# Room 101



## Mayerl (May 5, 2008)

Back in December, on Piano World's Forum, in the "Just for the fun of it" section, I started a post which began, more or less, as follows: 

On his regular Sunday morning programme on Radio 3, the presenter Ian Burnside introduced a small section in which his studio guest of the day would nominate a piece or pieces of music, or indeed anything musical, which they would quite happily consign to the infamous Room 101. In my opinion the idea was never fully exploited, indeed, I myself can envisage a whole series of programmes on just that subject. 

The response from Piano World's worldwide membership barely achieved the status of minimal, giving the impression that, just like Classic FM presenters, everybody loves everything. 

I refuse to accept that. Even the very able conductor Mark Elder was happy to send Bruckner's Te Deum into musical oblivion! 
Could it be perhaps that among it's devotees, Classical music (and I hate the word but it will do), is regarded as sacrosanct and must not be subject to any form of criticism? 

Well, you get the idea and I'm quite happy to get the ball rolling with an initial choice (more can follow). 

Bloody "Carmen", I've heard enough of those "tunes" to last me a lifetime. 
Offensive instruments; harpsichord ( I speak as a pianist); bagpipes; saxophone. 
Handel; given that he was an exact contemporary of Bach, his music in no way compares. 
Vivaldi; damned if I can tell one work from another. 
Ravel's Bolero. It should never have been allowed to escape from the film for which it was written.

There must be more views out there, let's have them. No-one will think badly of you!!


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## marval (Oct 29, 2007)

Well I hate to say it, but my nominated piece is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Many years ago my brother taught himself to play it. That was all we heard, I don't actually hate it, it just doesn't do anything for me.

So room 101 it is.


Margaret


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I know I'll see torches and pitchforks outside my window tonight, but... *deep breath*...

Mozart.

His music never means anything to me. Sure, he was the unfinished culmination of the classical era, I'll give him that... but ONLY that. I think the only real "reason" (if one could call it "reason") that he's so popular is that he was a great child prodigy... and that even makes no sense, because Schubert and Mendelssohn and Rossini were writing more prodigious works at an earlier age than did Mozart! He will ever remain an enigma to me...

I regret all those people who are yelling at their computer screen, "What the [insert curse of your choice here] is this crazy person talking about!?" But I am not sorry. It is a public service announcement.


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## BuddhaBandit (Dec 31, 2007)

Well, by God, there's a whole list I could nominate, so, for starters:

Vivaldi, Offenbach, Johann Strauss, Tchaikovsky's ballet scores, R&J, and the 1812 overture, Prokofiev's R&J, Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, Rossini's overtures, and some of Philip Glass' work.

Trust me, there's a lot more. And, World Violist, I totally see where you're coming from. While I really like Mozart's operas, symphonies, and piano concertos, I find the sonatas to be fairly bland, the string quartets boring, and the violin concertos overrated (although I do like the Sinfonia Concertante).


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## Mayerl (May 5, 2008)

Thanks for the response so far!!! 
For those of you in the UK, how about sending Classic FM, and it's presenters, into the oblivion they deserve for their dedicated and unremitting efforts in reducing serious music to it's lowest level.


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## oisfetz (Dec 11, 2006)

I would send to the garbage basket all operas,no distinctions. Beginning
with Wagner's.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I think, upon further reflection, I think the only piece that I can immediately think of that I can stand of Mozart's is the Sinfonia Concertante (the violin-viola one).

Another group for Room 101 (for me): the overplayed warhorses... they're nightmares, all of them. Mozart's 40th and 41st, Smetana's Moldau, Schubert's Unfinished, the Ode to Joy that totally messed up the whole syncopation deal... Vivaldi's Seasons. Those pieces that are good like any other, but once you get to hearing them for the umpteenth seemingly-consecutive time... no.


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## Rachovsky (Jan 5, 2008)

I'll add one.

I am tired of people putting the Scherzo of Beethoven's Ninth to a random scene on their stupid blog or event when it has no relation to classical music.
I am tired of people replacing the text of the same work and putting in some retarded words that will get a cheap laugh or catch someone's interest in a commercial.

Therefore, a valid conclusion would be, I am tired of Beethoven's ninth. I hear it everywhere and quite frankly I have come to hate listening to it...


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

Mayerl said:


> Thanks for the response so far!!!
> For those of you in the UK, how about sending Classic FM, and it's presenters, into the oblivion they deserve for their dedicated and unremitting efforts in reducing serious music to it's lowest level.


It is utterly passe to criticise this very popular classical music station for merely pumping out the type of music that its audience has voted for. If you don't like CFM (I hate it) then switch to Radio 3 which generally has a far more cerebral approach to classical music.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Where to start!
Jessye Norman oh god yes!.

Brahms, no he's not sublime he's just bland.

60 or 70 of Haydn's Symphonies. (Some of them are wonderfull though.) 

But most of all I would like to send in all of those screaming old classical queens, who regard classic and opera music as some kind of divine artifact that is far to rarefied for normal human beings to appreciate. If I have to listen to them one more time during an interval going on an on and on,I will Kill!


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

I can't list them all.

but

Most music tech compositions
4:33 
etc.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

this is a funny thread for me. maybe you should all be looked in 101 and surround sounded with your favorites for eternity!!
what bothers me is gross intonation or plain old bad tone. i'll banish to the room that hideous recording of 'carmina burana' i used to have...worst singers ever...and the dg/karajan/1812 where the brass are so wildly out of tune at the end i laugh/cry at the same time.

dj


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

A special compartment in Room 101 (similar to the "red box" found in health-care provider offices labelled "sharps/medical waste") MUST be reserved for *Pachelbel's Canon*!

Other than that, I could re-enact the Ernie Kovacs "Wolfgang von Sauerbraten" skit with...
Adolphe Adam's _Giselle_- regrettably, it's often found as a "make-weight" on discs containing more competent ballet-suite music. A waste of digital space.
Brahms _German Requiem_- like an exceptionally-tailored suit that just doesn't fit the wearer.
*ALL* of the peripheral Verdi repertoire like _Ernani_ and _Macbeth_! (Both were at the Met this year.) If the name "Verdi" wasn't attached to these marginal entities, would anyone pay them any mind?!


david johnson said:


> i'll banish to the room that hideous recording of 'carmina burana' i used to have...worst singers ever...


Oh, come on _freund_ *david*- name names! You might save a fellow TalkClassical member some hard-earned Jackson!


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Ach! I totally forgot Pachelbel's canon!!! What kind of a string musician am I???

And I do begin to agree with those people who dislike Brahms' orchestral music. The high violin parts are beginning to annoy me... but I don't know about putting it into Room 101... maybe Room 102?


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## Mayerl (May 5, 2008)

"It is utterly passe to criticise this very popular classical music station for merely pumping out the type of music that its audience has voted for."

Sorry Artemis, I hadn't realised that one's likes and dislikes had a time limit on them. I can only assume from the slightly patronising remark that enough criticism has already been levelled at CFM. NEVER!!!!!!!!
I have been a listener to Radio 3, and it's predecessor, the Third Programme for more years than I choose to recall and for the greater part of that time have had no cause for complaint at it's broadcast output. Thanks for the somewhat belated advice.


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

World Violist said:


> And I do begin to agree with those people who dislike Brahms' orchestral music. The high violin parts are beginning to annoy me... but I don't know about putting it into Room 101... maybe Room 102?


I've got used it now.  I now like most of his major orchestral works (except symphony 2 - it doesn't seem go beyond the lullaby in the first movement .) His piano concerti are among my favourite, as I've stated ad nauseam. In fact, I've was listening to the second* a while ago, after many months of hating the "screaming strings," although there is not much of it in this work - wow!

*Barenboim/Philharmonia/Barbirolli, if you're curious.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Radio 3 has introduced me to many of my classical music favourites. CFM must be a good introduction to Classical. Sort of like those Eric Robinson "world of music box" sets which are used to wallpaper room 101...


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## R-F (Feb 12, 2008)

The Lark Ascending, Vaughn Williams. It sounds like a violinist warming up. How it got to number 1 on the Classic FM's top 300 Classics is a mystery to me.
And to make it worse I bet I'll love it in ten year's time...


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