Five "unsung" works everyone should hear

[Mirror Image]

1. Martinu - Oboe Concerto
My favorite oboe concerto. It's Martinu at his perkiest, loveliest, and easiest to program, and the craftsmanship is flawless.

+1 Love this work so much, but I've been known to go on and on about Martinu.

[listener]

first list, not in any particular order and containing some "sung"
LEKEU: Adagio for Strings
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Towards the Unknown Regions
Jody TALBOT: Path of Miracles - 'Roncesvalles', 'Burgos', 'Leon' and 'Santiago', the movements of Path of Miracles, are named after four points on the Camino Frances, one of the principal pilgrims' routes to Santiago de Compostela. The vivid libretto was compiled by poet Robert Dickinson from medieval texts (including the Carmina Burana), the Psalms and his own original reflections. Those words, and a visit to the main sites along the route, evidently inspired Talbot
HINDEMITH:  Krämerspiegel  op. 66    a song set written unwillingly to complete a contract with the publishers Bote & Bock  A DGG recording refused to print the text of one of the songs, declaring it "unmöglich"  (not nice).   The humour is a bit more sophisticated than in the Mini-Max for string quartet which could serve as an alternate entry.
RIISAGER Qarrtsiluni   

[Daverz]

4. Kalliwoda - Symphony No. 5

I've ripped Symphony No. 1 from a Turnabout Lp if anyone is interested, though I'm not sure how to share it easily.  I really like the work and the performance.

Back cover notes here:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/7093222335_7636fafc75_h.jpg

[pjme]

First a "heavy" orchestral list:

1 Carl Ruggles: Sun treader
2 Edgard Varèse: Arcana
3 Willem Pijper: symphony nr. 2
4 Mathijs Vermeulen: Thrène et paean, symphony nr 3
5 Boleslaw Szabelski (1896-1979): symphony nr. 5 (orchestra, vocalising chorus and organ)

A "light"(er) list:

1 Frank Martin: Petite symphonie concertante
2 Albert Roussel: Evocations
3 Henri Dutilleux: pianosonata
4 Bohuslav Martinu: Incantace - pianoconcerto nr 4
5 G.F.Händel : Acis and Galathea ( but I should make a Barock/Renaissance list aswell...)

[North Star]

H. Villa-Lobos:  Choros.   Any and all of them.
The Villa Lobos is available as a box set from BIS.

I was just going to post five of these before I saw your post, Jeffrey. 




List No. 2:

1. Martinu: Nonet No. 2
Czech folk meets Classicism, one of my very favourites from Martinu. The jolly mood is extraordinary, considering that Martinu was dying of cancer while writing this.
http://www.youtube.com/v/7nBhO0ll_vI


2. Suk: Things Lived and Dreamed
Another solo piano work from Suk after the deaths of his father-in-law Dvorak and wife, much more dissonant and angry, though.
(See other movements at Youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/v/nvlFm79u_sQ


3. Janacek: Violin Concerto
This piece really doesn't get enough attention, even if it is really only based on fragments linked to From the House of the Dead. Echt Janacek at his orchestral best.
http://www.youtube.com/v/9S-tz2jR05c


4. Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio
I don't know exactly how well known this piece actually is, but I haven't seen many people at GMG mention it. There's also an excellent contribution from Taneyev in the vatiations.
http://www.youtube.com/v/pcfSFH6y110


5. Busoni: Elegies
Seems appropriate what with the Hamelin release coming in November. Approaching atonality, Greensleeves, a choral prelude (that one is also the beginning of Fantasia Contrappuntistica, another marvelous piece)
http://www.youtube.com/v/viP7Qca1bLo

[Daverz]

4. Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio
I don't know exactly how well known this piece actually is

Archivmusic lists 63 recordings (unless you meant Boris Tchaikovsky; his sunny trio sounds a bit like Martinu.  See sample on youtube).   

I adore the P. Tchaikovsky work.

[North Star]

Archivmusic lists 63 recordings (unless you meant Boris Tchaikovsky; his sunny trio sounds a bit like Martinu.  See sample on youtube).   

I adore the P. Tchaikovsky work.

Yes, plenty of recordings of it, so I suppose must people have heard it.
That Boris Tchaikovsky trio doesn't sound bad at all, either, though!
http://www.youtube.com//v/iw3wAJPqRh0

[Parsifal]

1. Martinu - Oboe Concerto
My favorite oboe concerto. It's Martinu at his perkiest, loveliest, and easiest to program, and the craftsmanship is flawless.

That's the rare Martinu work that seems to have flown under my radar.  Hard to keep track sometimes.

[North Star]

Writing in explanations for my choices (and narrowing them down to just five!)

1. Martinu - Oboe Concerto
My favorite oboe concerto. It's Martinu at his perkiest, loveliest, and easiest to program, and the craftsmanship is flawless.

+1, a great piece!

[kyjo]

I thought you were familiar with his music since you recommended his orchestral works.  Also, if you want an idea of his style, you could listen to the Youtube clips I posted.  I prefer letting the music speak for itself and do not much enjoy trying to describe it with words.



I couldn't find #8 when I posted earlier, which is my favorite, but here's a couple of clips from it, to add to the ones for the 5th.

https://www.youtube.com/v/DiqAosNCQuk

https://www.youtube.com/v/oYnVTLdRExM

Thanks, sanantonio. Actually, I haven't heard a note of Meyer's music. The discs I pictured in my post were recordings I was considering purchasing.

[Brian]

I've ripped Symphony No. 1 from a Turnabout Lp if anyone is interested, though I'm not sure how to share it easily.  I really like the work and the performance.

Back cover notes here:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/7093222335_7636fafc75_h.jpg

!!!! If you find a way let us know.

I've used Mediafire and Dropbox in the past to share files here.

[kyjo]

The Kalivoda Symphony no. 1 is available on YouTube for anyone interested. It's a fine work.

[kyjo]

Let me take a stab at this; and I'll try to limit myself, with one exception, to composers active in the 20th-21th centuries.

Alan Bush: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
H. Villa-Lobos:  Choros.   Any and all of them.
N. Gade: Symphony No. 4 (that's the exception)
E. Meyer: Quintet for two violins, viola, 'cello, and double bass
Penderecki: Sextet

The Bush I have as part of a set from Membran,  "The British Music Collection".
The only recording of the Meyer which I know of is on DG, with Emerson SQ and the composer performing; it's paired with the Emersons playing a quartet by Rorem.
Penderecki I have on a Naxos CD of his (wind oriented) chamber music, but I'm sure there's at least one other recording available.
The Villa Lobos is available as a box set from BIS, and the Gade I have as part of another BIS set.

I would have in fact made an entry for Atterberg's symphonies (another case of any and all of them, as far as I'm concerned) but obviously he's got advocates already on this thread.

ETA:  This being GMG,  Bush is of course a known quantity, with his own thread and all,  starting here:
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,10535.msg261350.html#msg261350

The Bush Symphony no. 1 is a fine work and I'm even more impressed with nos. 2 and 3. Let's hope no. 4 (and the massive PC) get recorded soon!
Pleased to hear you're an Atterberg fan as well.

[kishnevi]

The Bush Symphony no. 1 is a fine work and I'm even more impressed with nos. 2 and 3. Let's hope no. 4 (and the massive PC) get recorded soon!
Pleased to hear you're an Atterberg fan as well.

Symphony No. 2 stuck me as much more pastoral and in the RVW tradition; it was the First Symphony that truly impressed me.  Never heard the Third Symphony.  Any recording(s) or other works you can suggest.

[kyjo]

Symphony No. 2 stuck me as much more pastoral and in the RVW tradition; it was the First Symphony that truly impressed me.  Never heard the Third Symphony.  Any recording(s) or other works you can suggest.

Jeffrey, Bush's Symphony no. 3 (inspired by the cave paintings at Lascaux), along with two shorter works, is available on this excellent Dutton CD:

[asin]B00A7HV6DG[/asin]

[Ken B]

I'll toss in a few. Many will be familiar to readers here I expect, still...
Schmidt Symphony 4. I second the vote above for this. When I was in radio I played this regularly.
Texeira Te Deum -- big glorious baroque.
Ravenscroft - part songs especially Yonder Comes a Courteous Knight. The PCA performance of YCACK is the best performance of anything I have ever heard.
Richafort - Requiem. Josquin level.
Virgil Thomson - 4 Saints in 3 Acts. I love this beyond telling. So sue me.

[Ken B]

I forgot the contemporary Graeme Koehne. Any of his orchestral pieces, such as "Inflight Entertainment". Really great recording on Naxos, worth (and here I blaspheme) paying full price.

I am listening to Braga Santos 4 and it's excellent.

[Johnll]

Thanks for the Halffter CD rec!

The Halffter brothers had a younger cousin, Cristobal Halffter, who is a composer of the more avant-garde persuasion.  I want to highlight piece of his which is atypical of his style in that it is being mostly neoclassical. It is a recomposition of a Cabezon battle piece probably originally for organ. It does not really blossom until the second half. but it is only 10 minutes here on YT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKyKWUMYJ9c

BTW thanks for the rec on Cras!

[kyjo]

Elaborations on my second list:

Kabelac: The Mystery of Time: There a sinister, inevitable quality to this work as it keeps building intensity to a shattering climax. The ending, with its poignant violin solo, is exquisitely haunting. http://youtu.be/5kxcD0mU9jo

Enescu: Symphony no. 3: An epic, mesmerizing work moving from a dark, tragic opening movement to a radiant finale. The voluptuous harmonies and thick textures recall Scriabin at times, but this is a deeply personal work all the same. http://youtu.be/liJvZZs41RQ

Diamond: Symphony no. 2: A deeply felt wartime symphony. Swelling string lines, majestic brass and stamping percussion give this work an echt-American feel. http://youtu.be/Z3AudRE8ghY

Rubbra: Symphony no. 7: It was difficult to single one Rubbra symphony out from the cycle, as they are all almost equally fine, but I chose the Seventh. It is one of Rubbra's most colorful scores, especially the delightfully unbuttoned, magical scherzo movement. The two longer movements flanking it are marvelous, noble utterances with an air of resignation and sadness that is very moving. http://youtu.be/NWa3qPmyYnI

Miaskovsky: Symphony no. 27: A perfectly fitting swansong, this symphony breathes the last breaths of the romantic tradition and there is a resigned, autumnal air to it. However, the finale is a festive, joyous creation in the spirit of the respective movements of Tchaik 5 and Rach 2 that provides an excellent contrast to the nature of the other movements. http://youtu.be/YpUqJUmans4

[jochanaan]

I don't know if these have been mentioned yet, but if so they deserve a second mention :

Fanny Mendelssohn-Henselt: Piano Trio Opus 11.  As fine as anything her brother Felix ever wrote.

Henri Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto #4.  Far from a mere showpiece, it's a big, serious concerto.

Holst: The Hymn of Jesus.  A lovely piece for antiphonal choirs and orchestra.

Robert Suderberg: Concerto "within the mirror of time".  A big, neo-Romantic, very fun piece.

Michael Daugherty: UFO Concerto, written for the inimitable Evelyn Glennie.