A composer known for 1 piece these days but nominate another unknown masterpiece

[abidoful]

Arnas Järnefelt;
- known for a little Berceuse
- has a wonderful work called KORSHOLMA, a symphonic poem

[starrynight]

Why do people always have to use the word masterpiece now? All that matters is whether someone finds it a favourite work to themselves or not.  To try and claim some extra historical significance, which 'masterpiece' suggests, often seems a bit bogus.

[laredo]

Bizet is almost known for his Carmen but u should also listen to his delightful Symphony and Variations Chromatiques.

[RJR]

The example that stands out for me is Pachelbel, known for that bloody Canon. (It's fine, just overplayed.) His keyboard music, chamber music, and sacred choral works deserve a wider audience.

In the early 70s in Montréal, a CBC afternoon broadcast titled Off the Record played that Canon as their daily theme song. Talk about overkill.

[RJR]

Hey, it's still fame ; )

True, but it falls 11 minutes short of the required 15.

[RJR]

Bizet is almost known for his Carmen but u should also listen to his delightful Symphony and Variations Chromatiques.

I hear echoes of Beethoven and Schubert in Bizet's Symphony. You can feel the heat of a summer's day in the second movement. Langoureux=Langourous.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Franck and Dvorak known for only couple of works?! Hardly. I take that as an insult! 

[Sid]

Widor is only known by most people for his Toccata from Symphony No. 5 (for solo organ, of course!). Thankfully, there have been a number of recordings done now of that symphony complete, which can have anything from 3 to 5 movements, depending on which version you've got (Widor, like Bruckner, was an avid reviser - alas). All of his other nine organ symphonies are worth checking out, & I think he wrote two unnumbered organ symphonies, as well as a number of symphonies for orchestra and organ. His songs & chamber works, which I have also not heard yet, are available on Naxos. His discography seems to be growing year by year...

[Mr. Darcy]

How 'bout Carl Orff? Known for Carmina burana and NOTHING ELSE....

Sorry. I'm mostly kidding. I'm sure he composed something else, though I don't know what.

[Lethevich]

Orff's neglect is absolutely just There are a few operas of some vague interest, but nothing I've heard by him has been particularly worthwhile.

Carmina Burana, btw, I think was part of a larger cycle.

[abidoful]

Orff's neglect is absolutely just

[Sid]

Another one is Boccherini, who is mainly known for that famous minuet from one of his string quintets & also the so-called 8th cello concerto, arranged by another composer. Needless to say, he was a very prolific composer (about 125 string quintets to his name). Many of his works are available now on Brilliant Classics, not only the string quintets, but also guitar quintets and piano quintets. I just got one of those discs of his string quintets op. 39 with double bass, and I think he's a composer worth exploring...

[Lethevich]

Boccherini is definitely one of the most immediately enjoyable classical guys, I wish I had discovered him sooner. He has a wonderful melodic sensibility, although I can't claim his work to have any real highlights, it's just all good stuff.