Never mind the classics

I was in the pub the other day and a friend told me about a CD with classical music he had recently bought (can't remember which one). Although we had drunk quite a few, we had a nice discussion about composers. That is, 3 of us because the 4th person in the group couldnt care less about classical music, he referred to Bach as "the twiddly one that is all sad". We sent him to the bar to get us some drinks and we asked ourselves the question: "What is the most overrated piece of classical music?".

Here is the list we came up with, mind you this is not just my opinion but also those of a couple of pissed twats who are supposed to be my friends.

- Fur Elise (which is ridiculous; it doesn't represent Beethoven's genius at all), Pachabell's Cannon in D, the opening 'fate' motif of Beethoven's fifth symphony.

- Saint-Saens' 'Le Carnaval des Animaux'. He himself said he was embarrassed that such a trivial joke of a work (not even important enough for an opus number) should become so popular. Also, 'O Fortuna' the opening and closing piece of 'Carmina Burana'. Any dramatic film has a theme that's ripped off from O Fortuna, and yet no-one has heard the great pieces in the middle like Tempus Est Iocondum or Circa Mea Pectora.

- Beethoven's 14th Sonata in C Sharp Minor. I hesitate to call it by its popular title, Moonlight, as thats so unrepresentative of the majesty of the pieces. Only in the first movement is music suitable to imagine the moon shining on a lake, and all the other pieces are dwarfed. People are attracted to this apparent simplicity, and that direction (the one every pianist wants to see) to hold the sustain pedal down the entire time. This does not work on a modern piano, but that stops few. Consequently, this work is almost as overplayed as it is over-recorded - and the morons who have actually bothered to listen to the last movement claim it to be one of the hardest pieces Beethoven wrote; it simply does not compare to the 21st, 23rd, 26th, 29th or 31st sonatas, or the Diabelli Variations. It's just loud and fast, but not that challenging.


- 'Romeo and Juliet' fantasy-overture by Tchaikovsky. Recognize that love theme? That's because they play it in every love scene on television or in cinema post-1950. It's about as popular and overheard as the Nutcracker suite, which has around four or five pieces that everyone can whistle along to, but yet no one can name.

- Bach has some undeserving pieces, especially the simplistic Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565. Although I wish I could play that on the organ every time you walk into an old church or decrepit house. The fugue is actually pretty much on par with the rest of Bach's works, but no one would recognize any of those pieces past the first half page.

- Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto: In my opinion, it's nothing but a not very well crafted piece of romantic clap-trap, composed solely for the purpose of showing off the pianist's technical skills and to sell concert tickets.

- Of course, there's always the good old 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik'. I have never met anyone who didn't recognize this tune, but it took an unbelievable amount of digging to find out the title and composer. Do you know the tune by name, or who wrote it?

As for me personally, I just like most composers, I am a whore that way....but I am not that taken with Bach like everyone else is. I'm afraid I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. His music is pleasant enough, but much to mathematical for me at times. To me he will always be runner-up, second-best.....so who you think is my number one ;)