# Be Honest Here #6: Which genre of music do you not enjoy?



## Guest

I personally dislike string quartets. They are simply an acquired taste. I have not acquired it yet!


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## Guest

Après-vous, ma chère !


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## ahammel

I like all of those, thanks for asking.


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## Guest

@Ahammel Good to know. That's rare but yet kudos to you sir!


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## Ukko

karajan said:


> I personally dislike a few but i shall not divulge much but i ask of you which genre of music do you dislike?


My my, you are such a _negative_ person. Is there anything you like (other than chocolate ice cream, that is)?


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## Guest

@Hilltroll72 Updated


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## Guest

And yes there is nothing more than symphonies and sonatas [I have started to like piano sonatas too ]


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## ptr

karajan said:


> I personally dislike string quartets. They are simply an acquired taste. I have not acquired it yet!


Ain't all that Classical Music an acquired taste? The more you learn about it then more You appreciate it's qualities!

/ptr


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## Guest

String quartets are much much harder to appreciate then. Piano took some time but it went in and symphonies were the easiest and i suppose not everything is as hard as a string quartet to appreciate, atleast for me.


To each to his own.


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## Feathers

Are you going to make a "Be Honest" poll about everything you have yet to like? :lol:


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## ahammel

karajan said:


> @Ahammel Good to know. That's rare but yet kudos to you sir!


I think you'll find it's not all that rare. I would think that either one doesn't like chamber music much at all, or one is perfectly fine with most instrumentations. You'll probably find a few who don't like solo strings because of 'scratchiness' but are fine with other genres.


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## moody

Feathers said:


> Are you going to make a "Be Honest" poll about everything you have yet to like? :lol:


Most probably I imagine.


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## moody

I like all those categories,thanks for asking.


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## chrisco97

I actually like every single one of those...with that of the string quartet being one of my favourites.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Ain't all that Classical Music an acquired taste? 

I would say that's true of all music... not just classical music.


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## Ingélou

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Ain't all that Classical Music an acquired taste?
> 
> I would say that's true of all music... not just classical music.


It's a neat point which I appreciate - but surely babies like lullabies 'straight off'?


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## Mahlerian

None of the above, and that's being _honest_.

Simply put, the idea that I would dislike a great piece of music simply based on its instrumentation does not compute for me.


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## violadude

Why don't you go about listening to a string quartet the same way you do a symphony, Karajan? That might help.


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## Ukko

Ingenue said:


> It's a neat point which I appreciate - but surely babies like lullabies 'straight off'?


Probably not the music per se. I'm guessing it's that they can close their eyes and the love is still there.


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## DavidA

I cannot see the point of these polls. I like all of these by some composers and dislike some by other composers. You simply cannot make a general rule about every genre.


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## DavidA

karajan said:


> I personally dislike string quartets. They are simply an acquired taste. I have not acquired it yet!


You need to listen to Schuberts late quartets. The disliking of them means you may be afflicted with severe hearing problems. They are sublime.


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## Geo Dude

chrisco97 said:


> I actually like every single one of those...with that of the string quartet being one of my favourites.


This describes me, too.



DavidA said:


> You need to listen to Schuberts late quartets. The disliking of them means you may be afflicted with severe hearing problems. They are sublime.


To be fair, the recording (or rather, the string quartet playing them) can make a _big_ difference here.


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## Turangalîla

What a wretched question! To hand-pick instrumentations that you dislike?

It would make much more sense to make a "Be Honest" poll about different composers.


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## Guest

Well, probably. lol. I was just wanting to know how many non-pro-chamber music listeners are here. Rather how many people would vote who haven't matured their musical taste similar to mine. 


I am addicted to these threads. lol


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## Geo Dude

There's nothing wrong with the thread in itself, but I think that the 'be honest here' phrasing may be rubbing people the wrong way.

That said, my honest answer is that while I love all of them the string quartet genre took me a long time to come around to.


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## Ondine

A fan of String Quartets. They are like very small -pocket- symphonies.


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## Guest

Yea, geodude... Canning the Be Honest... People aren't ready for it... XD


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## Ravndal

Obviously you are a big newbie when it comes to classical music, and for many people it takes time to like all genres. I don't get why you keep making this threads? Why can't you be a little humble, and realize that not everything comes easy at the beginning. Why can't you just wait and learn?

These threads could have been interesting if perhaps Mahlerian has created them, because we know that he has experience, and a fully trained ear. He would have asked different and better formulated questions, but he could probably set anything in perspective.

That is just my opinion.

And to be honest, I like all these genres.


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## arpeggio

To be honest, I normally do not read or participate in these types of threads.


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## Guest

Yea.. Yea... Enough with the hate... Help me in the other thread if you really want to improve my rank of a listener from a newbie


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## Arsakes

Wind instruments are nice in general and alongside strings are great, but when you listen to a wind quartet or quintet for above 10 minutes ...


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## Mahlerian

Ravndal said:


> These threads could have been interesting if perhaps Mahlerian has created them, because we know that he has experience, and a fully trained ear. He would have asked different and better formulated questions, but he could probably set anything in perspective.


You're too kind. I'm learning as I go myself.


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## Novelette

Non-programmatic, or at least, those works which _seem_ non-programmatic can be difficult for less experienced listeners to appreciate.

Works with stories, original or attributed, are frequently the most easily enjoyed types of works as the illustrative nature gives them a grounding that is recognizable. With more experience, one may begin to appreciate the music for its own merits. I enjoyed all of these genres from the very first. In that vein, I'm with Mahlerian: I never really judged music by its instrumentation. There are really no instruments that I dislike and no combinations thereof that I dislike.


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## Weston

I voted the clarinet sonata and the clarinet (insert ensemble). I rarely like the sound of solo clarinet and apparently I'm in good company. That doesn't stop me from enjoying other aspects of clarinet chamber works besides the timbre, and there is always the chance one performer will a bit less squawky-honkering than another.


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## Klavierspieler

It's not the _what_ for me, it's the _how_.


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## starthrower

Dumb question. I don't listen to genres, I listen to music.


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## Op.123

I don't dislike any of it. Thank you for the pointless quetion though.


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## Novelette

Weston said:


> I voted the clarinet sonata and the clarinet (insert ensemble). I rarely like the sound of solo clarinet and apparently I'm in good company. That doesn't stop me from enjoying other aspects of clarinet chamber works besides the timbre, and there is always the chance one performer will a bit less squawky-honkering than another.


I also used to have a notable distaste for the clarinet as a solo instrument, or at least, as a prominent instrument. It was Brahms' Clarinet Trio and Quintet that changed my perspective. I found that the clarinet in fact often has a wonderfully mellow and expressive timbre to it. Brahms employed the clarinet's best features in these works.

But that's only my opinion.


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## Ravndal

Novelette said:


> I also used to have a notable distaste for the clarinet as a solo instrument, or at least, as a prominent instrument. It was Brahms' Clarinet Trio and Quintet that changed my perspective. I found that the clarinet in fact often has a wonderfully mellow and expressive timbre to it. Brahms employed the clarinet's best features in these works.
> 
> But that's only my opinion.


What about Brahms clarinet sonata no 2? That melody! Beautiful! And Debussy's orchestral works got quite a few clarinet melodies in them


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## Novelette

Ravndal said:


> What about Brahms clarinet sonata no 2? That melody! Beautiful! And Debussy's orchestral works got quite a few clarinet melodies in them


All of them, my friend!  Brahms' Clarinet Trio and Quintet awakened my appreciation for the clarinet, and thank goodness. I agree with you about the clarinet sonatas, they're hauntingly beautiful.


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## hreichgott

I used to think I disliked wind ensemble music. Then it turned out that I only disliked _bad_ wind ensemble music.


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## Geo Dude

Novelette said:


> All of them, my friend!  Brahms' Clarinet Trio and Quintet awakened my appreciation for the clarinet, and thank goodness. I agree with you about the clarinet sonatas, they're hauntingly beautiful.


I tried Brahms works for clarinet expecting to love them (I love Brahms generally) and they didn't click. Then L'Archibudelli's recording of Mozart's clarinet quintet and Kegelstatt Trio blew me away and I started to get it.


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## Novelette

Geo Dude said:


> I tried Brahms works for clarinet expecting to love them (I love Brahms generally) and they didn't click. Then L'Archibudelli's recording of Mozart's clarinet quintet and Kegelstatt Trio blew me away and I started to get it.


The clarinet works of Brahms are very intimate works, by his standards. The slow movements are my favorites of the set. Mozart's Clarinet Quintet is also a very nice work. I remember playing the first violin part of that quintet in 9th grade [we only played the fourth movement, but we played it rather well, I think!].


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## Guest

I adore chamber music in general, but I'm not so fond of string quartets (and quintets, etc). Perhaps my least favorite format is solo violin (or viola or cello).

String-only (i.e. violin, viola, cello) ensembles strike me as somewhat monochromatic (or the aural equivalent thereof). I prefer instrumentation with more distinct voices. 

I listen to string quartets fairly frequently, but rarely with much pleasure.

I know a few people who would be perfectly happy listening only to string quartets and nothing else. Funny how tastes vary so much.


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## Couchie

Anything featuring a clarinet must make a strong case for its existence. Most do not.


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## Kieran

Couchie said:


> Anything featuring a clarinet must make a strong case for its existence. Most do not.


This is an exception.

Oh wait, sorry! I meant - this...


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## Guest

Couchie said:


> Anything featuring a clarinet must make a strong case for its existence. Most do not.


I'm okay with this one:


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## bagpipers

i love the string quartet the most


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