# Underrated/obscure compoera



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes (Feb 24, 2019)

Is there a composer few people are familiar with, yet you think he/she composed gems? Maybe one that needs more attention? I'd love to try out if you can name some!


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2019)

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> Is there a composer few people are familiar with, yet you think he/she composed gems? Maybe one that needs more attention? I'd love to try out if you can name some!


There is already a long-standing thread on this subject which usually surfaces every few days.

https://www.talkclassical.com/12497-most-overrated-underrated-composers.html?highlight=

This very long thread should provide you with an enormously long list of "underrated" composers, that will keep you busy until kingdom come if you take any of it seriously.

I would suggest, however, that you might wish to take it all with a pinch of salt because you will find an equally long list of composers who are deemed to be "overrated".

If you compare the "underrated" composers with the "overrated" ones you'll find that they largely cancel each other out, if you take enough of them in total. This, of course, is only to be expected in any zero-sum games such as this.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

There are a lot of obscure composers. Few are underrated. With time, most composers are rated exactly where they should be.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

^ I think that is correct. But I always have the example of Mahler's reputation (in Britain, anyway) in the 1950s and early 60s as proof that the truly great can be widely derided until they are discovered. I think this example was more than merely our needing time to come to appreciate a relatively recent composer.


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## zelenka (Feb 8, 2018)

Medtner, Chausson, Taneyev are really good but not widely known


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Russian Alexander Glazunov wrote a series of symphonies that I consider underplayed and underrated. What I like about them is their vibrant/colorful clear orchestrations where you can hear virtually everything and how well he writes for the woodwind section, at least in his first one. They are not buried under the strings or the brass section and I find this wonderfully refreshing. I started with No.1 and took them in order under the baton of Gennadi Rohzdestvensky and most of them can be heard online. I like Russian conductors conducting Russian music and be sure to hear Glazunov's radiant, vibrant and energetic Symphony No. 2 as well. It's even better and uplifting to the spirit in a triumphant way.


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

Myaskovsky deserves more attention.

And as Paulbest is either banned and/or left the building, purely on his behalf I would like to add Pettersson, Henze & Carter


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## Buxtehude (Jun 14, 2018)

I need to learn more about and listen to more Michel Corrette


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

I don't know if you could call them underrated or obscure because amongst them who now them they are appreciated but these lesser known composers I find definitely worth while:

Carl-Maria Von Weber
Charles-Valentin Alkan
Alfredo Catalani
Muzio Clementi
Pergolesi
Frescobaldi


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

MarkW said:


> There are a lot of obscure composers. Few are underrated. With time, most composers are rated exactly where they should be.


except one :devil:


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Bax
Glazunov
Schmidt
Vladigerov
Petersen-Berger
Chadwick
Schmitt
Zemlinsky
.
.
.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

although already mentioned I would personally highlight Myaskovsky in particular.

It is also gratifying to see Glazunov mentioned as his symphonies really are 'something else' (the last time his music was performed at the Proms was 1919!)


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