why is schubert so awesome

[mjames]

discuss




ps no hipster stuff allowed, visitor

[dima_76557]

why is schubert so awesome

He is certainly not "awesome" for all. Glenn Gould, for example, disliked Schubert's music because of its "repetitive structures". Still, at a Richter concert in Moscow in the 1950s, the Canadian genius heard what Beethoven had termed the "devine spark" in Schubert's B-flat sonata D960, an opus notorious for its length under the hands of less capable pianists. Very inspired, uplifting tunes, fluent song-like melodies and magical harmonic moments. In Schubert's music, the possibilities of the piano go far beyond what the instrument was actually meant to do, but it takes a master of touch and an architect to reveal that:

[thalbergmad]

He is certainly not "awesome" for all. Glenn Gould, for example, disliked Schubert's music because of its "repetitive structures".

Well, Gould was a knobend and perhaps did not realise that if something is incredibly beautiful, it is worth repeating. Unlike certain other "composers" who were prone to repeating rubbish.

Schubert is the most melodic of composers as a song was never far from his heart, but he can sound terrible in the hands of idiots.

In a hundred years time and perhaps even for the rest of time, Schubert will still be one of the greats whereas the worthless plinkers of the 20/21st century will be correctly laughed at.

Thal

[bernadette60614]

 I would say that there is something just deeply resonant and soul stirring about his piano music.  I'm not a professional pianist, but he reminds me of Mozart in so far as the music is deceptively simple to play, but very difficult to play beautifully.

[pianoguy711]

I think it's safe to say he is among the greatest melody writers, up there with Tchaikovsky and Chopin.

[mjames]

Playing the first movement of his 16th Sonata.


It's-so-good.

[ahinton]

Well, Gould was a knobend and perhaps did not realise that if something is incredibly beautiful, it is worth repeating. Unlike certain other "composers" who were prone to repeating rubbish.

Schubert is the most melodic of composers as a song was never far from his heart, but he can sound terrible in the hands of idiots.

In a hundred years time and perhaps even for the rest of time, Schubert will still be one of the greats whereas the worthless plinkers of the 20/21st century will be correctly laughed at.

Maybe one of these fine days I will find my way to appreciate Schubert but my failure to get much of what he wrote is well established and such rapport with the rest still seems a long way off. Almost everyone makes great claims for the late Piano Sonata in B flat but I still don't get what all the fuss is about, despite having heard many wonderful (and some not so wonderful!) performances of it. For me, a handful of the oh-so-many songs, the Mass in E flat, the B minor symphony, the Quartettsatz and some of the later quartets and the two piano trios, yes indeed but, for me, much of the rest of his mind-numbingly enormous output is either dull, repetitive and unengaging or interesting but not really arresting. That's not at all a value judgement, of course - just a personal response to date; so, for me, Schubert is far from "awesome" but, in his final 18 months or so, he began to write less music and it showed in an obvious rise in quality, so what he might have given us had he lived even to the age of 50 is an interesting subject on which to speculate.

Well, that's more than enough heresy from me this evening!...

Best,

Alistair

[awesom_o]

I'm beginning to suspect you and Thalbergmad are secretly (not so secretly?) members of the barefoot movement.


You both really seem to dislike Schus!


 

[swagmaster420x]

I'm beginning to suspect you and Thalbergmad are secretly (not so secretly?) members of the barefoot movement.


You both really seem to dislike Schus!


 

hahahahhahaha 

[thalbergmad]

much of the rest of his mind-numbingly enormous output is either dull, repetitive and unengaging or interesting but not really arresting.

Probably because your brain is tuned into Radio Plink.

Thal

[mjames]

Maybe one of these fine days I will find my way to appreciate Schubert but my failure to get much of what he wrote is well established and such rapport with the rest still seems a long way off. Almost everyone makes great claims for the late Piano Sonata in B flat but I still don't get what all the fuss is about, despite having heard many wonderful (and some not so wonderful!) performances of it. For me, a handful of the oh-so-many songs, the Mass in E flat, the B minor symphony, the Quartettsatz and some of the later quartets and the two piano trios, yes indeed but, for me, much of the rest of his mind-numbingly enormous output is either dull, repetitive and unengaging or interesting but not really arresting. That's not at all a value judgement, of course - just a personal response to date; so, for me, Schubert is far from "awesome" but, in his final 18 months or so, he began to write less music and it showed in an obvious rise in quality, so what he might have given us had he lived even to the age of 50 is an interesting subject on which to speculate.

Well, that's more than enough heresy from me this evening!...

Best,

Alistair

Have you played his 16th sonata? Go play it!!!!

Don't go to YouTube and listen to it, play it!!!


You can probably sightread it