Help me like these composers!

[DarkWind]

There a bunch of composers I like. There are some I don't know about. And then there are some I dislike a lot. Everybody speaks of how great Rachmaninov or Bach is, but quite frankly, I've never been able to really like their music. If someone could point me in the right way and give me good suggestions on what pieces I could listen to by them that I will definetely love, it would be great. As for Rachmaninov, just try not to mention the common Piano Concertos 2 and 3 or those 2 widely known preludes. I have heard lots about these composers, and I've never been able to like them! Any great suggestions would be extremely welcome. Thanks.

[Xelles]

I'm sick of bastards like you who are so pussy whipped by the works of people like Chopin or Beethoven. You don't like Rach because you've only heard his most commonly played ("easy") works. There will never be anyone else in history (the latest sadly, being Ashkenazy - which was actually an amazing recording) to record the complete Etude-Tableaux of Op. 33 and 39. Rach is so devistatingly underplayed, or overplayed with insanely BAD interpretations. Get your damn grimy hands on his etudes, the only true set of etudes (next to the transcendentales - which again, will never again in history be properly recorded. Unless Mei-Ting decides to learn the other 11) and any sonata. Happy? You have my picks, get the etudes, variations, Russian rhapsody, moment musicals, Morceaux de fantaisie (absolutely BEAUTIFUL set, IF played properly) and ANY Sonata.

[DarkWind]

Jesus calm down... It's not my fault that I've only heard those common songs, its the CDs that come with those, along with many of the other people who talk only about those. It enviromental pressure and occurence, not exactly my fault. Anyways, thank you for the suggestions. At least I'm honest to admit that I've never found preference in their music and am willing to change...

[Xelles]

Jesus calm down... It's not my fault that I've only heard those common songs, its the CDs that come with those, along with many of the other people who talk only about those. It enviromental pressure and occurence, not exactly my fault. Anyways, thank you for the suggestions. At least I'm honest to admit that I've never found preference in their music and am willing to change...

Songs...what is the world coming to? (rhetorical)

[DarkWind]

Bah, common mistake. I'm being brainwashed by common society...

[comme_le_vent]

im with you darkwind.

i think - if you dont initially like certain composers - think of what 'mood' and 'emotions' you like in music.

each great composer has expressed every emotion known to man - just look for the works that qualify for the emotions you find appealing.

for example - i found mozart irritatingly joyful all the time, so i looked straight for his minor key works, and found them alot more appealing.
now i can say i really like mozart.

so specify some moods you like and maybe we can help you better...  

[Hmoll]

Liking and appreciating are two different things. You do not have to "like" Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninov or anyone else. You could develop an appreciation for their music, though.

The more you listen to their music the more you may come to like it.

I've listened extensively to all of Rachmaninov's music, and played some of it. His best pieces are the Pagannini Variations, and the Correlli Variations. Outside of that, his music is pretty ordinary.

[Xelles]

Go ahead and flaunt your "YaBB senior member" title.   !

[DarkWind]

Heh, well I like the mysterious, dark, and sometimes diabolical type of music. Also, something that has a strong, majestic, feel to it.

[donjuan]

Hi DarkWind,
No wonder you like Liszt so much! Diabolical...Majestic..I think we have very much in common.  first things first - ignore Isaiah.  He's a moron .  comme_le_vent knows what he/she is talking about.  

For Bach, I suggest the Piano Transcription by Busoni of "Toccata and Fugue in D- Minor" or  "Chaconne in D-Minor", which is a piece I am currently working on.  Both are Majestic and Diabolical at the same time.

oh, and in music other than that for the piano, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance NO.1 is very Majestic.

In Rachmaninoff, well...hmmmm uh perhaps there's not much for you in rachmaninoff.  Well, we both like the same type of music, so i'll suggest Rachmaninoff's Polka, or Prelude Op 23 No.4 and No.5.  Lilacs...noooo you wont like that...Ah!! Sonata No.3
I can probably think of some more, but anyway have a listen to these pieces I've suggested and let me know if you like any of them.
bye!
donjuan

   

[comme_le_vent]

sonata 3? is there such a thing?

i disagree about rachmaninov, though you may like scriabin more, i think alot of rachmaninov has those qualities.

and hmoll your statement was just an opinion, in my opinion there are MANY works by rachmaninov that are way beyond what id call ORDINARY.

for powerful and majestic try the b flat prelude.

as for bach, try the chromatic fantasia and fugue - its quite accesible.

[donjuan]

I meant sonata No.2.  Im not that good at typing.  

[Clare]

There has been many a time I've been listening to the radio and hearing something new, and thinking - "Ooh - I like this piece! What is it?" and then finding out it was by someone I'd decided I didn't like.
Sometimes the reasons I decided not to like a composer were terribly superficial, and I've now grown up enough not to think that way (almost).
But ultimately, I think it's perfectly fine not to like certain music. Anyway, your taste changes over time and one day you might listen to only Beethoven for twenty years, and then wake up and think, "Hm. I wouldn't mind a little burst of Webern today!"

[Hmoll]

and hmoll your statement was just an opinion, in my opinion there are MANY works by rachmaninov that are way beyond what id call ORDINARY.

Of course it's just my opinion. What else would it be? Lots of people have the same opinion as me, and lots of people like Rachmaninov a lot.

[comme_le_vent]

i was just refering to the way you said it, it seemed as though you were stating facts, as opposed to just your opinion.

[Xelles]

)

I meant sonata No.2.  Im not that good at typing.  

Sonata No. 1 in D minor is extremelyBRUTALY
more hardcore in every aspect when compared to Sonata No. 2 in Bbminor. Though both are 2 of the biggest romantic works ever composed by one composer (I'll kill anyone that says Chopin's Ballades are more intense then these Sonatas... )

[Xelles]

Oh my! I just so happen to have a very nice recording of Rach's 1st (sonata)  

1st movement - https://cobalt.tc.columbia.edu/users/auh/webconcerthall/mijungim/rach_sonata1.mp3

2nd movement - https://cobalt.tc.columbia.edu/users/auh/webconcerthall/mijungim/rach_sonata2.mp3

3rd movement - https://cobalt.tc.columbia.edu/users/auh/webconcerthall/mijungim/rach_sonata3.mp3

[comme_le_vent]

chopin's ballades are more intense than that , come on!  

and thanks alot for those files, you good for nothing pile of piano goodness   .

[Hmoll]

i was just refering to the way you said it, it seemed as though you were stating facts, as opposed to just your opinion.

That's just my style. I had a writing teacher once who took points off if you wrote "I think," or "in my opinion.." If you are asserting something that's subjective, then it's obviously your opinion, you don't have to say it is.

[comme_le_vent]

fine...

but whats so ordinary(in your opinion) about rach's other works?

[Xelles]

and thanks alot for those files, you good for nothing pile of piano goodness   .

I aim to please  

[Xelles]

Here's the other:

Sonata No. 2 in Bb minor - https://www.drewle.com/rachmaninov.mp3

Listen to the major difference, comme (unless you already have this ). This one dies off too quickly, and becomes very "etudish".

[aileigc]

oh, and in music other than that for the piano, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance NO.1 is very Majestic.

A bit in the line of Elgar, I do like Ketélbey and he's got some marvelously majestic works too. I suggest "With Honour Crowned". Also, I find his "In a Persian Market" marvelously delightful (and that's what I'm practicing now, although it was first written for orchestra) and his "In the Mystic Land of Egypt" has a very charming love melody. All the work I know of his is very theatrical and compelling. I recommend him.

Ail

[JeffL]

How did we get on to Ketelby (who was, apparently, distantly-related to Clifford Curzon) in a discussion about Bach and Rachmaninov?!  
It might be an idea to look away from the piano repertoire and listen, for instance to some of Bach's lighter vocal works (such as the Coffee Cantata) or Rachmaninov's Songs, many of which are very graceful. Two of these,Daisies and Lilacs,  also exist in Rachmaninov's own transcriptions for piano. Perhaps out of place to mention in a piano forum, but there is an extremely beautiful recording of Kreisler's transcription of Daisies by Bronislaw Gimpel which is well-worth hearing.

[aileigc]

How did we get on to Ketelby (who was, apparently, distantly-related to Clifford Curzon) in a discussion about Bach and Rachmaninov?!  

Association of ideas, I'd call it

[JeffL]

In fact Ketelby published some piano music under the pseudonym Vodorinski. Probably an attempt to jump on the Rachmaninov C# minor prelude bandwagon!

[JeffL]

Apologies for posting twice in a row, but I've just done a search on "Vodorinski" and found this item about Hitler, Stalin and Ketelby! I wonder if it's a joke :-/
https://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0108&L=classical&F=&S=&P=9412