What Composers Are You Currently Exploring?

[nathanb]

Is that a heart or a ballsack? 

Sarge

Can't it be both?

[Madiel]

So we are agreed? We are going with orfeo's distortion of what I said, never mind what that actually was?

Well, OK. I have to say, though, since we're trading expectations, that I wouldn't have expected anything else from the likes of Mirror or orfeo.

Heigh ho.

And I wouldn't expect anything less than for you to derail the thread with your own agenda. The topic was "which composers are you currently exploring", not "please provide your entire philosophy of music yet again". Heigh ho.

[Mirror Image]

Rubbra is a favourite of mine. My favourites are symphonies 4,5,7,8 and 10. I also like the Piano Concerto. Let us know what you think John.
As for me:
Jean Cras (thanks to Drasko on this Forum)
Kabalevsky: Piano Concerto 1 has been a revelation.
Arthur Butterworth (can't wait for the new Lyrita issue of the sibelian Symphony 4).

Thanks, Jeffrey. I actually am pretty familiar with Rubbra's music, it's just been too long since I have done any further exploring. Right now, the 4th, 5th, and 7th stand out in my mind.

[Mirror Image]

Currently Edvard Grieg (you are to blame for that, John!...). I plan to listen to the complete Lieder, chamber and piano music (Victoria Grieg Edition), complete orchestral works (Ruud) and complete chamber music (Brilliant).

In the last month:

Tchaikovsky (finished the complete piano works with Victoria Postnikova, excellent), Francois Couperin (finished the complete chamber music with Musica ad Rhenum, most charming), Anatol Lyadov (finished the complete piano works with Marco Rapetti, very enjoyable), Camille Saint-Saens (chamber music, concertos, symphonies with various artists, ongoing), Luigi Boccherini (Brilliant Edition and Goritzki complete symphonies, ongoing), Giuseppe Tartini (complete violin concertos, Federico Guglielmo, ongoing).

Scheduled in the near future: Carl Loewe, Louis Spohr, Dvorak, Granville Bantock, Cyril Scott, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Edouard Lalo.

A very distinguish list you have there! Happy exploring! Let me know how you go on with Grieg. I've really enjoyed everything I've heard so far. Such a unique composer.

[nathanb]

some guy is my talkclassical sugar daddy and has been a positive influence upon my favorite new passion for much longer than I've been here. Be nice to him.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Nicholas de Grigny
Francois Couperin
Peeter Cornet
Alexandr Scriabin
J.S. Bach (as always)

[kishnevi]

Most immediate future will be Arnold and Schuman (symphonies)

[Florestan]

A simple land with a few small peaks and much flat terrain.

Doesn´t look like Norway at all...

Orchestral music: colorful orchestration, catchy tunes, atmospheric and evocative moods.
Lieder: poetry of words and sounds.
Piano & Chamber music: maximum of expression with minimum of means.

What´s not to like about Grieg?

[Mirror Image]

Doesn´t look like Norway at all...

Orchestral music: colorful orchestration, catchy tunes, atmospheric and evocative moods.
Lieder: poetry of words and sounds.
Piano & Chamber music: maximum of expression with minimum of means.

What´s not to like about Grieg?

Precisely. Grieg's music is a product of not only his own environment, but of his own humanity. You can hear it in every haunting melody.

[nathanb]

I find most of Grieg's orchestral music to be a bit too far on the naive side. But his lieder, lyric pieces, and chamber music alone is enough to make him great.

[Rons_talking]

I'm presently listening to the works of Barber I've never before heard. That includes the first Symphony, parts of Medea, and the Capricorn Concerto. Also, I'm investigating the music of Dallapiccola..love the Partita and Variations for Orchestra. Also the big symphonies of Milhaud (post Opus 300) which I have been enjoying for a couple months.

[Mirror Image]

I'm presently listening to the works of Barber I've never before heard. That includes the first Symphony, parts of Medea, and the Capricorn Concerto. Also, I'm investigating the music of Dallapiccola..love the Partita and Variations for Orchestra. Also the big symphonies of Milhaud (post Opus 300) which I have been enjoying for a couple months.

Barber and Dallapiccola are fantastic composers. Milhaud...umm...not so much.

[Madiel]

I guess after tonight's flurry I have to add Nørgård to my list. Three symphonies in one night, five more to go...

[Mirror Image]

I guess after tonight's flurry I have to add Nørgård to my list. Three symphonies in one night, five more to go...

Nørgård's Symphony No. 3 is something else. Really fantastic piece. I'm less sure of the others as it's been too long. Would it be possible after you've absorbed the music to write a little bit about your listening experience and what you got from these works? That would add a lot to the ongoing Nørgård composer thread.

[Florestan]

Milhaud...umm...not so much.

He´s one of the jolliest composers ever. In my book this is an asset. 

[springrite]

He´s one of the jolliest composers ever. In my book this is an asset. 

Milhaud was at one time one of John's favourites.

Well, same with everyone else. No one sticks until at least three tries.

John changes the glue from 3M stickie to regular glue stick to regular glue.  After three times, John brings out The Super Glue.

[vandermolen]

Lack time for real explorations, but there are always one or two 'new' composers lumbering around, here. And in my mind.

At the moment Eivind Groven's two symphonies, a little before the William Schuman and Henri Sauguet cycles. And in between some ancient music.

I really like the Sauguet and find the 'Expiatoire' very moving but I have increasingly come to appreciate the very long No.2 and the propulsive No.3 which I have two recordings of. There was a French recording of 'Expiatoire' which I'd like to track down.

[vandermolen]

I'm presently listening to the works of Barber I've never before heard. That includes the first Symphony, parts of Medea, and the Capricorn Concerto. Also, I'm investigating the music of Dallapiccola..love the Partita and Variations for Orchestra. Also the big symphonies of Milhaud (post Opus 300) which I have been enjoying for a couple months.

I love the Medea music and Symphony 1.

[Mirror Image]

Milhaud was at one time one of John's favourites.

Well, same with everyone else. No one sticks until at least three tries.

John changes the glue from 3M stickie to regular glue stick to regular glue.  After three times, John brings out The Super Glue.

[Ken B]

Barber and Dallapiccola are fantastic composers. Milhaud...umm...not so much.

I like a fair bit of early Milhaud, but none of it is great stuff, just lively and colorful. He's better in short fare. I find the symphonies hard to sit through. Impossible really.