Works that are not in the top 100

[dave b]

Those lists compiled by classical radio stations, listing the station's or the listener's most requested pieces over the years, I find that helpful in getting started learning to appreciate classical music more. But a couple of items not on those lists----and I never see these mentioned anywhere. Boyce, Eight Symphonies, Serenata of London, Barry Wilde.
Ancient Airs and Dances, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, by Respighi.
I would imagine there are a lot of gems like these "hidden" away in the vast area of classical music. One hears about the major composers but not a word have I heard about Boyce, and not much about Telemann either, compared to the greats of classical music. This is another thing I have been learning, that this field is so vast, one could explore it for years and not mine all the gold it has within it. Oldies are cut and dried, top 40 songs from certain decades, and other types of music are containable, so to speak, i.e. one can explore them and come to an end of sorts, but classical music seems endless in all its composers and works and aspects.
I wonder how many relatively undiscovered gems are out there, re composers and works that never make the top 100. A lot, I would imagine. I would welcome recommendations of the lesser known works out there.

[dave b]

In other words, what are your favorite two or three lesser known pieces of music?

[DavidW]

This will sound strange to you but those top 100 lists are actually very narrow in focus.  There are many, many masterpieces that are not on that list and are not exactly undiscovered gems either as much as warhorses that have been recorded dozens of times over and performed by major orchestras several hundred times over the past few decades.

An actual list of great classical works would be unbelievably long.  If you want a clue as to how big, Karl made a thread for top 100 Mozart works and it filled up within like a couple of days.  I did something like that with Bach and that finished up with even more works.  All of Beethoven's piano sonatas are considered great, and he wrote 32 of them.  All of Bach's cantatas are considered great and he wrote so many that they fill up a 60 cd set.  Schubert's lieder, I don't know even how many there are, but they are a major musical contribution and would take up a tremendous amount of shelf space.  Haydn wrote almost 70 string quartets, all of them considered great.  

And I could go on and on and on and on...

[dave b]

I see just what you mean. Those lists are culled from thousands of works, as just representative of Bach or Beethoven or others. Let me change it about a little bit to read, composers, there are some very good works out there whose composers are kind of "unsung" e.g. Boyce, Respighi, and others. These "lesser" composers, for lack of a better word, or let us say composers who are not as well known or famous, there are a lot of works that are wonderful to listen to, but one hardly hears the name of the composer mentioned, with all the classical music giants around.

[dave b]

And I wanted to reiterate just now new I am at this, although I have been listening to classical music for several years, I had not really been listening to it in any meaningful way, trying to dig into it a bit....and I have seen many of your posts, David W and respect your knowledge of classical music.....I guess as a beginner my formulations of my own questions are sometimes kind of rambling, thinking as I go, instead of thinking out my posts a bit more before posting.
One of my ways to explore all this is to go to some of the threads, then I see a long discussion about Mahler's Symphony 5, for example, just now, and see all the various interpretations by the listeners, some see nature in it, some do not, but it becomes so interesting that I am tempted to go immediately to Arkivmusic and order the cd of that work by the London Philarmonic and that is what i just did about five minutes ago. This could be an expensive way to learn, and could get out of hand, but I don't have to worry. My budget curbs my appetite rather quickly But it is one of many ways to delve into classical music, if controlled.

[DavidW]

Well Respighi is not exactly unsung, he is very well known for his Pines of Rome which get tremendous airtime on the radio, are performed frequently, have been recorded many times, and was featured in Fantasia 2000.

Now Boyce, well you got me there, haven't heard his music before.  That's interestingly cool, but it makes me question how these radio stations compile their stupid lists anyway.

[DavidW]

I guess as a beginner my formulations of my own questions are sometimes kind of rambling, thinking as I go, instead of thinking out my posts a bit more before posting.

It's no problem, I think everyone here enjoys your questions as a breath of fresh air, it helps bring perspective after fighting over something that is a non-issue like fortepiano in Mozart sonatas, just to name one of many.



Maybe we're too picky--
A: do you like classical music?
B: yes!
A: awesome, I do too!  Do you like classical era?
B: yes!
A: wow me too!  Do you like Haydn?
B: why I love him!
A: Really, he's one of my favs!  Do you like his string quartets?
B: yeah they are amazing masterpieces.
A: funny meeting someone that likes so much of the same music, do even like his early string quartets like Op 9?
B: why yes I do!
A: amazing that are tastes are so close, we have so much in common.  Tell me do you like Festetics Q in Op 9?
B: well actually I prefer the London Haydn Quartet.
A: Oh go kill yourself!  What a jerk!  Our tastes are completely different!!

[dave b]

DavidW, I don't know enough about this stuff to fight over it And by trade I do a lot of fighting in the inner-city courts of Boston as a criminal trial attorney....oh no, a whole other subject!!!!!----my one way commute is 77 miles, and so I immediately tune in to WFCC 107.5 Cape Cod, then when I get nearer to Boston I switch to WCRB, Boston's classical station, and the entire time is spent not only fighting crazy drivers but listening to classical music.....the two sometimes do not complement each other well, either, driving in Massachusetts while soothing music is on.

[karlhenning]

Now Boyce, well you got me there, haven't heard his music before.

Ah, but you haven't been in New England for a while . . . Boyce is a staple on WCRB.

[karlhenning]

DavidW, I don't know enough about this stuff to fight over it And by trade I do a lot of fighting in the inner-city courts of Boston as a criminal trial attorney....oh no, a whole other subject!!!!!----my one way commute is 77 miles, and so I immediately tune in to WFCC 107.5 Cape Cod, then when I get nearer to Boston I switch to WCRB, Boston's classical station, and the entire time is spent not only fighting crazy drivers but listening to classical music.....the two sometimes do not complement each other well, either, driving in Massachusetts while soothing music is on.

Say, how've you been?  I think we've already "met," but perhaps you've been immersed in Real Life™.

[dave b]

Sure, we've met...I just sent you an email, strictly by coincidence, before I even knew you were on here this morning....

[dave b]

Karl, I was just reminded of an old thread on here from March 2008 16th and Century Spanish Guitar, and I just asked a question, and Bogey and Dirk and others got involved and it was hilarious......

[dave b]

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,6833.0.html   

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I guess as a beginner my formulations of my own questions are sometimes kind of rambling, thinking as I go, instead of thinking out my posts a bit more before posting.

Dave, on this issue, as DavidW hinted, the world of classical music is huge since you've got several centuries of music to draw on. The best way to explore might be to break down your requests sort of like this:

Can anyone recommend -
Some lesser-known symphonies OR
some lesser-known chamber works OR
a good place to start for Renaissance music OR
a good place to start for opera OR
some good non-radical-sounding contemporary orchestral music OR
some really way-out-there modern chamber works OR
some jazz-influenced classical music OR
flute concertos OR
works that use a lot of trombones

whatever strikes your fancy, etc. (you get the idea)

In other words, more focused requests will probably bring better results  

[dave b]

Very good point. I am copying that down as we speak......one of the problems with beginners is that we don't know what questions to ask except general ones, and so the refined questions will not come up for awhile, but this gives me a headstart

[dave b]

And this is precisely why I post in this beginner's section. I posted a couple of things in the general discussion area but quickly realized that this part of the forum is more appropriate for my general questions, until I can learn enough to be able to delve into those particulars.......slow process but very enjoyable........I just listen to the classical station, jot down info about this or that piece played, delve into it a bit, maybe order some from arkivmusic, and go from there, day by day.....and my four hours of listening per day while doing the commuting thing, helps too.....I like the feature of the playlists, on those stations, where you just have to note the time, and look it up later, what was played and who performed it etc....

[DavidW]

Ah, but you haven't been in New England for a while . . . Boyce is a staple on WCRB.

I don't miss that station.

That also speaks volumes about Boyce, he must be a regular Ditters.

[Gurn Blanston]

I don't miss that station.

That also speaks volumes about Boyce, he must be a regular Ditters.

Well, probably about the same level, which is pretty good. I have 1 Boyce disk by Hogwood et al, it has 8 sinfonias IIRC. So you can see they are rather shortish compared to what was being done in Germany at the time, rather comparable to contemporaneous Italian overtures/sinfonias.

EIGHT SYMPHONYS in eight parts
Six for Violins, Hoboys, or German Flutes, and Two for Violins, French Horns and
Trumpets, with a Bass for the VIOLONCELLO AND HARPSICHORD,
COMPOS'D BY Dr. Wm. Boyce

as the title page of the scores says. You might give them a try. And dammit, you really should at least try some Ditters.