# Too obscure, can't be good - or, sins of your older years



## Dodecaplex (Oct 14, 2011)

I'm thinking of works that are considered bad simply because they're obscure. In other words, if someone considers them to be better than a more famous piece, then he/she is clearly just being an eitist snob.

A few examples:


Durante - Lamentations Jeremae Prophetae
Alkan - Allegro alla Barabalestica
Brahms - Nanie
Mozart - Et vitam Saeculi


Help me out guys, what other pieces can you think of?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Moeran - Symphony, Cello concerto, Violin concerto
Raff - Symphony 5 
Ravel - Sheherazade
R Strauss - Metamorphosen


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## An Die Freude (Apr 23, 2011)

Schumann's Violin & Cello concertos.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Art Rock said:


> Moeran - Symphony, Cello concerto, Violin concerto
> Raff - Symphony 5
> Ravel - Sheherazade
> R Strauss - Metamorphosen


You think these pieces of music are obscure ?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The Moeran ones certainly are. The others are rarely mentioned among the favourites for these composers.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Dude, other than a few songs, I have heard everything that Brahms wrote several times. I've heard Nanie at least ten times.

















The more important point is, your pretension is _intact_.


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

Art Rock said:


> The Moeran ones certainly are. The others are rarely mentioned among the favourites for these composers.


A quick check of the Arkiv Musik website lists 68 currently available recordings of _Metamorphosen _and 43 of _Shéhérazade_. (Of course, some of these are different releases of the same recording.)


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

According to Arkiv, I've heard about 2/16 of the recorded versions of Nanie, and roughly 4/92 of the recorded versions of the German Requiem.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

You know with that, I think I've got classical music SOB of the month for January wrapped up! 

Don't worry, fellows and peers, if you put in a bit of work you might be able to win in February.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Dodecaplex said:


> Alkan - Allegro alla Barabalestica


i was curious to listen to it but i find only Allegro barbaro (a title that in italian has a real meaning), are you sure that "alla barabelistica" is the correct title?


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## Dodecaplex (Oct 14, 2011)

norman bates said:


> i was curious to listen to it but i find only Allegro barbaro (a title that in italian has a real meaning), are you sure that "alla barabelistica" is the correct title?


Sorry for the confusion, what I meant was Allegretto alla barbaresca, which is not too much of an obscure work now that I think about it.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I'm willing to try any composer's work, obscure or otherwise.


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## presto (Jun 17, 2011)

Roman’s, 12 flute sonatas.

Absolutely fabulous works, hardly known and dare I say as fine as any sonatas written by Handel.


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## An Die Freude (Apr 23, 2011)

Dodecaplex said:


> Sorry for the confusion, what I meant was Allegretto alla barbaresca, which is not too much of an obscure work now that I think about it.


That damn piece! It's been stuck in my head for ages now. Doesn't help that I love his Concerto For Solo Piano.


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## hocket (Feb 21, 2010)

I'm genuinely confused by this thread. Are you asking us to list obscure pieces that we think are as good or better than more famous ones or are you asking us to list pieces that only an 'elitist snob' would think are as good? Or, for a final option are we just supposed to list random pieces of music that are less famous than the Ode to Joy?


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## Dodecaplex (Oct 14, 2011)

It makes me sad that science's thread gets all revived and popular again while mine vanishes into complete obscurity. So, here it is again. Enjoy.


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## humanbean (Mar 5, 2011)

Beethoven - Große Fuge


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

hocket said:


> I'm genuinely confused by this thread. Are you asking us to list obscure pieces that we think are as good or better than more famous ones or are you asking us to list pieces that only an 'elitist snob' would think are as good? Or, for a final option are we just supposed to list random pieces of music that are less famous than the Ode to Joy?


Hocket has a point. I'd just point out that there is a whole record label (Toccata Classics) devoted to recording obscure music which deserves to be heard (let's put it at that).


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