[Enthusiast]

When I was her age my "repertoire" as a listener - the music that might have fed a fantasy that I was a composer - was only 50 years out of date. It was some while before I liked some of the more contemporary music (but I was already a big fan of Britten and Tippett). I would have found what she does vulgar even then. I imagine grannies (I intend no offense to real life grannies) with limited experience with classical music being impressed by pretty music that reminds them of one of the pieces they have on that classical sampler they listen to. They might even feel she was a genius.

 

[relm1]

It's meh. The only selling point is her youth and orchestras commission and perform her for that. It's not for the music. This isn't that far from the businessman, Gilbert Kaplan, playing Mahler 2 with the best orchestras on earth without any training or musicality. Simply because he could sell out a concert hall (as if Mahler had trouble doing that already). Deutscher's manager (her dad) is an *** too and profiting greatly from her, so I see her as a product. True she has unique abilities, but the music is meh.

 

[eljr]

. I've already done enough damage on this thread,

Agree.

I knew one day we could agree on something!

 

[eljr]

Is there a rule in this forum for the voting options in such rating polls?

Curious, what kind of rule would you favor?

 

[Vasks]

With regards exclusively to the piece itself:

If it's "good" then professional adult soloists will have performed it. Any proof of that having happened? My 5 minute Google search comes up nothing.

 

[Aries]

Curious, what kind of rule would you favor?

I don't think I would like a rule. A rule would be good for comparison, but the possibility to create better polls is more value imo.

I notice that for example "excellent" gets sometimes votes so often that it is not significant anymore. In this case it is the same with "horrible". I would prefer more telling expressions and exponentially increasing voting options at least for the top.

For example:

• the composer should have destroyed the work
• the piece should not be played
• the piece is pointless
• the piece is horrible
• the piece is bad
• the piece is good for its genre, but I don't like the genre
• the piece was worth to listen to once, but it is not worth to listen to again
• the piece is good and worth to listen to again
• the piece is among the Top 1000 pieces of all time
• the piece is among the Top 100 pieces of all time
• the piece is among the Top 10 pieces of all time

 

[relm1]

No discussion of Alma should exclude her father. It's the only reason why she's famous. Youthful talent isn't the reason. Those of us who work with young composers frequently encounter youths with her level of talent.
Dealing with (Guy) Deutscher. – Bad Blog Of Musick - nmz Klassik-Blog

I'm not anti-Alma. I'm anti-cult of Alma her father produced. If you went through music conservatory, about 10% have her level of skill but none have her dad's diva level impact. She's ordinary as an extradentary student frequently encountered but none of which become known except for her having her diva demanding father.

Alma is a product of her father and no discussion of her should exclude that.

 

[Phil loves classical]

I find her Mary Poppinsish persona cringeworthy, and her music corny. But she has talent.

 

[HansZimmer]

Excellent. She writes beatiful melodies and she composes real classical music.

 

[REP]

No discussion of Alma should exclude her father. It's the only reason why she's famous. Youthful talent isn't the reason. Those of us who work with young composers frequently encounter youths with her level of talent.

I don't. And as for Deutscher's father -- from what I've read, he's not even a musician, which suggests that he has even less influence on his daughter than Leopold Mozart had on his son. And we don't insist on including Leopold Mozart in every discussion of Mozart, do we?

Dealing with (Guy) Deutscher. – Bad Blog Of Musick - nmz Klassik-Blog

The less said about that blog post the better. If you ask me it's an embarrassment to the author. For one thing, it seems to suggest that tonal composers have all the same opportunities as atonal composers because there isn't a secret cabal holding them back. Which is a bit like saying that female composers had all the same opportunities as men in the 19th century because there was no secret cabal holding them back either.

 

[fbjim]

OK someone just compared tonal composers in 2023 to 19th century woman's liberation, close the thread.

 

[Waehnen]

This piece of music is not to my liking. Let´s just say that. I even heard quite a few "rookie mistakes" in the first minutes I was able to listen to it. Studying a bit more Mozart or Mendelssohn would make sure there´d be none of that.

Nevertheless, I am sure that in the next 10-20 years or so Deutscher will withdraw this piece and compose some wonderful, more mature music.

 

[Neo Romanza]

Nevertheless, I am sure that in the next 10-20 years or so Deutscher will withdraw this piece and compose some wonderful, more mature music.

I have serious doubts about this, so I wouldn't hold your breath. I hate to be speculative, but at the rate she's going, she'll soon be on tour with André Rieu with Yanni as an opening act. Or will Alma and André be the opening act? Oh well, I'm sure they'll figure it out.

 

[Waehnen]

I have serious doubts about this, so I wouldn't hold your breath. I hate to be speculative, but at the rate she's going, she'll soon be on tour with André Rieu with Yanni as an opening act. Or will Alma and André be the opening act? Oh well, I'm sure they'll figure it out.

Well, it is in my character to always try to think positive, especially when it comes to people. I like to believe in people. I don’t have to like everything they do, though! 😏

 

[Neo Romanza]

Well, it is in my character to always try to think positive, especially when it comes to people. I like to believe in people. I don’t have to like everything they do, though! 😏

Oh, I have a belief in people, too. I believe she'll be a sellout artist to a concert hall full of geezers who haven't the fainted idea about classical music. She's going to need more geezer star power, though, so this is why I think enlisting Yanni and André Rieu will definitely help boost her financial profile.

 

[Sid James]

I wouldn't underestimate Andre Rieu, who has some good tunes to his credit, even though he usually plays old music. He's also played music by other composers of today. In any case, I like his music and also that of some others along similar lines (e.g. Mantovani) but I don't like Alma Deutscher's music.

In any case, I think she's got higher aspirations than offering light music. A tighter comparison would be with composers of serious music who composed pastiche (or what's derisively known as rehash) such as those following the neo-classical trend prevalent in the first half of the 20th century. I'm not one to rain on people's parades, so I'll leave it to others here to make those sorts of comparisons if they want to.

 

[mikeh375]

I'm not anti-Alma. I'm anti-cult of Alma her father produced. If you went through music conservatory, about 10% have her level of skill but none have her dad's diva level impact. She's ordinary as an extradentary student frequently encountered but none of which become known except for her having her diva demanding father.

Alma is a product of her father and no discussion of her should exclude that.

Yes. although depending on the standing of the conservatory, the percentage maybe a little higher. Exposure to students as talented as she is and beyond might be a good thing for her own development imv as it might help to get her out of her present creative bubble.

 

[mikeh375]

I have serious doubts about this, so I wouldn't hold your breath. I hate to be speculative, but at the rate she's going, she'll soon be on tour with André Rieu with Yanni as an opening act. Or will Alma and André be the opening act? Oh well, I'm sure they'll figure it out.

I also hold out hope that her curiosity and sense of adventure will develop on the inside to such an extent that 'herself' will start to punch through the perfect cadences. If that doesn't happen then at least she'll have a secure income, something that's not always guaranteed for a muso. I think it'll be a loss to music if she doesn't find a more original voice but good on her anyway.

 

[Aries]

OK someone just compared tonal composers in 2023 to 19th century woman's liberation, close the thread.

There is no reason to close the thread. That you perceive some legitimate statements as not "politically correct" in the feminist sense or whatever, is no reason to close the thread.

Many people here just belittle the youth works of Alma Deutscher, and this may be similar to how female composers were belittled in the 19th century. Imaging she reads this thread and sees how horrible her piece is judged here. It is treated like she did something very wrong that makes it even difficult for her to "come back" like a crime. This is discouraging for non-avant-garde composers and girls with girlish taste. Other little girls make pop songs instead, is that it what you want? Is that better? It is unrealistic to expect a style from a little girl that is influenced by the experience of World Wars. It is fine if she satisfies her own taste, the taste of her grandma, and the taste of her father as a girl. She does not have to be mature as a girl.

 

[Bulldog]

Many people here just belittle the youth works of Alma Deutscher, and this may be similar to how female composers were belittled in the 19th century. Imaging she reads this thread and sees how horrible her piece is judged here. It is treated like she did something very wrong that makes it even difficult for her to "come back" like a crime. This is discouraging for non-avant-garde composers and girls with girlish taste. Other little girls make pop songs instead, is that it what you want? Is that better? It is unrealistic to expect a style from a little girl that is influenced by the experience of World Wars. It is fine if she satisfies her own taste, the taste of her grandma, and the taste of her father as a girl. She does not have to be mature as a girl.

Alma's being a female is not relevant. Those of us who have criticized her music and/or views do so because she is stuck in the past - period.