Least favorite composers!!

[williampiano]

This is a list of what seems to me to be the most well known composers. Vote on which are the worst. Sorry if some of them are a bit obscure.

[healdie]

Which Strauss? If Johann ( one or two) then yes they may come as my least favourite but if Richard then Certainly not

I voted Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Saint-Saen

[williampiano]

Which Strauss? If Johann ( one or two) then yes they may come as my least favourite but if Richard then Certainly not

Oh sorry about that, I meant Johann Strauss II. I made the same mistake with Scarlatti. I'll fix that.

[pianoplayjl]

Probably Sorabji.....His music is not music at all...

[ahinton]

Probably Sorabji.....His music is not music at all...

Rubbish! (and I don't, of course, mean that it is rubbish but that the comment is).

That said, I'm just relived that my own name isn't on the list.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

That said, I'm just relived that my own name isn't on the list.

Perhaps the thread originator wanted to give the others a chance

Anyway, look who is winning, or should we say losing.

Thal

[wsmith]

Someone voted Bach??? That is blasphemy!

[ahinton]

look who is winning, or should we say losing.

You're only supposed to vote once, Thal, old chap!

Best,

Alistair

[pianoplayjl]

Someone voted Bach??? That is blasphemy!

Bach ain't sacred nor is he a diety of some sort so it is not blaspmeous to vote him.  ;DI would've voted Bach if Willpiano gave us 5 votes apiece because Bach's P&F in C minor gave me a headache and it was ridiculously hard to analyse.

Rubbish! (and I don't, of course, mean that it is rubbish but that the comment is).

That said, I'm just relived that my own name isn't on the list.

Best,

Alistair

I was judging his music on some portions of Opus Clavistembalisticum which I've heard and it doesn't sound to my taste. Maybe my perception of Sorabji's music will improve if I listen more. Sorry if that offended you to any degree.

JL

[philb]

I voted Ravel. I've always disliked his music and never understood why it was so popular. I have tried listening to it, but I can't stand most of it.

Bach ain't sacred nor is he a diety of some sort so it is not blaspmeous to vote him. 

Well, he's probably one of the most (if not the most) important composers. So it could be blasphemous to vote him as a least favorite.

[pianoplayjl]

Well, he's probably one of the most (if not the most) important composers. So it could be blasphemous to vote him as a least favorite.

Can't disagree with you on that one although I hate Bach very much. Bach indeed was important. So important in fact that his WTCs were considered the Old testament of piano music while Beethoven's 32 were the New Testament. It certainly ain't Blasphemous to call him the second least favourite composer.

I voted Ravel. I've always disliked his music and never understood why it was so popular. I have tried listening to it, but I can't stand most of it.

Try listening to his Miroirs and Gaspard de la nuit over and over again. You will surely understand the true genuis of his music. And try to learn and know more of his music so you can appreciate what he offered to the world.

JL

[wsmith]

Bach ain't sacred

Clearly you have not listened to enough of his music.

You will surely understand the true genuis of his music. And try to learn and know more of his music so you can appreciate what he offered to the world.

[ahinton]

I was judging his music on some portions of Opus Clavistembalisticum which I've heard and it doesn't sound to my taste. Maybe my perception of Sorabji's music will improve if I listen more. Sorry if that offended you to any degree.

No offence at all; you'd have to do a lot more than that to begin to offend me! It's Opus Clavicembalisticum, incidentally and, whilst no doubt your perception of Sorabji's music might well change the more you listen to it, it just as easily might not; that said, OC is not necessarily the best place for everyone to start with it, so why not try other shorter works?

Best,

Alistair

[victorsj]

Gee.  None of those listed are my "least favorites"
My least favorites are Pachelbel and Barber.

[pianoplayjl]

No offence at all; you'd have to do a lot more than that to begin to offend me! It's Opus Clavicembalisticum, incidentally and, whilst no doubt your perception of Sorabji's music might well change the more you listen to it, it just as easily might not; that said, OC is not necessarily the best place for everyone to start with it, so why not try other shorter works?

Best,

Alistair

Indeed. I meant listening to his smaller scale works like Transcendental etudes. Every composer has weak and strong works.

JL

[pianowolfi]

Haha, two Vivaldis and one "Nazareth" in that list. Not sure what that means 

[pianoplayjl]

Vivaldi is awesome!

Nazareth..hmmmm......Probably refering to Jesus..

[williampiano]

Haha, two Vivaldis and one "Nazareth" in that list. Not sure what that means 

Haha, my bad. I guess I just forgot that I already added a Vivaldi. I'll take one of them off. If you spot any others just let me know.

Nazareth..hmmmm......Probably refering to Jesus..

Ernesto Nazareth is a Brazilian composer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Nazareth

[williampiano]

Gee.  None of those listed are my "least favorites"
My least favorites are Pachelbel and Barber.

I added both of them to the list for you.

[pianowolfi]

Haha, my bad. I guess I just forgot that I already added a Vivaldi. I'll take one of them off. If you spot any others just let me know.
Ernesto Nazareth is a Brazilian composer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Nazareth

Oh good stupid me, I thought only of that Band Nazareth.

My least favorite composer? Probably Finissy, but I haven't heard enough from him because it's really hard for me to listen to him.

[ted]

I tend to pursue affinities in music rather than avoid dislikes, so this poll is a tad negative for me. In any case I do not have the listening experience of the music of those composers to judge, even at the personal level. I have been pleasantly surprised too many times to wish to eliminate anybody. I have gone off regularly listening to nearly all the old masters in recent years, it is true, but they are a terribly long way from being "least favourite", in the sense that I can turn on the radio and hear sounds of a type which really do irritate me. I do not yet understand what some famous composers were getting at, but at sixty-four,unlike many of my contemporaries, I seem to be broadening in taste with age, so who knows what might happen. I certainly wouldn't eliminate any names at all on that list.

[ahinton]

My least favorite composer? Probably Finissy, but I haven't heard enough from him because it's really hard for me to listen to him.

You could at least try to spell his name correctly before deciding - especially on what you admit to be insufficient listening experience - on whereabouts he might figure on your favourites list!

Best,

Alistair

[pianoplayjl]

Gee.  None of those listed are my "least favorites"
My least favorites are Pachelbel and Barber.

Barber's awesome! particularly his excursions and I think his piano sonata? Pachalbel I don't know his music that much but I like it judging by his famous Canon in D major.

JL

[pianoplayjl]

Hmm..Never heard of Nazareth and his music before. Maybe this poll should be for well known composers. Maybe some of his music must sound bad to some listeners in order to deserve a spot in this poll.

JL

[bachbrahmsschubert]

I was once told by a smart man that to hate Bach is simply ignorance.

Meh.

Debussy and Schumann.

[haydnseeker]

Bach ain't sacred nor is he a diety of some sort so it is not blaspmeous to vote him.

I think lots of musicians would disagree with you.

When composer Mauricio Kagel produced his 'Saint Bach Passion' for the Bach tercentenary in 1985, he commented that 'not all musicians believe in God, but they do all believe in Bach'.

One musician who would have agreed with you but not Kagel was conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, whose view of Bach was 'too much counterpoint - and what is worse, Protestant counterpoint.'

[pianoplayjl]

His music maybe sacred because he wrote Church music but I mean literally (yesthis is really crazy), he is not divine. I don't heaer any religion set up around Bach. I've begun to appreciate some of his music though such as select P&Fs.

JL

[haydnseeker]

I think this type of poll is rather silly.

I believe all the canonical great composers have acquired their status for good reason.

Most of us older musicians or music-lovers have had composers that we didn't get for some reason, but over the years we've come to understand them.  In my experience the surest way to overcome lack of receptiveness to a composer is active engagement with their music.

When I was learning my way around the classical repertoire aound forty years ago, it was fashionable to disdain some of the more conservative late Romantic composers, especially Puccini and Rachmaninov.  There were critics who believed that such composers would and should fade into oblivion.  I must have read and been influenced by some of their writings.  But pianists carried on playing Rachmaninov, and his work's stature now seems assured.

Some years later I took part in an amateur production of Puccini, and more recently I've played some Rachmaninov.  My attitude to both those composers has completely changed.

[pianoplayjl]

I think that most of the composers works  mentioned above are overplayed and it is time that some obscure and unheard of composers get our attention. Their music is just as good and if not even better. I'm talking about Feinberg, Ornstein, Lyapunov, Hummel, Mosolov, Baines etc. However I'm not saying that the big gun compositions should be neglected. I just think the obscure composers deserve more attention. If the big gun composers have aquired such a reputation because of their extremely popular works then there is no reason why the smaller composers cannot acquire a better reputation. Their works just have to be promoted more often. If a composer's works are heard more frequently then there is no reason why the attitude can't change. Maybe for the better. Sorry if I'm repeating myself too much.

I think this type of poll is rather silly.

I think not. On the contrary I think this poll is interesting because I want to see how popular the big guns are among the PS community and it seems that the more famous the composer, the more dislike it has. Some composers are judged by specific works they composed not the whole output. I really think that a composer should be judged by the quality of music they composed as a whole or the majority of the output. Then again this is almost impossible becuase one might have to listen to all his works or most of them.

JL

[pianoplayjl]

Probably Sorabji.....His music is not music at all...

Probably that tag should have applied to John Cage.

JL

[grandstaff]

Okay, I know that this post is a little bit late (and off topic, and probably unnecessary) but I just wanted to say:

Ernesto Nazareth is awesome. I am shocked that many of you haven't heard his music and I seriously suggest you guys should listen to some of his pieces. Odeon is a personal favorite of mine.

[scherzo123]

I just picked seven of the composers I never heard of...

[davidjosepha]

I just picked seven of the composers I never heard of...

So you're saying you hate the unknown? Shame on you!

[scherzo123]

So you're saying you hate the unknown? Shame on you!

umm...my bad?   

[davidjosepha]

umm...my bad?   

Just a joke! I didn't recognize a bunch of the composers listed. I should probably look some of them up

[williampiano]

Okay, I know that this post is a little bit late (and off topic, and probably unnecessary) but I just wanted to say:

Ernesto Nazareth is awesome. I am shocked that many of you haven't heard his music and I seriously suggest you guys should listen to some of his pieces. Odeon is a personal favorite of mine.

I agree 100%. It is good to finally see there are some other Ernesto Nazareth fans on this forum! 

[zezhyrule]

I'm trying to figure out how both Mozart and Bartok have 4 votes 

[williampiano]

I'm trying to figure out how both Mozart and Bartok have 4 votes 

I'm still trying to figure out why Pachelbel has so many votes. I know he's not the most popular composer ever, but I didn't know that everyone disliked him that much compared to other composers.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I don't need to say who's my least favorite composer.  You already know.

[danielekstrom]

I'm still trying to figure out why Pachelbel has so many votes. I know he's not the most popular composer ever, but I didn't know that everyone disliked him that much compared to other composers.

Because they're judging by Canon in D and don't know any of his other compositions. Though I doubt they would like them either.

Also, Friedrich Kalkbrenner.

[ruvidoetostinato]

O_O I'm surprised that the first five people on the list have that many votes!  Mozart and Bach?!

[austinarg]

Mozart, Schumann, Schoenberg, Sorabji, Clementi and Ligeti (who is not in the list).

[emrysmerlin]

Probably that tag should have applied to John Cage.

JL

And where's John Cage??

[perprocrastinate]

Either Beethoven or Sorabji, but most likely the latter.

[sasuke_10]

People who write music for Lady Gaga, Rihanna etc... why are they not on the list?

[pianist88]

Why isn't Monteverdi on the list? And where's Puccini?

[lisztrachmaninovfan]

  How could so many people vote against Schumann, Ravel, and Debussy? Geez, some people just don't understand creativity and in the last two cases, impressionism. Oh well, at least no one voted against Poulenc! Yet!

[thalbergmad]

Looks like Sorabji wins.

No surprise really.

Thal