Last night I was at Wigmore Hall listening to a concert given by Iestyn Davies (countertenor) and Thomas Dunford (lute) and, not for the first time, I reflected on my musical likes and dislikes.
My wife and I often go to Wigmore — certainly once a week, sometimes twice — so I have plenty of time to mull things over. Particularly so this week when, in addition to last night’s concert, I will have listened to music performed at the Coronation service, the Coronation concert, a loud busker in the street outside and, tonight, the Eurovision Song Contest.
Last night, steeped in songs by Bach, Handel, Purcell and Dowland (and Anonymous – he/she wrote lots of songs in the 15th and 16th centuries!), confirmed what I have known for some time, but been too cowardly to confess.
Dislikes first.
- Any concert, whatever it is , that lasts longer than 90 minutes.
- Intervals.
- Solo instruments. The piano is the only exception.
- Most Lieder. Schubert (see below) is an exception.
- Sopranos with high, shrieky voices (the sort that would shatter a wine glass).
- Musicians who make inaudible announcements (unfortunately a frequent occurrence at Wigmore).
- Any music that lacks a hummable tune.
- Any music I don’t know!
I appreciate that number 8 is a massive problem. It explains why I find the words ‘world premier’ so utterly depressing.
Now some likes.
- What I call ‘proper’ music e.g. Baroque, Haydn symphonies, anything tuneful. Concerts given by The English Concert are consistently my favourites.
- Just about anything written by Schubert. I even love the really mournful song cycles, Die Schone Mullerin and Winterreise.
- Handel and Bach so long as its excerpts – not the whole thing. (Like Wagner, they needed a brave editor!)
- At least four players, preferably more. I enjoy seeing the interaction between them.
- Symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert (of course) and Sibelius.
- Operas (with the proviso that I already know them!). I love La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte, Carmen, The Turn of the Screw.
- Choirs singing church music e.g. psalms (a hangover from when I was a choirboy).
- Pop songs from the 60’s,70’s and 80’s. (I wonder why that might be?)
There, I feel much better now that I have been brave and ‘come out’.
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