# Offbeat Composers -- Any Recommendations?



## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

Hi, I'm new to this forum and to classical music, so I'm looking forward to hearing from you avid listeners here!

I've explored a lot of the more famous composers (Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Handel, and many many more), but I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for composers with offbeat styles. Something along the lines of Boccherini, whose Spanish element is so refreshing. I also like Janacek, I was surprised by some of his feather-light piano pieces, and the unusual Sinfonietta.

I've got a short solo road trip this weekend and am looking for something a little different for the road. Even some offbeat pieces by the more famous composers would be great. (Harpsichord, anyone??) Thanks in advance!


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Try these out, for something offbeat:


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Michel *Corrette*: Sinfonies de Noel 



*Poulenc: *Harpsichord Concerto 



*Martinu*: Harpsichord Concerto 



*CPE Bach *wrote a lot of nice harpsichord concertos 




and *Franz Benda *some nice flute concertos: 




*Janacek*´s piano works are fresh and delightful (weird illustration here though): 



*Respighi*: Belkis suite: 



*Myaskovsky*: 2. Cello Sonata 



*Faure* Piano Quartets 



*Scriabin*: 10. Piano Sonata


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## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

Thanks for the recommendations so far! Not sure about the Scriabin works, but I love the Casella, Lukecash12. Just when I thought I was sinking into the piece, it totally took me by surprise.



joen_cph said:


> Michel *Corrette*: Sinfonies de Noel
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Most of these are just to my taste, thanks.  Especially looking forward to listening to more of Franz Benda, and the Respighi suite is a stunner... composers I'd never heard of before!

Can you recommend a recording of Bach's harpsichord concertos?


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I would suggest Wagner, but I don't want you to have an orgasm and veer into an oncoming truck.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Talking about the harpsichord cti of CPE Bach, Spanyi has recorded the complete set/almost the complete set I think, on BIS, they are usually fine and a good way to start exploring the works, perhaps supplementing later with a bit from other ensembles. In a few cases, his tempi are a bit on the broad side, and other performers might have alternative ideas then.

As regards JS Bach´s concerti I prefer the piano versions (Nikolayeva especially, also Gould), and only know Karl Richter´s and George Malcolm´s harpsichord recordings, they are rather old-school, yet not very "emotional" in the playing style. I suppose there are some interesting newer ones also ...


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

*Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco *was strongly influenced by Boccherini. I'm just getting into both now, esp. the former. Castelnuovo Tedesco's _Guitar Concerto #1 _is a good place to start. He even dedicated a solo guitar sonata to Boccherini, named it after the old master. He put down solo, chamber and orchestral works with guitar.

YOu've probably heard this, but there's also* Rodrigo's* _Guitar Concierto de ARanjuez_. He is in the same neo-classical style as Castelnuovo Tedesco, but drawing from Spanish tradition, not Italian. I've just got Rodrigo's _Cello Concerto _with Julain Lloyd Webber and I can describe it as kind of quirky but still traditional. At the end, he just leaves you up in the air. It's a pretty good work, I would recommend it as well as his guitar concertos (he did many). His harp based works are also renowned. I haven't heard much by him, everything he wrote tends to get overshadowed by the_ Aranjuez_.

There are other guitar concertos, namely *Villa-Lobos*, one of my favourites. I'm just getting into this realm now myself. I love guitar and harp as well. They can be very relaxing and soothing after a hard day. Not like all that atonal & minimalist junk :lol: (just kidding!)

Speaking of which, Janacek definitely tread his own path, beat his own drum, he was a different drummer for sure. Others like this, but for various reasons, were* C-V. Alkan, Harry Partch, Erik Satie, Percy Grainger, Charles Ives*, & I can go on. In terms of lighter music, Satie & Grainger are the best, but Alkan also put down some less heavy things (his _Sonatine for piano solo _is not too long, a delight, but also has character and substance, it bears repeated listening easily, same goes for his_ Esquisses _but they verge on the "atonal" but are nevertheless short and to the point).

If you want more low down about some of these, just give me a yell. I hope you have an enjoyable and fruitful road trip. Adios!...


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

What a PERFECT opportunity for yoru truly, yet again, to toot my Japanese horn.

I suggest the Japanese composer Akira Ifukube. You can read more about him at the website I run: www.akiraifukbe.org.


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## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

It was very nice waking up to all of these lovely recommendations today. Thanks!



Couchie said:


> I would suggest Wagner, but I don't want you to have an orgasm and veer into an oncoming truck.


I guess you kind of like Wagner.  I haven't given him a try yet but will have to remedy that very soon!

Very much liking CPE Bach thanks to joen_cph, I'm listening to his flute sonatas now too. I also love Rodrigo's Cello Concerto... I completely agree with you, Sid, guitar and harp music is ideal for unwinding at the end of the day! Ahhhhh. I'm going to explore some of the other composers you mentioned who, like Janacek, have their own unique flair.

Tapkaara -- I'd never heard of Ifukube before but thank you for changing that! Nice website, too.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Evelina said:


> It was very nice waking up to all of these lovely recommendations today. Thanks!
> 
> I guess you kind of like Wagner.  I haven't given him a try yet but will have to remedy that very soon!
> 
> ...


You are most welcome. You can find quite a bit of his music on YouTube. The internet makes music exploration so easy...


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Try the quirky and highly original music of Denmark's greatest composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). His six symphonies are highly unorthodox in structure and full of surprises.
Also, his clarinet concerto, and the one for flute. Ditto for violin.
The woodwind quintet is probably the greatest work of its kind, and also highly quirky.
Shorter orchestral works of Nielsen include the Helios overture, which depicts the rise of the sun and its joyous course and sunset. Pan and Syrinx is based on Greek mythology.
The fantasy overture depicts an imaginary trip to the Faroe islands near Iceland, and Saga Dream is an evocative depiction of old Icelandic legends.
The overture to the comic opera "Maskarade" is exuberant fun.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

superhorn said:


> Try the quirky and highly original music of Denmark's greatest composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). His six symphonies are highly unorthodox in structure and full of surprises.
> Also, his clarinet concerto, and the one for flute. Ditto for violin.
> The woodwind quintet is probably the greatest work of its kind, and also highly quirky.
> Shorter orchestral works of Nielsen include the Helios overture, which depicts the rise of the sun and its joyous course and sunset. Pan and Syrinx is based on Greek mythology.
> ...


I wonder if Nielsen is really "offbeat?"


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Evelina said:


> It was very nice waking up to all of these lovely recommendations today. Thanks!
> 
> I guess you kind of like Wagner.  I haven't given him a try yet but will have to remedy that very soon!
> 
> ...


I'm a huge CPE Bach fan. I particularly recommend his symphony in D major wq 183/1. That is a wacky piece of work.

Also, do check out his elder brother, WF Bach. Even weirder and more ingenious in my opinion.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Also Charles Valentine Alkan is quite off beat. Check this out


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)




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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)




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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I agree with Tapkaara, Ifukube is well worth checking out (eg. there's a Naxos disc), as well as other Japanese composers. By extension, other non Euro, UK, USA composers. We have some great ones here in Australia.* Matthew Hindson* is quite interesting and combines popular influences (eg. James Brown - he's not dead, he's in Mr Hindson's music!) and also *Graham Koehne *(eg. his homage to Mantovani titled _Elevator Music_ & he's also done some good concertos). These guys may be more mainstream/commercial than offbeat but in the old days they definitely would've been seen as wierd. Now wierd is normal, it's mainstream! Same with Nielsen, he can be humorous and quirky, like Prokofiev, but now they're firmly mainstream (as is Janacek, come to think of it, but back in his day idiot conservatives were accusing him of destroying the traditions of Czech music, which was balderdash).

Anyway, times change in terms of what is qurirky and what isn't. I think *Edgard Varese's *_Tuning Up for orch._is quite wierd and quirky, but he meant it as a serious statement, as a kind of summing up of his work in a short space of time (approx. 5 mins.), it is full of references to his earlier music. *Alfred Schnittke *is similar, he is like a combo of atonal, minimalist neo-classical, Romantic, modern tonal, you name it. His piece dedicated to Mozart and Haydn has bits of their music as well as jazz! Some people can't stomach that today, even though it's been like 30 years since that was penned. Dinosaurs? Another one is *Sofia Gubaidulina*, eg. her _Seven Words_, a chamber piece, incl. prominent part for Russian button accordion (the bayan), which sighs and wails like the human voice of Christ. She can be quirky, but is often dark and her music is as if from a horror film - and indeed she was a film composer for many years to put food on the table in the bad old USSR - and maybe the same could be applied to *Gyorgy Ligeti *(check out his _Bagatelles for Winds_ [at a concert I was at of this earlier this year, many in the audience laughed audibly at the intentional "fart" at the end of one of the movements], or for something more "atonal" the_ Chamber Concerto _or _String Quartet #2_ which have these bits that are like machines in a factory getting totally out of control, out of sync, chaos, or ordered chaos).

These are more oddball things, I can go on and on with these, but won't bore you...


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## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

Thanks again for all the wonderful recommendations, I've been listening to new music like crazy this past weekend, especially Alkan, CPE Bach, Ligeti and Satie. And getting to know Nielsen's music is my new project for the week.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

^^ Keep exploring *Evelina*! You seem to be very adventurous and that can be a good thing. You can make some very interesting discoveries if you cast your net far and wide. Happy listening and get back to us about what you think about these, what are your favourites (or not), etc...


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Evelina said:


> Thanks again for all the wonderful recommendations, I've been listening to new music like crazy this past weekend, especially Alkan, CPE Bach, Ligeti and Satie. And getting to know Nielsen's music is my new project for the week.


As a recent "convert" to Nielsen, I'd highly recommend--if you haven't done so already--that you listen to his *1st* *Symphony*. If you have access to *Spotify*, you can listen to all of them. That's what I did, and now I have purchased a box set of his complete symphonies from *Amazon*.


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## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

Elvina, Since you have already been introduced to the Harpsichord by my colleagues on the forum here are a couple of really offbeat compositions for the instrument. First, Part 1 on th Harpsichord by Henryk Gorecki






and Gryorgy Ligeti's Continuum for Harpsichord.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

> Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien ("The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian") is a play, with the music written by Debussy, based upon the man, Sebastian, who died during the Roman rule of Israel in the 3rd century; he died a martyr. The story goes (for a lot is speculation and folk-lore or tales that were passed down over time) that Sebastian encouraged several Christians who were slated to die for their beliefs to keep the faith and not to recant in order to save their lives. He also, apperantly, helped in the healing of woman mute for six years. Sebastian was taken to a field where he was tied to a stake and arrows were shot at him, so many that he resembled a porcupine, until he was dead. But he did not die, or so it was said. As a local widow went to collect his remains for burial she found that he was not dead and was nursed back to health. After recovering, he continued healing and speaking. This is when, so legend goes, the Emporer whom Sebastian knew had condemned him to death by arrows, walked past and Sebastian harassed the Emporer bringing on arrest and a beating, this time to death. His body was recovered by assistance of an appearance of the Saint telling of where his body could be found and, thus, be buried among other believers. The play was not well received, but the music is absolutely amazing and the reduction of the 5 act play to a suite of 4 pieces by Debussy made for some of his most original and amazing music which is little known; such a shame. So, here you have, in it's entirety, Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien, Fragments Symphoniques - an Orchestral Suite.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Alexander Tcherepnin


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## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

Rob, thanks for those wild harpsichord pieces... I kept expecting the second one to break out into a dance song. 

As for Nielsen, I LOVE SYmphony 1, thanks for the recommendation, Samurai! Superhorn's suggestions were also just to my taste, Nielsen's flute and clarinet concertos are among my favorite pieces of music now. I adore his Symphony 4 "The Inextinguishable" as well. Symphony 6 is really offbeat so I listen to that one when I need a rattling. I might just have to splurge on a box set of some kind soon!

Lukecash12 - thank you for providing the story along with all of Debussy's music to The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. It helped me appreciate the piece even more.

Sid James - Varese's Tuning Up is very cool, I like it! Matthew Hindson's music is also really refreshing, it's like opening a window on a stuffy day. I've only listened to Rush and Violin Concerto 1 so far but love them (esp the latter).

Ifukbe's music is also full of surprises, and I love Tcherepnin's (thanks clavichorder!)... it's very bold and romantic, like out of an old film.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Evelina - one work that might butter your parsnips is Constant Lambert's first contribution to the ballet genre, Prizefight. Written in the (and his) early 20s it contains all the comic bawdiness that one would expect from a bread and circuses atmosphere of the 19th century bare-knuckle fight industry where fortunes and lives were won and lost with the throwing of one more punch. The music sets the scene and then goes about illustrating both the contestants' encounter and the hooting crowd alike including, so I believe, drunks and shady bookmakers. And at 9 minutes (or should I say '3 rounds' heh heh...) it doesn't outstay its welcome - it would have made a fine overture had it not been a self-contained piece for the stage. For musical comparisons I would look to the frothier works of 'Les Six' and their mentor Satie. If you are interested in listening to it you might want to see if you can find some sort of programme guide for it - a lot happens in its 9 short minutes so you might appreciate it more if you have to hand some points of reference (or should I say 'BLOW BY BLOW' account - ouch...).


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

WF Bach Fantasia-first on clavichord





And now on Fortepiano


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## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> Evelina - one work that might butter your parsnips is Constant Lambert's first contribution to the ballet genre, Prizefight. Written in the (and his) early 20s it contains all the comic bawdiness that one would expect from a bread and circuses atmosphere of the 19th century bare-knuckle fight industry where fortunes and lives were won and lost with the throwing of one more punch. The music sets the scene and then goes about illustrating both the contestants' encounter and the hooting crowd alike including, so I believe, drunks and shady bookmakers. And at 9 minutes (or should I say '3 rounds' heh heh...) it doesn't outstay its welcome - it would have made a fine overture had it not been a self-contained piece for the stage. For musical comparisons I would look to the frothier works of 'Les Six' and their mentor Satie. If you are interested in listening to it you might want to see if you can find some sort of programme guide for it - a lot happens in its 9 short minutes so you might appreciate it more if you have to hand some points of reference (or should I say 'BLOW BY BLOW' account - ouch...).


Thanks for the recommendation, I love musical pieces with a good story behind them. And a ballet number about a bare-knuckle fight? Brilliant! Will definitely give this a listen tomorrow.


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## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

Would William Walton be offbeat enough? I've not listened to his works in quite some time, but from what I remember they were at least good enough for me to get a cd of his orchestral works. I want to say it was his Symphony No. 2 that drew me in. You might want to consider John Cage's prepared piano works, a good cd of these is in a landscape. I'd also recommend Four Walls. If you want extra creepy, try anything by Krystof Penderecki, I may be misspelling the first name. Those are the offbeat ones I can come up with.


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## Kansenji (Jul 19, 2011)

Evelina said:


> . . . As for Nielsen, I LOVE SYmphony 1, thanks for the recommendation, Samurai! Superhorn's suggestions were also just to my taste, Nielsen's flute and clarinet concertos are among my favorite pieces of music now. I adore his Symphony 4 "The Inextinguishable" as well. Symphony 6 is really offbeat so I listen to that one when I need a rattling. I might just have to splurge on a box set of some kind soon! . . .


I too love Nielsen's symphonies. My love of them started with an impulse buy of a set of his six symphonies conducted by the late Ole Schmidt *(See his 2010 obituary HERE)* about 16-20 years ago. At that time, I was taking a big gamble, as I had not heard a single note of any of Nielsen's works until then!

I would recommend you listen to the following two composers' works: The Finnish *Uuno Klami* (The Kalevala Suite, Cheremissian Fantasy & Northern Lights) and the Norwegian *Harald Sæverud* (Kjempeviseslåtten, Rondo Amoroso & his symphonies).


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