About 10 years ago I started to buy box sets of classical works ... often themed around a particular soloist or conductor (e.g. two of the earliest sets were EMI/Warner collections by Jacqueline du Pré and Klaus Tennstedt, also Leopold Stokowski on different labels) and. later, collections of various works released by a named label, such as Decca (Decca Sound Mono Years 1944-1956 -53 CDs), Philips (Philips Original Jackets Collection -55 CDs), Deutsche Grammophon (Deutsche Grammophon Mono Years 1948-1957 -51 CDs) ... also, RCA, Sony, Archiv Produktion, Mercury, etc.
I've been surprised at just how good many/most of the mono recordings sound.
Of course, I've encountered - and now have - multiple recordings of some pieces but there are always unique, obscure (to me!) works and one such I part-played yesterday was a collection of choral works by Costanzo Festa (c. 1485/1490 – 10 April 1545) performed by Paul Van Nevel/Huelgas Ensemble/1993 - Sony Classical – SK 53 116
I've not a clue of what they sing ... but each of the 6 (from 10) works I heard sounded wonderful
Not as obscure these days as it was only a few years ago is Hans Rott's Symphony No. 1.
Several recordings on the Tube of You, I believe these links are to the first movement of the Symphony -- and to playlists of the rest of the Symphony by these various orchestras and conductors:
Rott wrote only a few works before mental and physical illnesses destroyed his life. He was a school friend of Gustave Mahler, and many critics now see Rott as a huge influence on Mahler -- some going so far as to say that Rott invented the "new symphony" form as implemented more extensively by Mahler.
I wouldn't call Rutter obscure, at least not in current Classical music circles. Classical music radio stations, anyway, have him in solid rotation (including the one I oversee).
I'm a bit bemused by that myself. All that and then to post some Rutter. His Christmas album is always popular for example. Anyway, a nice idea for a thread.
Well sure he's obscure....to people who don't regularly listen to classical music. The average person would know some names, but those would be the legends like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. You'd be lucky to hear someone nod in familarity when you say "Stravinsky." If you're a classical music aficionado, then Rutter is probably pretty well known. Hell, say "Jerry Goldsmith" to a non-film score buff and you'll get blank stares. "Obscure" never means "unknown to fans."
I never heard of him and I spent a decent batch of time in my younger days listening to classical music stations. I haven't in many years, so I don't know who anyone is anymore. This thread is a welcome idea and I look forward to rediscovering classical music.
Just to be pedantic, I was referring to this line: "This thread is dedicated to more obscure classical works, both old and modern, that I think others would enjoy." Right now, Rutter can't be considered obscure among Classical works and composers - but as you say, only for current regular Classical listeners. His Pie Jesu is one of the greatest hits in Classical music today.
Anyway, I'm grateful for every Classical composer to get more air and attention, so people should post whatever they want - for the vast majority, it's all new. Now if only I could get more people interested in Frank Martin! (See above.)
Meantime, here's a great version of Rutter's Pie Jesu. It would make a great piece of film music!
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s “Three Screaming Popes”, based on paintings by Francis Bacon, is a modern, very loud, very expressionistic, atonal, free wheeling, dense, short piece that I’ve loved since I picked up the CD single back in the day -- with Simon Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Orchestra on EMI.
It’s about 16 minutes long, and will strike many as just a noisy assault.
It has a gleaming, shifting, rhythmic feel that also may remind some of Goldsmith’s or Goldenthal's or Corigliano's more aggressively modern scores – perhaps?
I wouldn't call Rutter obscure, at least not in current Classical music circles. Classical music radio stations, anyway, have him in solid rotation (including the one I oversee).
But anyway, I'll start with something that's both modernist and listenable.
Frank Martin Harpsichord Concerto (1951-1952)
The youtube link is the definitive recording, from a Vox album conducted by the composer in the 1970s not long before he passed, which also includes a couple of his great Ballades for solo instrument and orchestra - in this case Piano and Trombone. (But that's not three, I'm not violating the rules - it's just that those are great too, adn they're on the same album.)
Whenever I'm in the mood for the style of music represented by Goldenberg's and DeBenedictus' scores for Columbo, it's Martin I turn to first.
Just catching up on this thread. I'm just catching up on Frank Martin too (or Fronk Martang if you want to impress your friends). That was great, Sean. Rather than COLUMBO, it reminded me very much of André Previn's DEAD RINGER. Buy dis great FSM CD!
That piece led me to seek out more info on Fronk Martang, and I happened upon the website dedicated to him, and from there to a BBC podcast from 2014 (I think) which covers his life and works in 55 minutes. I'm a fan now. There's a lot more to him than sounding like Andre Previn, Billy Goldenberg and Dick DeBenedictis.
As the weather grows cold and wet in the Virginia highlands, I am reminded of my youth on the great southern peninsula. There are places still, hidden along old back roads, tucked far away from the interstate. Old forest roads that lead through the swamps and wetlands, across berms of crushed shell towards hammocks of long leaf and live oak. Little visited spots, places where the mosquito choir drones and the grass grows thick and sharp. You can still see the shadow of a panther and hear the trumpet of the sand hill crane. You can still catch the first rays of the new morning sun, sparkling through the dew, and mother nature's choir, in her many splendid tongues will accompany you through that place that Delius was writing about, nearly forgotten now but not completely lost. It's still out there. I've seen it.
The piece is the Florida Suite by Frederic Delius, arranged by Sir Thomas Beechum. The recording is by the Welsh Opera Orchestra, under Sir Charles Groves.
I have only a handful of works by Frank Martin (1890 - 1974) which do not include this (Concerto for harpsichord and small orchestra) piece so I shall have to look out for a copy.
The composer holds an unenviable title in my collection ... joint 1st holder of a work which has been longest not heard (ignoring those works not yet played at least once): In terra pax - oratorio ... nearly 9 years without a play
But then, my OTT listing shows that I've played only one of his works (Concerto for 7 wind instruments) in the last two years so I could suggest that - for me - he is an obscure composer, notwithstanding his inclusion in my library.
Maurice Duruflé's 'Requiem' is quite good, especially the 'In Paradisum' movement, a part of which kind of sounds like 'Qui-Gon's Funeral' from the score to 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'.
That piece led me to seek out more info on Fronk Martang, and I happened upon the website dedicated to him, and from there to a BBC podcast from 2014 (I think) which covers his life and works in 55 minutes. I'm a fan now. There's a lot more to him than sounding like Andre Previn, Billy Goldenberg and Dick DeBenedictis.
Absolutely, Graham! My favorite work of his remains the first one I heard, his Petite Symphonie Concertante for harp, harpsichord, piano and double string orchestra. There are a few interesting live recordings on YT, which show how the orchestra and soloists are set up on stage to help create the antiphonal effects of the music.
This isn't necessarily the best video, but it's my favorite take.
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s “Three Screaming Popes”, based on paintings by Francis Bacon, is a modern, very loud, very expressionistic, atonal, free wheeling, dense, short piece that I’ve loved since I picked up the CD single back in the day -- with Simon Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Orchestra on EMI.
It’s about 16 minutes long, and will strike many as just a noisy assault.
It has a gleaming, shifting, rhythmic feel that also may remind some of Goldsmith’s or Goldenthal's or Corigliano's more aggressively modern scores – perhaps?
You may hate it, but hey I like it.
I've been listening to the three orchestral works which Rattle/CBSO recorded in 1992-4, being Drowned Out and Momentum in addition to your chosen piece. They come across as being of a similar style so that I'd struggle to identify one from another. I certainly get the Goldsmith-vibe, maybe more so in the start of Momentum.
15 - 20 years ago I would have said they are far too dissonant and abstract but in the intervening years have found other works which may be so described ... am I becoming immune? As Tall Guy has stated, for way-out ... try Boris Tishchenko's Symphony #7, Op.119 ... this gives the weird Morricone scores a challenge
