Usually, I tend to stay clear of threads like this as they can only ever convey a subjective opinion rather than any sort of fact. What some call tedious, irksome, boring or dull, others may call relaxing, contemplative or introspective and therefore derive their own enjoyment from it for those reasons. I happen to be a fan of Glass and Pärt for example - not every single thing they've done but I am appreciative of their contribution to contemporary music and have enjoyed performing their works too.
By the same token I'm not a fan of every single thing of dear old JSB. There are a few of his pieces that I find intensely boring but in which others find beauty and enjoyment.
I apologise if anyone takes offence, but I have to put up with this sort of thing on a depressingly regular basis from classes who are so resistant to listening to anything that's practically less than a couple of days old, let alone a couple of centuries.
"It's boring!"
"Really? Why?"
"Because I don't like it"
"That's not a valid reason for it to be boring. Why don't you like it?"
And from there, what little there is of any sort of intelligent "conversation" boils down to the fact that they just don't understand it and have no desire to understand it which makes my job even harder because I'm trying to make them understand it!:crazy: They're supposed to be there to learn things beyond their own little world and their own - uninformed - opinions.
Most of us here on the other hand have been around the traps long enough to formulate an informed/educated opinion, but that's still all it remains, an opinion. In other words; To each their own.
By the way, I'm not a huge fan of the Gorecki either, but I certainly don't dislike it. And for what it's worth, amongst my list of what I consider boring includes:
- Mozart Eine Keline Nichtmusik : Its overt trite-ness makes it boring for me, can't stand it.
- Rheinberger Organ Sonatas : Was once (thankfully only once) made to sit through a couple of them and was bored with each of them.
- Some Mendelssohn Sonatas bore me as well.
- Ravel's Bolero : Not a fan, good exercise in orchestration (which I gather was its original intention), but ultimately tedious. His piano works however, I love hearing!
- JSB Prelude I in C Maj (from the WTC) : Interesting technical exercise to test the tuning of the harpsichord, but as a piece of music, it's dull.
Remember, it's only my opinion, and so in the end, should only matter as much as anyone elses! :grin:
