One Hit Wonders

[Shrunk]

Johann Pachelbel
George Frideric Handel (until recently, I suppose)
Hector Berlioz
Ruggero Leoncavallo
Joaquin Rodrigo
Gustav Holst
Carl Orff
Maurice Durufle

Any others?  0:)

[Symphonien]

Bedřich Smetana
Ottorino Respighi
Mily Balakirev
Paul Dukas

[Grazioso]

with some of those perhaps yes, but i wouldn't consider Handel or Berlioz one hit wonders...

Not Smetana, either: Ma Vlast, string quartet no. 1 "From My Life", The Bartered Bride
Nor Resphigi: the three sets of Roman symphonic poems, Il Tramonto, Ancient Airs and Dances

Those are all well represented on disc, if not in concert.

[val]

Ok for Rodrigo, Holst, Orff, Leoncavallo, Balakirev.

But I don't see Berlioz as "one hit wonders": the Fantastique, Harold in Italy, La Damnation de Faust, Roméu et Juliette, Les Troyens ...

Or Smetana: the first Quartet, Ma Vlast, Dalibor, The Bartered Bride ...

Pachelbel: his organ works ...

Dukas: the Symphony, the Variations on a theme of Rameau, La Peri ...

and no need to mention Händel ...

[hornteacher]

yes Grazioso...and with Holst,  who i like....his other output is sadly overlooked and undervalued because of the such HUGE success of The Planets that it overshadows all else he did.....especially the quite refined & modest chamber stuff that nobody seems to know.

True, and in the band world, Holst's two suites for military band are the benchmarks of concert band literature and are two of the most often performed pieces at any high school or university.

The Hymn to Jesus was just as big of a hit for Holst as the Planets during Holst's lifetime (if not bigger).  Only the ignorance of the present day masses has wrongly turned Holst into a "one hit wonder".  These are usually the same people who think Mozart's greatest achievement was Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

[71 dB]

George Frideric Handel (until recently, I suppose)

What was his one hit until recently? Water Music? Messiah? Fireworks Music? Concerti Grossi, Op. 6? Giulio Cesare?

[PerfectWagnerite]

Arrigi Boito.

[Kullervo]

As much music as Hovanness wrote, the only one he gets recognition for is Mysterious Mountain.

[greg]

Stravinsky is a 2-hit wonder

[loudav]

As noted above by Val, Pachelbel is only a one-hit wonder if you're not paying attention to 17th century music.

[The new erato]

I think Albinoni was a zero-hit composers since his only famous work wasn't written by him

Allegri.

[71 dB]

As noted above by Val, Pachelbel is only a one-hit wonder if you're not paying attention to 17th century music.

Most people don't pay attention to 17th century music. They think nothing happened in music between Schütz and Bach.  Pachelbel wasn't even that important figure, just one (fine) composer among others.

[BachQ]

George Frideric Handel (until recently, I suppose)

To even momentarily consider Handel a "one hit" composer is so utterly misguided as to warrant no comment .........

[BachQ]

I think Albinoni was a zero-hit composers since his only famous work wasn't written by him

Cesar Cui: zero-hit composer ..........  (unless you like Puss & Boots .........)

[The new erato]

Cesar Cui: zero-hit composer ..........  (unless you like Puss & Boots .........)

But HE didn't have a hit that wasn't written by him!

[71 dB]

I think Albinoni was a zero-hit composers since his only famous work wasn't written by him

Actually I'd say Albinoni's Oboe Concerto in D minor, Op. 9 No. 2 could be called a hit...

[Bonehelm]

The female composer who wrote Maiden's Prayer.

Badarzewska.

[Shrunk]

What was his one hit until recently? Water Music? Messiah? Fireworks Music? Concerti Grossi, Op. 6? Giulio Cesare?

Fair enough.  I knew I was on shaky ground with Handel and Berlioz.  Still, in both cases the popularity (which is not to say the quality) of a single work greatly overshadows that of the rest of their oeuvre.

[quintett op.57]

What was his one hit until recently? Water Music? Messiah? Fireworks Music? Concerti Grossi, Op. 6? Giulio Cesare?

Maybe the Sarabande of the 11th keyboard suite (because of Barry Lyndon).
Or could it be the Cuckoo and the Nightingale?
Or the famous Allelujah! from Messiah?

[mahlertitan]

gee, i dunno, Kalinnikov?