Symphonie fantastique vs. Rite of Spring

[Count Machuki]

It's about time we did one of these wacky polls for some classical music.
Here's two biggies, or, as they're called among orchestral music cognoscenti, two "muthafuckers."
But which one's better?!





vs.

[Hugh]

I love them both but I think The Rite Of Spring takes it.

[Count Machuki]

Berlioz is probably the underdog here, but at least he invented psychedelic music while he was at it.
Nice use of the dies irae, too!

[The Modernist]

A is boring.
B all the way!

[clive gash]

Berlioz (Les nuits d'été apart) is pretty meh.

Igor wins.

[clive gash]

Debussy > Stravinsky though.

[Hugh]

Symphonie Fantastique gets bonus points for featuring an ophicleide or two.

[Count Machuki]

Debussy > Stravinsky though.

You what?!

I find Debussy gloopy.

[Count Machuki]

A is boring.

No way! What about the fourth bit?!

Convinced that his love is spurned, the artist poisons himself with opium. The dose of narcotic, while too weak to cause his death, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by the strangest of visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned, led to the scaffold and is witnessing his own execution. The procession advances to the sound of a march that is sometimes sombre and wild, and sometimes brilliant and solemn, in which a dull sound of heavy footsteps follows without transition the loudest outbursts. At the end of the march, the first four bars of the idée fixe reappear like a final thought of love interrupted by the fatal blow.

[clive gash]

You what?!

He overthrew the tyranny of the Austro German’s and put sound-for-sound’s-sake centre stage. The first Punk!

[Count Machuki]

You what?!

He overthrew the tyranny of the Austro German’s and put sound-for-sound’s-sake centre stage. The first Punk!

time for another listen, I guess.

So if I put faune in the poll we'd have a horse race?!

[clive gash]

Sophie’s Choice.

[Hightea]

A - Rite of Spring is overrated
by the way neither are that great

[Hugh]

No it isn’t and yes they are.

[Charlie O.]

I'm with the majority here.

I remember listening to a Bernstein lecture from the late sixties in which he tried to convince the "Young People" in the audience that "Symphonie Fantastique" was psychedelic. It was a fun lecture, of course, but... I couldn't really hear what he heard in that way. I think I've maybe subconsciously held that against the piece ever since, although that is hardly Berlioz' fault.

[Fonz]

I borrowed a score of ‘Rite...’ once.
Very interesting, the rhythmic stuff.
Never seen anything like it.

My introduction to it was the ‘Nocturne’ Banshees live stuff.
Still great.

Had a bassoon-playing pal. Told me the opening fee bars were a novel challenge for bassoonists.

[joels344]

B.

[The Modernist]

Debussy > Stravinsky though.

You what?!

I find Debussy gloopy.

Don't you be dissin' my man Debussy.

[Fonz]

There's a Stravinsky tip for every mood-I picked up a Sony 20 disc set for little money a couple of years ago. pretty complete.
Debussy burned bright, then carked it. Less to choose from.

[pcqgod]

I don't care for either, terribly. Rites is slightly more palatable for me.