Most Underrated Composers

[kyjo]

Surprisingly good for someone I've never heard of. Definitely will check out more of his stuff.

Great to hear! Don't expect Jongen's other works to be in the same bombastic style as the Symphonie Concertante, though. Most of his other works are highly impressionistic, but with late-romantic elements such as long-limbed melodies incorporated throughout. BTW, just because you haven't heard of a composer doesn't mean his/her music isn't good. I mean, at one time (an eternity ago, it seems), I had never heard of Mahler, but I didn't assume his music wasn't good!

[ibanezmonster]

Great to hear! Don't expect Jongen's other works to be in the same bombastic style as the Symphonie Concertante, though. Most of his other works are highly impressionistic, but with late-romantic elements such as long-limbed melodies incorporated throughout.

I listened to his Harp Concerto and some other stuff today and I see what you mean. The Harp Concerto is a fine work. Whatever it was I listened to after that lost my attention, though. Will explore more.

BTW, just because you haven't heard of a composer doesn't mean his/her music isn't good. I mean, at one time (an eternity ago, it seems), I had never heard of Mahler, but I didn't assume his music wasn't good!

What I mean is obscure composers. I try to search youtube and try out some obscure composers I've never heard of before. Most often I'm disappointed, though I'll find a gem here and there.



Today I found something absolutely wonderful that deserves to be on this thread:

http://www.youtube.com/v/DNvdPJx-Fws

The second movement, starting at 19'33" is something that just needs to be heard. It is a beast. It reminds me of the Sephiroth boss battle theme of Final Fantasy 7, but even better. Or maybe a Bruckner scherzo. The middle, pastoral section is somewhat Prokofievian, but only vaguely.

The problem I've had with classical music in general the last few years is that I haven't found any new composers to be obsessed with. I suppose that, when I got into metal, it was a whole new world to explore, but I've stagnated with discoveries with that genre recently and pretty much don't listen to music that much any more, other than to have some sound while studying.

If Sulek wrote a bunch of stuff as good as his 8th Symphony, I'd have a new composer to be obsessed with, which hasn't happened in years. I doubt it, though I'll explore. Sadly, I'm stuck to live performances of his music on youtube, since he hasn't been recorded much at all.

[kyjo]

I listened to his Harp Concerto and some other stuff today and I see what you mean. The Harp Concerto is a fine work. Whatever it was I listened to after that lost my attention, though. Will explore more.

What I mean is obscure composers. I try to search youtube and try out some obscure composers I've never heard of before. Most often I'm disappointed, though I'll find a gem here and there.



Today I found something absolutely wonderful that deserves to be on this thread:

http://www.youtube.com/v/DNvdPJx-Fws

The second movement, starting at 19'33" is something that just needs to be heard. It is a beast. It reminds me of the Sephiroth boss battle theme of Final Fantasy 7, but even better. Or maybe a Bruckner scherzo. The middle, pastoral section is somewhat Prokofievian, but only vaguely.

The problem I've had with classical music in general the last few years is that I haven't found any new composers to be obsessed with. I suppose that, when I got into metal, it was a whole new world to explore, but I've stagnated with discoveries with that genre recently and pretty much don't listen to music that much any more, other than to have some sound while studying.

If Sulek wrote a bunch of stuff as good as his 8th Symphony, I'd have a new composer to be obsessed with, which hasn't happened in years. I doubt it, though I'll explore. Sadly, I'm stuck to live performances of his music on youtube, since he hasn't been recorded much at all.

Yes, the Harp Concerto is a gorgeous work! I'm not usually disappointed when it comes to lesser-known music, but that's just me, of course!

Kudos for bringing up Sulek! The reason why his music is not more widely known and recorded is beyond me, especially since he had such an individual voice. Therefore, we're very fortunate to have so much of his music posted on YT. Definitely check out his Violin and Organ Concertos if you have time. They're stunning works.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Glad you enjoyed it (well, it's almost impossible not to like )!

Really? I think it's bombastic crap.

[Mirror Image]

Really? I think it's bombastic crap.

I heard about 10 minutes of it and I wasn't impressed either. I wouldn't go so far to call it crap, though. It just didn't appeal to me, but to each their own.

[Brian]

Really? I think it's bombastic crap.

Something tells me you should exercise great caution around the "five unknown works everyone should hear" thread.

[amw]

His Symphonie Concertante for organ and orchestra will blow your socks off! Man, how I'd love to hear it in concert!

My local orchestra (the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra) performed this with Cameron Carpenter in the solo role a few months ago. I was distinctly unimpressed with the piece, finding it rather uninspired and directionless for the most part and not well incorporating the organ into the orchestral palette (it was often surrounded with similar colours so that it was hard to tell when the soloist was playing), though I suppose that is my loss. It could have been a lacklustre interpretation but the APO went on to deliver a memorable and striking rendition of Chaikovsky's Sixth and Carpenter has quite the international reputation. I wasn't driven to seek out more of Jongen's œuvre, would much rather listen to Poulenc or Holmboe, but I'm not surprised to hear that this piece is somewhat of a stylistic departure for him; it didn't seem very confidently put together at all to me.

[snyprrr]

Malec
Hespos

[kyjo]

Really? I think it's bombastic crap.

Strrrrrrrike one! That's all I'll say for now, although I'd like to say much more.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Something tells me you should exercise great caution around the "five unknown works everyone should hear" thread.

You mean the "two thousand unknown works, generally listed without any reasons given" thread? I could have written it without reading it. Garbage is garbage, whether it's sung, unsung, or barely croaked. As Schumann once wrote, he who is afraid to attack music that's bad is only a half-hearted supporter of music that's good.

[mahler10th]

Really? I think it's bombastic crap.

What is wrong with it?  As soon as you let an good organ rip, it ALWAYS sounds bombastic, no matter what is being played.  Bruckners Symphonies transcribed for Organ sound dreadfully bombastic also, but the music there.  Still, mind you, I wont be exploring Jongen either.      
What I will be exploring is Gregs post of the composer Sulek.  I listened to what is above, and it appeals to me very much.
Thanks Greg, I'm off to YT to hear some more!

[(poco) Sforzando]

What is wrong with it?  As soon as you let an good organ rip, it ALWAYS sounds bombastic, no matter what is being played. 

Right, all those bombastic Bach preludes and fugues . . .

And why you'd want to listen to Bruckner transcribed for organ is beyond me. That's just a perpetuation of the cliché that his orchestration was organ-inspired. It is not.

[mahler10th]

Right, all those bombastic Bach preludes and fugues . . .

And why you'd want to listen to Bruckner transcribed for organ is beyond me. That's just a perpetuation of the cliché that his orchestration was organ-inspired. It is not.

***Gets handbag out***

That's just a perpetuation of the cliché that his orchestration was organ-inspired.

That may be true for sure, but that is not why I listen to Rogg and others giving Bruckner the Organ treatment.  I like to hear Bruckner 'bombastic', and Organ kind of helps it be so.  And so does Barenboim with the BPO...

Right, all those bombastic Bach preludes and fugues . . .

Good point.
***Throws handbag away and runs towards a bust of Bach, screaming for help and forgiveness***

[kyjo]

Right, all those bombastic Bach preludes and fugues . . .

And why you'd want to listen to Bruckner transcribed for organ is beyond me. That's just a perpetuation of the cliché that his orchestration was organ-inspired. It is not.

Do you ever have something helpful to contribute to discussions? Browsing through your posts, it appears not.

[Sammy]

I was enjoying the Jongen on youtube for the first three minutes but found the remainder rather boring and uninspired.  I don't think it's a matter of the music being bombastic; Jongen just ran out of inventiveness.

[kyjo]

I was enjoying the Jongen on youtube for the first three minutes but found the remainder rather boring and uninspired.  I don't think it's a matter of the music being bombastic; Jongen just ran out of inventiveness.

Now that, folks, is the proper way to express a negative opinion. Saying something is "bombastic crap", on the other hand, is not.

P.S. I'm rather surprised to so many members don't think much of the Jongen.

[Brian]

I listened to the entire Jongen piece. I thought it enjoyable - not significant, but virtuosic fun. A good companion to the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony, maybe. The finale, which kyjo posted and Sforzando disparaged, was not the most interesting part to me - that was either the scherzo or the adagio.

However, the day after listening, amw posted his/her comment and his/her remark that Jongen didn't differentiate the organ from the orchestra sufficiently, and didn't create an effective dialogue. As soon as I read it I knew it was true. There had been moments listening when I had to concentrate - "is that the organ or the woodwinds?"

It is much better than similar "organ symphonies" for organ and orchestra by Alexandre Guilmant. Sforzando, if you really want to wallow in some bombastic absurdity, try Guilmant's Symphony No. 1 (YouTube link!), a work so ridiculous it's most generously interpreted as parody. A sort of organ Warsaw Concerto. Rather fittingly, the finest available recording features organist Edgar Krapp.

[Sammy]

Now that, folks, is the proper way to express a negative opinion. Saying something is "bombastic crap", on the other hand, is not.

P.S. I'm rather surprised to so many members don't think much of the Jongen.

Well, I do like Jongen's chamber music - his piano quartet and piano trio on Cypres and the two string quartet recordings on Pavane.  That's all I've heard of the man's music until I hit the youtube link.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Do you ever have something helpful to contribute to discussions? Browsing through your posts, it appears not.

No, nothing whatsoever, and I'm sure you've proved that point to yourself by carefully reading all 3000+ posts of mine, not to mention all those I posted previously under my given name. I suppose that's why too, on the thread entitled "What Do You Like Most About GMG," three people specifically and very kindly mentioned me.

P.S. I'm rather surprised to so many members don't think much of the Jongen.

I'm not.

[kyjo]

I suppose that's why too, on the thread entitled "What Do You Like Most About GMG," three people specifically and very kindly mentioned me.

Wow. I've never seen so much humility in one sentence.