Academy of the overrated...

[Dirty Meg]

Brahms music just seems to me to be too ... polite. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone who likes Brahms.

I play piano, so I'm more inclined towards Chopin.

Anyway Aleph, as a musician, who would you put in the Academy of the overrated?

[Timber Loftis]

Agree that Tolkein is overrated, but don't dislike him as much as some others. I do vastly prefer the PJ movies of his works to the works themselves.

Overrated:
Being outdoors on a hot summer day.
On-line computer gaming.
Bar-hopping.
Jack Nicholson -- the only role he can really play well is himself.
Nicholas Cage -- couldn't act his way out of a paper bag, unless he's playing a drunk.
Bill Pullman -- I hate this guy. I wouldn't believe his delivery if the line was "Hi, I'm Bill Pullman."
Beethoven
Classic Rock
The InternetS
Alan Greenspan
Dick Cheney (overrated as in people think he's much more sinister and maniacal, when he's really just contankerous and beleaguered)
Peace
Political Correctness
Nuclear War
Meat
Luxury Automobiles
The Department of Defense
The FBI
Teflon
Pharmaceuticals and Pharm Companies

[aleph_null1]

Originally posted by Dirty Meg: Anyway Aleph, as a musician, who would you put in the Academy of the overrated?

John Adams
Josh Groban
Giuseppe Verdi
Sarah Brightman
Richard Stoltzman
Luciano Pavarotti

[Dirty Meg]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Agree that Tolkein is overrated, but don't dislike him as much as some others. I do vastly prefer the PJ movies of his works to the works themselves. Overrated: Being outdoors on a hot summer day. On-line computer gaming. Bar-hopping. Jack Nicholson -- the only role he can really play well is himself. Nicholas Cage -- couldn't act his way out of a paper bag, unless he's playing a drunk. Bill Pullman -- I hate this guy. I wouldn't believe his delivery if the line was "Hi, I'm Bill Pullman." Beethoven Classic Rock The InternetS Alan Greenspan Dick Cheney (overrated as in people think he's much more sinister and maniacal, when he's really just contankerous and beleaguered) Peace Political Correctness Nuclear War Meat Luxury Automobiles The Department of Defense The FBI Teflon Pharmaceuticals and Pharm Companies

I agree with most of those, but Beethoven? Beethoven was the most influential composer of all time. He revolutionised orchestral music. Before Beethoven people wrote in such a way that each instruments part made sense on its own. Beethoven wrote for the orchestra in such a way that the music only came together as an accumulation of all the parts. He also revolutionised keyboard music. The Hammerklavier sonata was unplayable by the standards of the time.
The music of the 19th century was defined by the standards Beethoven had set.

[Dirty Meg]

Of course, one could argue that vehemently defending a dead composer actually serves to enforce the arguement that he was overrated. (After all, to be overrated, one must first be rated).

[Timber Loftis]

Well, see maybe all those laurels thrown on him are why I think he's overrated. I'm not saying he is bad - obviously he's not. But, to my ear, Mozart and Bach pwn him. I may not have the edumacational backing on this opinion, but it is merely my opinion.

[Aelia Jusa]

Have to agree with Timber re Beethoven. Just MHO of course!

I will add to my list Eva Cassidy and anti-depressants.

[Dirty Meg]

Mozart wrote some incredible music, but he also wrote a hell of a lot of crap. He considered himself an opera composer, and most of his output consisted of commsioned pieces for wealthy patrons which he composed so could make a living while writing his operas.

The reason Beethoven is so highly thought of is as much to do with his influence as with the quality of his music. Mozart's Requiem or Bach's Tocatta and Fugue may be wonderful pieces of music but they are merely exceptional examples of the music of their era rather than great innovations.

[aleph_null1]

Originally posted by Dirty Meg: Mozart's Requiem or Bach's Tocatta and Fugue may be wonderful pieces of music but they are merely exceptional examples of the music of their era rather than great innovations.

I have few demands for music, and innovation isn't one of them: If it's not strongly emotive, it must be charming. If not difficult, it must be magical. And, above all else, it must be fun to play.

Beethoven fails on all points, save two: He's fun to play, and he has moments of charm (mostly in his early chamber music, when he sounded an awful lot like Mozart).

And I can't stand Mozart's Requiem [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img]

[wellard]

3/4 of all so called 'original' blues artists.

Being over 70, black, from Mississippi, and able to pluck a guitar string while mumbling into a microphone does not IMO mean that you should automatically worshiped or discussed in reverent tones like you where some deity.

....great thread BTW .....