Sung composers that you just "don't get"

[Delicious Manager]

I agree partially about Chopin. He did write some great music, but a lot of warbling too, and I cannot understand why anyone bothers with those tedious piano concertos.  Definitely not a "rounded" composer in terms of competence, but you might say that about Verdi as well.

The Requiem (OK, a sacred, unstaged opera...!)?
Four Sacred Songs?
String Quartet in E minor (WELL worth a listen!)?

[Alan Howe]

A rounded composer doesn't have to have written in every genre. Depth of exploration of that genre and originality of compositional thought are much more important. Otherwise we write off Wagner and Bruckner too.

Are there two more influential operatic composers from the nineteenth century than Verdi and Wagner? Both are pretty rounded composers in terms of the depth and breadth of the world that is to be found in their compositions.

[eschiss1]

Sung composers I just don't get (or maybe just don't enjoy) , since I haven't answered the question myself and there's a long enough list - up there would be Offenbach. (Then again, for me those obligatory ballet sequences have only really worked when done by Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, a few others who made music, and rather good music, out of them, not just "is it over yet?" sequences of not-enjoyable-enough dances.)

At least with Verdi I really like the string quartet and, the once or twice I've heard it, the Requiem, and the rest will probably follow in due course, maybe starting with Otello...

[jerfilm]

Ah Bruckner - i guess either you love him or pretty much dislike him.  The first Bruckner i ever heard was the 7th under Skrowaczewski  and while I was being captivated, about a fourth of the audiene walked out about 3/4ths of the way through.  But Minnesota audiences now cheer wildly - an 8th last season brought the audience to its feet.

For a starter, tho, I love his 9th and the old Bruno Walter Columbia recording.....

Jerry

[Gauk]

By "rounded", I specifically mean someone who explored most musical genres, not someone whose output was 95% operas, or piano music, or symphonies. And writing ONE string quartet doesn't make Verdi less of an opera specialist.

That said, of course no-one is suggesting that Wagner or Verdi were bad composers because they stuck mostly to operas. But personally, I am less drawn to composers who were specialists in one mode of output, with the possible exception of Bruckner.

[Alan Howe]

By 'rounded', you really mean 'all-round' in the sense of 'versatile'. The dictionary definition of rounded' is 'full', 'mature' or 'complete' - and certainly such specialists as Wagner, Verdi and Bruckner were complete musicians and mature composers. Hence the confusion being perpetuated here.

There's no problem in being drawn to versatile composers; it's simply that this shouldn't be a reason to regard them as necessarily superior to their more specialist counterparts. 

[Gauk]

By 'rounded', you really mean 'all-round' in the sense of 'versatile'.

Yes, but "all-round composer" sounds stilted, and "versatile composer" is not quite the same. I hoped the sense was clear from the context.

There's no problem in being drawn to versatile composers; it's simply that this shouldn't be a reason to regard them as necessarily superior to their more specialist counterparts.

Of course, but the thread is about composers that you just "don't get", and I have an irrational distrust of composers who were such specialists that they seldom strayed from one single medium. Chopin being a case in point, which is how we got on to this. Not, though, to the point where I won't listen to them or can't enjoy their music.

[thalbergmad]

I don't get Schumann. It is restrained romanticism.

He lacked the ability to let himself go and the vast majority of his piano works bore me.

Thal

[Mark Thomas]

My nominees have mostly been suggested already: Chopin (pretty, but too flowery for me), Bruckner (all those pauses and just over-long) and Delius (with a couple of exceptions the music doesn't go anywhere). I'll add Wagner whose orchestral world I absolutely love, but try as I may (and despite loving opera as a rule) I can get no pleasure from his vocal writing. As always, I recognise that these blocks are my loss and I'm not making a case denigrating any of these composers, they just don't work for me.

[Alan Howe]

..."all-round composer" sounds stilted, and "versatile composer" is not quite the same. I hoped the sense was clear from the context...I have an irrational distrust of composers who were such specialists that they seldom strayed from one single medium

1. 'All-round composer' is perfectly good English. Not stilted at all. Try googling the phrase!
2. 'Versatile' is in fact a virtual synonym for 'all-round'. See:
http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-synonyms/versatile
3. The sense wasn't clear at all because of the confusion of 'rounded' with 'all-round'.
4. The distrust described is indeed irrational. Why should one 'distrust' a composer of operas such as Verdi? Should one distrust a poet because he didn't write novels as well? Or a painter of impressionist nature scenes because he didn't do portraits too?

[eschiss1]

Re Schumann: that's a criticism I usually hear of Mendelssohn (outside of   the F minor string quartet and a few other works...) - and as to Schumann I suppose I can see it somewhat the A minor (1st, not 3rd op posth) violin sonata seems mostly to me to be an exception (likewise the 2nd piano sonata), likewise some other works, but "seems" is the keyword and this is all subjective anycase...

[Jonathan]

Can I say Mahler?  (runs away and hides...)
Don't know why, I have tried but his music just doesn't connect with me somehow.

[Alan Howe]

We're all permitted not to 'get' particular composers. The problem arises when a subjective view is paraded as having some sort of objective justification. Much better to do what my fellow moderator has done here and simply acknowledge one's own subjective preferences and failings. For example, I don't really 'get' organ composers; however, I wouldn't regard them as somehow suspect or of less value than their more versatile colleagues.

[Peter1953]

Actually, I read more and more posts I just don't 'get', I'm sorry to say. All about sung composers I admire. Well, everyone to his taste I suppose.

[Alan Howe]

I agree, Peter. But this thread is all about the subjective issue of 'not getting' particular composers, so there are bound to be expressions of opinion which we just 'don't get', precisely because they are subjective.