. *hides*

Nonetheless, Fur Elise should win this.

[phi]

Fur Elise, I agree!

I wouldn't say these pieces were "annoying"..... they are nice. just far too overplayed

[lava]

i would say:

chopin nocturne nr 2 in e flat
chopin prelude nr 15 "raindrop"

[princessdecadence]

Definitely not Raindrop but yes Eb Nocturne - bah I'm playing that one too.  Just because it's an easy piece to read when to play it properly avec all the romantic stuff chopin would muster - tis hard.

Raindrop is far more um..."rare" in comparison to Moonlight Sonata, Chopin's Fantasie, Revolutionary - everyone can play that piece.

[pseudopianist]

[quote author=princessdecadence link=topic=12073.msg128227#msg128227
Raindrop is far more um..."rare" in comparison to Moonlight Sonata, Chopin's Fantasie, Revolutionary - everyone can play that piece.

No?

[Bouter Boogie]

I voted for Rondo alla Turca and Claire de Lune, but why the hell is Islamey in the list?! And you totally forgot to add Beethoven's Für Elise

[princessdecadence]

[quote author=princessdecadence link=topic=12073.msg128227#msg128227
Raindrop is far more um..."rare" in comparison to Moonlight Sonata, Chopin's Fantasie, Revolutionary - everyone can play that piece.

No?

Yes but not saying that Raindrop is more difficult.  Nothing to do with difficulty level by my saying everyone can play that.

@Bouter - Turkish Rondo too! Brr....

[luc]

Maybe we should use overdiscussed or 'overtalkedabout' instead of overplayed