Hello!

[Mirror Image]

Wait a second-I just noticed that we have the same Rachmaninov quote as our signature, John I've got to start checking my birth records ....

Yikes! Yes, now this is getting a little scary. What is your name by the way?

[kyjo]

The name's Kyle. By the way, love your Honegger avatar-a great picture of a great but underrated composer!

[vandermolen]

A belated welcome from me, although we have already met in your Freitas Branco thread  .

I share many of your enthusiasms, not least Honegger, Arnell, Braga Santos, Atterberg (especially symphonies 3,5 and the slow movement of Symphony eight - I did originally write a numerical number here but it came out as a smiley face with sunglasses on!). Stanley Bate was a revelation to me, especially symphonies 3 and 4, which should be much better known. Casella, I am just discovering and have enjoyed Symphony No 2.

I have already appreciated your valuable contributions to the forum.

Jeffrey

[kyjo]

A belated welcome from me, although we have already met in your Freitas Branco thread  .

I share many of your enthusiasms, not least Honegger, Arnell, Braga Santos, Atterberg (especially symphonies 3,5 and the slow movement of Symphony eight - I did originally write a numerical number here but it came out as a smiley face with sunglasses on!). Stanley Bate was a revelation to me, especially symphonies 3 and 4, which should be much better known. Casella, I am just discovering and have enjoyed Symphony No 2.

I have already appreciated your valuable contributions to the forum.

Jeffrey

Thank you, Jeffrey I'm looking forward to conversing more with you here! I gather you are also a great fan of Tubin and Myaskovsky, two composers whose music I admire immensely as well.

[vandermolen]

Thank you, Jeffrey I'm looking forward to conversing more with you here! I gather you are also a great fan of Tubin and Myaskovsky, two composers whose music I admire immensely as well.

Oh yes Kyle, they are two of my favourite composers.

[kyjo]

Oh yes Kyle, they are two of my favourite composers.

I thought so! Who is your very favorite composer, Jeffrey?

[vandermolen]

I thought so! Who is your very favorite composer, Jeffrey?

Difficult question but Vaughan Williams ranks very high and was my way into classical music when I was 17. Miaskovsky also rates very high. Today I listened to his 13th String Quartet not realising how great it was. Bruckner was another early enthusiasm which has stayed with me. There are many others including Tubin, Braga Santos (or at least symphonies 1 to 4), Copland, Sibelius and Shostakovich and Stanley Bate.

How about your favourite composer?

[kyjo]

Difficult question but Vaughan Williams ranks very high and was my way into classical music when I was 17. Miaskovsky also rates very high. Today I listened to his 13th String Quartet not realising how great it was. Bruckner was another early enthusiasm which has stayed with me. There are many others including Tubin, Braga Santos (or at least symphonies 1 to 4), Copland, Sibelius and Shostakovich and Stanley Bate.

How about your favourite composer?

I adore all the composers you mention. VW, Bruckner, Sibelius and Shostakovich are all on my top 10 list. I seem to have surprised some people by saying this, but my favorite composer is Rachmaninov. Many people I've spoken to think he's overrated; while his music does get a lot of exposure in the concert halls and on the radio (I must try to avoid over-exposure), I don't think overrated is the right word to use. There are a whole lot more underrated composers than overrated ones, as you know well. Do you like Rachmaninov, Jeffrey?

[North Star]

I adore all the composers you mention. VW, Bruckner, Sibelius and Shostakovich are all on my top 10 list. I seem to have surprised some people by saying this, but my favorite composer is Rachmaninov. Many people I've spoken to think he's overrated; while his music does get a lot of exposure in the concert halls and on the radio (I must try to avoid over-exposure), I don't think overrated is the right word to use. There are a whole lot more underrated composers than overrated ones, as you know well. Do you like Rachmaninov, Jeffrey?

I love Rakhmaninov's music. (and Sibelius's RVW's, Bruckner's & Shosty's)

[kyjo]

I love Rakhmaninov's music. (and Sibelius's RVW's, Bruckner's & Shosty's)

Excellent! Do you have a favorite Rachmaninov piece? Mine is the Piano Concerto no. 2, with the Symphony no. 2 following very close behind.

[vandermolen]

I adore all the composers you mention. VW, Bruckner, Sibelius and Shostakovich are all on my top 10 list. I seem to have surprised some people by saying this, but my favorite composer is Rachmaninov. Many people I've spoken to think he's overrated; while his music does get a lot of exposure in the concert halls and on the radio (I must try to avoid over-exposure), I don't think overrated is the right word to use. There are a whole lot more underrated composers than overrated ones, as you know well. Do you like Rachmaninov, Jeffrey?

Kyle,

Rachmaninov was my mother's favourite composer so I always have a soft spot for him! So, the answer to your question is yes, I do like Rachmaninov. As with Tchaikovsky there is a certain amount of snobbish disapproval of his music which I do not subscribe to. As for works, my favourites are Symphony No 1 (my mother loved Symphony No 2 and Piano Concerto No 3, especially the Ashkenazy/Fistoulari recording). Also I really like 'The Bells', a magnificent work and 'The Isle of the Dead'.

[Lisztianwagner]

my favorite composer is Rachmaninov

*Pounds the table*

[North Star]

Excellent! Do you have a favorite Rachmaninov piece? Mine is the Piano Concerto no. 2, with the Symphony no. 2 following very close behind.

All-night Vigil, Isle of the Dead, Symphony No. 1, PC no. 3

[kyjo]

Kyle,

Rachmaninov was my mother's favourite composer so I always have a soft spot for him! So, the answer to your question is yes, I do like Rachmaninov. As with Tchaikovsky there is a certain amount of snobbish disapproval of his music which I do not subscribe to. As for works, my favourites are Symphony No 1 (my mother loved Symphony No 2 and Piano Concerto No 3, especially the Ashkenazy/Fistoulari recording). Also I really like 'The Bells', a magnificent work and 'The Isle of the Dead'.

Glad to hear you admire Rachmaninov, Jeffrey I also ignore the drubbing Tchaikovsky gets. His music is heard almost as much as Beethoven's in concert halls nowadays and it can be difficult to avoid over-exposure. But that is no reason to criticize Tchaikovsky; it's not his fault his music is so frequently performed

[kyjo]

All-night Vigil, Isle of the Dead, Symphony No. 1, PC no. 3

Nice list!

[Mirror Image]

I can't say I'm a big Rachmaninov fan and like Jeffrey I don't agree with what the snobs say about him. This said, I seldom play any of his music. I would say that my favorite Rachmaninov work, however, above all others is Three Russian Songs. There's a bittersweet quality to this work that I find endearing.

[kyjo]

I can't say I'm a big Rachmaninov fan and like Jeffrey I don't agree with what the snobs say about him. This said, I seldom play any of his music. I would say that my favorite Rachmaninov work, however, above all others is Three Russian Songs. There's a bittersweet quality to this work that I find endearing.

I'm fine with your opinion, John I fully realize that Rachmaninov's heart-on-the-sleeve romanticism isn't to everyone's taste.

Scriabin's now on my avatar. Yet another great composer whose orchestral works are well-recorded but very seldom heard in the concert hall. And what a magnificent 'stache

[Mirror Image]

I'm fine with your opinion, John I fully realize that Rachmaninov's heart-on-the-sleeve romanticism isn't to everyone's taste.

Scriabin's now on my avatar. Yet another great composer whose orchestral works are well-recorded but very seldom heard in the concert hall. And what a magnificent 'stache

I did mention my love for Rach's Three Russian Songs so this alone should score me some brownie points with the Rach lovers here, especially since this work is seldom mentioned for some bizarre and unknown reason. Yeah, I suppose I'm just finding myself less and less moved by Romantic music, although there's certainly a lot of this music that I do like a lot and even love (Bruckner's symphonies for example). I suppose I'm finding myself more in-tune with the crudeness, angst, and dissonances of the 20th Century, although there are plenty of gorgeous moments throughout this remarkable century.

P.S. What do you think of Sculthorpe's music? He's certainly in my top 15 favorites now. He may even move up some slots in the next couple of days. Oh, and I dig the Scriabin avatar. Certainly a favorite of mine as well. My favorite Scriabin orchestral work is either the Piano Concerto or Symphony No. 3 'The Divine Poem'.

[kyjo]

I did mention my love for Rach's Three Russian Songs so this alone should score me some brownie points with the Rach lovers here, especially since this work is seldom mentioned for some bizarre and unknown reason. Yeah, I suppose I'm just finding myself less and less moved by Romantic music, although there's certainly a lot of this music that I do like a lot and even love (Bruckner's symphonies for example). I suppose I'm finding myself more in-tune with the crudeness, angst, and dissonances of the 20th Century, although there are plenty of gorgeous moments throughout this remarkable century.

P.S. What do you think of Sculthorpe's music? He's certainly in my top 15 favorites now. He may even move up some slots in the next couple of days. Oh, and I dig the Scriabin avatar. Certainly a favorite of mine as well. My favorite Scriabin orchestral work is either the Piano Concerto or Symphony No. 3 'The Divine Poem'.

Maybe my affection for Romantic music will lessen as I age as well-we shall see! As to the Three Russian Songs, ArkivMusic only lists 12 recordings

Sculthorpe is a fascinating composer, if not one of my very favorites. It is very difficult for composers these days to develop and individual voice, but Sculthorpe manages to never sound like anyone else. His music isn't neoromantic, neoclassical, dodecaphonic or avant-garde. It doesn't belong to any established "school" of compositional style. I often compare Sculthorpe to the great Icelandic original Jon Leifs in not only the regard that both of their music is very unique, but because their music strongly evokes the ruggedness and wildness of their homelands in a decidedly non-"picture postcard" manner. Also, both composers (Sculthorpe more so than Leifs) have eschewed traditional forms (symphony, concerto, string quartet etc.) in favor of single-movement, descriptive pieces.

I love Scriabin's music and I've always wished he had written more orchestral pieces! Ever since I heard the finale of his Symphony no. 2, I've never been able to dislodge it from my memory! The Decca 3-CD set containing most of the orchestral works conducted by Ashkenazy is one of the most-played items in my collection. Do you know the Muti renditions of the symphonies? They have received praise in many circles but I have not heard them.

[pencils]

Thank you, Jeffrey I'm looking forward to conversing more with you here! I gather you are also a great fan of Tubin and Myaskovsky, two composers whose music I admire immensely as well.

Another Tubin and Myaskovsky fan here. Woo.