# Leat favourite composer and/or, perhaps more contentiously, work



## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

There are lists upon lists of favourites for folks to pick and choose from BUT for newbies there should be a list of what to avoid such as a) composer b) work and c) recording

Most of us will have been encumbered with several versions of shorter works such as Elgar's Violin concerto etc paired with something else but sometimes one of the pairing is almost 'filler' with far better Rosetted versions on offer. 'Encumbered' was, perhaps, a bit uncharitable but the fact remains that a newbie would have to spend a lot of time reading The Good CD Guide, Gramophone magazine or Penguin Guide to establish what to avoid when 'taking a punt' at the local record emporium. 

Such a punt can leave one holding a copy of David Fanshawe's 'African Sanctus' I bought simply because I was in the shop at the time and thought I wonder what this chap's music is like and so paid my £16.99 (yes, single CDs were that expansive a few years ago pre-Amazon/Play in the days when we had Virgin, Our Price, HMV, Tower, FourPlay all on the same High Street as well as a number of Indies and even Boots in completion BUT not the local Supermarket).

It'd be good if someone(s) could suggest those things one shouldn't touch with a barge pole and why they shouldn't 

I have 3 or 4 versions of Viv's pizza namesake though the Max Richter recomp was a bridge too far without such good actors ;-)


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*Middendorf and Nanes*

This issue has been addressed in many other threads.

My nominations of composers to avoid are Richard Nanes and John William Middendorf.

See: http://www.talkclassical.com/26853-uneven-composers.html#post498183


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2013)

Avoid nothing.

_Especially_ as a newbie.

Listen to everything. Some things you won't like. Some things you will. (And, just by the way, it's not all about you.)

But it's you who are the one doing the listening, not someone else. Someone else may despise a composer who you might turn out to adore. You'll never get the chance if you don't take it for yourself.

(Arpeggio and I despise the same composers. But neither Arpeggio nor I are you. Only you are you. And you need to listen to Nanes for yourself, Nanes and everyone else. Literally. As literally as is possible.)


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

some guy said:


> Avoid nothing.
> 
> _Especially_ as a newbie.
> 
> ...


But we disagree on Bax. :scold:


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Svelte Silhouette said:


> Such a punt can leave one holding a copy of David Fanshawe's 'African Sanctus' I bought simply because I was in the shop at the time and thought I wonder what this chap's music is like and so paid my £16.99 (yes, single CDs were that expansive a few years ago pre-Amazon/Play in the days when we had Virgin, Our Price, HMV, Tower, FourPlay all on the same High Street as well as a number of Indies and even Boots in completion BUT not the local Supermarket).


So did you turn into a fan of Fanshawe then? I can't quite work out from your post.


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2013)

Svelte Silhouette said:


> There are lists upon lists of favourites for folks to pick and choose from BUT for newbies there should be a list of what to avoid such as a) composer b) work and c) recording


It is far more efficient for newbies to consider a list of recommended music rather a list of music they should avoid, simply because if they only look at a list of music they should avoid this won't help them select music that is recommended. Providing newbies with a list of music (or composers or versions of CDs) to avoid is more likely to confuse them rather be any assistance as it is a much larger set than its complementary set.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

arpeggio said:


> My nominations of composers to avoid are Richard Nanes and John William Middendorf.


Now that's an unfortunate name for a bad composer, might translate as something like "village trash heap".


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Things don't get committed to CD without someone somewhere thinking it worthwhile. Of course that doesn't explain Barry Manilow.


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## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

ooh, I like Bax and have several rather good Chandos recordings of his works


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## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

I'd like to say something good about Barry so, here it is ... Tiffany and 'Hold an old friend's hand'


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## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

The CD has a nice cover


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Weston said:


> Things don't get committed to CD without someone somewhere thinking it worthwhile. Of course that doesn't explain Barry Manilow.


Someone saw money in it, perhaps? Whoever it was, that person was shockingly correct.


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## BillT (Nov 3, 2013)

some guy said:


> Avoid nothing.
> 
> _Especially_ as a newbie.
> 
> Listen to everything.


I would (and do) advise newbees to avoid not going to live music.

- Bill


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