Desert Island with a Twist - 2

[Florestan]

This time, you are allowed to take as many works as you like but all composers must be from one and the same country.

Which one?

EDIT: for the purpose of this thread, Germany and Austria are one and the same country.

[Mirror Image]

Wow...this is a difficult question. I love so many composers from so many different countries. I can't answer, so I choose silence.

[Que]

This time, you are allowed to take as many works as you like but all composers must be from one and the same country.

Which one?

EDIT: for the purpose of this thread, Germany and Austria are one and the same country.

Obviously, given my taste in Early Music, I'd pick composers from the (northern and southern) Netherlands.
Which for the purpose of this thread count as one country. 

[steve ridgway]

I guess I could live with composers from Austria and Germany if that includes Ligeti and Schnittke.

[Mirror Image]

I guess I could live with composers from Austria and Germany if that includes Ligeti and Schnittke.

Nope, it doesn't. Ligeti is Hungarian and Schnittke is Russian.

[LKB]

Germany/Austria, bitte. 

[steve ridgway]

Nope, it doesn't. Ligeti is Hungarian and Schnittke is Russian.

Ligeti became an Austrian citizen in 1968. Schnittke was born in Engels in the Volga-German Republic of the Russian SFSR and became a German citizen after moving to Hamburg in 1990.

[Brian]

Oh, that's easy. I'll set myself a limit of 20 works just to make it interesting.

Kalliwoda - Symphony 5
Smetana - Ma Vlast
Dvorak - String quintets Opp 77 and 97 and quartet Op 106
Dvorak - Piano quartet 2, trio 4, and quintet Op 81
Dvorak - Symphonies 6, 7, 8
Suk - Serenade
Mahler - Symphonies 1, 4
Janacek - Sinfonietta, Glagolitic Mass, Sonata 1.X.1905
Martinu - Nonet
Martinu - Symphony 4
Kabelac - Mystery of Time

The only problem is the Czechs are pretty poor on solo piano music. Martinu wrote some good stuff, and Suk has some wonderful romantic cycles, but only Janacek makes the cut. Maybe I should remove one of the many orchestral pieces on my list to squeeze in another Janacek piano work (In the Mists to replace Kalliwoda 5?).

[Florestan]

You might very well be the first person in the world who counts Mahler as a Czech. 

[LKB]

Mahler was born in what used to be called Bohemia, then part of the Austrian empire. So he fits into multiple categories as far as his nationality are concerned.

[Todd]

The only problem is the Czechs are pretty poor on solo piano music.

Don't know if I'd use the word poor.  There's Janacek, of course, Dvorak's Opp 85 and 101 at the least, Kabelac's Preludes, Smetana's Dances, Kozeluch's numerous and often quite delightful sonatas, Martinu's works, Dussek's works, and some others.  Not Germanic or French quantity or quality, perhaps, but more satisfying than some other nationalities . . .

[MusicTurner]

Besides the many great & established names, Germany-Austria would still have an endless number of reasonably recorded, yet rather unexplored composers, and you'd have the whole of the classical music history covered, so that would also be the choice for me.
Main problem perhaps: any German, 'impressionist' style ?? Well, some composers could be said to get close to it anyway, especially during 1890-1940 or so.

[MusicTurner]

Oh, that's easy. I'll set myself a limit of 20 works just to make it interesting.
(...)

The only problem is the Czechs are pretty poor on solo piano music. Martinu wrote some good stuff, and Suk has some wonderful romantic cycles, but only Janacek makes the cut. Maybe I should remove one of the many orchestral pieces on my list to squeeze in another Janacek piano work (In the Mists to replace Kalliwoda 5?).

You'd also have Lubos Fiser's piano sonatas and Novak's piano works, besides those of Dvorak, Moyzes, Jezek, and Foerster - the last-mentioned perhaps not so interesting, however. Maybe Ostrcil and Karel Boleslav Jirak wrote some good piano stuff too, but I don't think it's been much recorded, if at all. I don't know anything about Fibich's piano music. Haba's is often ... special, but the concertante piece, Symphonic Fantasia op.8, is interesting.

[Brian]

You might very well be the first person in the world who counts Mahler as a Czech. 

And why not? He was born there and lived there the first 15 years of life. He was influenced by Dvorak and Czech folk dances. Plus, it helps me 

Don't know if I'd use the word poor.  There's Janacek, of course, Dvorak's Opp 85 and 101 at the least, Kabelac's Preludes, Smetana's Dances, Kozeluch's numerous and often quite delightful sonatas, Martinu's works, Dussek's works, and some others.  Not Germanic or French quantity or quality, perhaps, but more satisfying than some other nationalities . .

Definitely poor in relation to Germany, France, Austria, Hungary (Liszt and Bartok are a heck of a top two), even Spain. I agree about the Kabelac and Martinu, but am going to use this conversation as an excuse to listen to more Dussek, Kozeluch, Fiser, Moyzes, etc. After all, it's all in the name of confirming my own prejudice.

I forgot Martinu's Incantations. Good thing the 20 piece limit was self imposed rather than part of the thread.

[Lisztianwagner]

Germany/Austria for me as well.

Just a question, can Franz Liszt be counted too? He considered himself a Magyar and referred to Hungary as his homeland, but Hungary was part of the Austrian Empire.....

[Biffo]

You might very well be the first person in the world who counts Mahler as a Czech. 

The first person was Mahler himself. He considered himself Bohemian, not Austrian or German. On his first trip to New York he antagonized the German press by insisting he was Bohemian not German.

One of the Philharmonic players also said he stressed that in Mahler Remembered, reminiscences that have been available sporadically on disc.

According to Jens Malte Fischer, young Gustav was raised by family servants and only spoke Czech in his very early years.

[Florestan]

The first person was Mahler himself. He considered himself Bohemian, not Austrian or German. On his first trip to New York he antagonized the German press by insisting he was Bohemian not German.

One of the Philharmonic players also said he stressed that in Mahler Remembered, reminiscences that have been available sporadically on disc.

According to Jens Malte Fischer, young Gustav was raised by family servants and only spoke Czech in his very early years.

Encyclopedia Britannica must be edited by a bunch of ignorants, then, for here is what they say on the matter:

As part of a German-speaking Austrian minority, he was an outsider among the indigenous Czech population and, as a Jew, an outsider among that Austrian minority; later, in Germany, he was an outsider as both an Austrian from Bohemia and a Jew.

Here's a question for you and BRian: Ligeti and Xenakis were born in Romania, spent their childhood and early youth there and could speak/understand Romanian fairly well, do you conisder them as Romanian composers?

[Biffo]

Encyclopedia Britannica must be edited by a bunch of ignorants, then, for here is what they say on the matter:

As part of a German-speaking Austrian minority, he was an outsider among the indigenous Czech population and, as a Jew, an outsider among that Austrian minority; later, in Germany, he was an outsider as both an Austrian from Bohemia and a Jew.

Here's a question for you and BRian: Ligeti and Xenakis were born in Romania, spent their childhood and early youth there and could speak/understand Romanian fairly well, do you conisder them as Romanian composers?

Did they consider themselves as Romanian for the rest of their lives? Mahler always considered himself Bohemian, whatever the Encyclopedia Britannica has to say.

[Florestan]

Mahler always considered himself Bohemian

Strictly geographical speaking he was right. Culturally, though, he wasn't. His connection with Czech culture proper is all but inexistent: he never spoke Czech in his adult life, not even as a second language; he never set to music one single line of Czech poetry, or composed any program music inspired by Czech history or literature; he had no involvement with any movement or circle promoting Czech nationalism and independence; 99% of his music is inspired by German literature and culture. To consider him Czech in the same degree as Smetana, Dvorak, Janacek and Martinu is a gross exaggeration.

[Brian]

Here's a question for you and BRian: Ligeti and Xenakis were born in Romania, spent their childhood and early youth there and could speak/understand Romanian fairly well, do you conisder them as Romanian composers?

Obviously this depends on which country you choose for the desert island and how shameless you are about claiming an extra composer  0:)