Let me introduce a section for Jean Louis Nicodé (1853-1919):
Due to the fact that long time most of his works were never recorded before it was definitly hard to get an impression of this hidden musical genius, which was obviously by some of his contemporaries regareded with higher apreciation than Richard Strauss for instance and also outside germany regarded as one of important representants of "modern" german music in the very first years of the 20th century.
I found interest in Nicodé when I first studied his Pianosonata and recorded later some of his as serious as intelligent and charming
Pianoworks (http://klassik-resampled.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=41&Itemid=310),
Encouraged by the positive experience with his pianomusic I recently managed to produce the first available recordings of his two main orchestral scores:
"The Sea" (1888) for Orchestra, Organ, mens choir, and Soloists (http://klassik-resampled.de/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=853:j-l-nicode-das-meer&catid=204&Itemid=587)already with 50 minutes a monumental work prefiguring some aspects of Mahlers early symphonies
and
"Gloria!" (1902-03) for Orchestra and "Schlusschor" (http://klassik-resampled.de/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=article&id=854:jean-louis-nicode-gloria&catid=204&Itemid=587&lang=de-DE)which is in fact the largest an imho perhaps even the greatest romantic symphony ever written.
(for those who prefer to get a littel overview there is also a 10 minuts Gloria-Youtube-Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O9Se1aNSNU))
No romantic Symphony neither from Mahler nor from Havergal Brian not even Schönbergs Gurrelieder have ever surpassed or at least reached the dimension of this very first and greatest example of late romantic monumentalism. And the most important: Nicodé definitly has had the skills and the architectural overview, to compose even with appr. 250 000 notes which appr. 200 Musicians should play in more than two hours still inspired, touching and powerful music.
The only reason for the ignorance of his masterworks seem to me the fact, that his oustanding and important masterworks definitly demands so much not only really brilliant but persevering brilliant musicians to realise what he has composed.
I hope my attempts could help to shed more light on his in my ears at least overwhelming compositions.
best
fahl5
Fascinating! Kudos to you for realizing these monumental works :) I have also been interested in Nicodé. In case you weren't aware, several of his very enjoyable orchestral works can be found on YouTube:
Symphonic Poem Maria Stuart, op. 4: http://youtu.be/tyyM3c0FOPI (http://youtu.be/tyyM3c0FOPI)
Suite Bilder aus dem Süden for orchestra, op. 29: http://youtu.be/MP34DS0JEXo (http://youtu.be/MP34DS0JEXo)
Suite Faschingsbilder for orchestra, op. 24: http://youtu.be/y1tYQIPmhIY (http://youtu.be/y1tYQIPmhIY)
Symphonische Suite, op. 17: http://youtu.be/0V6k0nHIEec (http://youtu.be/0V6k0nHIEec)