Five "unsung" works everyone should hear

[kyjo]

What are five "unsung" (meaning not a concert hall staple) works that you believe everyone should hear? Tough choices, but, in the end, I chose:

1. Franz Schmidt: Symphony no. 4
2. Braga Santos: Symphony no. 4
3. Atterberg: Symphony no. 3
4. Casella: Symphony no. 3 (Sinfonia)
5. Brian: Symphony no. 1 Gothic

(You may detect a slight bias toward symphonies! )

All of these works have great emotional and dramatic (and in the case of the Atterberg, atmospheric) power that is equaled by only the great acknowledged masterpieces of the classical music literature.

[Mirror Image]

A couple floating around my mind right now:

1. Chavez: Horse Power Suite
2. Villa-Lobos: Forest of the Amazon
3. Braga Santos: Symphony No. 2
4. Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24
5. Milhaud: Symphony No. 6

[kyjo]

A couple floating around my mind right now:

1. Chavez: Horse Power Suite
2. Villa-Lobos: Forest of the Amazon
3. Braga Santos: Symphony No. 2
4. Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24
5. Milhaud: Symphony No. 6

Nice choices! I almost included a V-L or Miaskovsky work, possibly the same ones you chose.

[Mirror Image]

Nice choices! I almost included a V-L or Miaskovsky work, possibly the same ones you chose.

Thanks, Kyle. Yes, these are all fine works IMHO. I also liked your list a lot as well. Are we only allowed to make one list?

[kyjo]

Are we only allowed to make one list?

Five is indeed a bit restricting, but let's keep it there. But the temptation of list-making is a strong one ......

[springrite]

Brian Symphony 10
Veinberg Cello Sonatas
Nielsen  Wind Quintet (OK, this one is famous, at least among wind music enthusiasts)
Martin Der Cornet
Songs by Dargomyzhsky

[Mirror Image]

Five is indeed a bit restricting, but let's keep it there. But the temptation of list-making is a strong one ......

Thou shall resist the temptation...

[kyjo]

Thou shall resist the temptation...

I've done my fair share of list-making; I've compiled five today, to be exact!

[Mirror Image]

I've done my fair share of list-making; I've compiled five today, to be exact!

[springrite]

I've done my fair share of list-making; I've compiled five today, to be exact!

We should have a separate section titled "The Kyjo Lists"

[kyjo]

Nielsen  Wind Quintet (OK, this one is famous, at least among wind music enthusiasts)

Hmmmm.....ArkivMusic lists 29 recordings of it (which wouldn't qualify as "unsung" by my standards), but I'll let it fly-just this once!

[Sammy]

Enescu - Suites for Piano 1-3
Gade - Elverskud, Op. 30
Miaskovsky - Violin Concerto in d minor
Shostakovich - Op. 87 Preludes and Fugues
Bax - Winter Legends

[kyjo]

We should have a separate section titled "The Kojo Polls"

Kyjo*

Yes, my polls are indeed one-of-a-kind!

EDIT: I see you have corrected the spelling of my username.

[kyjo]

Enescu - Suites for Piano 1-3
Gade - Elverskud, Op. 30
Miaskovsky - Violin Concerto in d minor
Shostakovich - Op. 87 Preludes and Fugues
Bax - Winter Legends

The Bax and Miaskovsky are great pieces indeed. The Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues may not be "unsung" in a general sense, but, compared to a lot of his other works, they are. They may be a little tiresome to listen to but they are deeply rewarding (if difficult ) to play.

[Daverz]

1. Franz Schmidt: Symphony no. 4
2. Braga Santos: Symphony no. 4
3. Atterberg: Symphony no. 3
4. Casella: Symphony no. 3 (Sinfonia)
5. Brian: Symphony no. 1 Gothic

I think the neglect of the Gothic in concert could have something to do with the enormous scale of the thing.  But it did get performed and recorded at the 2011 Proms.

I could probably dig up a list from a previous thread.  There is so much great, accessible music from the last century that goes unplayed in concert programs that I think it's a scandal.  In particular, while the Brits promote every mediocrity of theirs that they can find, here in the US we mostly neglect our great American (and Latin American) composers.

[springrite]

Hmmmm.....ArkivMusic lists 29 recordings of it (which wouldn't qualify as "unsung" by my standards), but I'll let it fly-just this once!

I can easily change that to Taffanel's Wind Quintet. Alright?

[Daverz]

Hmmmm.....ArkivMusic lists 29 recordings of it (which wouldn't qualify as "unsung" by my standards), but I'll let it fly-just this once!

Also, the wind quintet literature isn't so large that wind ensembles can afford to ignore the Nielsen Quintet in concert programs.

[kyjo]

I can easily change that to Taffanel's Wind Quintet. Alright?

You don't have to.....just saying.....

[springrite]

Good that no more understood "unsung" as "non-vocal"...

[kyjo]

Also, the wind quintet literature isn't so large that wind ensembles can afford to ignore the Nielsen Quintet in concert programs.

Quite true. If a piece you would like to nominate doesn't fall under my criteria for "unsung" (not being regularly programmed on concerts), please explain why you believe the piece in question is "unsung".