Your Musical Discoveries of 2011

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Meh, some people would say the same about Shostakovich...

Every society has it's blasphemers.

[Cato]

This year thanks to GMG:

The symphonies of Johann (Jan) Kalliwoda.
Several string quartets of Sergei Taneyev.

Thanks to Karl Henning: Tchaikovsky's Trio, Prokofiev's Violin Sonatas, and (a rediscovery) Liszt's Dante Symphony as performed by the BBC Philharmonic with Gianandrea Noseda conducting.

Luke Ottevanger's works must be mentioned as discoveries, along with new member Paul Nauert's Episodes and Elegies
which I still hope to analyze soon, at least in part!

And at the end of 2010, we all discovered Karl Henning's Viola Sonata.

[kishnevi]

Niels Gade, Ermanno Wolf Ferrari, Julius Roengten, and Georges Onslow are this year's main discoveries,  most of which GMG gets the credit for.

Also, my first full encounter with Bach's cantatas, and with the music of Salomone Rossi, although those are not directly due to GMG.

[Brian]

So far in 2011 I have listened to 658 pieces of music I had never heard before. Thanks to GMGers for recommending the works with asterisks*.

Top Five Things I Heard for the First Time
1. Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra*
2. Schubert: String Quintet in C (live: Pavel Haas Quartet, Danjulo Ishizaka)
3. Pierne: Cydalise et le chevre-pied
4. Brian: Symphony No 1, "Gothic" (live: BBC Proms)*
5. Mahler: Symphony No 3 (live: Warsaw PO/Wit)

Among the Living
The chamber music of Gabriela Lena Frank
Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony (live: LPO/Alsop)
Sallinen: Shadows, and the Cello Concerto
Anders Koppel: Saxophone Concerto No 2
Czarnecki: String Quartet No 2, "Spis"
Rautavaara's music for strings

Other First Listens of Note (chronological order)
Beethoven: String Quartet No 12, Op 127
Zemlinsky: Lyric Symphony (live: LPO/Jurowski)
Brahms: Piano Quintet
Ives: Symphony No 2*
Kodaly: Hary Janos suite
Roussel: Le marchand de sable qui passe
Tango: Zero Hour
Szymanowski: Symphony No 4
The music of Jean Cras*
Martinu: Symphony No 2, Piano Concerto No 2
Enescu: Dixtuor

[Mirror Image]

Karl, I know.... I just get very defensive. LONG LIVE MAHLER!

But there's really no need to be defensive is there, Daniel? I mean Mahler's music is recorded and performed quite frequently, right? Just think you get to hear one of your favorite composers live many times throughout the year, how many times am I going to get to hear Koechlin? I could easily get defensive about Koechlin, but I'm not really worried about it. Why should I be? I have accepted that his music is just something I'm probably not going to be able to hear. I have accepted this just like you should accept that there are people out there that dislike Mahler's music.

[snyprrr]

So far in 2011 I have listened to 658 pieces of music I had never heard before. Thanks to GMGers for recommending the works with asterisks*.

Top Five Things I Heard for the First Time
1. Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra*
2. Schubert: String Quintet in C (live: Pavel Haas Quartet, Danjulo Ishizaka)
3. Pierne: Cydalise et le chevre-pied
4. Brian: Symphony No 1, "Gothic" (live: BBC Proms)*
5. Mahler: Symphony No 3 (live: Warsaw PO/Wit)

Among the Living
The chamber music of Gabriela Lena Frank
Adams: Doctor Atomic Symphony (live: LPO/Alsop)
Sallinen: Shadows, and the Cello Concerto
Anders Koppel: Saxophone Concerto No 2
Czarnecki: String Quartet No 2, "Spis"
Rautavaara's music for strings

Other First Listens of Note (chronological order)
Beethoven: String Quartet No 12, Op 127
Zemlinsky: Lyric Symphony (live: LPO/Jurowski)
Brahms: Piano Quintet
Ives: Symphony No 2*
Kodaly: Hary Janos suite
Roussel: Le marchand de sable qui passe
Tango: Zero Hour
Szymanowski: Symphony No 4
The music of Jean Cras*
Martinu: Symphony No 2, Piano Concerto No 2
Enescu: Dixtuor

It's good to see what others have discovered. Your discoveries today are mine tomorrow! I remember the feeling of hearing Sallinen for the first time.

[some guy]

Thanks, I'm checking out some of their stuff right now. It'd be interesting if they do turn out to be as well-known.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of them. Other than Anna's clip online, I've only heard one piece live from the two guys. But those were really exciting performances. (They all three made the short list for best piece of the festival. I think it was some Chinese guy that carried off the prize, though. I was in Lisboa by that time, so I don't know for sure. Miguel told me, but I've forgotten.

[Mirror Image]

I guess I should point out some discoveries/rediscoveries of mine this year:

Koechlin!!! (rediscovery)
Lindberg
Salonen
Casella (rediscovery)
Karayev
Prokofiev (rediscovery)
Pizzetti
Wagner
Schmitt
Pierne

[Lethevich]

Niels Gade, Ermanno Wolf Ferrari, Julius Roengten, and Georges Onslow are this year's main discoveries,  most of which GMG gets the credit for.

Ooh, I forgot Röntgen this year - such good music, and so... odd in its normality

[Ten thumbs]

My discovery this year is Stephen Heller.
His music is a mixed bag really but worthy of restoration alongside Alkan.

[snyprrr]

2011 is nearly done and I'm still discovering & exploring Stockhausen's musical galaxy; been doing it since late-2007 with no signs of slowing down .. typical of major composers such as he; easily could-be a life long study.

OK, I just plunked for the 'Gruppen/Punkte' (it got pretty rare all of a sudden, no?). I know that will warm your cockles!

[madaboutmahler]

But there's really no need to be defensive is there, Daniel? I mean Mahler's music is recorded and performed quite frequently, right? Just think you get to hear one of your favorite composers live many times throughout the year, how many times am I going to get to hear Koechlin? I could easily get defensive about Koechlin, but I'm not really worried about it. Why should I be? I have accepted that his music is just something I'm probably not going to be able to hear. I have accepted this just like you should accept that there are people out there that dislike Mahler's music.

I understand what you are saying though - although it is not really that which irritates me. When people criticise the music itself is what makes me turn more defensive and angry. For example, if someone calls the music 'boring', 'too long', 'silly', 'average', 'terrible' etc. Mahler's music IS NOT that, it's just a case of whether the person understands the music properly, or whether it's just their own musical taste. If they just say, 'I don't like Mahler's music, I find it a little too long and extreme', that would be fine. However, if they say something like, 'Mahler is boring. His music is far too long and is not interesting at all', this is not correct and I will not stand for it! And that is when I get the Mahler hammer out!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

OK, I just plunked for the 'Gruppen/Punkte' (it got pretty rare all of a sudden, no?). I know that will warm your cockles!

Did you order the Eotvos? I got that too. Good stuff.

[Karl Henning]

I understand what you are saying though - although it is not really that which irritates me. When people criticise the music itself is what makes me turn more defensive and angry. For example, if someone calls the music 'boring', 'too long', 'silly', 'average', 'terrible' etc. Mahler's music IS NOT that, it's just a case of whether the person understands the music properly, or whether it's just their own musical taste. If they just say, 'I don't like Mahler's music, I find it a little too long and extreme', that would be fine. However, if they say something like, 'Mahler is boring. His music is far too long and is not interesting at all', this is not correct and I will not stand for it! And that is when I get the Mahler hammer out!

I'faith, 'tis a most judicious and prudent hammer.

[snyprrr]

Did you order the Eotvos? I got that too. Good stuff.

Was it inevitable? It was!,...looking forward.

[Mirror Image]

I understand what you are saying though - although it is not really that which irritates me. When people criticise the music itself is what makes me turn more defensive and angry. For example, if someone calls the music 'boring', 'too long', 'silly', 'average', 'terrible' etc. Mahler's music IS NOT that, it's just a case of whether the person understands the music properly, or whether it's just their own musical taste. If they just say, 'I don't like Mahler's music, I find it a little too long and extreme', that would be fine. However, if they say something like, 'Mahler is boring. His music is far too long and is not interesting at all', this is not correct and I will not stand for it! And that is when I get the Mahler hammer out!

I can understand why you get defensive, but you must learn to not worry too much about it. If someone wants to listen to Mahler then they will and if they end up enjoying the music, then that's when you can turn to them, nod your head and smile. At the end of the day, people enjoy what they enjoy and it's not your place to tell them otherwise. I could comment to you on the composers you listen to, but I have to realize that you're going to enjoy what you enjoy regardless of what I think or anyone else and that's the way it should be. If we like some of the same composers fine, but if we don't then that's quite alright too. We all hear things differently and this is a realization you must come to at some point.

[glindhot]

Songs and song cycles:
Debussy: Chansons de Bilitis
Berg: Altenberg Lieder; Sieben fruhe lieder
Faure: L'Horizon Chimerique; La chansons d'Eve;
Mussorgsky: Sunless
Grieg: Haugtussa
Lekeu: Poemes
Duparc: Various
Hahn: Various

Instrumental:
Lili Boulanger: Nocturne
Berg: Piano Sonata
Holst: Invocation

Opera:
Handel: Teseo
Rachmaninoff: Francesca da Rimini
Rimsky Korsakoff: May Night
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress

[some guy]

I remember very well when I first heard Sibelius, who was already dead. It was very exciting for me.

I remember very well when I first heard Bartok, who was already dead. It was very exciting for me.

I remember very well when a Mahler symphony first made perfect sense to me. Mahler was already dead, but it was very exciting to me.

So I want to go on record for saying that I understand the excitement of discovering the music of people who are dead.

But still, isn't there some point at which discoveries should eventually be discoveries of people who are alive? People who can actually benefit from our excitement? People we can meet and talk to and drink beer with?

I have seen lots of threads about "if you could go back in time, who would you most want to meet?" and the necrophiles flock around to contribute. But I'm always thinking the same thing. There are plenty of lovely people alive right now who write perfectly delightful music. I think I'll be content with meeting them in actual fact.

And so I have. Oh, it's fun!

Anyway, this is not to brag about all the living composers I've met. I've met a lot of non-composers, too, who are very nice people. And so have all of you. This is to encourage all my dear necrophiliacs here to expand "discover" to include music that was written in 2011, too!

Or were you thinking you'd leave that music for your grandchildren and your grandchildren's grandchildren to discover?

[Lethevich]

I tend to find it difficult to take such advice into consideration because it often comes with baggage. The main part of your argument (to support living composers and not their descendants) is sound, but I feel that the composer being alive is often not enough to person putting such views forward - the composers must also fit within certain styles that the individual considers acceptably deserving, and that flows into the dual cults of youth and progress.

For example - the living composers that I enjoy tend to be both old and not at all radical in their musical language. Do you really consider that alright, or would you prefer people like me try harder to like composers who are not just living, but writing in experimental styles? If a composer's conservative style produces compositions that affect me more strongly than others, should I put this aside for the potential benefits of working to understand music that I do not currently enjoy as much?

I realise that I am making assumptions which may be completely wrong, but I've seen this "oh, him, that's the easy way out" style response when people list favourite contemporary composers multiple times when this subject arises.

[Christo]

Pierne

Yes! I `rediscovered' Gabriel Pierné too, this year. In a long distant past, I remember to have been fond of his orchestral masterpiece (in my view), the Divertissements sur un thème pastoral from 1931. This year, the piece popped up on a new Chandos cd with the BBC Philharmonic under Juanjo Mena playing the Piano Concerto, Ramuntcho Suites and these `Divertissements'. And there he was again: the Pierné I'd almost forgotten and whose music I started playing a lot, this Summer.

By far the best of the three or four recordings of the piece is the one by Jean Martinon for Erato (conducting the Orchestrae National de l'O.R.T.E. in 1970, as I found out this year. It was the recording I had heard back in 1978 or so. Martinon's superb performance makes the piece a worthy counterweight to other cornerstones of the French orchestral repertoire like La Mèr or Daphnis et Chloë, IMO.

Speaking of the latter: this year I also `discovered' Pierné's response to Ravel ballet, namely his own Cydalise et le chèvre-pied (Cydalise and the Faun) from 1914-15. Pierné may not be the most original of composers, but at least he's a real master, producing his best pieces in later life, IMHO. I would also mention his Paysages franciscains from 1920 as another fine orchestral piece.

It's a pity that his most played pieces tend to be his earlier compositions, like the more conventional Piano concerto and the Ramuntcho suites. Indeed, we're still waiting for recordings of some of his later works. Any opinion on them or on Pierné (who doesn't have a thread of his own?