Rarely discussed works by well-known composers

[Mark]

Thought I'd start a thread where we can talk about works by well-known composers which rarely get a mention.

To get things rolling, how about Handel's Carmelite Vespers of 1707? What a terrific work! I'll stick out my neck here and say I actually prefer this to his more popular - and far better known - Messiah. It's very much in the Italian mould of the period, and puts me in mind of Vivaldi's Gloria, as well as Bach's Magnificat (in places). There are also sections of antiphon which help give structure and proper context to the work, reminding us that this composition was undertaken as a commission by Cardinal Carlo Colonna to celebrate the festival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

For those interested in hearing the work - and I'll certainly recommend that you do - here's the recording I have:



It's on the Virgin Veritas label. Rather appropriate, I thought, given the subject matter.

[Anne]

Rossini's opera, William Tell.  I've been reading classical music/opera BB's for 14 years and have never heard it discussed.  Well, ok maybe just once.

[Bonehelm]

Beethoven's Rage over a lost penny isn't discussed a lot.

[mahlertitan]

people don't discuss Schoenberg's neo-classical works at all!

[hornteacher]

Mozart's "Kegelstatt" Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano is one of the most beautiful chamber works ever written.  It is often overshadowed by the clarinet quintet and clarinet concerto, but this trio is just as sophisticated a piece and was also written specifically for Stadler.  It is thought that Mozart played the viola part during performances and one of Mozart's students played the piano part.

The piece BTW was said to have been composed while Mozart was bowling (thus the nickname).

The Nash Ensemble has a great CD with this and other Mozart chamber works on it:

[mahlertitan]

i think Hummel should get more attention, his concertos for violin and piano are fascinating.

[stingo]

Chamber and choral music (particularly lieder) should get more attention.

[mahlertitan]

I think Schubert should get more discussion time, since he wrote 2 overtures in the Italian style.

[Solitary Wanderer]

i think Hummel should get more attention, his concertos for violin and piano are fascinating.

Agreed. I was listening to this last night and its, indeed, outstanding 

[George]

Beethoven's Rage over a lost penny isn't discussed a lot.

That makes me angry. 



Seriously, who do folks like in this work?

[RebLem]

In the last 20 years or so, Wilhelm Stenhammar's orchestral music has received a modest amount of attention, but his 6 string quartets have not.  Once available on the Caprice label, they are now, so far as I know, completely OOP.  Its a shame.  They are wonderful works.

As for MahlerTitan's post, I do really like the Schoenberg Cello Concerto after Monn.

Other fine, but infrequently performed works include the Schubert Masses, Prokofiev's Sinfonietta in A, and Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri.

[mahlertitan]

Prokofiev's Sinfonietta in A

see, i listened to that, and i didn't like it as much as the classical symphony

[Kullervo]

Mozart's cantata, "Leck mich im Arsch"

[op.110]

Schumann's Violin Concerto, written when he was full blown insane.Joachum thought the composition to be morbid and a product of Schumann's insanity. It was first premiered in 1937!

I've got the Kremer/Harnoncourt recording of it; you can definitely hear the insanity of Schumann... what a creepy opening.

[Bonehelm]

What about Chopin's cello sonata?

[techniquest]

Prokofiev choral music that is not Alexander Nevsky or Ivan the Terrible. Pieces such as Zdravitsa, the October revolution cantatas, Seven They Are Seven, Ballad for an Unknown Child, and so on. Unfortunately they are usually limited to one or two recordings, and they are probably deleted!

[springrite]

That makes me angry. 



Seriously, who do folks like in this work?

Not that this work warrants a deep and detailed discussion, but Abbey Simmon's recording (as a filler, obviously) is very good.

I wonder how the music would sound had the amount of money lost been higher. Maybe the limitations of the piano available at the time limit Beethoven to composing only about losing pennies.





Now, my nomination: Bruckner Quintet.

[quintett op.57]

Schumann's Violin Concerto, written when he was full blown insane.Joachum thought the composition to be morbid and a product of Schumann's insanity. It was first premiered in 1937!

I've got the Kremer/Harnoncourt recording of it; you can definitely hear the insanity of Schumann... what a creepy opening.

Not to forget Schumann's Andante & Variations for 2 pianos, 2 cellos and 1 horn
http://opus100.free.fr/fr/Schumann6.html

[val]

I believe that Schumann's last works were composed for the piano:

Gesänge der Frühe, (November 1853), one month after the violin Concerto and the Variations that he left unfinished (February 1854).

The Gesänge der Frühe is a beautiful work, not as morbid as that. Five little pieces, very poetic, in special the first and the fourth. The last piece is more depressive, perhaps, very, very sad.

We can find both works in the set of the complete piano works played - superbly - by Karl Engel.

[Grazioso]

Mozart's violin sonatas don't seem to get a lot of press, despite offering some delightful music. Bruckner's string quintet is the equal of his symphonies and surely one of the most beautiful Romantic-era chamber works but doesn't seem to get a lot of attention. His motets are beautiful, too, but often overlooked in favor of his big choral pieces or--even more so--his symphonies.