Six favourite symphonies by (really) lesser-known composers.

Started by vandermolen, March 23, 2009, 04:21:40 AM

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vandermolen

#60
March 25, 2009, 04:19:51 PM
Quote from: Christo on March 25, 2009, 08:24:45 AM
And I never heard either the MacMillan or the Vine symphony.  :o Again, many other candidates that where not yet mentioned yet (AFAICS) spring to mind:

Willem Pijper 2 (1921)
Cecil Armstrong Gibbs 3 `Westmoreland' (1943)
Jón Leifs `Saga Symphony' (1943)
Colin McPhee 2 (1957)
Ahmed Adnan Saygun 2 (1957)
Robert Simpson 9 (1987)




Armstrong Gibbs and Saygun - excellent choices. The 'Westmorland' is especially good - dedicated in memory of Armstrong Gibbs's son, killed in World War Two. I sense the impending formation of the so-called AGE (Armstrong Gibbs Experts) ;D
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

#61
March 25, 2009, 10:35:00 PM
this is like watching high stakes poker...I'll see your Langston Yardley Smith No.4 in g#minor...

you guys are good!!!

Christo

#62
March 26, 2009, 01:20:09 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 25, 2009, 04:19:51 PM
I sense the impending formation of the so-called AGE (Armstrong Gibbs Experts) ;D

;D

Dundonnell actually owns the recent release of Gibb's choaral symphony (the Second) Odysseus (1946). No doubt he will start a thread on the composer?  ;)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

Dundonnell

#63
March 26, 2009, 07:19:13 AM
Quote from: Christo on March 26, 2009, 01:20:09 AM
;D

Dundonnell actually owns the recent release of Gibb's choaral symphony (the Second) Odysseus (1946). No doubt he will start a thread on the composer?  ;)

If you are suggesting a thread about Armstrong Gibbs I could certainly start one. He is on my 'possible threads' list(along with Cooke, Fricker, Gardner, Hamilton, Jacob, Mathias, Milner, Stevens, Still....and those are just the British composers!).

Sef

#64
March 26, 2009, 09:05:42 AM
Saygun (1)
Most Hyped (6)
Hartmann (6)
Langgaard (4)
Kallstenius (Dalecarlia)
Weinberg (4)

... and can I say that every one of the above was as a result of recommendations on this board - Thanks.
"Do you think that I could have composed what I have composed, do you think that one can write a single note with life in it if one sits there and pities oneself?"

Maciek

#65
March 26, 2009, 11:30:35 AM
Quote from: sul G on March 24, 2009, 08:47:35 AM
Brahms is less well-known than Beethoven. I vote for him.

Ha, ha, ha. I'll second that. I especially like the last two (of the six).

Sorin Eushayson

#66
March 26, 2009, 03:41:03 PM
How about John Knowles Paine's two symphonies?  I'd certainly nominate those two.  Oh, and the symphonies of Sir Franz Berwald!  :)

vandermolen

#67
March 26, 2009, 03:53:17 PM
Quote from: snyprrr on March 25, 2009, 10:35:00 PM
this is like watching high stakes poker...I'll see your Langston Yardley Smith No.4 in g#minor...

you guys are good!!!

V funny  ;D
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#68
March 26, 2009, 03:55:19 PM
Quote from: Sef on March 26, 2009, 09:05:42 AM
Saygun (1)
Most Hyped (6)
Hartmann (6)
Langgaard (4)
Kallstenius (Dalecarlia)
Weinberg (4)

... and can I say that every one of the above was as a result of recommendations on this board - Thanks.


Weinberg Symphony 5 is his greatest I think.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Sef

#69
March 26, 2009, 04:12:31 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 26, 2009, 03:55:19 PM
Weinberg Symphony 5 is his greatest I think.
I started with 5 a while back after a recommendation from you I believe! Just happened I was reading reviews on amazon.com for other CDs and came across 4 (with the Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes). Fell in love with it there and then.
"Do you think that I could have composed what I have composed, do you think that one can write a single note with life in it if one sits there and pities oneself?"

vandermolen

#70
March 27, 2009, 02:27:46 AM
Quote from: Sef on March 26, 2009, 04:12:31 PM
I started with 5 a while back after a recommendation from you I believe! Just happened I was reading reviews on amazon.com for other CDs and came across 4 (with the Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes). Fell in love with it there and then.

Right, I shall be listening to No 4 today! The choral No 6 is my other favourite.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Daverz

#71
March 28, 2009, 06:36:05 AM
I don't think these have been mentioned yet.  Some of these may not be "lesser known" enough.

Ludolf Nielsen 3
Alwyn 4
Fibich 3
Creston 3
Blomdahl 3

Somewhat more known composers:

Raff 5 (works best if you think of it as very good light music)
Sessions 3
Chausson
Arnold 5
Bliss Color Symphony
Randall Thompson 2
Chavez 4 (sounds like an hommage to Piston's 4th)
Schmidt 3 (Well the others were taken.  This one is quite different from the other 3, almost more French than Viennese, and I'm very fond of it.)
Holmboe 4

Already mentioned:

Gade 1
Braga Santos 4

Symphonists in general: Langgaard, Tubin, Miaskovsky, Weinberg/Vainberg


The one I have spinning now on the deck is pretty nice, Symphony in A by Otakar Ostrčil.

Some comments on other symphonies:

Shapero: Bernstein makes this sound like a great work.  Previn is dull.

Suk Asrael: There are several good recordings, but Kubelik makes me believe in this works greatness.  Unfortunately may be hard to find.

some guy

#72
March 28, 2009, 09:36:57 AM
I've been enjoying another stroll through my collection, particularly the Musik in Deutschland treasure trove. So here's six more favourites.

Robert Kurka, #2
Poul Ruders, Symphony
Friedrich Goldmann, #1 & #3
Dieter Schnebel, Symphony pieces for large orchestra
Gunter Kochan, #5
Manfred Trojahn, #3

vandermolen

#73
March 28, 2009, 03:11:52 PM
Quote from: some guy on March 28, 2009, 09:36:57 AM
I've been enjoying another stroll through my collection, particularly the Musik in Deutschland treasure trove. So here's six more favourites.

Robert Kurka, #2
Poul Ruders, Symphony
Friedrich Goldmann, #1 & #3
Dieter Schnebel, Symphony pieces for large orchestra
Gunter Kochan, #5
Manfred Trojahn, #3


The first two are excellent - don't know the others (yet ;D)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#74
March 28, 2009, 03:14:18 PM
Quote from: Daverz on March 28, 2009, 06:36:05 AM
Suk Asrael: There are several good recordings, but Kubelik makes me believe in this works greatness.  Unfortunately may be hard to find.

I just bought the new Ashkenazy/Helsinki recording today (Ondine), which also convinces me of the work's greatness.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Teresa

#75
March 28, 2009, 06:31:55 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on March 28, 2009, 03:14:18 PM
I just bought the new Ashkenazy/Helsinki recording today (Ondine), which also convinces me of the work's greatness.

I'll second that recommendation, it's also the version I have. 

Wanderer

#76
March 29, 2009, 01:17:50 AM
I'm yet to be convinced; I just think it's very worthwhile (and third the Ashkenazy recommendation).

Christo

#77
March 29, 2009, 01:55:40 AM Last Edit: March 29, 2009, 04:52:45 AM by Christo
Quote from: some guy on March 28, 2009, 09:36:57 AM
I've been enjoying another stroll through my collection, particularly the Musik in Deutschland treasure trove. So here's six more favourites.

Robert Kurka, #2
Poul Ruders, Symphony
Friedrich Goldmann, #1 & #3
Dieter Schnebel, Symphony pieces for large orchestra
Gunter Kochan, #5
Manfred Trojahn, #3

That's the sort of inspiring list I love, for I don't know any of these except for an occasional listen to Ruders'. (Always considered the Symphony dead in Germany except for Hartmann, and Germany in the 20th Century mostly a `Land ohne Musik' - taking my refuge to more civilised British and Baltic shores).  ;)

Time for my own daily update. Some more of the not-really-unknown-yet-not-universally-played-and-known-either favourites-of-mine that sprung to mind again on reading this thread:

Rued Langaard 4 `Løvfald' (1916/20) (nominated before)
Joaquin Turina Sinfonía sevillana (1920)
William Grant Still 1 `Afro-American' (1930/35)
Arthur Meulemans 3 `Dennensymfonie' (Fir Symphony) (1933) (mentioned before, I think)
Leo Smit (The Dutch composer, not his American namesake; murdered in Sobibor) `Sijmphonie in C' (1936)
Cláudio Santoro 5 (1955)


Edit: oops, had miss spelled "fir" as "fur" ....  :-\ I mean the tree though, as did this Flemish composer (whose name is translated as "Miller" BTW).


... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

Teresa

#78
March 29, 2009, 03:52:21 AM
Quote from: Christo on March 29, 2009, 01:55:40 AM
... Time for my own daily update. Some more of the not-really-unknown-yet-not-universally-played-and-known-either favourites-of-mine that sprung to mind again on reading this thread:

Rued Langaard 4 `Løvfald' (1916/20) (nominated before)
Joaquin Turina Sinfonía sevillana (1920)
William Grant Still 1 `Afro-American' (1930/35)
Arthur Meulemans 3 `Dennensymfonie' (Fur Symphony) (1933) (mentioned before, I think)
Leo Smit (The Dutch composer, not his American namesake; murdered in Sobibor) `Sijmphonie in C' (1936)
Cláudio Santoro 5 (1955)

I really love Turina's Sinfonía sevillana and William Grant Still's `Afro-American' Symphony.  I haven't heard the others, so many new composers I've discovered thanks to this thread.  Thanks everyone!  ;)

vandermolen

#79
March 30, 2009, 06:50:23 AM
Quote from: Christo on March 29, 2009, 01:55:40 AM
That's the sort of inspiring list I love, for I don't know any of these except for an occasional listen to Ruders'. (Always considered the Symphony dead in Germany except for Hartmann, and Germany in the 20th Century mostly a `Land ohne Musik' - taking my refuge to more civilised British and Baltic shores).  ;)

Time for my own daily update. Some more of the not-really-unknown-yet-not-universally-played-and-known-either favourites-of-mine that sprung to mind again on reading this thread:

Rued Langaard 4 `Løvfald' (1916/20) (nominated before)
Joaquin Turina Sinfonía sevillana (1920)
William Grant Still 1 `Afro-American' (1930/35)
Arthur Meulemans 3 `Dennensymfonie' (Fir Symphony) (1933) (mentioned before, I think)
Leo Smit (The Dutch composer, not his American namesake; murdered in Sobibor) `Sijmphonie in C' (1936)
Cláudio Santoro 5 (1955)


Edit: oops, had miss spelled "fir" as "fur" ....  :-\ I mean the tree though, as did this Flemish composer (whose name is translated as "Miller" BTW).


Yes, Langaard Symphony No 4 - my favourite of his works and a vote for nos 6 and 10 too.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).
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