# Classical composer, one-hit wonder...



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

This thing popped into my head...Are there any classical composers that are "one-hit wonders"?


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

There are plenty who have had just one big "hit" with the mass audience. Pachelbel and Orff are the two that come to mind first. That does not mean that they did not write anything else worth hearing or remembering, just that they never caught on past that.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Paul Dukas. Gustav Holst.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Englebert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel. Of course, he composed a number of other works, but H&G is all he's really remembered for.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Mascagni, of course. He never followed up Cavelleria Rusticana with anything else notable which depressed him. However towards the end of his life he took a more philosophical view: 'Well at least I had one hit!'

Leoncavello again just one real 'hit' - a superb little masterpiece.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

It depends on who the audience is. For those who know little or nothing about music there are plenty of one-hit wonders. For example:

Vivaldi: The Seasons
Handel: The Hallelujah Chorus
Mozart: Amadeus (oops - that's a movie isn't it? How about "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"?)
Beethoven: Beethoven's 5th (alternatively, the "Ode to Joy," sung joylessly in church, or "Fur Elise," pulverized by your child until infanticide seems a real option)
Brahms: Brahms' Lullaby
Wagner: The Ride of the Helicopters, or maybe "Here Comes the Bride"
Mendelssohn: "There Goes the Bride Followed by That Poor Sap Trying to Avoid Stepping on Her Train (What Was His Name Again?)"
Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade (or The Flight of the Bumblebee, played on any instrument it can't actually be played on)
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite, alternating with "I'm Gonna Put Some Glue 'Round the Christmas Tree So Santa Claus Will Stick Around All Year" 
Bizet: Carmen (or just the habanera and "Toreador-uh, don't spit on the floor-uh")
Ravel: Bolero
Schoenberg: anything that sounds too horrible to be by anyone else


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

Obviously Carl Orff with _Carmina Burana_. And even then only the beginning of it is well-known (_O Fortuna_ is a staple for Classic FM-type compilation albums aimed at the more casual listener) which probably leads many people unacquainted with it to think that the whole work is in the same vein. The record labels haven't helped by relentlessly churning out recordings of this warhorse while ignoring virtually everything else by him. I like _Carmina Burana_ but I enjoy the follow-up _Catulli Carmina_ equally as much and I like _Der Mond_ and _Die Kluge_ even more - all three deserve wider exposure.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Paul Dukas. *Gustav Holst.*


Not at all with Holst, certainly not when compared to most of the others who have been mentioned. Maybe those will only a sketchy idea of classical music would only know of one piece but there are quite a few other substantial works that get regularly permed - ask anyone who plays in a concert band.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Becca said:


> Not at all with Holst, certainly not when compared to most of the others who have been mentioned. Maybe those will only a sketchy idea of classical music would only know of one piece but there are quite a few other substantial works that get regularly permed - ask anyone who plays in a concert band.


Mmm... the suites for band are not what one would call staples of the repertoire. I love several other pieces by Holst, but the Planets was probably the only piece that is very popular of his.


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## Botschaft (Aug 4, 2017)

John Cage might be a no-hit wonder.


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## pokeefe0001 (Jan 15, 2017)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Paul Dukas. Gustav Holst.


As others have said, it depends on the audience. The fanfare to La Peri is nearly as familiar a The Sorcerer's Apprentice to those whose familiarity goes beyond Fantasia. And Holst was quite prolific. I think his St Paul's Suite is pretty familiar.

I'd say Arrigo Boito comes pretty close to a one-hit wonder. I could find mention of only two compositions - two operas: Mefistofele and Nerone. Of those, only Mefistofele is reasonably well known.

Emil von Reznicek is also close to a one-hit wonder. He actually wrote quite a few compositions but only the overture Donna Diana gets performed much. (It's 2nd theme will bring back memories to anyone growing up in the 1950s listening or watching Sargent Preston of the Yukon.  )

Oh, and Jaromír Weinberger. Another prolific composer now pretty much know for just one work: the Polka & Fugue from his opera Schwanda the Bagpiper.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Poor Franco Alfano has been known for a long time mainly for completing another composer's work: Puccini's _Turandot_. Fortunately some of his own operas and other works are being revived and enjoyed in recent years.

Many composers of opera produced only one work that most people will think of when their names are mentioned:

Paisiello: Nina
Cimarosa: Il Matrimonio Segreto
Cherubini: Medea
Spontini: La Vestale
Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Boito: Mefistofele
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana (although L'Amico Fritz and Iris have remained on the fringes of the repertoire)
Giordano: Andrea Chenier
Catalani: La Wally
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur
Zandonai: Francesca da Rimini
Wolf-Ferrari: The Jewels of the Madonna
Montemezzi: L'Amore di Tre Re
Nicolai: The Merry Wives of Windsor
Cornelius: The Barber of Baghdad
Flotow: Martha
D'Albert: Tiefland
Humperdinck: Hansel und Gretel
Halevy: La Juive
Thomas: Hamlet
Reyer: Sigurd
Charpentier: Louise
Moore: The Ballad of Baby Doe
Floyd: Susannah
Ward: The Crucible
Levy: Mourning Becomes Electra


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Woodduck said:


> Poor Franco Alfano has been known for a long time mainly for completing another composer's work: Puccini's _Turandot_. Fortunately some of his own operas and other works are being revived and enjoyed in recent years.
> 
> Many composers of opera produced only one work that most people will think of when their names are mentioned:
> 
> ...


Borodin: Prince Igor
Delibes: Lakme

Thanks Woodduck, lots here to pique my interest. So many more great works yet to see and listen to.

Has to be said that these one-hits (certainly the ones I know) are invariably excellent and it's hard to believe these composers' other works are worthless, or whether this is more due to the vagaries of fashion and opera houses sticking to what they and the audience know.

Boito: I'm a big fan the unfinished Nerone.
Wolf-Ferrari: I think Il Segreto di Susanna seems to get more outings, although I prefer Gioielli.
Ponchielli: He had other notable successes in his time including "The Lithuanians", which still gets an occasional performance... in Lithuania.
Giordano: Fedora is a good work, and gets an occasional performance. La Scala did a major run of La Cena della Beffe last year.
Mascagni: Seems to be the one with more people enjoying his other works. I must listen to more.
Leoncavallo: If that pesky Puccini guy hadn't written his version of La Boheme at the same time as Leoncavallo's it might have been so different.

Sorry to hijack this with just opera, right now I'm struggling to think of one-hit classical works.

Special mention for Ravel's Bolero. A pity that one of his lesser compositions (IIRC he didn't like it) should have become his most known piece. Thankfully we classical fans get to see and hear his full repetoire.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Woodduck said:


> It depends on who the audience is. For those who know little or nothing about music there are plenty of one-hit wonders. For example:
> 
> Vivaldi: The Seasons
> Handel: The Hallelujah Chorus
> ...


adding to that list:

Elgar: Land of hope and glory
Strauss [R]: Opening of Also sprach Zarathustra
Shostakovich: The second waltz (thanks to Rieu)
Barber: Adagio for strings
Puccini: Nessun dorma
Debussy: Clair de lune
Albinoni: Adagio (which he did not even compose)


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

Pet peeve: those who think that Mahler begins and ends with the Adagietto.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

If it wasn't for Carmen, Georges Bizet would be practically a complete unknown. He had a few minor hits like Symphony in C and the Pearl Fishers, but if it wasn't for Carmen, who would even know about them? He really was a one hit wonder....but that was some big hit!!!


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## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

I've just visited amazon.co.uk and searched for Canteloube in the Classical Music category. It returned dozens of recordings of Songs of the Auvergne and very little else. I could only find two currently available CDs which included any of his other works, in both cases a single work alongside compositions by other composers. These other Canteloube compositions are Poeme on a Helios CD and Rustiques on Cedille Records. Other than this you can get Dans le Montagne if you are prepared to pay an inflated second-hand price for a Hyperion CD which includes music by Pierre de Breville; and something for horn and piano appears in another expensive second hand CD on the Etcetera label, but I can't determine what the work is.

And that's all I can find. Songs of the Auvergne is pretty much Joseph Canteloube's one hit.


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

Max Bruch, is represented for most people by his first violin concerto. His Scottish Fantasy is known only to aficionados. I have sought out his 2nd and 3rd violin concertos - and do love the second - as well as his symphonies, but I think I am the exception.

To all intents and purposes he is a one hit wonder, though a very big one.


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Rodrigo – Concerto de Aranjuez 
Villa – Lobos – Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5
Jeremiah Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary
Jean-Joseph Mouret - Rondeau From Symphonies De Fanfares


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Mmm... the suites for band are not what one would call staples of the repertoire. I love several other pieces by Holst, but the Planets was probably the only piece that is very popular of his.


Yes they are. I have performed with many community bands and I have lost track with how many times I have performed the Holst suites. Just a few months ago I attended a concert of the United States Marine Band where they performed the _First Suite_. I did a search on YouTube and found over fifty live performances by high school, college, community and professional groups. I checked ArkiveMusic and there are forty-seven recordings available through them.


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## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

*Jacob Gade's "Tango Jalousie*" made him a one-hit wonder.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

*Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra*. Not that many aware there's 25 minutes more worth (or unworth?) of music...


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

Azol said:


> *Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra*. Not that many aware there's 25 minutes more worth (or unworth?) of music...


And a fabulous 25 minutes it is :tiphat: I seem to be one of the few who believe the rest of the work lives up to the promise of the opening.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Grofe - Grand Canyon Suite
Hanson - Symphony no. 2
Glinka - overture to Russlan and Ludmilla
Kabalevsky - Comedians Galop


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

haziz said:


> Max Bruch, is represented for most people by his first violin concerto. His Scottish Fantasy is known only to aficionados. I have sought out his 2nd and 3rd violin concertos - and do love the second - as well as his symphonies, but I think I am the exception.
> 
> To all intents and purposes he is a one hit wonder, though a very big one.


Personally, I don't think Bruch fits in the one-hit wonder category. While the Violin Concerto #1 is his signature masterpiece, the Scottish Fantasy is known to more than just 'aficionados'. Also Kol Nidrei for cello & orchestra is particularly well known. The other violin concertos are more popular than they used to be and people are becoming more familiar with the Double Piano Concerto, resurrected in the early 20th century.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Woodduck said:


> It depends on who the audience is. For those who know little or nothing about music there are plenty of one-hit wonders. For example:
> 
> Vivaldi: The Seasons
> Handel: The Hallelujah Chorus
> ...


LOL about the Schoenberg.

And about the "Here Comes the Bride, Big, Fat and Wide" as well: Before I got smart (well, smarter, anyway), I used to sing weddings when I was a young professed professional. A la carte, pick your songs, no song off limits, let me know what you want me to sing, I will find the music, learn it and sing it to your satisfaction. And you can pay me any fee you think is appropriate. _What was I thinking?_

Anyway. One wedding I sang was in a church affiliated with a religion that did not allow any musical instruments in the church. (Don't get me started on how antithetical this is to what the Bible actually says, just read Psalm 150, for example). But the bride, for whom hefty would be a vast understatement, nonetheless wanted "The Wedding March" at her wedding. So I dutifully find the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin in a horrible English translation and learn the darn thing for the appointed day. I start singing, and she tromps down the aisle by the time I am through with the first four measures, dragging this poor, miserable, skinny, scrawny wretch who likely weighed little more than one of her thighs. Now, if you think about the tune, once it gets started, it takes a while to get back to the home key, so the wedding attendees were in for about 3.5 minutes of Victorian English set to Wagner's tune whether they liked it or not. Plus, I had to get in my high G's to earn my keep! It was a miserable experience. At the reception I waited around sheepishly for an interminable time before the bride's father finally handed me my pay. A five dollar bill.

It was the last wedding I ever sang without quoting a fee ($100 for solo, $200 with pianist/organist) and arranging all details beforehand (including whether I was required to be at the dress rehearsal).

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Paul Dukas. Gustav Holst.


no way is Holst a one- hit wonder,,.. his band/wind ensemble works are classics, and basic repertoire for that medium...Suite #1 in Eb is esp fine, a real gem, perhaps Holst's finest work.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Khachaturian - Sabre Dance from Gayaneh and the Adagio from Spartacus. Other than these he is largely ignored in the west, aside from disparaging remarks about his 3rd symphony.
Orff's Carmina Burana was mentioned on page 1, with reference to the 'follow-up' Catulli Carmina; but few realise that it is actually part of a trilogy with another larger-scale piece called Trionfo di Afrodite as the third work.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> Yes they are. I have performed with many community bands and I have lost track with how many times I have performed the Holst suites. Just a few months ago I attended a concert of the United States Marine Band where they performed the _First Suite_. I did a search on YouTube and found over fifty live performances by high school, college, community and professional groups. I checked ArkiveMusic and there are forty-seven recordings available through them.


But generally, only high school band students and orchestra students really know those pieces well (unless you are a huge fan of classical music). What I'm saying is if you ask 100 people randomly selected most of them would only know Holst for his Planets.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Tchaikov6 said:


> But generally, only high school band students and orchestra students really know those pieces well (unless you are a huge fan of classical music). What I'm saying is if you ask 100 people randomly selected most of them would only know Holst for his Planets.


Holst´s Planets are not that famous either.
I would say he is a medium known composer.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> This thing popped into my head...Are there any classical composers that are "one-hit wonders"?


Hail, like-minded one! :tiphat:
It popped into my head too, in the year that I joined TC - 
One Hit Wonders?
and somebody else put another similar thread up in the intervening time, but I can't remember who just at the moment.

But it's all good - I am still interested in the topic, and thanks for reminding me of the older thread, where I can read the contributions of friends like *moody*; sadly, he has left this world now, but will be remembered by many:
One Hit Wonders? Post 91. :tiphat:


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

The other was Dedalus - One Hit Wonders - two years later.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*Holst Suites for Band*



Tchaikov6 said:


> But generally, only high school band students and orchestra students really know those pieces well (unless you are a huge fan of classical music). What I'm saying is if you ask 100 people randomly selected most of them would only know Holst for his Planets.


No. You are changing the subject.

What you are stating may be correct that in the general public more are familiar with _The Planets_.

But what you stated is:



Tchaikov6 said:


> Mmm... *the suites for band are not what one would call staples of the repertoire.* I love several other pieces by Holst, but the Planets was probably the only piece that is very popular of his.


Within the context of the general public they may not be as recognizable as _Stars and Stripes Forever_ or _Colonel Bogey_ but what Heck148 and I are stating is that they are part of the standard concert band repertoire. Even if the only ones who listen to concert band music are 'high school students' or all of those people performing those works on YouTube.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

Don Fatale said:


> Borodin: Prince Igor
> Delibes: Lakme


I'm afraid I cannot agree with Borodin being a one-hit wonder, though it's true his output is not great (being a chemist by profession rather than a career composer). And if he can be considered so, I imagine his quite lovely string quartet in D (especially the Notturno) has far wider recognition than his one opera. He also wrote a couple of half-decent symphonies, and a tone poem that must surely be part of the popular repertoire (I'm guessing, I don't go to concerts much).


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Vitali and Albinoni--unless it matters that they didn't actually compose their most famous pieces!


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> No. You are changing the subject.
> 
> What you are stating may be correct that in the general public more are familiar with _The Planets_.
> 
> ...


So he is a One-hit wonder. He wrote one piece that is very well known and none others that are very popular today. Doesn't mean the Planets was his only quality work, but it remains the only hugely successful piece by him today.

Thank you for making my case for me.

It really annoys me about TC how everyone has to challenge an answer, to start an argument... then I have to constantly be replying and saying the same thing over and over again... ugh...


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

Julius Fucik (careful with that typing, David!) is only known musically for his Entry of the Gladiators. Which if nothing comes to mind, it will after you listen to this:


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Little did I know that the music I heard at every circus event I attended was by good old Julius.


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2017)

haziz said:


> Max Bruch, is represented for most people by his first violin concerto. His Scottish Fantasy is known only to aficionados. I have sought out his 2nd and 3rd violin concertos - and do love the second - as well as his symphonies, but I think I am the exception.
> 
> To all intents and purposes he is a one hit wonder, though a very big one.


I love almost everything Bruch wrote (if you like the Scottish Fantasy try Konzertstuck in F sharp minor).


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

carol235 said:


> I love almost everything Bruch wrote (if you like the Scottish Fantasy try Konzertstuck in F sharp minor).


Carol, are you the one who was praising the Accardo version of the Konzertstuck, or do you have another version you would recommend more?


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2017)

bharbeke said:


> Carol, are you the one who was praising the Accardo version of the Konzertstuck, or do you have another version you would recommend more?


Yes, the only recording of the Konzertstuck I have is the Accardo/Masur/Leipzig Gewandhaus. Bruch's Scottish Fantasy and Kol Nidrei were two of the first romantic/classical pieces I heard that I really liked, but I think the Konzertstuck is enjoyable too.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Question: Name two composers primarily known not for just one piece, but for one movement of one piece. Orchestral, operas don't count (so no _Dance of the Hours_).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> if you ask 100 people randomly selected most of them would only know Holst for his Planets.


but that does not prove or establish that Holst or any other composer only composed "one hit". it jst means that people are missing out on some fantastic music....

many know, or know of, the "Tachobelle Canon" - but it isn't remotely in the same league as the Holst Suites for Military Band...
obviously, this begs the question - how do we define a musical "hit"??
overall familiarity?? or actual musical substance??


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Question: Name two composers primarily known not for just one piece, but for one movement of one piece. Orchestral, operas don't count (so no _Dance of the Hours_).


Smetana: The Moldau from Ma Vlast

Arguably, Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt (if one discounts his piano concerto, as some casual listeners might)


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

hpowders said:


> If it wasn't for Carmen, Georges Bizet would be practically a complete unknown. He had a few minor hits like Symphony in C and the Pearl Fishers, but if it wasn't for Carmen, who would even know about them? He really was a one hit wonder....but that was some big hit!!!


Don't agree - Symphony on C, L'Arlesienne Suites are very good...and quite popular.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> Yes they are. I have performed with many community bands and I have lost track with how many times I have performed the Holst suites. Just a few months ago I attended a concert of the United States Marine Band where they performed the _First Suite_. I did a search on YouTube and found over fifty live performances by high school, college, community and professional groups. I checked ArkiveMusic and there are forty-seven recordings available through them.


Agree completely - Holst Suites are really basic stuff for an entire genre of music, enjoyed by, and participated in by many, many music lovers...


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Lisztian said:


> And a fabulous 25 minutes it is :tiphat: I seem to be one of the few who believe the rest of the work lives up to the promise of the opening.


I'm certainly another - I love ASZ - great piece...


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

mbhaub said:


> Grofe - Grand Canyon Suite
> Hanson - Symphony no. 2
> Glinka - overture to Russlan and Ludmilla
> Kabalevsky - Comedians Galop


No, no, no,and no....each of these composers composed other noteworthy works...
our definition of "one-hit" really needs some clarification.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

bharbeke said:


> Smetana: The Moldau from Ma Vlast
> 
> Arguably, Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt (if one discounts his piano concerto, as some casual listeners might)


Lots of good answers, probably. The two "single-movement one-hit wonders" I had in mind are:

Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov's Procession of the Sardar, from his Caucasian Sketches Orchestral Suite No. 1.






Henry Charles Litolff's Scherzo, from his Concerto Symphonique No. 4 in D minor.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Taplow said:


> I'm afraid I cannot agree with Borodin being a one-hit wonder


agreed....Borodin composed several well-known works....no one-hitter at all


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> So he is a One-hit wonder. He wrote one piece that is very well known and none others that are very popular today.


No, Tchaik - you are wrong - the Holst Suites, and Hammersmith are staples of the repertoire, known to everyone who has ever played in a band or wind ensemble. They are classics...that's alot of music lovers.....by discounting these masterpieces you are betraying your unfamiliarity with standard works....



> ...It really annoys me about TC how everyone has to challenge an answer, to start an argument... then I have to constantly be replying and saying the same thing over and over again... ug.h..


Sorry, but when you make an inaccurate assertion that is not supportable, people are going to challenge it.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I don't think Hanson is a one-hit composer; he didn't write any hits.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

waldvogel said:


> Julius Fucik (careful with that typing, David!) is only known musically for his Entry of the Gladiators.


Actually, Fucik wrote several quite well-known works - in Addition to Entry of the Gladiators [aka Thunder and Blazes] his Florentiner March, Hercogovina March, Wintersturm -Concert-Waltz, Donausagen [Waltz] - and many other fine marches, waltzes and overtures...of course, bassoonists are familiar with Fucik for his delicious concert solo for Bassoon and Strings - "The Old Brown Bear" [full title = "The Old Brown Bear with the Soar Head"]
"Entry...." is by far his best known, tho - it is interesting to compare different versions - the Czechs play it a bit slower - with lots of lift and swagger - Fennell/EWE, on the great "Screamers" [circus march disc] - take it at rip-roaring, breakneck speed - really flying - you didn't know that trombones can play as fast as clarinets and flutes?? :lol:
both approaches work splendidly I'm glad to say....


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> Little did I know that the music I heard at every circus event I attended was by good old Julius.


the contributions of Henry Fillmore, Karl King and Getty Huffine were present as well, I'm sure!!


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> I don't think Hanson is a one-hit composer; he didn't write any hits.


Neither did Rachman'off!! :devil::lol:

Hanson wrote some terrific symphonies - 1,3,4 - Merry Mount complete opera, and Suite, Lament for Beowulf., Piano Cto, all kinds of good stuff. ...


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> Hanson wrote some terrific symphonies - 1,3,4 - Merry Mount complete opera, and Suite, Lament for Beowulf., Piano Cto, all kinds of good stuff. ...


Terrific they might be, but there aren't any hits in your list. You left out Hanson's Serenade which has more recordings than his other works; that number is 10.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> Terrific they might be, but there aren't any hits in your list.....


define "hits". There are many fine "hits" for knowledgeable music lovers....


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> but that does not prove or establish that Holst or any other composer only composed "one hit". it jst means that people are missing out on some fantastic music....
> 
> many know, or know of, the "Tachobelle Canon" - but it isn't remotely in the same league as the Holst Suites for Military Band...
> obviously, this begs the question - how do we define a musical "hit"??
> overall familiarity?? or actual musical substance??


Overall familiarity. What is a musical "hit?" A popular piece. For instance there are pop music "hits" today. Holst has many great pieces- but one "hit."


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> No, Tchaik - you are wrong - the Holst Suites, and Hammersmith are staples of the repertoire, known to everyone who has ever played in a band or wind ensemble. They are classics...that's alot of music lovers.....by discounting these masterpieces you are betraying your unfamiliarity with standard works....
> 
> Sorry, but when you make an inaccurate assertion that is not supportable, people are going to challenge it.


I like those pieces quite a bit as a matter of fact. But my community band has never done them, neither my high school band. Whereas I have seen the Planets promoted a lot by my orchestra and other orchestras, not any of the other pieces. They are simply not as popular, not classics sorry.

As for the other thing, forget it, I don't know why I said it. It just gets annoying constantly replying, I was annoyed at something else at the time anyways.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Heck148 said:


> define "hits". There are many fine "hits" for knowledgeable music lovers....


What's a "hit"? Think about songs sung in the streets - thus Beethoven's "Gassenhauer" (or street song) piano trio Op. 11, which features a then-popular tune by Weigl* in the finale. Wiki sez, 'A "Gassenhauer" usually denotes a (normally simple) tune that many people (in the Gassen) have taken up and sing or whistle for themselves, the tune as such having become rather independent from its compositional origins. A rare word in contemporary German, rough modern equivalents of the term include "hit" (success) or "schlager".'

By extension, in our time, a piece often heard in concert, issued on recordings, or played on the radio.

*The tune sounds, to me, a lot like _You Are my Sunshine_.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Overall familiarity. What is a musical "hit?" A popular piece. For instance there are pop music "hits" today. Holst has many great pieces- but one "hit."


ok, then Johann Strauss is a "one hit wonder", Blue Danube, that's it.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I like those pieces quite a bit as a matter of fact.


Holst is NOT a one-hit-wonder,unless you regard ALL of those other composers by the same standards...


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

KenOC said:


> What's a "hit"?


Tchaikovsky wrote many great pieces - one hit - "1812 Ov" - everybody knows it
Copland wrote has many great pieces - one hit - "Appalachian Spring" - everybody knows it
Gershwin wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Rhapsody in Blue" - everybody knows it
Sibelius wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Finlandia" - everybody knows it
Berg wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Wozzeck" - everybody knows it
Mahler wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Sym #2" - everybody knows it
Bruckner wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Sym #9" - everybody knows it
Shostakovich wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Sym #5" - everybody knows it
Mussorgsky wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Pix @ Exhibition" - everybody knows it 
Respighi wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Pines of Rome" - everybody knows it
Dvorak wrote many great pieces - one hit - Sym #9 "From New World" - everybody knows it
Debussy wrote many great pieces - one hit - "La Mer" - everybody knows it
Ravel wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Bolero" - everybody knows it
Beethoven wrote on e hit - "Fur elise" - everybody knows it
Chopin wrote one hit - "Minute Waltz" - everybody knows it
Handel wrote one hit - "Hallelujah Chorus" - everybody knows it


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> Tchaikovsky wrote many great pieces - one hit - "1812 Ov" - everybody knows it
> Copland wrote has many great pieces - one hit - "Appalachian Spring" - everybody knows it
> Gershwin wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Rhapsody in Blue" - everybody knows it
> Sibelius wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Finlandia" - everybody knows it
> ...


Actually, Debussy's Clair de Lune seems to be his biggest hit. It's much more famous than La Mer. Every time I go to a student recital, I hear many young pianists attempting (and often butchering!) Clair de Lune. Youtube is filled with many such attempts as well.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Arguing about what pieces are "hits" is ridiculous if we don't specify an audience and its likely familiarity with the repertoire or its knowledge of music. 

The much-debated Holst suites for band are cornerstones of the wind ensemble repertoire and are an instant "hit" with bands everywhere and with practically everyone who hears them. I, and probably many others who played an instrument in school or attended a school band concert, knew them many years before I knew anything about Holst or heard his "Planets." That piece was not even especially well-known until perhaps the 1960s or 1970s when infatuation with fantasy and the occult gave us Star Trek and "2001 A Space Odyssey" and popularized J.R.R. Tolkien - not to mention the moon landing - and when "The Planets" itself began to be used or imitated in sci-fi soundtracks.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> ok, then Johann Strauss is a "one hit wonder", Blue Danube, that's it.


No... Johann Strauss had many many hits.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> You are just swimming...clueless....
> Tchaikovsky wrote many great pieces - one hit - "1812 Ov" - everybody knows it
> Copland wrote has many great pieces - one hit - "Appalachian Spring" - everybody knows it
> Gershwin wrote many great pieces - one hit - "Rhapsody in Blue" - everybody knows it
> ...


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> No... Johann Strauss had many many hits......Debussy's Clair de Lune seems to be his biggest hit.


Debussy has many hits, so does Holst.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Maybe we could agree that Holst is a "one super-hit wonder."


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

you make my point - your supposed "one-hit-wonders" actually have many, many "hits", which are well-known to music lovers around the world.

just because a composer might have one work that is better known than others does not mean the composer composed only one "hit". as shown, that is a silly premise, easily refuted.


> Woodduck: "Arguing about what pieces are "hits" is ridiculous if we don't specify an audience and its likely familiarity with the repertoire or its knowledge of music".


exactly.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Heck148 said:


> ok, then Johann Strauss is a "one hit wonder", Blue Danube, that's it.


Die Fledermaus, Wiener Blut and Der Zigeunerbaron are among the most popular operettas.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

of course, Strauss wrote many well-known works. but by the flawed definition being applied...Ravel is a one hit wonder because "everyone" knows or knows of "Bolero". however, like J Strauss and Holst, Ravel wrote many other well known works. if Holst is a one-hitter, so are Ravel and Strauss.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Heck148 said:


> ok, then Johann Strauss is a "one hit wonder", Blue Danube, that's it.


It appeared to me that Heck148 was trying to be funny with this post.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I tend to go with recordings on the market. Not only isn't Ravel a one-hit wonder, there are more recordings of La Valse and the Pavane than there are of Bolero.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Actually there is another work of Holst that is frequently performed in the Washington, DC area. It is frequently performed by high school orchestras and I heard the United States Army String Orchestra perform it: _St. Paul Suite_. Many performances on YouTube. Of course not as popular as _The Planets_. Maybe they do not perform it in Wisconsin.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Bulldog said:


> I tend to go with recordings on the market. Not only isn't Ravel a one-hit wonder, there are more recordings of La Valse and the Pavane than there are of Bolero.


Again, like Woodduck said, it depends on the people we talk about. The 'man in the streets' (90+% of the population) who knows next to nothing about classical music can still recognize the Bolero, but will not have heard (of) other Ravel works. For them, Ravel would be a one hit composer. Even listeners of typical 'music for the millions' radio stations may not recognize La valse or the pavane.

If we divide the audience roughly in three groups, we get three different types of one hit wonders:
[1] General public
[2] Casual listeners of CM
[3] CM Aficionados

Barber's Adagio for strings would be a one hit wonder for group [1], probably for [2], but not for [3].
Orff's Carmina Burana and Rodrigo's Concerto d'Aranjuez could be a one hit wonder for all three, since even within group [3] many will not explore Orff and Rodrigo beyond that.
Canteloube's Chants d'Auvergne probably do not register at all with [1], would be a one hit wonder for [2] and likely for [3].


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> Actually there is another work of Holst that is frequently performed in the Washington, DC area. It is frequently performed by high school orchestras and I heard the United States Army String Orchestra perform it: _St. Paul Suite_. Many performances on YouTube. Of course not as popular as _The Planets_. Maybe they do not perform it in Wisconsin.


I guess they don't play it in Wisconsin, because I've never heard of MSO or any string orchestra playing it ever, and I'm in three string orchestras myself.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> you make my point - your supposed "one-hit-wonders" actually have many, many "hits", which are well-known to music lovers around the world.
> 
> just because a composer might have one work that is better known than others does not mean the composer composed only one "hit". as shown, that is a silly premise, easily refuted.
> 
> exactly.


But you can name one other piece by Holst except the Planets that you can safely assume "everybody" knows? I know the answer to this question before you have answered it, and it is no. That makes Holst by at least one of the definition provided by Art Rock- a one- hit wonder.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

In my split, Holst would probably be a one hit wonder for group [2]. I doubt that many people in group [1] will have heard of Holst or his planets.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

The problem is 'one-hit wonder' is in my opinion a derogatory term towards a composer. We can say 'but look at this group of people who have virtually no knowledge about classical music whatsoever - to them such and such a composer is a one hit wonder'. 

Ok then we have proved that people in ignorance can have misperceptions about the works of composers, big whup. 

I prefer to say the majority of composers mentioned in this thread are not 'one hit wonders'.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I like those pieces quite a bit as a matter of fact. But my community band has never done them, neither my high school band. Whereas I have seen the Planets promoted a lot by my orchestra and other orchestras, not any of the other pieces. They are simply not as popular, not classics sorry.
> 
> As for the other thing, forget it, I don't know why I said it. It just gets annoying constantly replying, I was annoyed at something else at the time anyways.





Tchaikov6 said:


> But you can name one other piece by Holst except the Planets that you can safely assume "everybody" knows? I know the answer to this question before you have answered it, and it is no. That makes Holst by at least one of the definition provided by Art Rock- a one- hit wonder.


Can you name one other piece by Ravel other than Bolero, or Blue Danube by Strauss that ^"everybody" knows??
by your standards, if Holst is a one hitter, so are Ravel and Strauss.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I am a one-hit wonder. 

My canonic duet for two male voices and organ, "Come Down, O Love DIvine," is the only work of mine to have been recorded at its premiere, which was also its final performance since the score has been lost. Moreover, the cassette on which it was recorded has deteriorated so badly in the last 38 years that it's no longer playable. But at its premiere the work was a hit, a very palpable hit, with all of the five people who heard it, which includes the three performers, one of whom was me.

I've considered reconstructing the work from memory, but as a one-hit wonder I prefer to rest on my laurels.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Though I also like other works by him, I'd say Frederic Rzewski for The People United Can Never Be Defeated!--the folk melody at its heart makes it distinctive in his oeuvre and relatively popular with audiences.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> Can you name one other piece by Ravel other than Bolero, or Blue Danube by Strauss that ^"everybody" knows??
> by your standards, if Holst is a one hitter, so are Ravel and Strauss.


Yes I can. Ravel- Pavane for a Dead Princess. Just as famous as Bolero.

Strauss, Emperor Waltz. Many melodies from the Bat.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Yes I can. Ravel- Pavane for a Dead Princess. Just as famous as Bolero.
> 
> Strauss, Emperor Waltz. Many melodies from the Bat.


Also his string quartet: String Quartet In F Major is one of the most recorded string quartets.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Bizet's L'Arlessienne Suites 1 & 2 are massively popular as well.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Bruch's Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra has stayed in the repertoire for the most part.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

The poster is also forgetting Holst's setting of "I the Bleak Midwinter", a Christmas staple.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

I hear Strauss' "Tritsch-Tritsch Polka" played in movies, commercials and on the radio all the time.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I guess they don't play it in Wisconsin, because I've never heard of MSO or any string orchestra playing it ever, and I'm in three string orchestras myself.


I was going to reference performances of the _Saint Paul Suite_ including a performance last March by the Pasadena Community Orchestra, but I figured why bother.

It appears that if they do not perform it in Wisconsin, then the rest of the world does not count.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Tavener's "The Protecting Veil" might be in one-hit-wonder territory.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> I was going to reference performances of the _Saint Paul Suite_ including a performance last March by the Pasadena Community Orchestra, but I figured why bother.
> 
> It appears that if they do not perform it in Wisconsin, then the rest of the world does not count.


I don't even get what the last statement is supposed to mean.

"Some composers are fated to be known by just one piece. Gustav Holst is one. His Planets suite is one of the great orchestral hits, endlessly pillaged for film and advertising soundtracks. And yet The Planets is a puzzling piece." The Telegraph.

"The great British composer Gustav Holst died 80 years ago today.

He is still best known and loved for The Planets - but is that all there is to Holst? He also had a long career as a composer, teacher - and trombonist.

Catherine Bott plays some of the finest moments from The Planets of course, but also introduces some works that have not become as well-known or well-loved, including an elegy he wrote for the great socialist designer and polemicist William Morris, a Walt Whitman Overture and other smaller orchestral gems." Classic FM. Yes, I am using that article as support because it says in there that The Planets is his best known and loved piece, but there are also many other great pieces. I am not arguing against the point that he wrote other great pieces. But try to find mention of the suites that you have mentioned, there are none. Not very popular.

"So what else, you may ask, did Holst compose? And the fact that you ask is the nub of his ambivalence the work. He felt not only misunderstood, but aggrieved that he should be known just for _The Planets_, and his response was downplay to its worth." _Try Whistling This: Writings on Music_ by Andrew Ford.

All three of these articles are about the same thing- music other than The Planets that should be appreciated by Holst. But all three of them mention the same thing at the beginning- The fact is, he isn't really well-loved universally for any other work. These are Holst appreciation articles... that state and admit that he is well-known for nothing else.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I like those pieces quite a bit as a matter of fact. But my community band has never done them, neither my high school band. Whereas I have seen the Planets promoted a lot by my orchestra and other orchestras, not any of the other pieces. They are simply not as popular, not classics sorry.
> 
> As for the other thing, forget it, I don't know why I said it. It just gets annoying constantly replying, I was annoyed at something else at the time anyways.





Tchaikov6 said:


> Yes I can. Ravel- Pavane for a Dead Princess. Just as famous as Bolero.[/quote
> Nope, no way....Bolero and Blue Danube are far, far more familiarthan any other works by these composers....or, we claim that the 2 suites for military band, Hammersmith, St Paul suite are readily familiar to music lovers..you are basing your flawed assessment of Holst on the fact that your own musical knowledge is lacking...that has no relevance to the truth that Holst wrote quite a number of "hits" therefore, Holst =/= a one hit wonder


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I like those pieces quite a bit as a matter of fact. But my community band has never done them, neither my high school band.


So what. There are many standard works that I have never played or heard in a live performance.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Mercadante Flute Concerto in E minor Mov. 3 Rondo Russo

This has been in the Dutch top 40 played by Berdien Sternberg.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Rather than saying a certain composer is a "one-hit wonder," I'd rather think of them as being "best-known" for a certain work, with other works oftentimes worth hearing. I find it rare that a composer is famous for one work but was incompetent or inept in writing anything else. Some of these composers had big reputations during their lifetimes and had to keep coming up with something new in order to satisfy their public.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> So what. There are many standard works that I have never played or heard in a live performance.


Over 10 years I've never even heard about anything other than The Planets by Holst being peformed. And I hear about concerts from my high school band, a Wisconsin wind ensemble, and a couple others too. Not once. You would think they would perform a very very popular piece like the Holst suites at least once over ten years, wouldn't you?


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> Tchaikov6 said:
> 
> 
> > Yes I can. Ravel- Pavane for a Dead Princess. Just as famous as Bolero.[/quote
> ...


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Heck148 said:
> 
> 
> > But... Pavane is much much more famous than any of the Holst pieces other than Planets. Pavane is a hit. And now we're turning to insults about the other's musical knowledge, eh? Okay, I won't stoop that low. Holst wrote one big hit. Period. This is proven by Post 92.
> ...


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Maybe we're going too far in even saying that The Planets is popular—are we sure that people aren't just confusing it with Star Wars music?


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

From the pen of Vittorio Monti - a mock Hungarian composition with a strangely Russian spelling. This is Monti's Czardas, which used to be a rip-roaring finale number for violin-piano recitals.

Maybe he's famous for something else somewhere in the world. Maybe some village in Italy still features _Perle Brillante_, or some little opera house just had to do a revival of _Noël de Pierrot_. But in the real world this guy is the definition of obscure.

You've heard it, I'm sure, but just in case you haven't, the really famous part starts at 2:30 in the video.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

christomacin said:


> The poster is also forgetting Holst's setting of "I the Bleak Midwinter", a Christmas staple.


Is that Holst's medley of English Xmas carols?? I couldn't remember the exact name of it - but it is very popular at Xmastime.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> "Some composers are fated to be known by just one piece. Gustav Holst is one. His Planets suite is one of the great orchestral hits, endlessly pillaged for film and advertising soundtracks. And yet The Planets is a puzzling piece." The Telegraph.


As shown, the "Telegraph" writer is wrong.

I couldn't care less what some critic or reviewer says about Holst. The Band music pieces are standard literature, widely known by a huge number of music lovers....by your standards, if Holst is a one-hit-wonder, then so are Ravel, Joh Strauss, Mussorgsky, etc....that is unsupportable.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Larkenfield said:


> Rather than saying a certain composer is a "one-hit wonder," I'd rather think of them as being "best-known" for a certain work, with other works oftentimes worth hearing. I find it rare that a composer is famous for one work but was incompetent or inept in writing anything else......


of course, thank you....


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Over 10 years I've never even heard about anything other than The Planets by Holst being peformed.


that is a reflection on your limited experience, not on Holst's fine creative output


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Over 10 years I've never even heard about anything other than The Planets by Holst being peformed. And I hear about concerts from my high school band, a Wisconsin wind ensemble, and a couple others too. Not once. You would think they would perform a very very popular piece like the Holst suites at least once over ten years, wouldn't you?


I have reviewed the posts concerning this. No one is contesting the idea that Holst's _Planets_ is his most notable work. The issue is that in spite of the documentation that we have or could possibly provide your refusal to acknowledge that the _Suites_ are not as obscure as it appears you think they are.

YouTube has examples of live performances from Japan, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Italy, West Point, Pennsylvania and many other locations around the world.

I even found a video of a performance of the United States Army Field Band of the _Second Suite_ with their chorus performing the folk songs the _Suite_ is based on: 



.

I really do not know what else can be said.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Heck148 said:
> 
> 
> > But... Pavane is much much more famous than any of the Holst pieces other than Planets. Pavane is a hit. And now we're turning to insults about the other's musical knowledge, eh?
> ...


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> I really do not know what else I can be said.


really. the fact is Holst =/= a "one-hit-wonder"...

I think Larkenfield's comments are on target.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I just had a look on Arkivmusik, and I was sincerely surprised to discover that Ravel has works (including the Pavane) that have been recorded more often than Bolero.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> As shown, the "Telegraph" writer is wrong.
> 
> I couldn't care less what some critic or reviewer says about Holst. The Band music pieces are standard literature, widely known by a huge number of music lovers....by your standards, if Holst is a one-hit-wonder, then so are Ravel, Joh Strauss, Mussorgsky, etc....that is unsupportable.


Okay, you could say that about any composer. In the way you are defining it, there is no such thing as a one-hit wonder. Ravel Pavane and many other pieces are MUCH MORE popular than anything by Holst other than Planets. Same with Joh Strauss and Mussorgsky. A "hit" isn't relative to a composer.

Maybe you couldn't care less what some critic or reviewer says about Holst, but the internet proves that many if not all think this way. Sorry, I'm going to trust a Telegraph writer or another online writer or author more than any random person who joins Talk Classical and argues their point... just to argue?


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> that is a reflection on your limited experience, not on Holst's fine creative output


Never sad Holst wasn't fine, never said he wasn't creative, and never said that he didn't have an output. And who are you to tell me that I have limited experience? These pieces simply aren't as popular as many other composers who have many multiple popular works.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> I have reviewed the posts concerning this. No one is contesting the idea that Holst's _Planets_ is his most notable work. The issue is that in spite of the documentation that we have or could possibly provide your refusal to acknowledge that the _Suites_ are not as obscure as it appears you think they are.
> 
> YouTube has examples of live performances from Japan, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Italy, West Point, Pennsylvania and many other locations around the world.
> 
> ...


They are by no means obscure, rarely performed. But they aren't very popular pieces is all. And everyone single one of those sources promotes the idea that Holst really is known only by one piece- the Planets.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> Tchaikov6 said:
> 
> 
> > Nope - no way is Pavane universally recognized on the same level as Bolero, not even close. Comments re your musical knowledge or background are not meant to be insults, but merely factual observation....if you are unfamiliar with Holst's great band works, fine, but that is a commentary on your musical knowledge, not on Holst's great creations.
> ...


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Blancrocher said:


> I just had a look on Arkivmusik, and I was sincerely surprised to discover that Ravel has works (including the Pavane) that have been recorded more often than Bolero.


It is amazing that Pavane is recorded more times than Bolero. It must be that recording studios must not know that Bolero was the only hit of Ravel.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Okay, you could say that about any composer. In the way you are defining it, there is no such thing as a one-hit wonder.


That was the general gist of Larkenfield's excellent comments.



> Ravel Pavane and many other pieces are MUCH MORE popular than anything by Holst other than Planets. Same with Joh Strauss and Mussorgsky.


 obviously not, as shown, repeatedly.the fact that you, personally, are unfamiliar with some basic repertoire standards, widely loved and performed, does not subtract from that composer's output. Because you don't know the works, hardly qualifies that composer as a one-hit-wonder.



> Maybe you couldn't care less what some critic or reviewer says about Holst, but the internet proves....


the internet proves nothing. it just shows that some critic is woefully lacking in musical knowledge and judgement. not unusual, it happens all the time. 


> Sorry, I'm going to trust a Telegraph writer or another online writer or author


....because their lack of knowledge in certain areas of music matches your own?? It's fine to not know every facet of music - it's a huge subject....I know very little of the Lieder repertoire, String Trio literature, or 15th century motets. I know some, many of the works, but I would not be assigning "one-hit-wonder" status towards any composer of these genres...


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> ...These pieces simply aren't as popular as many other composers who have many multiple popular works.


But the Holst works are well-known, and popular to a large segment of the music-loving community. therefore, the claim that Holst is a "one-hit-wonder" has no validity.
Pachelbel is a _one-hit-wonde_r, and it's not even a hit.....Holst is a "multi-hit giant" in comparison.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> ....if I didn't love classical music then I would have found about the Planets probably, but definitely not the Holst Suites.


A highly questionable premise, for sure...and irrelevant, in any case. Holst's band works are widely accepted as repertoire standards, admired, loved performed by musicians the world over to appreciative audiences.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I'd be willing to give Gregory the Great one-hit-wonder status for his Gregorian Chant.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> That was the general gist of Larkenfield's excellent comments.
> 
> obviously not, as shown, repeatedly.the fact that you, personally, are unfamiliar with some basic repertoire standards, widely loved and performed, does not subtract from that composer's output. Because you don't know the works, hardly qualifies that composer as a one-hit-wonder.
> 
> ...


It's just plain a fact that Ravel Pavane, Piano Concertos, Daphnis et Chloe, Strauss Die Fledermaus, Mussorgsky Boris Gudonov and Night on Bald Mountain are more popular than the Holst Suites.

Or maybe is it you that is lacking in judgement and musical knowledge? I'm going to trust the person that has written a book about rather than you.

What?! The Holst suites are popular among bands and orchestras, that's it. I'm sorry, but Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Strauss, Ravel, Mussorgsky, Mahler, Prokofiev, etc, etc, etc, they all have many popular pieces that could be recognized by a regular classical listener. They are composers that are on the "essentials" list. Holst... not so, except the Planets. Take for instance the Talk Classical Music Project- https://sites.google.com/site/talkclassical/the-classical-music-project/ranked-list. Do Control F and take a look where the Holst suites are ranked. Of course it doesn't mean much, only a very small fraction of people are voting. But to those people at least, those suites don't really look too popular. One of the suites isn't even on the three-thousand piece list.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> Pachelbel is a _one-hit-wonde_r, and it's not even a hit.....


I think it's reasonable to consider a work with over 200 recordings in circulation a bonafide hit.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> It's just plain a fact that Ravel Pavane, Piano Concertos, Daphnis et Chloe, Strauss Die Fledermaus, Mussorgsky Boris Gudonov and Night on Bald Mountain are more popular than the Holst Suites.


?? so?? even if it were true [questionable] it's totally irrelevant.



> The Holst suites are popular among bands and orchestras, that's it.


sorry, once again, you allow your own lack of familiarity with basic repertoire to lead to a sweeping generality that is not supportable.



> Take for instance the Talk Classical Music Pr


Sorry, no, irrelevant. some sort of baseless, ill-defined, haphazard-ly sampled, on-line "poll" is meaningless. 
What is meaningful is that Holst produced some very great works that are standard, basic repertoire staples, that are very popular as well, besides the "Planets". No haphazard polling can alter this truth.
Therefore - Holst =/= a one-hit-wonder.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bulldog said:


> I think it's reasonable to consider a work with over 200 recordings in circulation a bonafide hit.


musically, it's a piece of junk. maybe he wrote something better?? I've not heard such..doesn't mean it doesn't exist.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Heck148 said:


> musically, it's a piece of junk. maybe he wrote something better?? I've not heard such..doesn't mean it doesn't exist.


So what recording studio do you run? So all these recordings must have been done by people who do not have your level of music knowledge.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> musically, it's a piece of junk.


I don't like it either, but our opinions of its quality are not relevant.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> ?? so?? even if it were true [questionable] it's totally irrelevant.
> 
> sorry, once again, you allow your own lack of familiarity with basic repertoire to lead to a sweeping generality that is not supportable.
> 
> ...


Everything you're saying is also irrelevant then! They are really not that popular. There's plenty of YouTube recordings of everything. What you're saying is not a truTh. This whole argument will be biased for both sides and it's pointless. But I'll stick to my opinion that Holst is a one hit wonder.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

It would seem that Gustav Holst's legacy is rather controversial.


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## josquindesprez (Aug 20, 2017)

I don't care to jump into the polemics of things here, but maybe a more scientific approach would be helpful? From my understanding of contemporary popular music, a one hit wonder is a band that had a number 1 hit but never more than that. Obviously that doesn't work with classical music, but it might be instructive that a band could have other songs that fans of that band or genre know, or even that played on the radio with some frequency, but that never reached such a high level of general popularity.

If you check on Arkivmusic (admittedly this is not scientific, but it is something of a debate on definitions, so...), Gustav Holst has 498 recordings, and 95 of them are The Planets, so it makes up around 20% of what gets recorded. I'm honestly not sure one way or another whether that makes him a one hit wonder or not.

Some others:
- Paul Dukas has 194 recordings, 90 of which are of L'Apprenti sorcier (46%)
- Tomaso Albinoni has 340 recordings, 165 of which are the Adagio (48%)
- Gregorio Allegri has 106 recordings, 89 of which are the Miserere (84%)
- Mussorgsky has 819 recordings, 259 of which are either orchestral or piano versions of Pictures (32%), but Night on Bald Mountain has 167 recordings (20%), so he's probably a two hit wonder at least
- I tried to work out Bizet, but I don't know whether they're double counting the individual songs from Carmen with the complete recordings of the work

Maybe just a better jumping off point than having to define a specific audience or venue for performance. Of course, some pieces will get performed but not recorded, but I'd imagine general popularity is at least somewhat in line with recordings.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Lisztian said:


> And a fabulous 25 minutes it is :tiphat: I seem to be one of the few who believe the rest of the work lives up to the promise of the opening.


Same here! There are more than 25 enjoyable minutes (for most of recordings).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Johnnie Burgess said:


> So what recording studio do you run? So all these recordings must have been done by people who do not have your level of music knowledge.


I've no idea - the "Tachobelle Canon" got very well-known,for some reason....there's no accountin g for the tastes of the public at large. anything sells these days - lots of people "keep up with the Kartrashians"


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Everything you're saying is al....


 NOT INTERESTED. Holst produced some very great works that are standard, basic repertoire staples, that are very popular as well, besides the "Planets".Works widely recognized, accepted as basic repertoire certainly qualify as "hits". And Holst wrote quite a few.
Therefore - Holst =/= a one-hit-wonder.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Blancrocher said:


> It would seem that Gustav Holst's legacy is rather controversial.


in musical circles - no, not really...Holst produced some very great works that are standard, basic repertoire staples, that are very popular as well, besides the "Planets".Works widely recognized, accepted as basic repertoire certainly qualify as "hits". And Holst wrote quite a few.
Therefore - Holst =/= a one-hit-wonder.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> NOT INTERESTED. Holst produced some very great works that are standard, basic repertoire staples, that are very popular as well, besides the "Planets".Works widely recognized, accepted as basic repertoire certainly qualify as "hits". And Holst wrote quite a few.
> Therefore - Holst =/= a one-hit-wonder.


I'll play your game. They are really not that popular. There's plenty of YouTube recordings of everything. What you're saying is not a truTh. This whole argument will be biased for both sides and it's pointless. But I'll stick to my opinion that Holst is a one hit wonder.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Jeez, is this still going? And 8 pages later! It reminds me of a dead-locked jury with 1 juror holding out for a guilty verdict. I remember starting a thread about 2 years ago called 'Testosterone and the Art of TC Posting" in which I mentioned how many threads were not about discussion but seeing who could be the last poster standing.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I'll play your game.


I couldn't care less. Holst produced some very great works that are standard, basic repertoire staples, that are very popular as well, besides the "Planets".Works widely recognized, accepted as basic repertoire certainly qualify as "hits". And Holst wrote quite a few.
Therefore - Holst =/= a one-hit-wonder.
This one is finished, move along,


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> I couldn't care less. Holst produced some very great works that are standard, basic repertoire staples, that are very popular as well, besides the "Planets".Works widely recognized, accepted as basic repertoire certainly qualify as "hits". And Holst wrote quite a few.
> Therefore - Holst =/= a one-hit-wonder.
> This one is finished, move along,


Yup, this is finished. STALEMATE.


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## josquindesprez (Aug 20, 2017)

Just playing around with things for fun (a bit bored at the moment), here are some of the other composers that people have mentioned. Do what you wish with the info.

Pachelbel: Canon in D 209/394 (53%)
Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel 138/176 (78%) [again, opera makes things tricky with how they list works since the arias are included separately, but the trend should be clear here]
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana 364/492 (74%) at least
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci 328/496 (66%) at least
Borodin: Prince Igor 96/383 (25%) at least // In the Steppes of Central Asia 55/383 (14%)
Ravel: Bolero 218/1963 (11%) // Pavane 333/1963 (17%) // La Valse 226/1963 (12%)
Debussy: Prelude 259/2418 (11%) // La Mer 164/2418 (7%) // Claire de Lune 399/2418 (17%)
Vivaldi: Four Seasons 232/1907 (12%) [just recordings labeled Four Seasons; collections of concerti would be separate but there are a fair number of other concerti that wouldn't include the Four Seasons]
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez 92/401 (23%)
Khachaturian: Gayaneh (with the Sabre Dance) 141/370 (38%) [probably higher, but Spartacus does take up quite a bit of his recorded works as well]
Orff: Carmina Burana (includes O Fortuna) 115/167 (69%)

I tried John Cage but it was impossible to figure out (for me at least).

And in comparison, the most-recorded works by:
Beethoven: Symphony no. 5 314/5176 (6%) [probably doesn't include one-off recordings of the first movement]
Bach: Air on a G String 402/6717 (6%) [just edges out Jesu, Joy of a Man's Desiring]
Mozart: Piano Concerto no. 20 203/6251 (3%) [I might be missing something else, but there were a lot of works around the same number]


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

josquindesprez said:


> I tried John Cage but it was impossible to figure out (for me at least).


According to ArkivMusic, _In a Landscape_ is his most popular work with 29/329 recordings (9%).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Yup, this is finished. STALEMATE.


no....sorry...

- by any reasonable definition of musical "Hit" - a work that is part of the basic and essential repertoire would be included and regarded as such.
- Holst wrote several works that are part of the basic performance repertoire - ie - "Hits". Therefore - 
- Holst would not be included as a "one hit wonder".

See how easy that is??...finis....let's move on...


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Maybe it would be best to say that Holst had one big hit and a few little hits.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

There are degrees of hits, for sure. To use a country music illustration, "Two Pina Coladas" is one of Garth Brooks's hits that still gets airplay, but it is not a hit on the level of "Friends in Low Places."


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> no....sorry...
> 
> - by any reasonable definition of musical "Hit" - a work that is part of the basic and essential repertoire would be included and regarded as such.
> - Holst wrote several works that are part of the basic performance repertoire - ie - "Hits". Therefore -
> ...


No I don't see how easy that is! It's not a part of basic and essential repertoire. Any work can have a lot of recordings on Youtube.

Whatever... I'm moving on... not responding to anything else because it will just get redundant.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> See how easy that is??...finis....let's move on...


Congratulations on acquiring your moving company.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

Holst's Ballet Music from the opera The Perfect Fool, Op. 39 is in a similar style to The Planets and every bit as good:





That, along with the aforementioned St. Paul Suite and In the Bleak Midwinter, plus the 2 Suites and Moorside Suite (all for concert band) is more than enough to rescue him from One-Hit Wonder-hood, although clearly The Planets is his magnum opus and far and away the most popular work. Holst's main problem was his eclecticism and major stylistic changes which made it difficult for listeners to latch onto his music. However, Host was a consistently original composer who's diverse output rewards investigation, unlike many composers.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

christomacin said:


> Holst's Ballet Music from the opera The Perfect Fool, Op. 39 is in a similar style to The Planets and every bit as good:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Exactly..."Hammersmith", too - a band classic...


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

Stanford's 'The Blue Bird' is my favourite one-hit-wonder and is quite unlike most of his other music which is over-influenced by his love of Brahms.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

christomacin said:


> Holst's Ballet Music from the opera The Perfect Fool, Op. 39 is in a similar style to The Planets and every bit as good:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's not what I'm arguing!!! I'm saying that Holst had many great pieces, but only one standard, popular piece, sadly.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> I'm saying that Holst had many great pieces, but only one standard, popular piece, sadly.


right, but both Suites are standard and popular....of course, he also wrote "The Planets"!! :lol:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

"Is!" Is not!" Is too!" "Is not!" "Is!" "Isn't!" "Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" "No no no!" "Yes yes yes!" "No way!" "Yes, way!" "Uh-uh!" "Uh-huh!" "No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!".............

There really needs to be a paragraph in the forum rules specifying a penalty for carrying on an argument past the point where anyone is learning anything.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Heck148 said:


> right, but both Suites are standard and popular....of course, he also wrote "The Planets"!! :lol:


Where are they standard? Bachtrack only shows it being performed 2 times between now and next June anywhere on earth.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Johnnie Burgess said:


> Where are they standard? Bachtrack only shows it being performed 2 times between now and next June anywhere on earth.


That's your problem. You're only researching concerts on our little planet.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Johnnie Burgess said:


> Where are they standard? Bachtrack only shows it being performed 2 times between now and next June anywhere on earth.


" Bachtrack" [??] does not determine what is or is not basic repertoire.
These are long-standing, basic works of the concert band repertoire....probably the most universally accepted basic works in the entire band literature...There are college, high school, community bands by the thousands, and you can bet that at some point, all or most are going to perform one or more of the Holst basics.
Yes, the Planets is popular, also...


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> " Bachtrack" [??] does not determine what is or is not basic repertoire.
> These are long-standing, basic works of the concert band repertoire....probably the most universally accepted basic works in the entire band literature...There are college, high school, community bands by the thousands, and you can bet that at some point, all or most are going to perform one or more of the Holst basics.
> Yes, the Planets is popular, also...


Oh Wow, most famous band literature works. That's an achievement... not really. And I wouldn't even say they're the most popular. Sousa marches? I'll agree Holst suites are better, but more popular? No way.

For instance, look here-

https://www.allmusic.com/album/100-greatest-military-band-favourites-silva-screen-mw0001863406

Band CD, several discs. No Holst, many other classical pieces though.

I should not have gotten dragged into this argument again, sorry. Not responding anymore.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

a poem



yes 

no yes 

no yes no 

yes no yes no 

yes no yes no yes 

no yes no yes no yes 

no yes no yes no 

yes no yes no 

yes no yes 

no yes 

no


both are true

who is next

is it you?



yes 



no


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> And I wouldn't even say they're the most popular. Sousa marches? I'll agree Holst suites are better, but more popular? No way.


I never said they were more popular than Sousa, don't put words in my mouth.



> I should not have gotten dragged into this argument again, sorry. Not responding anymore.


fine - 
- by any reasonable definition of musical "Hit" - a work that is part of the basic and essential repertoire would be included and regarded as such.
- Holst wrote several works that are part of the basic performance repertoire - ie - "Hits". Therefore - 
- Holst would not be included as a "one hit wonder".


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Floyd: Susannah


This immediately came to mind.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Barelytenor said:


> LOL about the Schoenberg.
> 
> And about the "Here Comes the Bride, Big, Fat and Wide" as well: Before I got smart (well, smarter, anyway), I used to sing weddings when I was a young professed professional. A la carte, pick your songs, no song off limits, let me know what you want me to sing, I will find the music, learn it and sing it to your satisfaction. And you can pay me any fee you think is appropriate. _What was I thinking?_
> 
> ...


I'd buy your Wedding Singer memoirs!


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Don Fatale said:


> I'd buy your Wedding Singer memoirs!


I've played wedding gigs for years, woodwind ensemble- ceremony, cocktail hour usually. Gawd, could tell some stories- bridezillas, drunken family members, <<Aunt Ethel is going to sing "Ave Maria">>, and so forth. I always booked by contract, deposit submitted, limits on the "special requests", etc.....


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

I think Alessandro Marcello is largely known only for his oboe concerto. Of course, I am an oboist, so take that with a grain of salt. However, I've had to write papers on the composition and have researched him and I still came off with that impression.

I mean, the poor guy was so overshadowed that at various times, people thought it was written by his more established brother, as well as, if I remember correctly, J.S. Bach (since Bach transcribed it for harpsichord).


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## Michael Diemer (Nov 12, 2017)

Durufle, for his Requiem, of course. I have all of his music, which unfortunately is just two CDs. One is all his organ music, the other choral. I would wager that if the Requiem were his only work, it would be enough to blaze his name in the heavens. I think it safe to say that only Durufle afficianados, or organ wonks, would know anything by him except the Requiem. Though it's all worth hearing. But the Requiem is among the finest compostitions of the 20th Century.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Michael Diemer said:


> I think it safe to say that only Durufle afficianados, or organ wonks, would know anything by him except the Requiem.


Today I found out that I am either a Durufle aficionado, or an organ wonk. Who'd have thunk it? 

Good call though on Durufle as a one hit composer, in the group of fervent listeners to classical music (for more general audience he'd probably be a zero-hitter).


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## Michael Diemer (Nov 12, 2017)

Art Rock said:


> Today I found out that I am either a Durufle aficionado, or an organ wonk. Who'd have thunk it?
> 
> Good call though on Durufle as a one hit composer, in the group of fervent listeners to classical music (for more general audience he'd probably be a zero-hitter).


Didn't mean to label you. there are other categories, now that I think of it--conductors, teachers, historians, etc. and his descendents and relatives, of course.

I myself first heard it in a concert where it was paired with the Faure Requiem. After the Faure, I thought, What could be more beautiful than that? Then they played the Durufle...

I obtained a CD with both, with robert shaw/atlanta. Eventually I gre curious as to the rest of his output, so I got the organ CD, and the other, with all his choral works. On that one, the Requiem version is the scaled down one. The treble soloist was off the charts beautiful, except he had trouble with the low notes.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

waldvogel said:


> Julius Fucik (careful with that typing, David!) is only known musically for his Entry of the Gladiators. Which if nothing comes to mind, it will after you listen to this:


Well, I'll be ... I've been Fuciking around with that piece for most of my life and never knew what it was called or who composed it.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## adrien (Sep 12, 2016)

Well if the bar is low enough (and it seems that it is), being ask 100 random people on the street, then the answer is that

EVERYONE is a one hit wonder except for of course John Williams.


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