# What unfamiliar CM has intrigued you to explore further?



## Richard8655 (Feb 19, 2016)

For me Mendelssohn's oratorio "Elijah" and Berlioz' opera "Les Troyens". Mostly based on informative comments, recommendations, and discussions here. And (I hesitate to say) Schoenberg.

It would be interesting to hear what composers or works others want to hear or explore more. I doubt anyone is completely familiar with all CM repertoire. So this is sort of a therapeutic confessional, I think.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

We've had this kind of thread popping up with some regularity on TC.

Once again I must thank the sorely missed PetrB for recommending to me the Schoenberg Piano Concerto AND the Schoenberg Violin Concerto. The former, especially has become a favorite of mine.

He also recommended the Debussy Etudes, but I find Schoenberg to be "easier" to grasp than the Debussy.

The Medtner Piano Concerto No. 2 was also recommended to me and I find it to be a good piece, being kept from the very top level because of a dearth of memorable melodies.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Yes, I'm obSESSED with the Medtner piano concerto! Happy to hear more people appreciate it.

And also, for me, Schoenberg's chamber symphonies. They aren't top favorites in my collection, but I enjoy them and appreciate what's going on. 

Also, Webern. I remember when I first tried out Webern, I couldn't stand him. But I saw a few different posts about him (and the rest of the 2nd Viennese school) that made me reconsider his music. His Symphony and Piano Variations, while also not favorites in my collection, are puzzling nuts to crack, and I give more time to them because of this thread.

I was also introduced to Szymanowski because of this forum. So thanks to this awesome site for its continuous reminders of all the great music out there!


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

All of it. Everything I don't know and deeper into what I think I know. I could easily spend much of the rest of my life exploring nathanb's Contemporary Composers polls.

Of more immediate interest to me, Mesiaen has finally clicked. I want to go deeper into his music. And now that Schoenberg is merely a challenge rather than a chore, I also should explore Webern of whom I've heard very little.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I just read through the Composer Guestbook threads, as well as use the search engine here. It's all in the computer storage banks.


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## Classical Performances (Mar 8, 2016)

Balfe's 
"I dreamt I dwelt in Marble Halls" 
from the opera The Bohemian Girl.

I just recently came across this piece. I had always thought it was written originally for Enya back in the 1990's. It turns out that it was written in the 1840's.

Here it is being sung by Joan Sutherland.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Classical Performances said:


> Balfe's
> "I dreamt I dwelt in Marble Halls"
> from the opera The Bohemian Girl.
> 
> ...


Balfe wroth wonderful music :tiphat:


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## Gouldanian (Nov 19, 2015)

Try ""pieces that have blown you away recently""... that thread is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get.


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## Classical Performances (Mar 8, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Balfe wrote wonderful music :tiphat:


I'm just getting aquainted with some of his pieces. Another excellent one is from The Maid of Artois - "Yon moon o'er mountains"

Very beautiful.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Classical Performances said:


> I'm just getting aquainted with some of his pieces. Another excellent one is from The Maid of Artois - "Yon moon o'er mountains"
> 
> Very beautiful.


If you have enough time : this is a new one :tiphat:

​


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## Richard8655 (Feb 19, 2016)

Pugg said:


> If you have enough time : this is a new one :tiphat:


Looks interesting and will give Stanella a go. From the 19th century I see, and wonder how you discovered it. Definitely not standard repertoire (which is good).

Always great to share new discoveries here. Yes, I realize this type of thread must have come up before, but nice to resurrect once in a while!)


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Richard8655 said:


> Looks interesting and will give Stanella a go. From the 19th century I see, and wonder how you discovered it. Definitely not standard repertoire (which is good).
> 
> Always great to share new discoveries here. Yes, I realize this type of thread must have come up before, but nice to resurrect once in a while!)


We all do our best in this topic: http://www.talkclassical.com/13675-future-opera-releases-dvd.html


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Takemitsu, Britten, Berio and Janacek (especially his operas and piano music).


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## Richard8655 (Feb 19, 2016)

Adding lesser known baroque composer William Boyce, mostly his symphonies.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Weston said:


> Of more immediate interest to me, Mesiaen has finally clicked. I want to go deeper into his music.


Wow, that means there's hope for me. I've tried many times and given up because I'm intimidated by all those colors he associates with notes.


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## mstar (Aug 14, 2013)

I've certainly mentioned this before on TC, but I was the most intrigued by Scriabin's Black Mass Sonata, which opened up to me the wonderful world of atonality. 
Never mind that it took weeks of infrequent listening - I only listened to it because it came up next in my music folder. At some point I caught myself enjoying some parts of it, and eventually the whole thing "clicked" with me. 
Just like any other piece of music, tonal or atonal. In fact, I didn't know it was "atonal" until weeks _after_ I started liking it. But maybe this should go in the "What is the point of atonality" thread...


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Cosmos said:


> Yes, I'm obSESSED with the Medtner piano concerto! Happy to hear more people appreciate it.
> 
> And also, for me, Schoenberg's chamber symphonies. They aren't top favorites in my collection, but I enjoy them and appreciate what's going on.
> 
> ...


The Medtner is a fun piece in a big grand Romantic tradition.


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