Worst piece of CM ever ?

[Dufus]

From today's Telegraph :

" I have just uncovered what is unquestionably the worst piece of
classical music ever written. Like many great discoveries, it happened
by accident. I was browsing iTunes and saw an oratorio called “The
Peacemakers”, based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai
Lama, Nelson Mandela and – this I had to read twice – Terry Waite.
It’s by Karl Jenkins, whose harmonic language draws deeply on the
American school of elevator music, and who modestly employs a 1,000-
strong chorus for this work.
That sounds gruesome, I thought, but bravely tapped my mouse. And out
came… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase: “Oh. My. God.”
Check it out. I dare you."

Here is the dare :

I still vote for the Boulez Piano Sonata 2 and the Martucci 2nd Piano
Concerto and Ustvolskaya's Piano Sonata 6 , among others.


Dufus

[Matthew B. Tepper]

Dufus <***@gmail.com> appears to have caused the following letters
to be typed in news:dea1826c-615c-48cb-abaa-

Post by Dufus
" I have just uncovered what is unquestionably the worst piece of
classical music ever written. Like many great discoveries, it happened
by accident. I was browsing iTunes and saw an oratorio called “The
Peacemakers”, based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai
Lama, Nelson Mandela and – this I had to read twice – Terry Waite.
It’s by Karl Jenkins, whose harmonic language draws deeply on the
American school of elevator music, and who modestly employs a 1,000-
strong chorus for this work.
That sounds gruesome, I thought, but bravely tapped my mouse. And out
came… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase: “Oh. My. God.”
Check it out. I dare you."
http://youtu.be/If0FCS0m0sQ
I still vote for the Boulez Piano Sonata 2 and the Martucci 2nd Piano
Concerto and Ustvolskaya's Piano Sonata 6 , among others.

It is difficult for me to decide; there are so many possibilities, from the
works of such decomposers as Albert Ketèlbey and Eugene Zador, to the utter
horror that is Ferde Grofé's Piano Concerto. (Obviously I've had to
exclude the entire category of insufficiently-trained rockers looking for
transfer credit; those efforts are whores de concours.) (I'm not including
the truly-trained ones such as Jon Lord and Keith Emerson, just those who
think their adoring fans will enable them to "conquer classical music.")

I can, however, name a "winner": A piece of treacly, weepy-waily lethargy
called "Doom. A sigh" by a composer named István Márta, with the remainder
of whose oeuvre I wish to remain forever unacquainted.

[William Sommerwerck]

This posting is in Rich Text, because I want to retain the formatting
without having to simulate it in plain text. It was intentional.

Some months ago I pulled out Nyman's saxophone & cello concerto to see if

it was as awful as I remember. Haven't gotten around to it. I'll have to
give it another listen.

Oliver Knussen's children's operas also come to mind, but it's been 20

years since I've heard them, and would have to listen again. Irritating,
truly wretched music.

There will always be a cold spot in my heart for the genuinely appalling

"Amahl and the Night Visitors". (I'm old to remember seeing it on TV in its
original production.) It is of a shallow ickiness that goes beyond merely
annoying.

It's too easy to damn difficult works (such as some by Boulez). I feel you
have to "understand" a work on //some// level before you can rip into it. I
therefore avoid condemning works merely because I can't follow them. Of
course, one might argue that that's a perfectly good reason for calling a
work bad!

© 1996–1998 William Sommerwerck All rights reserved.

This is not an attack on “religion.” Rather, it’s an attack on people’s
materialistic and anthropomorphic views of God. It is also a kick in the
butt to a miserable, stupid, idiotic opera that badly needs a kick in the
butt. Plus a severe whipping. And worse—much worse. (My favorite Stupid
Scene is the one where the neighbors serve a gigantic feast for the
magi—while Amahl and his mother are starving to death. Not very neighborly,
these neighbors.)



Amahl steps forward, holding his crutch in front of him, as an offering.

Amahl

Perhaps he is a cripple like me…

The hovel suddenly grows dark, lit only with an eerie blue glow. A voice
thunders from everywhere, and nowhere.

God

How dare you suggest that My perfect Son is a cripple…?!

Before Amahl can say “I didn’t say he was a cripple, only that he might be.”
, Amahl emits a cry of abject terror. His body begins to burn in sulfurous
yellow flames. For a full three minutes, he writhes and screams in the agony
of infinite pain, and wails with the emptiness of the eternally damned. His
mother covers her ears and turns away, unable to watch or listen.

At the end, he is reduced to a burned and charred skeleton, with only a few
shreds of flesh still clinging to it. (No, he doesn’t become Darth Vader.)
Amazingly, the skeleton tries to take a step forward. There is a blinding
bolt of blue-white lightning, and the blackened bones are reduced to
primordial dust.

God

Rot in hell, blasphemer!

There is a moment of silence. Then, Amahl’s mother speaks.

Amahl’s Mother

Is this my child’s reward for an unselfish act of kindness? Is there no
justice?

God

Whatever I AM does is just! Join your son, blasphemous bitch!

A gigantic rock, almost the size of the hovel, falls through the roof and
crushes Amahl’s mother to pita-like flatness.

The magi stand in shocked silence, not knowing what to do or say.

God

Well? Get your asses moving! (And no wisecracks about how you’re riding
camels.) You’ve got gifts to deliver to My Son. And don’t think I don’t know
about the licorice. Make sure Joseph gets all of it. I owe him something for
rendering him speechless.

Kaspar

Uh… that was John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah…

Another lightning bolt blasts the magus—and his licorice—into oblivion.

God

Damn! I’ve got to stop making mistakes like that… [beat]
Well? I know you’re just dying to say something about how “God can do
anything.” Well, don’t say it, or you will be dying. Hell, I’ve got better
things to do than materialize licorice.

[JohnGavin]

The very bottom of the heap IMHO:

and his other compositions, if you can call them that.

[Kip Williams]

Post by JohnGavin
http://youtu.be/th0BuqxWw0I
and his other compositions, if you can call them that.

A whole sea of awfulness can be found on YouTube simply by looking for
occurrences of the word "beautiful" in connection with music. Basically,
if somebody can play arpeggios, it's the most beautiful music ever, and
the best piano playing conceivable.


Kip W

[Dufus]

Here is another Nocturne # 2 in D flat major to compare :

( Chopin Op.27, # 2 )

[HvT]

Post by Dufus
http://youtu.be/nPErSyk5iHs
( Chopin Op.27, # 2 )

Hmmm. One of my favourites if played well ...

Henk

[m***@gmail.com]

Post by JohnGavin
http://youtu.be/th0BuqxWw0I
and his other compositions, if you can call them that.

Is it possible to vomit while laughing? If I kept listening to this one, I think I'd find out.

The worst I've heard is Khachaturian's third symphony.

[M forever]

Post by JohnGavin
http://youtu.be/th0BuqxWw0I
and his other compositions, if you can call them that.

Not a particularly "deep" composition, I guess - but can you do
better? Can you write better music?

[M forever]

Post by William Sommerwerck
It's too easy to damn difficult works (such as some by Boulez). I feel you
have to "understand" a work on //some// level before you can rip into it.

I keep telling you that. And you don't really have much of an
understanding of music on any level other than your random emotional
reactions and your very obviously quite limited capabilities to listen
to and process music. Still, you never hesitate to "rip" into music
you don't get.

Post by William Sommerwerck
I therefore avoid condemning works merely because I can't follow them.

Not true at all. For instance, your "critique" of Strauss clearly
shows that you do not grasp the complexity and the subtler sides of
his music at all. You only hear it in a very superficial way. And that
seems to be the case with a lot of music - even easy to understand
music like Williams' Star Wars sound track. You stated that he doesn't
really vary his themes yet in reality, they are constantly varied
throughout the film. That suggests that you can't actually hear that.
To you, the variations apparently sound like something completely
different, not something related.

[William Sommerwerck]

I will limit my response to this... John Williams is one of the most
boringly repetitive and redundant film composers I have ever heard.

[Robert Pecchioni]

Post by William Sommerwerck
I will limit my response to this... John Williams is one of the most
boringly repetitive and redundant film composers I have ever heard.

Give Andrew Lloyd Webber a shot at the title. Sitting through his Requiem
was one of my worst concert experiences ever.

[William Sommerwerck]

Post by William Sommerwerck
I will limit my response to this... John Williams is one
of the most boringly repetitive and redundant film
composers I have ever heard.

Give Andrew Lloyd Webber a shot at the title. Sitting
through his Requiem was one of my worst concert
experiences ever.

I recently gave "Shakespeare in Love" a second chance (I had completely
misunderstood the film the first time around), and discovered just utterly
ill-conceived Stephen Warbeck's score was. Not only does he repeat the same
musical idea over and over and over, but there are major sections of the
film he scores, that should not be scored at all. He clearly doesn't
understand what the purposes of film music are.

Oh, he got an Oscar for best score.

PS: The Blu-ray is gorgeous.

[Matthew B. Tepper]

Post by William Sommerwerck
I recently gave "Shakespeare in Love" a second chance (I had completely
misunderstood the film the first time around), and discovered just utterly
ill-conceived Stephen Warbeck's score was. Not only does he repeat the same
musical idea over and over and over, but there are major sections of the
film he scores, that should not be scored at all. He clearly doesn't
understand what the purposes of film music are.
Oh, he got an Oscar for best score.

So what? Bill Conti got an Oscar for "The Right Stuff" for shamelessly
ripping off Tchaikovsky (he didn't even thank him the way Dmitri Tiomkin had
done some years earlier), and Marvin Hamlisch got Scott Joplin's Oscar.

[Kip Williams]

Post by Matthew B. Tepper
Bill Conti got an Oscar for "The Right Stuff" for shamelessly
ripping off Tchaikovsky (he didn't even thank him the way Dmitri Tiomkin had
done some years earlier), and Marvin Hamlisch got Scott Joplin's Oscar.

Hamlisch thanked Joplin, though, so there's that.


Kip W

[Sol L. Siegel]

Post by Kip Williams

Post by Matthew B. Tepper
Bill Conti got an Oscar for "The Right Stuff" for shamelessly
ripping off Tchaikovsky (he didn't even thank him the way Dmitri
Tiomkin had done some years earlier), and Marvin Hamlisch got Scott
Joplin's Oscar.

Hamlisch thanked Joplin, though, so there's that.

This gets *me* into a repetitive mood: I'm going to cave in to
the urge to repeat this ancient old-Hollywood story.

Two film composers bump into each other on a studio lot. One
complains about having just been given the task of scoring a
big movie in six days. The other commiserates, "That's going
to take a lot out of you." The other manages a wry smile.
"Yes," he resonds, "but more out of Brahms, Dvorak and
Tchaikovsky."

- Sol L. Siegel, Philadelphia, PA USA

[William Sommerwerck]

Post by Sol L. Siegel

Post by Kip Williams

Post by Matthew B. Tepper
Bill Conti got an Oscar for "The Right Stuff" for shamelessly
ripping off Tchaikovsky (he didn't even thank him the way
Dmitri Tiomkin had done some years earlier), and Marvin
Hamlisch got Scott Joplin's Oscar.

Hamlisch thanked Joplin, though, so there's that.

This gets *me* into a repetitive mood: I'm going to cave in
to the urge to repeat this ancient old-Hollywood story.
Two film composers bump into each other on a studio lot.
One complains about having just been given the task of
scoring a big movie in six days. The other commiserates,
"That's going to take a lot out of you." The other manages
a wry smile. "Yes," he resonds, "but more out of Brahms,
Dvorak and Tchaikovsky."

When Korngold was scoring "Captain Blood", he ran out of time and was
obliged to swipe some Liszt. Because he had appropriated another composer's
work, he insisted that his credit read "Musical Arrangements by..." rather
than "Musical Score by...".

[Kip Williams]

Post by Matthew B. Tepper
It is difficult for me to decide; there are so many possibilities, from the
works of such decomposers as Albert Ketèlbey and Eugene Zador, to the utter
horror that is Ferde Grofé's Piano Concerto.

Never heard of Zador, but I have a sneaking fondness for Ketelbey, and
I'm very much attached to the Grofe.


Kip W

[Doug McDonald]

I recall reading that a piece by Rimsky-Korsakoff was the
worst ever. The article said that the first performace had
to be cancelled because no rehearsals could be obtained;
the would be performers could not rehearse because they
were literally ROTFLTAO.

OF course, the Schubert 9th Symphony was accused of causing
some form of ROTFL. But I eventually heard the R-K
performed ... and it really was that bad.

But I don't remember what the piece was called.

I think it was chamber (pot?) music,
sort of like elevator music.

Doug McDonald

[Kip Williams]

Post by Doug McDonald
I recall reading that a piece by Rimsky-Korsakoff was the
worst ever. The article said that the first performace had
to be cancelled because no rehearsals could be obtained;
the would be performers could not rehearse because they
were literally ROTFLTAO.

I have no doubt that the worst piece of classical music is something
nobody has ever heard.

I think a thread like this carries an unstated subtext that it has to be
the worst piece of classical music -that they keep playing- or -that you
can't get away from- or -that everybody else thinks is so great- or some
such (and it may not be the same subtext for everybody).

As I said earlier, a good way to find really awful stuff is to go look
on YouTube for music links with "beautiful" or "the most beautiful music
ever" or "the greatest piano playing ever." Sometimes somebody slips up
and uses such descriptors for music that is actually good, but more
often than not, it helps make up for the fact that smell doesn't
transmit over the internet.


Kip W

[Matthew B. Tepper]

Post by Kip Williams
As I said earlier, a good way to find really awful stuff is to go look
on YouTube for music links with "beautiful" or "the most beautiful music
ever" or "the greatest piano playing ever." Sometimes somebody slips up
and uses such descriptors for music that is actually good, but more
often than not, it helps make up for the fact that smell doesn't
transmit over the internet.

You mean like "music that stinks in the ear"?

[Russ (not Martha)]

Post by Doug McDonald
I recall reading that a piece by Rimsky-Korsakoff was the
worst ever. The article said that the first performace had
to be cancelled because no rehearsals could be obtained;
the would be performers could not rehearse because they
were literally ROTFLTAO.

I don't know the piece you're referring to, and I wouldn't include any
of RK's output in a list of worst classical compositions ever, but I
do remember hearing a story many years ago about rehearsals of a RK
work which, if not in its entirely, at least had a passage in 11
beats. The musicians couldn't get it right until someone suggested
using the phrase 'Rim-sky Kor-sa-kov so-ver-sho-ni su-ma-shed-
shi' (Russian for 'Rimsky-Korsakov is completely crazy.').

Russ (not Martha)

[John Wiser]

?> I recall reading that a piece by Rimsky-Korsakoff was the

Post by Doug McDonald
worst ever. The article said that the first performace had
to be cancelled because no rehearsals could be obtained;
the would be performers could not rehearse because they
were literally ROTFLTAO.

I don't know the piece you're referring to, and I wouldn't include any
of RK's output in a list of worst classical compositions ever, but I
do remember hearing a story many years ago about rehearsals of a RK
work which, if not in its entirely, at least had a passage in 11
beats. The musicians couldn't get it right until someone suggested
using the phrase 'Rim-sky Kor-sa-kov so-ver-sho-ni su-ma-shed-
shi' (Russian for 'Rimsky-Korsakov is completely crazy.').

The piece is question would be this, and to my astonishment, its first
recording (for Westminster) is still available, and in its original
coupling!
The un-named pianist is Roland Raupenstrauch. The racconto to which
McDonald refers is, not surprisingly, apocryphal.

STRAUSS, R.: Serenade / JANACEK, L.: Concertino / RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, N.:
Piano Quintet (Vienna Philharmonic Wind Group) (1955, 1956) Naxos Classical
Archives
9.80260





The piece is a bit crowdy in parts but not all that bad.
There have been several recordings since,
including a notably attractive one from Hyperion.

JDW

[Alan Cooper]

s.com... On Jul 28, 11:52 am, Doug McDonald

?> I recall reading that a piece by Rimsky-Korsakoff was the

Post by Doug McDonald
worst ever. The article said that the first performace had
to be cancelled because no rehearsals could be obtained;
the would be performers could not rehearse because they
were literally ROTFLTAO.

I don't know the piece you're referring to, and I wouldn't
include any of RK's output in a list of worst classical
compositions ever, but I do remember hearing a story many years
ago about rehearsals of a RK work which, if not in its
entirely, at least had a passage in 11 beats. The musicians
couldn't get it right until someone suggested using the phrase
'Rim-sky Kor-sa-kov so-ver-sho-ni su-ma-shed- shi' (Russian for
'Rimsky-Korsakov is completely crazy.').

The piece is question would be this, and to my astonishment, its
first recording (for Westminster) is still available, and in its
original coupling!
The un-named pianist is Roland Raupenstrauch. The racconto to
which McDonald refers is, not surprisingly, apocryphal.
STRAUSS, R.: Serenade / JANACEK, L.: Concertino /
Piano Quintet (Vienna Philharmonic Wind Group) (1955, 1956)
Naxos Classical Archives
9.80260
The piece is a bit crowdy in parts but not all that bad.
There have been several recordings since,
including a notably attractive one from Hyperion.

The Rinsky Quintet is a favorite of mine. I learned it from the early '60s(?) Vienna
Octet recording, which recently was reissued on Eloquence. Astonishing how many good
recordings there are nowadays. I prefer the Praga to the Hyperion partly because of the
Czech wind players, but mainly because it's all Rimsky, and the coupled Sextet is just as
silly as the Quintet. (Hyperion's Glinka coupling is pretty wonderful also.) One of the
shows on NY classical radio back in the day used the opening of the Rimsky Quintet as
theme music. Maybe someone out there remembers....

AC

[HvT]

Post by Dufus
" I have just uncovered what is unquestionably the worst piece of
classical music ever written. Like many great discoveries, it happened
by accident. I was browsing iTunes and saw an oratorio called “The
Peacemakers”, based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai
Lama, Nelson Mandela and – this I had to read twice – Terry Waite.
It’s by Karl Jenkins, whose harmonic language draws deeply on the
American school of elevator music, and who modestly employs a 1,000-
strong chorus for this work.
That sounds gruesome, I thought, but bravely tapped my mouse. And out
came… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase: “Oh. My. God.”
Check it out. I dare you."
http://youtu.be/If0FCS0m0sQ
I still vote for the Boulez Piano Sonata 2 and the Martucci 2nd Piano
Concerto and Ustvolskaya's Piano Sonata 6 , among others.

Boulez, Martucci and Ustvolskaya at least are unlike anyone else wheareas
Jenkins needs a chorus of 1000 to make a difference. In once believed
Tchaikovsky's 1812 deserved the gold medal for worst piece ever. But in the
days of Jenkins and Yanni cum suis it wouldn't even make the semi-finals.

Henk

[Gerard]

Post by HvT

Post by Dufus
" I have just uncovered what is unquestionably the worst piece of
classical music ever written. Like many great discoveries, it
happened by accident. I was browsing iTunes and saw an oratorio
called “The Peacemakers”, based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther
King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and – this I had to read twice
– Terry Waite. It’s by Karl Jenkins, whose harmonic language draws
deeply on the American school of elevator music, and who modestly
employs a 1,000- strong chorus for this work.
That sounds gruesome, I thought, but bravely tapped my mouse. And
out came… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase: “Oh. My.
God.” Check it out. I dare you."
http://youtu.be/If0FCS0m0sQ
I still vote for the Boulez Piano Sonata 2 and the Martucci 2nd
Piano Concerto and Ustvolskaya's Piano Sonata 6 , among others.

Boulez, Martucci and Ustvolskaya at least are unlike anyone else
wheareas Jenkins needs a chorus of 1000 to make a difference. In once
believed Tchaikovsky's 1812 deserved the gold medal for worst piece
ever. But in the days of Jenkins and Yanni cum suis it wouldn't even
make the semi-finals.
Henk

There's so much more. E.g. the "real Sovjet" compositions by Shostakovich and
Prokofiev (and many others).

[Dufus]

Boulez, Martucci and Ustvolskaya at least are unlike anyone else...

Actually, I enjoy Ustvolskaya's Piano Concerto and 1st Symphony ; have
the cd.

But here is the 6th Piano Sonata. Only 8 minutes , thank goodness. And
thank goodness marked " expressivissimo " ( although , how does one
tell if the pianist is ? ) :

An interesting recital program would be to follow this 6th Sonata with
Cage's
4' 33".

By the way, in this 6th Sonata score, what does " ffff sub." , in both
cleffs, mean ? And why a fermata over the quarter note rest at the
very end ? Thanks,

Dufus

[Jenn]

In article

Post by Dufus

Boulez, Martucci and Ustvolskaya at least are unlike anyone else...

Actually, I enjoy Ustvolskaya's Piano Concerto and 1st Symphony ; have
the cd.
But here is the 6th Piano Sonata. Only 8 minutes , thank goodness. And
thank goodness marked " expressivissimo " ( although , how does one
http://youtu.be/TvELcETEtQg
An interesting recital program would be to follow this 6th Sonata with
Cage's
4' 33".
By the way, in this 6th Sonata score, what does " ffff sub." , in both
cleffs, mean ? And why a fermata over the quarter note rest at the
very end ? Thanks,
Dufus

I would imagine ffff subito, i.e. suddenly.

[Norman Schwartz]

Post by Dufus
" I have just uncovered what is unquestionably the worst piece of
classical music ever written. Like many great discoveries, it happened
by accident. I was browsing iTunes and saw an oratorio called “The
Peacemakers”, based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai
Lama, Nelson Mandela and – this I had to read twice – Terry Waite.
It’s by Karl Jenkins, whose harmonic language draws deeply on the
American school of elevator music, and who modestly employs a 1,000-
strong chorus for this work.
That sounds gruesome, I thought, but bravely tapped my mouse. And out
came… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase: “Oh. My. God.”
Check it out. I dare you."
http://youtu.be/If0FCS0m0sQ
I still vote for the Boulez Piano Sonata 2 and the Martucci 2nd Piano
Concerto and Ustvolskaya's Piano Sonata 6 , among others.

John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Post by Dufus
Dufus

[Matthew B. Tepper]

Post by Norman Schwartz
John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Oh, I don't know; I'd far rather hear it than a lot of other pieces.

[Sol L. Siegel]

Post by Matthew B. Tepper

Post by Norman Schwartz
John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Oh, I don't know; I'd far rather hear it than a lot of other pieces.

FWIW (and pardon me if I've mentioned this before), a clerk at the
Julliard bookstore once told me that they do a fairly brisk business
with the score, at $5.95 a pop.

- Sol L. Siegel, Philadelphia, PA USA

[John Wiser]

Post by Sol L. Siegel

Post by Matthew B. Tepper

Post by Norman Schwartz
John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Oh, I don't know; I'd far rather hear it than a lot of other pieces.

FWIW (and pardon me if I've mentioned this before), a clerk at the
Julliard bookstore once told me that they do a fairly brisk business
with the score, at $5.95 a pop.

Doesn't take a vast amount of rehearsal,
and very easy to transcribe
for another instrument or even a voice.

JDW

[Dufus]

Post by John Wiser
Doesn't take a vast amount of rehearsal,
and very easy to transcribe
for another instrument or even a voice.

LOL ! In fact, here is a live performance by a full orchestra ! :

[operafan]

Post by Norman Schwartz
John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Dufus

One of America's TV evangelists used to sell a completely blank
cassette tape for $8, to be used for silent meditation :)

[Matthew B. Tepper]

operafan <***@gmail.com> appears to have caused the following
letters to be typed in news:4b3bacdb-48f8-4523-b6fc-

Post by operafan

Post by Norman Schwartz
John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Dufus

One of America's TV evangelists used to sell a completely blank
cassette tape for $8, to be used for silent meditation :)

There used to be a jukebox record consisting of a few minutes of silence, for
those times when you might been in a diner with a jukebox and didn't want any
music for a while.

[graham]

Post by Norman Schwartz
John Cage 4'33" has to be the worst ever.

Dufus

One of America's TV evangelists used to sell a completely blank
cassette tape for $8, to be used for silent meditation :)
-------------------------
Appropriate since they sell empty promises.
Graham

[Curlytop]

Post by Dufus
" I have just uncovered what is unquestionably the worst piece of
classical music ever written. Like many great discoveries, it happened
by accident. I was browsing iTunes and saw an oratorio called “The
Peacemakers”, based on texts by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai
Lama, Nelson Mandela and – this I had to read twice – Terry Waite.
It’s by Karl Jenkins, whose harmonic language draws deeply on the
American school of elevator music, and who modestly employs a 1,000-
strong chorus for this work.
That sounds gruesome, I thought, but bravely tapped my mouse. And out
came… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase: “Oh. My. God.”
Check it out. I dare you."
http://youtu.be/If0FCS0m0sQ

Just tried it, I found it pleasant and easy-going. Perhaps I'm biased being
Welsh myself, but I've got quite a few KJ albums in my collection already
and might well add this one. Da iawn Karl!

(Among these albums, probably the only one that could be considered a bit of
a dud is Imagined Oceans.)

[Russ (not Martha)]

I would rank anything by Richard Nanes as worse.

Russ (not Martha)

[John Wiser]

Post by Russ (not Martha)
I would rank anything by Richard Nanes as worse.

Worse than what? Mind you,
I'm not disagreeing about Nanes.

One of my many secret vices used to be the cultivation
of fifth-to-tenth rate piano concertos by the likes of
Mana-Zucca, Healey Willan, Linda Babits, Geirr Tveitt
and a host of Sovietskis from Babadjaian to Taktakishvili.
I was set on this low road as an innocent mid-adolescent
by a 78 album of Willan's concerto, played by, no lie,
Agnes Butcher.

JDW

[Russ (not Martha)]

Post by John Wiser

Post by Russ (not Martha)
I would rank anything by Richard Nanes as worse.

Worse than what? Mind you,
I'm not disagreeing about Nanes.

Worse than any other non-atonal repertoire I can think of at the
moment.

Russ (not Martha)