# To whom do we owe gratitude?



## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

Yesterday I started playing Messiaen's Saint François d'Assise. I have not spent a lot of time with this work, I usually struggle with opera as a purely musical experience. Who's voice came? None other than the angel Ms. Dawn Upshaw. How did I miss this before?

This got me thinking, to whom do we owe gratitude? What artist continue to choose to record lesser-known/less popular/more difficult/esoteric works, thus doing the whole classical listening community a great service?

I do not mean great performers, per se. Surely someone like Andras Schiff is a wonderful pianist, but he has more-or-less stuck to the popular repertoire: Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann; his wonderful Janáček recording being an exception.

What artists are purposefully choosing or participating in off-the-beaten-path pieces that would otherwise be neglected? Dawn Upshaw for one. Her very name lends a certain popularity to any work she participates in, thus bringing some esoteric pieces to a wider audience. I think this is incredibly admirable, and I believe we owe her a little gratitude for this.

For example:

Górecki - Symphony No. 3, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" - yes it is popular now, but it is _because _of this recording.
Messiaen - Saint François d'Assise
Berg - Lyric Suite w/ soprano accompanying the 6th movement
Golijov - Ayre/Oceana
Berio - Folk Songs
Harbison - Mirabai Songs
Debussy - La Damoiselle élue (not exactly rare - but such a good rendition!)
And many, many, many otherwise forgotten songs by countless composers.

Another that came to mind was Hilary Hahn for her recent recordings of Schonberg's violin concerto and her cycle of Ives' sonatas for violin and piano.

Marc-André Hamelin! This remarkable pianist introduced me to the piano music of Alkan, Ornstein, and Medtner; what about Roslavets, Szymanowski, and Godowski. Not to mention fantastic renditions of Scriabin, Chopin, Ives, and Barber.

What about the Kronos Quartet?

Thoughts?





















Edit: I do not know how to remove that Bruckner pic, sorry


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Perhaps even above the artists we should express thanks to the various heads of record labels - especially the independents - who have championed so much little-known music that doesn't necessarily make them much money.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Glenn Gould's continued advocacy introduced a lot of audiences to the music of the Second Viennese School, and Maurizio Pollini and Mitsuko Uchida have continued in this line. Pierre-Laurent Aimard has done great things for the music of Ligeti, Messiaen, and Boulez.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Mahlerian said:


> Glenn Gould's continued advocacy introduced a lot of audiences to the music of the Second Viennese School, and Maurizio Pollini and Mitsuko Uchida have continued in this line. Pierre-Laurent Aimard has done great things for the music of Ligeti, Messiaen, and Boulez.


I second that.

I also second Marc Andre Hamelin's contribution: he brings attention to lesser known composers who should get rediscovered


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Conductor Neeme Jarvi has done so much to perform and record interesting offbeat repertoire of all kinds , and classical CD collectors everywhere are in his debt . 
He has recorded music , in random order by Nikolai Myaskovsky,Zdenek Fibich , George Whitefield Chadwick,
Eduard Tubin, Wilhelm Stenhammar, Johan Svendsen ,Mily Balakirev , Maximilian Steinberg ,
Sergei Taneyev , William Grant Still, and so many other lesser known but interesting composers .
He has been a tireless champion of composers from his native Estonia, which has a surprisingly rich musicla tradition , as well as lesser known works by famous composers .Before Jarvi's arrival on th e scene, nobody would expect to hear music by Estonian composers at concerts . 
In my CD collection are his recordings, for example, of the Prokofiev Cantata on the 20th anniversary of the October evolution, the Richard Strauss symphony no 1, an early work, of his, the 3 symphonies of Zdenek Fibich , Nielsen's opera Saul and David, Tchaikovsky's opera Mazeppa , the 3 Medtner piaqno concertos with th elate ,lamented Geoffrey Tozier , etc. 
Instead of spending most of his time with the same old familiar warhorses like so many famous conductors throughout history , he has opened up a world of new musical horizons for the world of classical music, 
and all the time maintaining very high musicla standards of interpretation and performance .


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

superhorn said:


> Conductor Neeme Jarvi has done so much to perform and record interesting offbeat repertoire of all kinds , and classical CD collectors everywhere are in his debt .
> He has recorded music , in random order by Nikolai Myaskovsky,Zdenek Fibich , George Whitefield Chadwick,
> Eduard Tubin, Wilhelm Stenhammar, Johan Svendsen ,Mily Balakirev , Maximilian Steinberg ,
> Sergei Taneyev , William Grant Still, and so many other lesser known but interesting composers .
> ...


This is wonderful, exactly what I was looking for!

I have not heard most of these pieces, so now I have a fresh well to pull my refreshment from.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

As classical guitar enthusiast, I am endlessly grateful toward Andres Segovia, who almost single-handedly established the instrument as "serious" vehicle for classical music.


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

I'm going to nominate pianist Paul Wittgenstein for triumph over adversity and increasing our listening pleasure as a result. It was terrible for him to lose an arm in WWI but he resumed playing and numerous piano works for left hand came about because of it - collectively the composers who wrote specifically for him form an impressive list and the works themselves generally enriched the repertory: Ravel, R. Strauss, Britten, Korngold, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Schmidt...not bad, eh?

And I also want to nominate the record labels Hyperion and cpo, the former for almost single-handedly carrying the torch for Robert Simpson (if not for Hyperion so little would be available) and the latter for unceasingly rooting about in the lesser-known corners of 20th century music.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Edgard Varese no less


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Harry Partch died to take away the sin of the world. ~ at least that is one graffito from the music department mens room I remember


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

elgars ghost said:


> And I also want to nominate the record labels Hyperion and cpo, the former for almost single-handedly carrying the torch for Robert Simpson (if not for Hyperion so little would be available) and the latter for unceasingly rooting about in the lesser-known corners of 20th century music.


If we are going to nominate record labels, then surely Naxos must feature in there somewhere...


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Another nominee occurred to me: YouTube. I don't think I have ever discovered quite as much music through any other medium. And all of it for free.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

YouTube user GoldieG89, who has deleted his/her account it seems, has introduced me to some of the most fantastic esoteric symphonists of the 19th century. 

Julian Bream has expanded the classical guitar repertoire, commissioning works from famous composers just as Andres Segovia brought little known composers to light by commissioning works from them and making them more popular.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

brianvds said:


> If we are going to nominate record labels, then surely Naxos must feature in there somewhere...


Naxos is as much a clever scavenger as much anything else, buying up older recordings on which the ownership copyright is now less or near gone, with a good eye / ear to more than decent performances.

Thank the record labels who paid in full for the musicians, took a chance on the composers, the repertoire, and the performers.

The Louisville Orchestra, which has funds or a benefactor(s) and which has commissioned and or performed much newer American music, decidedly and with dedication, for decades and decades.
CRI, [Composer's Recordings Incorporated[, a part of the Louisville Orchestra, some funding or other, whether Graevemeyer or another certainly behind it.

ECM, [Editions of Contemporary Music] Manfred Eicher's brilliant one - man show, taking chances right and left, on music and performers -- whether it was an early recording of Saxophonist Jan Garbarek improvising lines with the Hillier Ensemble singing medieval Christian chants, or later rep -- and recording everything with one of the most satisfying of sound engineering.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

PetrB said:


> Naxos is as much a clever scavenger as much anything else, buying up older recordings on which the ownership copyright is now less or near gone, with a good eye / ear to more than decent performances.


Could be, but without them, in the days before YouTube, I would have remained in a the dark about a lot of even quite mainstream music. So they have my gratitude.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Naxos is as much a clever scavenger [...]
> 
> ECM, [Editions of Contemporary Music] Manfred Eicher's brilliant one [...]


Yes, and ECM is an excellent source of the most brilliant contemporary music and a good place to search for it and get acquainted with it.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

PetrB said:


> [...] whether it was an early recording of Saxophonist Jan Garbarek improvising lines with the Hillier Ensemble singing medieval Christian chants, or later rep -- [...]


Do you enjoy it, PetrB?


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Ondine said:


> Do you enjoy it, 'Saxophonist Jan Garbarek improvising lines with the Hillier Ensemble singing medieval Christian chants] PetrB?


It did nothing for me, neither off or on switch was hit. I don't care for the (flawless) Hillier ensemble sound, that genderless sort of singing, a British taste, I think, and the middle of the road 'jazz' which is neither down, dirty, etc. doesn't do it for me any more than the middle of the road neither down or dirty classical.

So, overall, a quiet and with a slight sigh, "meh.'


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> YouTube user GoldieG89, who has deleted his/her account it seems, has introduced me to some of the most fantastic esoteric symphonists of the 19th century.


Yes, that was such a shame that both GoldieG89's and KuhlauDilfeng's channels were taken down by copyright claims from record companies. Fortunately, GoldieG89 is continuing to upload on his or her new channel. If you or anyone else would like to know the pieces that were on GoldieG89's channel, I think I have salvaged the names of most of them so feel free to ask me.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Many have had a hand in it. Too many to name, but they know who they are.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Soprano Susan Narucki, internationally renowned, esteemed by composers, conductors and audiences, just not as popular / populist as Dawn Upshaw.

Her musicianship of the highest, her musical integrity also.. An indefatigable advocate proponent of modern and contemporary also at home with the baroque, classical.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sus...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Lesser known, imho, far more 'important' and having done much more for music than Ms. Upshaw.


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## isridgewell (Jul 2, 2013)

Vernon Handley was such an underated conductor that did so much for sadly neglected British composers.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Soprano Susan Narucki, internationally renowned, esteemed by composers, conductors and audiences, just not as popular / populist as Dawn Upshaw.
> 
> Her musicianship of the highest, her musical integrity also.. An indefatigable advocate proponent of modern and contemporary also at home with the baroque, classical.
> 
> ...


I'll look into her.

My regard for Upshaw comes from a fairly sophomoric understanding of and exposure to classical music. What I appreciate about popular artist tackling more esoteric pieces is that it exposes new music to people with a relatively limited scope, like myself. These artists use their popularity to push the audience, not just cash in on new recordings of standard repertoire.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

Richard Hickox. Such a shame he died young not least because he was about to embark on a series of rare Holst performances. 
His Rubbra is exceptional and he has also introduced me to George Dyson as well.
A sad loss to the music world indeed.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

MagneticGhost said:


> Richard Hickox. Such a shame he died young not least because he was about to embark on a series of rare Holst performances.
> His Rubbra is exceptional and he has also introduced me to George Dyson as well.
> A sad loss to the music world indeed.


I know I've referenced it _a lot_, but, Hickox's performance of RVW's Dona nobis pacem is a "top 10" recording for me. I agree that he should be held in the highest esteem. I also consider his recording of Schubert's E-flat mass, D. 950 (6th) to be superlative.

ps. I also have that Rubbra cycle, which is great!


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

Nadia Boulanger. Without her, we wouldn't have had Copland, Menotti, Virgil Thompson, Roy Harris, Astor Piazzola, Philip Glass, etc.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Celloman said:


> Nadia Boulanger. Without her, we wouldn't have had Copland, Menotti, Virgil Thompson, Roy Harris, Astor Piazzola, Philip Glass, etc.


Google "List of students of Nadia Boulanger" and "List of students of Olivier Messiaen,"

So many it is a bit astonishing, it reads like a goodly partial list of "who's who" of modern / contemporary composers, conductors, performers... and brings up a few surprises, like Quincy Jones, Astor Piazzola, Burt Bacharach 

...and some of those students became theorists / educators who in turn have influenced that many more musicians.


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