Glaring Omission

[hopefullytrusting]

As you might have noticed lately I've been on a Norwegian kick, and that was primarily because I was fascinated by romantic nationalism (Norway has its own page). I came to romantic nationalism through my consumption of Dvorak, especially his symphonic poems. This then led me to search for more symphonic poems (Wikipedia has a pretty comprehensive list), and it is this which has led me to the topic of this thread.

I have a glaring omission when it comes to "classical music", in general, and symphonic poems, specifically, and that is English composers: Bax (who composed the most symphonic poems) and Delius, and I don't know why that is, so I will be rectifying this when I come to my next listening round, but I would love to hear about your glaring omissions. (I'll add more when I think of them, but nothing is as glaring as this for me.)

[Karl Henning]

Great thread! Let me mull ....

[Brian]

My most glaring omissions are almost all vocal music (especially lieder) and almost everything from before 1700. Especially at the intersection of the two: Bach and earlier vocal works.

[ChamberNut]

If I listed all the glaring omissions of mine, it would probably crash the forum. 

[ChamberNut]

Italian opera. Although I'm hesitant to change that.

[Brian]

If I listed all the glaring omissions of mine, it would probably crash the forum. 

We should do a movie version. I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life. 

[Spotted Horses]

My most glaring omission would be music for voices (choir and/or soloists) and large orchestra. To much cacophony, and to much straining of a single voice to be heard. I enjoy Bach vocal music, Mozart, some modern vocal music such as Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms. But music on the scale of Beethoven's Ode to Joy or larger puts me off.

[hopefullytrusting]

We should do a movie version. I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life. 

I think the most famous movie I've not seen is probably Forest Gump.

[ChamberNut]

We should do a movie version. I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life. 

Ha! Me neither.

[foxandpeng]

Most of the 'core repertoire', I imagine. Not because I am being clever or obscure, but because I have followed my nose (ears) with stuff I like, and you can't be familiar with everything.

Oh, and pianos and vocal music.

Edit: And opera, generally. And the Second Viennese School.

[Roasted Swan]

I've noticed before how many forum members seem to actively dislike vocal/choral music.  Given that most instrumental music strives to emulate the voice I find that interesting.......

My own glaring ommission would be most music pre-baroque (except for Tudor choral music).  For pleasure I listen to almost no contemporary music at all - I used to play a lot of it professionally (follow the money....) and with the exception of Part and Reich and a couple of others never got beyond grudging admiration at best.  Having said I like music for voice I avoid counter-tenors and most lieder.....

[JBS]

As you might have noticed lately I've been on a Norwegian kick, and that was primarily because I was fascinated by romantic nationalism (Norway has its own page). I came to romantic nationalism through my consumption of Dvorak, especially his symphonic poems. This then led me to search for more symphonic poems (Wikipedia has a pretty comprehensive list), and it is this which has led me to the topic of this thread.

I have a glaring omission when it comes to "classical music", in general, and symphonic poems, specifically, and that is English composers: Bax (who composed the most symphonic poems) and Delius, and I don't know why that is, so I will be rectifying this when I come to my next listening round, but I would love to hear about your glaring omissions. (I'll add more when I think of them, but nothing is as glaring as this for me.)

I'd put Rubbra, Bliss, and Arnold, as well as Bax, well ahead of Delius. (I'm assuming Britten, RVW, Walton, and Elgar are not part of your omission.) Delius has his moments, the others have their hours, so to speak.

As for me, the biggest lacuna is post WWII non-tonal music: what's evoked by the terms Darmstadt, serialism, etc. Boulez and Ligeti* are more than enough for me there, and I have little appetite to explore further.

ETA: Carter too

[ChamberNut]

Stockhausen
Boulez

Not heard a single note of their music. I'm no rush to change that as of yet.

[JBS]

My most glaring omission would be music for voices (choir and/or soloists) and large orchestra. To much cacophony, and to much straining of a single voice to be heard. I enjoy Bach vocal music, Mozart, some modern vocal music such as Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms. But music on the scale of Beethoven's Ode to Joy or larger puts me off.

If it's properly done, that single voice shouldn't need to strain. If the singer has to get shouty, then the conductor and/or engineers aren't getting the balance right. Very few composers wrote music in a way that intends the orchestra to overwhelm the singer. (The leading examples of composers doing so would be from opera: some moments in Wagner, and the entirety of Strauss' Salome and Elektra. Strauss did get better after those two.)

[JBS]

Stockhausen
Boulez

Not heard a single note of their music. I'm no rush to change that as of yet.

I'd be quite content to see Stockhausen slip into obscurity, but late Boulez is quite good.

[hopefullytrusting]

I'd put Rubbra, Bliss, and Arnold, as well as Bax, well ahead of Delius. (I'm assuming Britten, RVW, Walton, and Elgar are not part of your omission.) Delius has his moments, the others have their hours, so to speak.

Oh, I only mentioned Delius become he composed a ton of symphonic poems (I think he was 4th most), but no I am pretty much a tablua rasa when it comes to English composers from the 19th Century until modernism "passes" (in the 1940s-1950s), so I have a lot to listen to when I get to that round.

[Spotted Horses]

Stockhausen
Boulez

Not heard a single note of their music. I'm no rush to change that as of yet.

I've not heard a note of Stockhausen. I quite like Boulez. I'd say it's like a fan of Beethoven exploring Debussy, you have to be prepared for music created from with a different result in mind. That said, I avoid music by Boulez which involves electronic manipulation.

[Dave B]

Very nice to see that nobody mentioned the music of Henning in "glaring omissions ".

[Jo498]

I happily omit many symphonic poems and lots of British composers but I don't find them glaring. 

My love/hate is opera. I don't dislike it at all and in former times even semi-regularly attended performances. But I am not too fond of it on audio only and cannot be bothered to get DVDs in addition and I also find watching on a screen not close to live on stage but nowadays I can even be less be bothered to travel to the opera house. So there are some ommissions here in that I barely know rather famous operas, e.g. Aida, despite liking other Verdi and having an Aida recording on my shelves for many years.
I probably should make an opera (re)listening project. It worked with other music I had neglected but I don't have that problem of strongly preferring the live event in the case of chamber, piano, even orchestral music.

[hopefullytrusting]

I happily omit many symphonic poems and lots of British composers but I don't find them glaring. 

Lol, I suppose I meant glaring that it was sun-blazingly obvious what I was missing when I looked at the list.