# The resurrection - so who would you champion?



## Barking Spiderz (Feb 1, 2011)

Whether you're a pro classical musician or imagine that you're a big mover and shaker in the CM world, which obscure and semi-forgotten composers would you ardently champion in the hope (more of) their works become mainstream repertoire? I've recently been listening symphonies by Spohr and Schmidt and tone poems by Novak and am surprised these three are so relatively obscure. I'm aware Spohr was as big as Beethoven in his day and yet posthumous popularity couldnt have gone in more opposite directions.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I sort of already am championing the music of York Bowen (preparing for it anyway; learning the first viola sonata).

I'd definitely champion Enescu (obviously) if I were able to, and Edmund Rubbra would also be high up on my list of composers to champion.

EDIT: And of course, Sibelius. People know his symphonies and tone poems and violin concerto, but there's a lot more to Sibelius that nobody pays attention to that deserves attention.


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## Webernite (Sep 4, 2010)

Not obscure composers but - Mozart's chamber music, Brahms's lieder and choral works, non-heroic Beethoven, Webern, Schoenberg's less performed works, maybe Rameau.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Not obscure either but - all those Monteverdi operas that have been lost.


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

Mikhail Nosyrev (1924 - 1981). Some of his works were available on Olympia but further exposure was thwarted by the label going belly-up. The few works of his that are available (albeit at inflated prices) are worth investigating, especially his 4 symphonies. His son remarked that if Shostakovich's music was conveying the fear of the prospect of arrest then his father's depicted what it was like AFTER arrest (he was falsely betrayed to the secret police at the age of 19 during the siege of Leningrad and then did time in the gulag - the original sentence was death before it was commuted to about 10 years). The works are of a modern style (traces of DSCH and Prokofiev seem evident) but certainly not difficult to assimilate.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Myaskovsky, for me hes up there with the greats of russian music. Sadly neglected.

Also I would champion the lesser known works of Dvorak, people ove-appreciate the 9th and the cello concerto imo.


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## Wicked_one (Aug 18, 2010)

Kallinikov, I think, had more to give us, Hans Rott as well. He would've been on the same place with Mahler, maybe better who knows?

Uh, uh... Mahler too


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Moeran, Schmidt, Respighi, Takemitsu, Barber, Suk, Sculthorpe, Lilburn, for starters.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Barking Spiderz said:


> Whether you're a pro classical musician or imagine that you're a big mover and shaker in the CM world, which obscure and semi-forgotten composers would you ardently champion in the hope (more of) their works become mainstream repertoire? I've recently been listening symphonies by Spohr and Schmidt and tone poems by Novak and am surprised these three are so relatively obscure. I'm aware Spohr was as big as Beethoven in his day and yet posthumous popularity couldnt have gone in more opposite directions.


Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov. Hands down. If no one else would be, I'm his one advocate. He is now _my_ composer, more than Prokofiev. That began Jan. 17, 2008. 

Flute composers: Georges Hüe and Charles T. Griffes. They wrote absolutely wonderful stuff.

I do what I like to call "Music Evangelism" where I share or perform their music in unlikely places to unlikely people. Sometimes people don't like it, sometimes they do.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I think I would champion individual works rather than composers. I only know a few works by the lesser known composers -- I guess because they are lesser known. I'd begin with *Franz Schreker* and his "Prelude to Memnon." This piece is an emotional roller coaster ride. Some say it lacks cohesion, but I find it thrilling. I love the effects he gets of what to my ears sounds like water lapping a river's bank in an exotic land. Amazing!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> Moeran, Schmidt, Respighi, Takemitsu, Barber, Suk, Sculthorpe, Lilburn, for starters.


Oh, and above all, Sir Arnold Bax.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Takemitsu, Penderecki, Rodrigo (works besides his guitar concerto), Ibert, Lully 

Those names instantly came to mind for me. Id like to hear a lot more of them


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

World Violist said:


> I sort of already am championing the music of York Bowen (preparing for it anyway; learning the first viola sonata).
> 
> I'd definitely champion Enescu (obviously) if I were able to, and Edmund Rubbra would also be high up on my list of composers to champion.
> 
> EDIT: And of course, Sibelius. People know his symphonies and tone poems and violin concerto, but there's a lot more to Sibelius that nobody pays attention to that deserves attention.


I'll add Tomas Luis de Victoria, Bruckner, and Britten's Church Parables to those I would champion if I could.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

great topic, but i think it would be a lot more interesting with a brief list of favorite works of those composers.


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## Barking Spiderz (Feb 1, 2011)

Mention of Rodrigo reminds me of all the other guitar composers who seem lurk at the outer limits of the CM world. I'd like to see the likes of Giuliani, Sor and Tarrega being given more centre stage.


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## Barking Spiderz (Feb 1, 2011)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov. Hands down. If no one else would be, I'm his one advocate. He is now _my_ composer, more than Prokofiev. That began Jan. 17, 2008.
> 
> Flute composers: Georges Hüe and Charles T. Griffes. They wrote absolutely wonderful stuff.
> 
> I do what I like to call "Music Evangelism" where I share or perform their music in unlikely places to unlikely people. Sometimes people don't like it, sometimes they do.


I'm well into the better known 19th century Russians and have Glazunov, Myaskovsky and Balakirev on my list of 'to check out' . How about some good recommended works.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Barking,

Ive repeated this in many places but you simply have to check out the Neeme Jarvi recording of Myaskovsky's 6th symphony.

Balakriev I would suggest some of his tone poems.

Glazunov: 4th symphony, violin concerto and the seasons


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Barking Spiderz said:


> Mention of Rodrigo reminds me of all the other guitar composers who seem lurk at the outer limits of the CM world. I'd like to see the likes of Giuliani, Sor and Tarrega being given more centre stage.


a little more modern than your (solid) choices but imo this man also deserves some attention:


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

Maybe not obscure but most of *Rimsky Korsakov's operas* ...


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

French baroque opera.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

alec wilder, a wonderful composer called "The President of the Derriere-Garde", actually he was a great original. One of the greatest american composers of the XX century, he's not well known only because in a century of often pretentious intellectual avantgarde his music is totally unpretentious, and he did not promote himself. His style is a fusion of classical, jazz and pop influences. His octets are a great example: a wonderful mix of baroque counterpoint, jazz rhythms and impressionistic harmony that reminds a bit of Delius; like a Gershwin with the same melodic gift but with a strange introspective calm deepness (i like Gershwin but i often find his music too light), something like "the poetic beauty of the little things". 
I don't think i know any other music that could convey uplifting serenity so well


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

I don't really do music evangelism, people can find what they like for themselves anyway. I like many different things in any case so it would be hard to know where to start.


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## radiohlite (Feb 16, 2011)

Malcolm Arnold


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

radiohlite said:


> Malcolm Arnold


Good call. And William Alwyn.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Il_Penseroso said:


> Maybe not obscure but most of *Rimsky Korsakov's operas* ...


I would definitely have to resurrect *Mlada*, can't hardly find a decent production of it.

I would also do a large scale production of *Axur, Re D'ormus *from Salieri.


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## ScipioAfricanus (Jan 7, 2010)

Felix Draeseke and Robert Fuchs.


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## Il_Penseroso (Nov 20, 2010)

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> I would definitely have to resurrect *Mlada*, can't hardly find a decent production of it.


I quite agree. I am not sure but I think there is an old audio recording of Mlada conducted by Svetlanov. 
I like also Snegurochka to be resurrected. I've heard only one production of it and it was unfotunately not complete.

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## Guest (Mar 20, 2011)

World Violist said:


> [T]here's a lot more to Sibelius that nobody pays attention to that deserves attention.


Are you calling me nobody?


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