Your No. 1 All Time greatest Classical music choice

[Olham 164]

Thanks but not necessary, von Paulus. "Wannseekonferenz" is on TV here every now and then.

[Bullethead 12]

My favorite :

 

[Dej 17]

True enough BH. But what those musical genii left behind is a surer immortality than any other uncertain promise.

[Bullethead 12]

True enough BH. But what those musical genii left behind is a surer immortality than any other uncertain promise.

 

I dunno. True, there were a few truly great ones back in the day, who have lasting popularity. I enjoy listening to them. But those old guys were the pop stars of their day. As with their analogs in our time, most of the old guys were 1-hit wonders or even less, because all or most of their music really sucked. Problem is, nobody burned all their music back when they had the chance so it lingers on into our time. And so some folks these days think they can affect a cultured air by dredging up some completely horrible work by some utterly unknown, no-talent classical composer on the theory that because it's old, it must be good.

 

I suppose in a couple centuries, everybody will still know a few Rolling Stones songs just as we all know some Beethoven and Mozart, but the self-styled "cultural elite" will be digging up today's throw-away crap and pretending to be superior.

[Olham 164]

What was your tune, Bullethead? The video's not available for me here.

[Bullethead 12]

What was your tune, Bullethead? The video's not available for me here.

 

Monty Python's "Decomposing Composers"

[Dej 17]

I dunno. True, there were a few truly great ones back in the day, who have lasting popularity. I enjoy listening to them. But those old guys were the pop stars of their day. As with their analogs in our time, most of the old guys were 1-hit wonders or even less, because all or most of their music really sucked. Problem is, nobody burned all their music back when they had the chance so it lingers on into our time. And so some folks these days think they can affect a cultured air by dredging up some completely horrible work by some utterly unknown, no-talent classical composer on the theory that because it's old, it must be good.

 

I suppose in a couple centuries, everybody will still know a few Rolling Stones songs just as we all know some Beethoven and Mozart, but the self-styled "cultural elite" will be digging up today's throw-away crap and pretending to be superior.

 

Much as I respect your views on all things, BH, that's a tad too cynical. If a piece of music has been played constantly for the last 2, 3 or 4 hundred years it HAS to have some merit, like it or not. And there's a lot more than one or two '1-hit wonders'. Yes, some folks will dig up something that had best been left at the back of the drawer but that's true of all musical genres, they all have their 'poseurs'. But it's different if one genuinely likes something that doesn't seem to get enough airtime... there's no harm in promoting it. Saint-Saens 'Carnival of the Animals' as a case in point was supressed by the composer because it might have been too 'frivolous'. It's now one of his most popular pieces, because 'people' loved it.

 

For example, personally, I'm also a fan of Provencal troubadour and jongleur music from the 14th century. It'll never be 'mainstream, but it has a rawness and vitality that is unique because of it's historical and political timing. Pretty much all we have left there are the '1-hit wonders' of the day but does that lessen them in importance, if they changed musical history? Chacun a son gout, n'est pas?

[Bullethead 12]

Much as I respect your views on all things, BH, that's a tad too cynical. If a piece of music has been played constantly for the last 2, 3 or 4 hundred years it HAS to have some merit, like it or not.

 

Yup, but there's a difference between being played or at least known by and rather liked by everyday people and being played only by art poseurs in attempts to impress other art poseurs.

 

If you asked everyday people to write a list of classical composers for whom they can hum at least a few bars of at least 2 tunes, most folks would probably produce, after some thought, a list of 4-6 names. Some folks might go to 6-8 names. There'd be a lot of overlap between lists, so I figure you'd end up with no more than a dozen names in total. That, IMHO, is the list of the true greats, whose music has stood the test of time and whose names are thus widely known even by people who aren't into classical music.

 

If you broadened your search to include composers for whom the people known only part of 1 tune, you might end up with a total of about 20 names. The additions would be the better crop of "1-hit wonders", who had 1 kiss from the muse but never got a 2nd date. Their music is well-known but their names are remembered only with difficulty. For example, everybody knows the last movement of the "William Tell Overture". In fact, they probably are quite familiar with many other movements of that tune due to them being used as soundtracks for so many things, but probably don't realize they're from the same tune, having never heard it all played through. And they probably don't associate the name Rossini with any of it; they think of the Lone Ranger, or perhaps the threesome scene from "A Clockwork Orange". So regardless of whatelse he did (some of which was quite good), Rossini today is a "1-hit wonder".

 

Beyond that, you get into the territory of those who truly like and are into classical music. No harm in that. I'm just saying that such folks know and like a much wider range of composers than the average person. But even they pretty much agree on a relatively small subset of everybody who wrote music back in the day. Outside this latter list, you have the territory of poseurs, who unfortunately decide on what your local orchestra will play, and thus skip over the really good stuff as "too common".

 

That's what I was saying. But I think Monty Python said it best:

 

"Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Panties...I'm sorry...Schumann, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Bach. Names that will live for ever. But there is one composer whose name is never included with the greats. Why is it that the world never remembered the name of Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle- dongle-dungle-burstein von Knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm?"

 

For example, personally, I'm also a fan of Provencal troubadour and jongleur music from the 14th century

 

And I collect bawdy drinking songs from all ages :).

 

 

 

[Olham 164]

Reading that Monty Pythons song makes me wonder about that funny relationship

the British have with the Germans. They seem to like to "super-Germanise" words.

Very funny, Bullethead, but not quite the right thread, you rascal you!

Edited March 20, 2011 by Olham

[Bullethead 12]

Reading that Monty Pythons song makes me wonder about that funny relationship

the British have with the Germans. They seem to like to "super-Germanise" words.

Very funny, Bullethead, but not quite the right thread, you rascal you!

 

For the video, see here:

 

As to the composer's name, the funniest part is that they have to say "of Ulm" to distinguish him from others fo the same name from other places

[Olham 164]

Oh yes - we have several famous Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-

digger-dingle-dangle- dongle-dungle-burstein von Knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-

knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-

ein-nürnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch-

mittler-aucher von Hautkopft.

The one from Frankfurt an der Oder comes to mind, famous for inventing the alternative condoms made of jute.

Or the guy from Stuttgart-Sindelfingen, who inventet the Bratwurst. He changed his name before he became

famous with his invetion; he called himself Johann Gottlieb Brats. Also invented the Bratspfanne (frieing pan).

To name only two.

Edited March 21, 2011 by Olham