I saw the thread "Top 10 compositions that you don't like but everyone else does" and thought I'd invert it. Its not always that no one else likes it, its usually just that its an obscure work, perhaps, though not always, by an obscure composer that is one of your favorites that most other people don't even seem to know about, much less like. Except, I don't expect you to have at least 10 or to limit yourself to 10--I just did that so the name would look like the other thread of which this one is an inversion. OK, so here's mine:
Gilles: Requiem
Haydn: Symphony #72
Arriaga: the three string quartets
Schubert: Masses and other sacred works
Bruch: String Octet, String Quintet, and Piano Quintet--available on cpo 999 451 2.
Stenhammar: the six string quartets, esp. # 4.
Prokofiev: Sinfonietta in A--best performance is by Neeme Jarvi, included in his set of the Prokofiev symphonies.
Shostakovich: The Golden Age (the complete ballet, not just the suite)--2 CD set by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra cond by Jose Serebrier. It is easy to see why it has never before been recorded complete. Its one of those agitprop pieces that presents a bizarre interpretation of the mechanics of racism, with those in power hating black people and common working white people offended by discrimination against them by bosses and officialdom. Hey, folks, we all know that's not how racism goes, but that was the official Commie line for many years. BUT, it does have lots of good music that isn't in the suite, and is well worth hearing all the way through. Superb performance, too, recorded in Glasgow 2006 on NAXOS.
Shostakovich: Hypothetically Murdered (1931) (39:18)--orchestral suite, performed with another work on Signum Classics by Mark Elder conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. You look at the title and you think it must be some kind of protest music about Soviet officialdom refusing to acknowledge they killed a lot of people with wild abandon. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a comedy, in fact. It was written as an accompaniement for a slapstick comedy troupe's long sketch about what we today would call a First Responders' readiness or civil defense exercise, where workers are trained in the art and science of triage. One of the volunteers, who is assigned to simply play dead, refuses to play his role consistently, and various hilarities ensue as a result. The Soviet critics panned the work for political reasons, because it made fun of heroic socialist labor. :laugh: The orchestral score has been lost, but it was reconstructed from a piano score found among Shostakovich's effects after his death, using clues in the score itself, critical reports by contemporaries, those negative reviews, and advertising posters promoting the production, plus writings by people who were part of the production. This is well worth listening to.
Chavez: the three string quartets, and two other pieces for string quartet.
Crumb: Black Angels. One of them there modern pieces. Its written for "electronically extended string quartet," in other words, a string quartet performs the work and somebody with a sound board extends the music beyond the natural tonal ranges of the instruments involved. Interesting and has a sort of misterioso effect on me.
So, that's mine. What's yours?
Pettersson Symphony No.9
Pettersson Symphony No.14
Schmidt Symphony No.3
Tippett Songs for Dov
Mahler Symphony No.8 (Even most of the Mahlerites hate this)
Havergal Brian Symphony No.4 "Das Siegeslied"
Delius A Mass of Life
Bernard Herrmann Symphony
Hindemith Pittsburgh Symphony
Sibelius The Wood-Nymph (melodrama version for narrator, piano, 2 horns, and strings)
Pachelbel Canon and Gigue ;D 8)
Sarge
Haydn's 72 is a curiosity. AFAIK it is completely mis-numbered, probably having been composed BEFORE the other great horn symphony, #31. Despite the crazy virtuoso horn parts I have to admit that I prefer #31 by a considerably margin.
I also like the Arriaga quartets, but don't care for Schubert's sacred music, not even the two grand rather famous masses in A flat and E flat.
But I like some of Schubert's great and not very well known secular choral music. This includes haunting pieces like "Gesang der Geister über den Wassern" and "Nachtgesang im Walde".
There is also secular choral music by other German romantics, although I don't know much of it. But I certainly love the three shorter choral/orchestral pieces Brahms wrote on "classical" texts by famous German poets: Schicksalslied (Hoelderlin), Gesang der Parzen (Goethe) and Nänie (Schiller)
I have not yet heard the Bruch pieces you mentioned, but in the last few years I have been discovering lots of lesser known romantic chamber music. Today I listened to Rheinberger's piano quartet in E flat major, a very nice piece.
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Of rather slight music by a famous composer I am extraordinarily fond of some of Beethoven's Scottish/Irish/Welsh song settings; I have the complete box on DG/Archiv as well as 4 or 5 anthologies, of which my favorite album may be this one:
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Quote from: Jo498 on October 12, 2014, 07:46:05 AM
Haydn's 72 is a curiosity. AFAIK it is completely mis-numbered, probably having been composed BEFORE the other great horn symphony, #31. Despite the crazy virtuoso horn parts I have to admit that I prefer #31 by a considerably margin.
72 is actually #30 from 1763. 31 is actually 37 from 1765. The horn parts are indeed crazy, virtuoso things, and make up for much, although there isn't much to make up for, considering the other symphonies I've heard from 1763. :D :D
Now for the main question of the day.
I am seeing things generically lumped together and so I can do that in lieu of 10 individual compositions:
Vivaldi's concertos - never have so many fine pieces of music been so sorely abused
Haydn's concertos in general
His operas ditto
Mozart's music before Vienna. Too many great pieces to mention, even the 'bad' ones are at least very good.
Brahms' Hungarian Dances
So, there are at least 10 compositions there which I could easily pick out if needed, 2 from each group. I notice people tend to condemn things in groups though, and so here I praise them likewise. They are all things I really like! :)
8)
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on October 12, 2014, 07:23:04 AM
...
Schmidt Symphony No.3
...
+1 ...I find this symphony delightful, and more than that, I think it's a rather remarkable achievment!... :)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on October 12, 2014, 08:47:23 AM
Vivaldi's concertos - never have so many fine pieces of music been so sorely abused
Yessss!
Rossini's operas, other than
Il BarbiereWellington's Victory
I also have some fondness for Wellington's Victory, if only for historical reasons as it was one of the half dozen or so pieces that got me interested in classical music. (The others were mostly Tchaikovsky, 1812 among others, and Dvorak's 9th)
Another bunch of pieces that are virtually unknown that I like quite a bit are Albinoni's trio sonatas op.1 and concerti+sinfonie op.2 They are far less famous than his later (mostly oboe) concerti, but more "serious" in a Corellian style, often with strict counterpoint and not so much virtuoso concertizing.
Handel's italian cantatas finally get at least some of the attention they deserve, the best pieces (like Delirio amoroso) are available in several recordings. But there is much more out there (fortunately Glossa and Brilliant seem to be recording series of them).
And of the Chandos/Cannons Anthems there is only one complete available recording (Christophers/Chandos) which is o.k., but I could imagine better. This is wonderful music, more nuanced and varied than the Coronation Anthems, but the latter are much better known.
I can't think of ten, but here are a few:
Messiaen Des Canyons aux Etoiles. I love it. Of course it's too long and I don't usually listen to it all in one sitting unless I'm doing a long homework assignment or something like that. The trio of movements I frequent most are the Ceder Breaks..., Appel Interstellaire, and Bryce Canyon.... The slow movement is beautiful as well.
Reich The Desert Music. Not a big minimalist, but I like some works very much, including this one. Huh, I just realized that these are two desert-related works in a row by coincidence.
Actually, this is all that I can think of right now. I'm sure that there are more.
Quote from: EigenUser on October 12, 2014, 01:30:10 PM
I can't think of ten, but here are a few:
Messiaen Des Canyons aux Etoiles. I love it. Of course it's too long and I don't usually listen to it all in one sitting unless I'm doing a long homework assignment or something like that. The trio of movements I frequent most are the Ceder Breaks..., Appel Interstellaire, and Bryce Canyon.... The slow movement is beautiful as well.
Reich The Desert Music. Not a big minimalist, but I like some works very much, including this one. Huh, I just realized that these are two desert-related works in a row by coincidence.
Actually, this is all that I can think of right now. I'm sure that there are more.
You don't need 10 when you've got
Des Canyons. I think you are already over-quota at two.
Quote from: RebLem on October 12, 2014, 06:48:25 AM
Bruch: String Octet, String Quintet, and Piano Quintet--available on cpo 999 451 2.
This is a glorious album of three extraordinary pieces. My favorite Bruch by a huge margin - far ahead of the violin concertos. If Brahms' late chamber music is "autumnal," then this is the music of summertime, but with similar maturity and discipline.
Here are a few things on my list:
Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite. Yes, it's cheesy and catchy and as unhealthily American as deep-fried apple pie, but it
works! It really does!
Few people seem to talk about Veljo Tormis and the New American Wave of choral composers - Lauridsen, Whitacre, Kyr, etc.
Most everyone hates on Leonard Bernstein's Mass. Certainly not a perfect piece, but it has a lot to like.
Khachaturian dances get stuck in my head 2-3 times every single week, though I hardly ever listen to them.
Alexander Tcherepnin's astonishing, dazzling, marvelous Ten Etudes, Op. 18, written when he was a teenager, are a clear and glorious precursor to Prokofiev and Shostakovich, with pomposity, humor, menace, wit, and basically everything that makes piano music worthwhile. There's only one recording (Koukl), and it's okay, but I fantasize sometimes about a pianist like Sudbin or Volodos or Pletnev recording the set.
I also agree with earlier mentions of the Pachelbel Canon and Vivaldi concertos in general. In the same vein, I think Johann Strauss Jr. is the single most underrated composer among GMG members. His sublime (best-ever?) gift for melody is disregarded because he consistently used it to write cheery little waltzes. Not a great way to ingratiate yourself amongst a crowd of people who prefer Mahler, Pettersson, Shostakovich, and Honegger. 8)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on October 12, 2014, 08:47:23 AM
Mozart's music before Vienna. Too many great pieces to mention, even the 'bad' ones are at least very good.
Word.
The Stenhammar and Chavez string quartets are excellent, by the way. So I like them as well even if no one else does. Vivaldi is also pretty good, as you'd expect from anyone who influenced J.S. Bach, but he has enough fans around here.
List:
I enjoy Stockhausen's Mikrophonie I purely on the level of programme music. It's like a field recording from a ghost ship, with creaking timbers, rusted metal, raindrops, phantom voices etc. I know that lots of people dismiss everything by Stockhausen as rubbish, but even the Stockhausen fans mostly praise its intellectual rigour and construction rather than simply listening to it as a piece of music.
Also, my favourite Prokofiev work is the Symphony-Concerto. No one else likes it. Even my family members think I'm weird for liking it.
Hindemith's early music is also pretty great. Works like the Lustige Sinfonietta, the first three string quartets & the Op. 11 string sonatas get almost no attention (except for Op. 11 no. 4, from beleaguered violists worldwide) but are among my favourites.
Also, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, greatest composer of the Classical era after Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn, and anyone who says otherwise needs a new hearing aid.
Looks like this thread has 2 main leads
1) Works everybody has heard but nobody seems to care for, except oneself
I nominate
Schubert: early symphonies, early piano sonatas, early string quartets
Mendelssohn; early string quartets, chamber music, piano concertos
Chopin: piano concertos
Tchaikovsky: early symphonies, string quartets, The Seasons
Dvorak: early symphonies, early string quartets, solo piano music
Rachmaninoff: symphonies and other orchestral works
2) Works nobody has heard, except oneself
Now, where is some guy when one needs him? He would win hands down! ;D
Quote from: Florestan on October 13, 2014, 06:00:29 AM
Tchaikovsky: early symphonies, string quartets, The Seasons
Dvorak: early symphonies, early string quartets, solo piano music
Quite a few of us like those early symphonies: Harry and I love "Winter Dreams" more than any other Tchaikovsky symphony. Brian, Nut, Cato, Mrs. Rock and I are fanatics about some (or all) of the early Dvorak.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on October 13, 2014, 06:16:04 AM
Quite a few of us like those early symphonies: Harry and I love "Winter Dreams" more than any other Tchaikovsky symphony. Brian, Nut, Cato, Mrs. Rock and I are fanatics about some (or all) of the early Dvorak.
Sarge
Cool. :D
BTW, thumbs up for
Arriaga, Hummel and
Stenhammar, too.
Quote from: Florestan on October 13, 2014, 06:00:29 AM
Looks like this thread has 2 main leads
1) Works everybody has heard but nobody seems to care for, except oneself
I nominate
Chopin: piano concertos
Tchaikovsky: early symphonies, string quartets, The Seasons
Rachmaninoff: symphonies and other orchestral works
Poor nominations indeed - I love these.
Quote from: North Star on October 13, 2014, 10:12:27 AM
Poor nominations indeed - I love these.
Yes, most of these are well known and frequently played and recorded pieces. Same with Mendelssohn (his two "early" quartets op.12+13 are his most famous ones.
The early Dvorak (and maybe also Schubert) quartets may qualify (but they are not well-known but disliked, they are simply not well known and rarely played).
Quote from: Brian on October 12, 2014, 01:53:11 PM
I also agree with earlier mentions of the Pachelbel Canon and Vivaldi concertos in general.
The canon is also a misrepresentation of Pachelbel. It's almost like if everyone new only "air" or "badinerie" by Bach.
Quote
In the same vein, I think Johann Strauss Jr. is the single most underrated composer among GMG members. His sublime (best-ever?) gift for melody is disregarded because he consistently used it to write cheery little waltzes. Not a great way to ingratiate yourself amongst a crowd of people who prefer Mahler, Pettersson, Shostakovich, and Honegger. 8)
But this is the skewed view of web fora with nerdy males focussing on dark and serious music. ;)
J. Strauss is a very popular composer with listeners world wide, not only around new years day, but at least a few of his operettas are still very frequently performed in German-speaking countries, certainly Fledermaus and "The Gypsy Baron". Among my parent's generation (born in the 1940s) some of these operetta tunes are as popular as broadway or musical hits, even among people who do not listen to other classical music.
Quote from: amw on October 12, 2014, 02:17:04 PM
Also, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, greatest composer of the Classical era after Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn, and anyone who says otherwise needs a new hearing aid.
Guess I need a new hearing aid. CPE Bach or Dussek, for me. ;)
Quote from: Jo498 on October 13, 2014, 10:54:56 AM
J. Strauss is a very popular composer with listeners world wide, not only around new years day, but at least a few of his operettas are still very frequently performed in German-speaking countries, certainly Fledermaus and "The Gypsy Baron". Among my parent's generation (born in the 1940s) some of these operetta tunes are as popular as broadway or musical hits, even among people who do not listen to other classical music.
As he should be! When people on GMG talk about our tastes differing from the general "concertgoing public", Johann Strauss is always the first thing I think of.
Some of you have mentioned some of my own favorites: Albinoni Op. 2; Schmidt Symphony 3; Prokofiev Symphony-Concertante (particularly the old Rostropovich/Sargent recording); Tchaikovsky's Winter Dreams. So these are probably not really compositions that I like but no one else does.
I'll also admit to enjoying a lot of Philip Glass.
Quote from: Daverz on October 13, 2014, 02:35:12 PM
I'll also admit to enjoying a lot of Philip Glass.
Good on ya, but the days when Glass was unpopular are long gone. He and Adams are the most famous and performed serious composers alive I think.
My choice would be Facing Goya by Nyman. I love it deperately, but it is not well known and sends most people running. Also Noise Sounds and Sweet Airs by Nyman.
Quote from: Ken B on October 13, 2014, 03:57:37 PM
Good on ya, but the days when Glass was unpopular are long gone.
He's often reviled here and on other classical music forums.
Quote from: Daverz on October 13, 2014, 04:41:16 PM
He's often reviled here and on other classical music forums.
Yes. You find Lincoln haters on the web too. >:D 8)
Quote from: North Star on October 13, 2014, 10:12:27 AM
Poor nominations indeed - I love these.
Okay, let those amongst you who have listened to more than three
Rossini's operas (
Il barbiere di Siviglia excluded) in the last two weeks raise your hands! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I need to think about these some more - btw, I agree that Philip Glass can't be mentioned here as he's clearly (and deservedly) appreciated.
But I reckon I'm pretty much alone in espousing the Vieuxtemps Violin Concertos which I'll cite à la Gurn en masse (even though #5 marginally holds its own in the repertoire). Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio is little remarked upon and appreciated even less to my wonderment and consternation. While we're sitting in S-S's office, we should mention his Cantique de Jean Racine, gorgeous music showing just how great and sensitive an orchestrator he was, based on a poem beautiful enough to have made - in its day - believers of the unbelieving. Marx's (Joseph, not Karl) string quartets are little gems, shiny and brilliant in their own right and I listen to 'em often to make up for everyone else not listening to them at all. Last I can think of at the moment are the Spohr VCs (he's also the man we can thank or curse for the chin rest) - they are exceptional works - mind, not of LvB or Mendelssohn intensity and excitement but undeservedly undervalued (except for the Spohr society, some of whom see him as a worthy contender for LvB's status). Would very much like to hear some of Spohr's lieder. More underappreciateds to add in future, I'm sure.
Clearly, anyway 8)
I'm a big Saint-Saëns fan, too.
Quote from: ZauberdrachenNr.7 on October 14, 2014, 11:16:57 AM
I need to think about these some more - btw, I agree that Philip Glass can't be mentioned here as he's clearly (and deservedly) appreciated.
But I reckon I'm pretty much alone in espousing the Vieuxtemps Violin Concertos which I'll cite à la Gurn en masse (even though #5 marginally holds its own in the repertoire). Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio is little remarked upon and appreciated even less to my wonderment and consternation. While we're sitting in S-S's office, we should mention his Cantique de Jean Racine, gorgeous music showing just how great and sensitive an orchestrator he was, based on a poem beautiful enough to have made - in its day - believers of the unbelieving. Marx's (Joseph, not Karl) string quartets are little gems, shiny and brilliant in their own right and I listen to 'em often to make up for everyone else not listening to them at all. Last I can think of at the moment are the Spohr VCs (he's also the man we can thank or curse for the chin rest) - they are exceptional works - mind, not of LvB or Mendelssohn intensity and excitement but undeservedly undervalued (except for the Spohr society, some of whom see him as a worthy contender for LvB's status). Would very much like to hear some of Spohr's lieder. More underappreciateds to add in future, I'm sure.
You and I have many similar tastes: e.g. - the Vieuxtemps and Spohr VC's. I am also a Saint-Saëns fan, at least of his instrumental works. A superb little gem is
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, which made a showoff out of Sarasate (another great favorite of mine, but don't get me started!). :)
8)
Friedrich Kuhlau, George Onslow, Eduard Franck...
I was not all that impressed by Spohr violin concerti and symphonies (have heard a few, not all of them), but I like quite a bit of his chamber music, especially the septet/octet/nonet with woodwinds/strings and the "double quartets" for strings. And the clarinet concerti...
Quote from: Jo498 on October 14, 2014, 12:13:04 PM
I was not all that impressed by Spohr violin concerti and symphonies (have heard a few, not all of them), but I like quite a bit of his chamber music, especially the septet/octet/nonet with woodwinds/strings and the "double quartets" for strings. And the clarinet concerti...
I really like the Wind and Strings Octet, one of the coolest themes Spohr ever came up with. I like the string double quartets too. Actually, most of his chamber music. I used to be a Spohr guy, I have a pisspot full of his stuff. I discovered him and Hummel at the same time and wore out AMP filling out my collection. :)
8)
Has anyone heard one of Spohr's operas? (I haven't) His "Faust" apparently was a repertoire staple until the late 19th century, there is also "Jessonda" and maybe more.
Quote from: Jo498 on October 14, 2014, 12:13:04 PM
I was not all that impressed by Spohr violin concerti and symphonies (have heard a few, not all of them), but I like quite a bit of his chamber music, especially the septet/octet/nonet with woodwinds/strings and the "double quartets" for strings. And the clarinet concerti...
See? See?? Underappreciated! :laugh:
Yes, his Octet is wonderful and roundly admired. The Eastman School in Rochester has a MS. copy of his 10th Symphony - there's two recordings of it out now, but have not heard either.
Quote from: Jo498 on October 14, 2014, 12:44:51 PM
Has anyone heard one of Spohr's operas? (I haven't) His "Faust" apparently was a repertoire staple until the late 19th century, there is also "Jessonda" and maybe more.
I have heard
of both and heard
neither, unfortunately. Dick Strawser sees a passage in the latter that predates and may have inspired Wagner! Interesting article, his :
http://dickstrawser.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-spohr-and-several-years-ago.html Both operas have been recorded and am herewith wish listing them.
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[asin]B000028B0V[/asin]
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on October 14, 2014, 11:52:57 AM
You and I have many similar tastes: e.g. - the Vieuxtemps and Spohr VC's. I am also a Saint-Saëns fan, at least of his instrumental works. A superb little gem is Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, which made a showoff out of Sarasate (another great favorite of mine, but don't get me started!). :)
8)
Yippee, a Vieuxtemps (and S-S)
confrère! Pleased to make your acquaintance! There ain't many of us...we should invent a secret (virtual) handshake or codeword for solidarity. I'm wondering now if I should pull back those Spohr recommends - he has several active societies and
they do mean business! : they are not idle in promoting their idol.
Edit : I think I remember Karlo wondering why he didn't listen to S-S more. Good example of a composer who is bigger and better than his rep.
Quote from: Ken B on October 13, 2014, 03:57:37 PM
Good on ya, but the days when Glass was unpopular are long gone. He and Adams are the most famous and performed serious composers alive I think.
My choice would be Facing Goya by Nyman. I love it deperately, but it is not well known and sends most people running. Also Noise Sounds and Sweet Airs by Nyman.
I am going to listen to those two Nyman works, Ken B., and if they send me running, well, I need the exercise! ;)
Quote from: ZauberdrachenNr.7 on October 14, 2014, 01:31:09 PM
I am going to listen to those two Nyman works, Ken B., and if they send me running, well, I need the exercise! ;)
Good man, er lizard! Let me know.
Quote from: Brian on October 12, 2014, 01:53:11 PMFew people seem to talk about Veljo Tormis and the New American Wave of choral composers - Lauridsen, Whitacre, Kyr, etc.
I like Tormis quite a bit, though I'm not familiar with the others... I especially enjoy Curse Upon Iron. A fun, kind of spooky shamanistic/viking sound world. Like Sibelius if he went a bit insane. :P
For the thread, I enjoy Avet Terterian's Symphonies very much, though I can't see that anyone else has ever heard of him.
Also,
Grieg's Land Sighting, Op. 31
Shostakovich's unfinished opera Orango, a good time all the way through. His 2nd Cello Concerto is great, too, especially the fanfares and "ticking clocks" in the last movement. I might even prefer it over the famous 1st Cello Concerto.
Kabalevsky's Cello Concertos.
Prokofiev's Hail to Stalin: lovely, amazing music, in spite of its gruesome title.
Anything by Stephen Scott or Lou Harrison.
Ingram Marshal's Fog Tropes and Alcatraz.
Quote from: ZauberdrachenNr.7 on October 14, 2014, 01:31:09 PM
I am going to listen to those two Nyman works, Ken B., and if they send me running, well, I need the exercise! ;)
Nyman's
MGV sends me running, but that's because I listen to it
while running. Some of the best classical exercise music out there, along with Adams'
Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Messiaen's
Trois Petites Liturgies.
Quote from: ZauberdrachenNr.7 on October 14, 2014, 01:18:06 PM
Yippee, a Vieuxtemps (and S-S) confrère! Pleased to make your acquaintance! There ain't many of us...we should invent a secret (virtual) handshake or codeword for solidarity. I'm wondering now if I should pull back those Spohr recommends - he has several active societies and they do mean business! : they are not idle in promoting their idol.
Edit : I think I remember Karlo wondering why he didn't listen to S-S more. Good example of a composer who is bigger and better than his rep.
The first 200 or so disks in my collection were violin concertos, so I am a sucker for a good one, and Vieuxtemps wrote several good ones! True, good advice to not mess with fanatics, but I find Spohr to be far better than his tepid reception indicates (the point of this thread I guess).
I have issues with a lot of Romantic composers, as I don't have the attention span to want to bother finding out what they would like to say. Music too prolix. C.S-S. isn't like that though, and therein lies his appeal. Well, that and a real gift for melody. How can one not like his violin sonatas? :)
8)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on October 14, 2014, 05:57:31 PM
The first 200 or so disks in my collection were violin concertos, so I am a sucker for a good one, and Vieuxtemps wrote several good ones! True, good advice to not mess with fanatics, but I find Spohr to be far better than his tepid reception indicates (the point of this thread I guess).
I have issues with a lot of Romantic composers, as I don't have the attention span to want to bother finding out what they would like to say. Music too prolix. C.S-S. isn't like that though, and therein lies his appeal. Well, that and a real gift for melody. How can one not like his violin sonatas? :)
8)
Somewhere in my stacks is a Vieuxtemps 4 LP from about 1950 with Zino Francescatti and Ormandy/Philadelphia. Lovely concerto, beautifully played.
There aren't many of us Delians here, so I'll toss any ten of his compositions into the hat here. The man simply gets no respect as Rodney Dangerfield would say. 8)
Quote from: EigenUser on October 14, 2014, 05:27:58 PM
Nyman's MGV sends me running, but that's because I listen to it while running. Some of the best classical exercise music out there, along with Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Messiaen's Trois Petites Liturgies.
8)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on October 14, 2014, 05:57:31 PM
The first 200 or so disks in my collection were violin concertos, so I am a sucker for a good one, and Vieuxtemps wrote several good ones! True, good advice to not mess with fanatics, but I find Spohr to be far better than his tepid reception indicates (the point of this thread I guess).
I have issues with a lot of Romantic composers, as I don't have the attention span to want to bother finding out what they would like to say. Music too prolix. C.S-S. isn't like that though, and therein lies his appeal. Well, that and a real gift for melody. How can one not like his violin sonatas? :)
8)
Just FYI, Haydn was my favorite composer when I was in college. Back when I was
really smart! :laugh: I remember enjoying back then a Huxley novel,
Point Counter Point, in which a character - with whom I sympathized - greatly admired Papa. That novel is very much about music and is constructed after a fugue. Well worth reading if anyone hasn't yet.
Quote from: Adam of the North(west) on October 14, 2014, 04:01:34 PM
For the thread, I enjoy Avet Terterian's Symphonies very much, though I can't see that anyone else has ever heard of him.
I've only heard nos. 3, 4, 7 and 8, but seem to recall that they're pretty good.
Quote
Anything by [...] Lou Harrison.
I and Ken B are also admirers of his, one of the few composers on whom our musical taste seems to be remotely similar >.>
@Gurn et al - I have 10 Spohr symphonies and 4 clarinet concertos in my collection, but no chamber music. Perhaps that's why he's never made as much of an impact on me as, eg Onslow or Weber. Might have to investigate.
Quote from: amw on October 14, 2014, 10:59:27 PM
@Gurn et al - I have 10 Spohr symphonies and 4 clarinet concertos in my collection, but no chamber music. Perhaps that's why he's never made as much of an impact on me as, eg Onslow or Weber. Might have to investigate.
Yes, try at least one of the double quartets and mixed wind/string chamber music. I am not an expert on this stuff, but for me it is at least as good as Hummel or Onslow. Onslow might be more "serious" and more densely constructed, but IMO also a little dry.
C.M. v. Weber may also be a name for this thread. Of course, Freischütz is a staple in germanic countries (far less so elsewhere) and some other pieces are quite well known, especially the clarinet concertos.
To me it seems he was a highly gifted and original composer, but his instrumental works are still a rather mixed bag. Had he lived longer and focussed more on instrumental music he might have produced more instrumental masterpieces on the level of the ouvertures to the mature operas. His best instrumental work is for me the f minor "Konzertstueck" for piano&orchestra, but the clarinet concertos and quintet, the other piano concertos are also worth one's while. I like some movements of the piano sonatas, but overall they seem too long-winded and not even Richter or Ciani can "save" them completely.
Quote from: Jo498 on October 14, 2014, 11:32:30 PM
C.M. v. Weber may also be a name for this thread. Of course, Freischütz is a staple in germanic countries (far less so elsewhere) and some other pieces are quite well known, especially the clarinet concertos.
To me it seems he was a highly gifted and original composer, but his instrumental works are still a rather mixed bag. Had he lived longer and focussed more on instrumental music he might have produced more instrumental masterpieces on the level of the ouvertures to the mature operas. His best instrumental work is for me the f minor "Konzertstueck" for piano&orchestra, but the clarinet concertos and quintet, the other piano concertos are also worth one's while. I like some movements of the piano sonatas, but overall they seem too long-winded and not even Richter or Ciani can "save" them completely.
I am a big fan of
Weber, including the piano sonatas (which I just love; Ciani is superb) and
Aufforderung zum Tanz, the Bassoon Concerto, the Horn and Clarinet Concertinos, Romanza Siciliana for Flute & Orch. His operas are excellent as well.
Kalinnikov's symphonies, anyone?
Then there are the neglected operas of the French repertoire:
Ambroise Thomas -
Mignon,
La Cour de Celimene;
Massenet -
Werther, Thais, Le Cid, Manon;
Bizet -
Les pecheurs de perlesAnd speaking of France,
Vincent d'Indy, Emmanuel Chabrier and
Ernest Chausson certainly deserve better.
Mennin Eighth Symphony 0:)
Dvorak's 4th
Tchaikovsky's 3rd
Beethoven's early Piano Quartets
Quote from: Florestan on October 15, 2014, 04:59:25 AM
Kalinnikov's symphonies, anyone?
Love them, especially the First.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on October 15, 2014, 05:46:57 AM
You know that's not true! ;)
Sarge
Yes, I know. In this regard, Mrs. Rock and I are soulmates. :D
Forsooth!
Although . . . I think Cato may like it, as well . . . .
Quote from: amw on October 14, 2014, 10:59:27 PM
I've only heard nos. 3, 4, 7 and 8, but seem to recall that they're pretty good.
I and Ken B are also admirers of his, one of the few composers on whom our musical taste seems to be remotely similar >.>
Yeah, but I haven't given up on you yet! >:D :laugh:
Quote from: ChamberNut on October 15, 2014, 05:39:40 AM
Beethoven's early Piano Quartets
These are amazing, especially for a 14-15 year old.
I don't care much for Tchaikovsky's 3rd (even less for the 2nd), but Dvorak 4 is quite nice.
Quote from: Jo498 on October 14, 2014, 11:32:30 PM
Yes, try at least one of the double quartets and mixed wind/string chamber music. I am not an expert on this stuff, but for me it is at least as good as Hummel or Onslow. Onslow might be more "serious" and more densely constructed, but IMO also a little dry.
Right, listened to the third double quartet, octet and nonet from the Vienna Philharmonic Octet. I preferred the double quartet to some extent, but it was hard to focus since I was also trying to make dinner. However I think I'll spend more time with Spohr's chamber music, it does seem more enjoyable than the orchestral works I've heard.
Quote
C.M. v. Weber may also be a name for this thread.
To me it seems he was a highly gifted and original composer, but his instrumental works are still a rather mixed bag. Had he lived longer and focussed more on instrumental music he might have produced more instrumental masterpieces on the level of the ouvertures to the mature operas. His best instrumental work is for me the f minor "Konzertstueck" for piano&orchestra, but the clarinet concertos and quintet, the other piano concertos are also worth one's while. I like some movements of the piano sonatas, but overall they seem too long-winded and not even Richter or Ciani can "save" them completely.
Weber is a really interesting composer for me because the weak movements are always the same—the opening, 'sonata form' movements of big sonata-type works (e.g. piano sonatas, flute trio, clarinet quintet etc). Unlike Rossini he wasn't born with a gift for classical forms and unlike Schubert he didn't find a way of sustaining interest in spite of having no natural feeling for the form—but they do show how far most of the generation born in the 1770s/80s was from Classicism as practiced by figures such as Beethoven and Hummel. (I'd consider Weber, Rossini, and Spohr—perhaps also Dussek, in his later works—to be perhaps the first generation of Romantic 'revolutionaries', circa 1800-1810... but stumbling forth into a new musical world inevitably yields mixed results and only serves to pave the way for the next generation, in this case Schubert, Paganini, Bellini, Donizetti, the precocious Mendelssohn, etc, in the 1820s... who in turn were only laying groundwork for the generation that came of age around 1830: Berlioz, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, Verdi and pretty much all the other Romantic composers we remember ;) )
So in every one of his piano sonatas, the first movement has some nice ideas but can't really sustain them because he's trying to shoehorn them into an academic idea of 'sonata form' that no longer makes musical sense with his new aesthetic, whereas the other 2 or 3 movements are lovely, and would be much more popular if they were not shackled to their unwieldy pendants. (And indeed
were—the Perpetuum mobile from No. 1, Menuetto capriccioso from No. 2, Allegro di bravura from No. 3 and perhaps one or two other movements were incredibly popular during most of the 19th century.) Similarly the Konzertstück works extremely well because, thanks to its programme, he is freed of the obligation to fit everything into a form and can just let his superb melodies and textural ideas loose. Liszt heard that, went on to write quite a few symphonic poems on a similar model, and suddenly Weber's the founder before the fact of the New German School... and we know the rest. Still underrated outside the operatic world, but as you say, that's no surprise.
Quote from: amw on October 16, 2014, 02:51:36 AM
Weber is a really interesting composer for me because the weak movements are always the same—the opening, 'sonata form' movements of big sonata-type works (e.g. piano sonatas, flute trio, clarinet quintet etc). Unlike Rossini he wasn't born with a gift for classical forms and unlike Schubert he didn't find a way of sustaining interest in spite of having no natural feeling for the form—but they do show how far most of the generation born in the 1770s/80s was from Classicism as practiced by figures such as Beethoven and Hummel. (I'd consider Weber, Rossini, and Spohr—perhaps also Dussek, in his later works—to be perhaps the first generation of Romantic 'revolutionaries', circa 1800-1810... but stumbling forth into a new musical world inevitably yields mixed results and only serves to pave the way for the next generation, in this case Schubert, Paganini, Bellini, Donizetti, the precocious Mendelssohn, etc, in the 1820s... who in turn were only laying groundwork for the generation that came of age around 1830: Berlioz, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, Verdi and pretty much all the other Romantic composers we remember ;) )
So in every one of his piano sonatas, the first movement has some nice ideas but can't really sustain them because he's trying to shoehorn them into an academic idea of 'sonata form' that no longer makes musical sense with his new aesthetic, whereas the other 2 or 3 movements are lovely, and would be much more popular if they were not shackled to their unwieldy pendants. (And indeed were—the Perpetuum mobile from No. 1, Menuetto capriccioso from No. 2, Allegro di bravura from No. 3 and perhaps one or two other movements were incredibly popular during most of the 19th century.) Similarly the Konzertstück works extremely well because, thanks to its programme, he is freed of the obligation to fit everything into a form and can just let his superb melodies and textural ideas loose. Liszt heard that, went on to write quite a few symphonic poems on a similar model, and suddenly Weber's the founder before the fact of the New German School... and we know the rest. Still underrated outside the operatic world, but as you say, that's no surprise.
Nice assessment.
Thanks, too, for the historical reinforcement of the need not to write "paint-by-numbers" music — even though that makes the music "instantly accessible" to the listener.
Very interesting comment; I should relisten to some pieces with this in mind. I don't remember enough about the piano sonatas, but in the clarinet quintet my favorite movements are probably 2+3. It is still a somewhat puzzling superposition of the romantic "fantasia" of the slow movement and the brilliant virtuoso of the rest.
Interestingly, Weber does employ some kind of free sonata form in the Freischuetz ouverture (probably in the others as well, but I know this one best). There is a short dramatic development of the main theme of the fast section. But then the "resolution" is not "worked" out, but simply breaks through after a general pause.
Still, I find especially the three famous ouvertures, the Konzertstück and the f minor clarinet concerto brilliant pieces that can keep my attention far better than his piano sonatas.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on October 12, 2014, 07:23:04 AM
Pettersson Symphony No.9
Pettersson Symphony No.14
Schmidt Symphony No.3
Tippett Songs for Dov
Mahler Symphony No.8 (Even most of the Mahlerites hate this)
Havergal Brian Symphony No.4 "Das Siegeslied"
Delius A Mass of Life
Bernard Herrmann Symphony
Hindemith Pittsburgh Symphony
Sibelius The Wood-Nymph (melodrama version for narrator, piano, 2 horns, and strings)
Pachelbel Canon and Gigue ;D 8)
Sarge
Agree with the Sarge about Pettersson No. 9, Bernard Herrmann's Symphony and the Sibelius work.
Also:
Khachaturian Symphony No 3
Parsadanian Symphony 2 'In Memory of the Commissars of Baku'
Khrennikov: Symphony 2
Bax 'Paen'
Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto (much criticised in James Day's biography of the composer)
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on October 12, 2014, 07:23:04 AM
Mahler Symphony No.8 (Even most of the Mahlerites hate this)
Sarge
Not me! LOVE IT! Find it hard to believe that quite a few Mahlerians hate it. Some of his most spellbinding music is in the second part I think, especially within the last 20 minutes or so.
Quote from: madaboutmahler on October 29, 2014, 10:09:27 AM
Not me! LOVE IT! Find it hard to believe that quite a few Mahlerians hate it. Some of his most spellbinding music is in the second part I think, especially within the last 20 minutes or so.
Hi
Daniel!
Quote from: madaboutmahler on October 29, 2014, 10:09:27 AM
Not me! LOVE IT!
Well, but of course, you're
MAD about Mahler! 0:) 8) :)
Quote from: karlhenning on October 29, 2014, 10:37:52 AM
Well, but of course, you're MAD about Mahler! 0:) 8) :)
MAD =
Mahler
Addiction
Disorder
Quote from: vandermolen on October 27, 2014, 12:31:44 AM
Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto (much criticised in James Day's biography of the composer)
David Hurwitz calls RVW's the only tuba concerto which deserves to be in the concert repertoire.
Quote from: madaboutmahler on October 29, 2014, 10:09:27 AM
Not me! LOVE IT! Find it hard to believe that quite a few Mahlerians hate it. Some of his most spellbinding music is in the second part I think, especially within the last 20 minutes or so.
I agree, and I am a "Mahlerian" by any standards. For once, here, he revels in the simple joy of music. (Maybe I'm prejudiced; this was the first work by Mahler I ever heard... ;D)
Quote from: Brian on October 29, 2014, 01:46:36 PM
David Hurwitz calls RVW's the only tuba concerto which deserves to be in the concert repertoire.
I totally agree. James Day is quite wrong about it in his biography of VW IMHO.
Perusing the Dvorak thread this evening, I'm sad to report another work I love that, apparently, no one else does: Dvorak Symphony No.1 C minor op.3.
Quote from: North Star on September 26, 2014, 06:50:12 PMI just tried the 1st earlier and it wasn't pleasant..
Quote from: Brian on September 26, 2014, 08:35:45 PM
The First Symphony is simply not good, my least favorite Dvorak work, and I have nothing to say in its defense. I could forgive its length and verbosity if it weren't so self-serious, full of dramatic posturing and grandiose intent.
I disagree with both our esteemed members, and wonder if anyone else likes it.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on November 01, 2014, 02:09:11 PM
Perusing the Dvorak thread this evening, I'm sad to report another work I love that, apparently, no one else does: Dvorak Symphony No.1 C minor op.3.
I disagree with both our esteemed members, and wonder if anyone else likes it.
Sarge
I''ve only heard it once so far, but I recall enjoying it quite a bit. I certainly liked it far, far better than the New World symphony, about which I simply could not get past the impression that a Hollywood western should be playing along with it. I can imagine some people being turned off by what might be called a certain "gothic" atmosphere in the 1st, but that is probably what I found most charming. IIRC, Brian also dislikes Brahms's first piano concerto, which also has a sort of "menacing dark clouds approaching" feeling, and that is one of my favorite romantic works.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on November 01, 2014, 02:09:11 PM
Perusing the Dvorak thread this evening, I'm sad to report another work I love that, apparently, no one else does: Dvorak Symphony No.1 C minor op.3.
I disagree with both our esteemed members, and wonder if anyone else likes it.
Sarge
Count me in, Sarge. I enjoy it quite a bit. What a bold opening statement that first movement makes.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on November 01, 2014, 02:09:11 PM
Perusing the Dvorak thread this evening, I'm sad to report another work I love that, apparently, no one else does: Dvorak Symphony No.1 C minor op.3.
I disagree with both our esteemed members, and wonder if anyone else likes it.
I do, too,
Sarge, though I cannot yet speak eloquently for it.
Oh, listen to Henning, so someday he can speak eloquently, eh? >:D 8)
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on November 01, 2014, 02:09:11 PM
Perusing the Dvorak thread this evening, I'm sad to report another work I love that, apparently, no one else does: Dvorak Symphony No.1 C minor op.3.
I disagree with both our esteemed members, and wonder if anyone else likes it.
Sarge
I do most definitely.
Of course you know we agree a lot Sarge. You are always right, I am always right; do the math. :)
I like the First Symphony too, and don't find its length particularly excessive.* Its finale is particularly enjoyable for me. Brian and North Star should take their unfounded opinions to the 'Top 10 compositions that you don't like but everyone else does' thread >:(
* what is up with people complaining about excessive length in a 40 minute Dvořák or Brahms composition and then turning around and praising an 80 minute Mahler or Bruckner one? do you have some sort of anti-beard bias?
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 01, 2014, 03:11:01 PM
Count me in, Sarge.
+ 1. One of the greatest Firsts ever, period.
Quote from: Brian on October 29, 2014, 01:46:36 PM
David Hurwitz calls RVW's the only tuba concerto which deserves to be in the concert repertoire.
Absolutely！
Quote from: Ken B on November 01, 2014, 07:39:46 PM
Of course you know we agree a lot Sarge. You are always right, I am always right; do the math. :)
Oh, now that sounds like a club I would easily fit into.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 03, 2014, 07:35:43 AM
Oh, now that sounds like a club I would easily fit into.
Not exclusive enough to be a club.
More like a commune.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 03, 2014, 07:35:43 AM
Oh, now that sounds like a club I would easily fit into.
Well we agree a lot too Greg! (There is that Ives thing. Just as long as you and Sarge don't outvote me!)
Quote from: Ken B on November 03, 2014, 07:37:28 AM
Well we agree a lot too Greg! (There is that Ives thing. Just as long as you and Sarge don't outvote me!)
We have plans to take you down the right path, towards musical bliss known as Ivesville.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 03, 2014, 07:42:06 AM
We have plans to take you down the right path, towards musical bliss known as Ivesville.
(http://14.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ksklm7aXXo1qzvqipo1_500.gif)
1. Pretty much every chamber music work by Sibelius outside of Voces intimae.
2.Rachmaninov's "Rock". I'm a bit edgy whether it is neglected work or not but consensus seems to be that it is an uneven symphonic poem. I'll say poppycock 8)
3. Sibelius symphony no. 3, again maybe not neglected (except maybe in german-speaking countries)but people don't usually mention it when asked about their favorite sibelius symphonies (for the record, it's not my favorite either, but certainly not the "worst" one either.)
4. Sibelius: many tone poems of his (again, bit unsure about their neglect)
5. Puccini: Fanciulla del West
6. Rachmaninov: The miserly knight
7. R. Strauss: Die Liebe der Danae
8. Sibelius: The maiden in tower¨
9. Tchaikovsky: Vakula/Cherevichki
10.Weber: Euryanthe and Oberon
11. Much of John Williams's music
12. Dvorak symphonic poems
13. Beethoven's Wellington's Sieg (I haven't heard it for some time now, I may have changed my mind)
14. Liszt ce qu'on entend sur la montagne and Heroide funebre
15. Many Wagner's works outside his operas and Siegfried idyll. (Träume from wesendoncklieder for violin and orchestra is wonderful, symphony in C major, Albumblatt...
It is really hard not just populating this list with the names of neglected composers ( Georges Migot, where is your fanbase!? ) But given that isn't the question...
1. Richard Strauss - Die ägyptische Helena.
Or Daphne, or ... really, many of his late operas are full of gorgeous work, but live on the operatic periphery.
2. Charles Griffes - anything, really, I guess his piano works collectively.
Delightful impressionist works, I'm surprised he's not championed more.
3. Florent Schmitt - Symphonie Concertante
I'm much more fond of this than the either the Psaume XLVII or La Tragédie de Salomé, which get more recordings and performances.
4. Gustav Holst - Savitri
I guess pretty much any Holst work that doesn't contain Uranus can be considered less-than-loved, but his band works are always around. Savitri ... is another in the borderlands of opera. But, with chamber forces, and short length, it seems like something that would slot excellently into a chamber opera double bill.
5. Arrigo Boito - Nerone
I'll be the first one to admit Mefistofele is the more rousing work, but Nerone is a great romp of an opera and well worth it.
6. Giacomo Meyerbeer - Le Prophète
Meyerbeer's on the lighter side as a composer, but I find him just as fun to listen to as Bellini and Donizetti - often more so. While Les Huguenots and to a lesser extent, Robert le diable have their share of performances, the equally charming Prophète and L'Africaine are yet other joys that live in the sidelines.
7. Lubor Bárta - Viola Concerto
Violists are always a bit short on good concertos, and this one is bouncy, catchy, and frames the soloist nicely. Neither him nor this work see more play.
8. Felix Mendelssohn - Konzertstuck n.1 op.113
If you're like me, the mere mention of basset horns brings you a euphoria that's hard to surpass, but this little exercise in dueling single reeds doesn't get as much love as it should.
9. Arnold Schoenberg - Die glückliche Hand
Staging issues aside, the music here is fascinating. Perhaps a few more concert performances could make this fixture the way Erwartung has become.
10. Louis Spohr - Quartets
This one I'm not so sure about, really. Not the quality so much, as the fact that there seems to be a lot of genuine interest in his works these days.
Quote from: Fagotterdämmerung on December 06, 2014, 03:12:13 PM2. Charles Griffes - anything, really, I guess his piano works collectively.
I can't speak for anyone else of course, but I really enjoy Griffes' brand of Impressionism. If only he had lived another 20 years.
Quote from: Mirror Image on December 06, 2014, 07:26:31 PM
I can't speak for anyone else of course, but I really enjoy Griffes' brand of Impressionism. If only he had lived another 20 years.
Indeed! Another one I always think of is Lili Boulanger - not enough extant works to be a big name, yet, what is hinted at is so strong!
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on November 01, 2014, 02:09:11 PM
Perusing the Dvorak thread this evening, I'm sad to report another work I love that, apparently, no one else does: Dvorak Symphony No.1 C minor op.3.
I disagree with both our esteemed members, and wonder if anyone else likes it. Sarge
I've been fond of 'The Bells of Zlonice' since I first heard it; its main theme and the 'obsessive' repeating of it always struck me as music with a passion; completely the oppositie of the charges of 'academism' that it often receives. Everyone should be completely won over by the very opening measures: sheer delight :)
York Höller - Schwarze Halbinseln
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5znEvTjW5XM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5znEvTjW5XM)
Charles Ives - Quarter Tone Pieces
[asin]B000JJS6J4[/asin]
Carl Orff - Oedipus Der Tyrann
[asin]B003B3B1S8[/asin]
Eric Satie - Relache
[asin]B00067FFCA[/asin]
Dvořák - The Noon Witch, Op. 108 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w76qM4PxdLs
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Caprice Bohémien, Op. 12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2mym0ATtCw
Camille Saint-Saëns - Morceau de Concert pour harpe et orchestre, Op. 154 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwGOFzi20Xw
Paul Hindemith - Fünf Stücke für Streichorchester https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEqh1Y7zIGY
Ottorino Respighi - Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAAEpogdiEI
Gabriel Pierné - Divertissement sur un thème pastoral https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2vNMuBLEFA
Zoltán Kodály - Theatre Overture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm8a4hAGgrc
Arnold Cooke - Symphony No. 1
Lennox Berkeley - Concerto for two pianos and orchestra
Khatchatur Avetissian - Oratorio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YA9FvG56kQ
Richard Einhorn - Voices of Light https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax1OC5LDQt0&list=PLdblCHnVojjenP2fEZFZE2bCBsn-CtrXF
Quote from: Christo on December 07, 2014, 01:38:58 AMDvořák - The Noon Witch, Op. 108 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w76qM4PxdLs
That's hardly a work no one else likes,
Christo. Those late tone poems are certainly among my favourite
Dvořák.
+1 to late Dvorak tone poems. But they are generally quite underrated compared to the last three symphonies, especially the ubiquituous "New World".
Prokofiev: pick 10 obscure works that no one listens to, and there it is
Quote from: North Star on December 07, 2014, 05:19:20 AM
That's hardly a work no one else likes, Christo. Those late tone poems are certainly among my favourite Dvořák.
Okay, agreed. They've become far more popular in recent years, IMO. Yet were hardly mentioned at all in the time I came to love them (the 1970s). ;-)
Rienzi. There, I said it. I like what is widely considered to be one of the most boring operas ever, even on Wagner's standards. I listened to it one day and I liked it quite lot. As if that would be a surprise to anyone, ::)