Taking stock: which orchestral pieces do you think really deserve a revival?

[Ilja]

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since we had a more general discussion about the fate of the unsungs. I can sense most people's aesthetic preferences through their posts, but since we've been inundated by "new" romantic releases over the last years, I wanted to ask fellow forum members which unsung works they think really deserve a place in the concert repertory. Not necessarily the best music (let's be honest, no 12-minute Konzertstück is likely to enter the concert halls no matter how brilliant) but the best music fitting existing concert programming.

In order to avoid "List-itis" could I ask you to submit a reasoned list of three works which have impressed you so much that you think the world should no longer live without it? I shan't go first, in order not to risk setting a certain tone. But I'm curious.

Note: following up on John Boyer's note, let's start with orchestral repertoire.

[John Boyer]

I wonder if it would be better to divide this into chamber music versus orchestral?  Chamber music programs are already more adventurous than their orchestral counterparts because both the performers and the audiences are more likely to be risk takers.  Anyway, assuming you meant the orchestra, here goes:

1. Gade: Symphony #1.  This is the symphony that made Mendelssohn write to Gade, "I cannot resist the impulse to address you directly, in order to tell you what extraordinary pleasure you have given me through your outstanding work, and how grateful I am to you from my heart for the great pleasure that it has afforded me.  Not in a long time has any piece made a more vivid, beautiful impression on me [...] I found myself [...] amazed by every measure of it [...]."  It's a magnificent, vivid work from first to last, with memorable themes and perfect orchestration.  And that final C-major chord is the most perfect landing on the tonic I have ever heard.

2. Raff: Symphony #9.  This is my favorite Raff symphony, full of great material, strikingly orchestrated.  Every movement is engaging, beginning with the delicate divided strings at the opening and all the way to the joyous, jubilant conclusion.  At times it makes me think of "Dvorak's 10th Symphony" -- a thoroughly enjoyable crowd-pleaser, which at the same time reminds me of Mahler's idea that a symphony should be an entire world.  One imagines having visited such a world when we reach the end. 

3. Dohnanyi: Piano Concerto #2.  This is an imaginatively conceived work.  We get three main themes in the first movement, which are cleverly presented in reverse order in the recapitulation.  Note, too, the unexpected silence of the piano when the Big Tune returns in all its glory.  And the thematic material is glorious. I love the weird harmonies of the Hollywood-ish Big Tune, and the third theme (see the bottom of page 15 of the two-piano reduction, "a tempo (tranquillo) dolce") is one of the most beautiful things I can think of.  Finally, hats off to constructing the finale on variations on each of the themes from the first movement.  Brilliant!

Finally, I will NOT include also-rans, because then we are back to just compiling lists.

[terry martyn]

"I agree and have nothing to add" (NOT Clarence Thomas), when it comes to the Gade Symphony No 1.  I spent decades collecting his other symphonies. They never came near to matching up.

My second choice would have to be the Jose White Violin Concerto.  Spine-tingling virtuosity with memorable themes - surely Rosand is not going to be the last violinist to perform it as a staple of his reportoire.

Number three is Pabst's only orchestral work - the Piano Concerto. Spirited,lyrical,and especially woodwind-poignant in the finale,it is a powerful work that,in my opinion,outranks  contemporary Russian concertos such as the Arensky.

[Hector]

I'll give this a go, but I am aware my musical judgement rarely seems to harmonise with most members on this forum...

1. Ries Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 181, for the sombre, dramatic, and serious character, and for the reach it spans from Beethoven to the early romantic symphony. Expert craftsmanship in orchestration and development, with effective use of the orchestra to create colour and tension - the finale is especially original in form and expression.

2. Giovanni Battista Viotti's Violin Concerto No. 22 in A minor, to me represents a pinnacle of the Classical violin concerto style while opening the possibilities of emerging Romanticism. I always find the pathos and melancholy that pervade the work to be moving, it is elegant yet dramatic. There is infectious virtuosity and genuine musical depth. Not entirely unsung, it influenced the French violin school (Kreutzer, Rode, Baillot), both Joachim and Brahms admired it, and Itzhak Perlman, Yehudi Menuhin, and Isaac Stern have recorded it - but my favourite version is by Lola Bobesco.

3. Hubert Parry's Symphony No. 3 in C major, "The English", the work embodies qualities I associate with the English character: sturdy, open-hearted, pastoral, and optimistic, with a blend of robust energy, lyrical warmth, and understatement. I enjoy the vigorous rhythms and singing melodies. It ought to be a concert hall favourite.

[Martin Eastick]

I may have a vested interest here, but I have to suggest Moszkowski's 2nd orchestral suite. As the work proceeds, each movement seems to have more to offer and I can never tire of the superlative melodic invention, culminating in the concluding march. There is never a dull moment and I defy any audience to find fault!

2) from a concerto perspective, my all-time favourite has to be Scharwenka's 2nd - Op56 in C minor.
It was one of the first unsung concertos that I discovered - with thanks to Mr.Ponti! IMHO it has everything and again can surely keep most audiences engrossed throughout!

3) Stenhammar's magisterial 2nd symphony in G minor. I just can't believe how such a work cannot be a regular in the concert hall. This is no light-weight 19th/20th century also-ran by any stretch of the imagination!

[eschiss1]

The one time I really disagreed with critic John Leonard was his side-swipe at the Stenhammar G minor (the concert also contained "too much of Stenhammar's G minor" - or something like that) and I wholly agree with Mr Eastick.
I note with some pleasure that Magnard's symphonies are being taken up occasionally not just in France but in Japan (at least two performances of no.4 in the last decade is better than nothing; the review I read of a 2019 performance is very positive) and elsewhere. I was introduced to these works when the overnight broadcaster at WFLN-FM Philadelphia sequenced* Ansermet's recording of the 3rd symphony, which is wonderful, but maybe I too will choose the 4th for this too, if only because when it comes down to it, it really does end just right, with a perfectly-done recall of the end of the introduction to the first movement- and solving the finale problem is no mean feat in music or any other art in time (literature, e.g.)

Much more obscure than either, I'm just very fond of Antonio Scontrino's first (G minor) string quartet, very unfortunately only available sound-wise as an ok MIDI (and I still thank Mr. Lim for being willing to prepare even that, all the same.) Perhaps it might be its third movement that might be excerpted and played separately rather than, as is now more the habit, the whole long thing or else nothing, but that might be better- the first movement may not be at quite the level of inspiration of the other three, if only because the other three are made of delightful stuff... more memorable than deep (ok, it sounds like I'm damning with faint praise, it does) but enjoyable, not frivolous, and I doubt resurrection would be regretted.

* Put on the record player, put in the program, not converted into mp3 or what have you. This was 1990 or so... It occurs to me I may be taking some poetic license here, that that may have been the first Magnard I heard, and that I first heard of him some years before when I read about him in Newman's "The Sonata Since Beethoven". That seems more likely, hrm.

[Mark Thomas]

Of course, given my history, you might expect me to populate my three nominations with Raff's compositions, and I could easily, but I'll stray off my well-trodden path today. So, two symphonies and a concerto by other composers, which really should be in the repertoire:

1. Bruch's Symphony No.2 in F minor. From the opening chords there's a magisterial solemnity to it, which Bruch manages to maintain throughout the piece, even in the more upbeat finale. It's serious German music, sonorous and harmonically conservative but melodically generous. Bruch's themes perfectly match the overall mood and, although a conventional scherzo would definitely be out of place, the music isn't slow or maudlin and has some really grand moments. The overall mood is dignified, maybe "loss born with fortitude" best describes it, and Bruch manages a more positive end to the work, without spoiling its noble atmosphere. I don't know another like it.

2. Glazunov's Symphony No.5 in B flat major. In complete contrast to Bruch's masterpiece is Glazunov's wonderfully colourful, gorgeously orchestrated and relentlessly upbeat symphony - the epitome of all those a la Russe pieces stretching back to Glinka, and a total crowd-pleasing wallow in endless whistleable melody, toe-tapping rhythm and sheer excitement. I'm nominating this not because I think it's the "best" unsung symphony in any technical or philosophical sense, but in response to Ilja's criteria that the works should "deserve a place in the concert repertory", and audiences would love this work for its joi de vivre. The piece bowls along towards its spectacular finale which, in the right hands, would guarantee a standing ovation every time - and not one of those deceitful ones which are really the starting grid for the rush to the car park! Now that Sheherazade seems to be disappearing from concert halls, Glazunov's Fifth, for all its brashness in places, would satisfy audiences' craving for something to just simply enjoy.

3. My concerto nomination is Joseph Joachim's Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor, the "Hungarian". It's a big work, conceived on a grand scale and an obvious model for Brahms' Violin Concerto, which it pre-dates by 21 years. The orchestration is quite sober, but the themes are all memorable and expertly chosen for the instrument. The violin part, particularly in the finale, is demanding. Joachim was the leading virtuoso of his day, a very capable composer, and a serious and unshowy artist. All that's reflected in this concerto, which is never dull, but eshews empty fireworks in favour of solid craftsmanship, whilst giving plenty of opportunity for the soloist to show off their virtuosity. It's a very satisfying listen and, given the popularity of Brahms' concerto, this work should have no problem justifying its place in the repertoire if it was given a chance.

[Ilja]

Well, time to nail some colours to the mast, I guess, and although my preferences tend to drift over time, these are the pieces that have never left my playlist of favourites. Mark's choice of Bruch's 2nd Symphony in F minor was one I would have selected as well (and so did this guy), which quietly allows me to get away with a foursome.

The other three are:

1. Hans Huber's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D major, Op. 113 (1899). This is a work I've loved since I first heard it, and I've never grown tired of it (which is why I take care not to over-expose myself to it, as well). From its delicate opening to its lively, driven finale, it never bores and what's more, it's very well-constructed, with each movement merging into the next with inevitable logic. There's introspection, lush romanticism and, at times, surprisingly spiky pianism. Possibly my favourite piece of music in the world.
2. Kurt Atterberg, Symphony No. 3 in D major, "West Coast Pictures", Op. 10 (1916). Exactly the right amount of Atterberg, in which irresistible melodies, swooping gestures, sudden intensity and languid tranquility all combine to create a truly unique and immensely powerful symphonic painting. Every time I hear it, it feels like a special experience.
3. Richard Stöhr, Orchestral Suite No. 2 in A minor, Op. 120 (1947). The total opposite of Atterberg's symphony, this is a delicate, even fragile piece about yearning for a world that doesn't exist any longer. It's bordering on spartan in its harmonies and melodies, which only underlines the suite's intensity of emotion; one that is very effectively carried to the listener.

[John Boyer]

One of the fun things about reading the nominations so far is being reminded of so many unsung masterpieces that I haven't thought about it in some time, but which, seeing their virtues described, make me recall how wonderful they are. How could they have slipped my mind?  Perhaps it's just as well, since it would have made picking three that much more difficult.

Good choices all.

[terry martyn]

This really is fun,John.  I have woken up in the middle of the night to fire off a few squibs,

Your Dohnanyi - I found the Genesis recording of his First a bit avant-garde, but I played through the Second in the forlorn hope of becoming a convert.

The Viotti. I have the Perlman, and love it,but is it Romantic?  The first 29 of his concertos  are on offer from jpc at 29.99 euros, but I find the performances lack fibre.

The Ries. Was that the one,Hector, that finished in that fifty-something pack for the Prize?

The Bruch.  I have the Louisville recording ,coupled with the effervescent Rietz Concert Overture. I play it from time to time. It is indeed noble. I always play it to the end,  And yet,I think: I have been to the Museum in Cairo. I have  already viewed "Head of State,deceased"

The Glazunov.  Fun,fun,fun.  But I thought it was very "sung" in Russia?

The Stenhammar.  I have always thought him to be Sweden's finest composer, and this is a truly monumental work. I have the Westerberg and it's a performance to be treasured.

The Atterberg.  After his remarkable feat of memory in resurrecting the Stenhammar First Piano Concerto, I wanted to like this work. I played it ,Ilja. I said "expletive deleted". If you like the Fourth of Sibelius. the lion's share of the oeuvre of Vaughan Williams, you will love this. For me, I felt that the reaction of Petersen-Berger was sadly understated.

[Ilja]

Terry, I wouldn't qualify Glazunov's Fifth as "sung" even in Russia. It's not the rarest item on concert programmes from what I've seen, but then again entire seasons can pass without it being played. West of the border any Glazunov is in unsung territory, I think.

But allow me to gently direct you away from Mester's version of Bruch's 2nd sympony. Quite apart from the execrable sound of that recording (at least in the version I have) our Jorge appears to have realized he might have left the stove on at the beginning of the finale, which is rushed through in a way that removes all of its grandeur. My go-to is Masur, but Trevino's recent cpo recording's not bad, either.

[eschiss1]

Glazunov's 4th symphony's getting performed in Bremen in August and The Seasons and Raymonda are getting performed (ok, Tokyo is not "West of the Border", perhaps I should omit that one...) and I expect have probably been performed more often than the symphonies (including this and last season, say. San Jose Youth Symphony is doing Raymonda in a few weeks too, e.g.)

[Hector]

Re - "The Viotti. I have the Perlman, and love it,but is it Romantic?"

In Baillot's Notice sur Viotti (1825), a biographical tribute published shortly after Viotti's death, he praises his teacher as the founder of the modern French school and highlights how Viotti introduced a more expressive, theatrical, and dramatic quality to violin concerto writing. This aligned with the era's shift toward "style dramatique", influenced by opera and emphasizing powerful contrasts, heroic elements, lyrical depth, and orchestral interplay—contrasting with earlier galant or more decorative styles.

So I'm going to say, 'yes.'

& yes, the Ries Aminor was entered for the Vienna competition - but not with his consent.

[Ilja]

Glazunov's 4th symphony's getting performed in Bremen in August and The Seasons and Raymonda are getting performed (ok, Tokyo is not "West of the Border", perhaps I should omit that one...) and I expect have probably been performed more often than the symphonies (including this and last season, say. San Jose Youth Symphony is doing Raymonda in a few weeks too, e.g.)

You're right, Raymonda is something of an exception with two performances slated this season, but I was primarily thinking of concert hall performances, not ballet.

I might have been too pessimistic though. Bachtrack also mentions performances of the Ouverture solenelle, the Rêverie orientale, In modo religioso and The Seasons.

[Revilod]

Certainly the Stenhammar symphony shuld be in the repertoire. ( It wasn't premiered in the U.K. until it was heard at the Proms in 1985 and has not been heard there since. ) I'm also a big fan of Dohnanyi's second piano concerto.

I have chosen works which I think would make a strong impression on an audience even at a first hearing.

If the Dohnanyi concerto falls within our remit, perhaps Tournemire's sixth symphony does too. It is not traditional in its form but it is an extraordinarily vital and imaginative work which easily sustains interest throughout even if it is a little difficult to assimilate because it is essentially motivic rather than melodic. It includes parts for a solo tenor and a choir. By the end it is overwhelming. Any audience would respond.

Bronsart: Piano Concerto. This has come out of the cold recently with four recordings now available. A lesson in how to write a virtuoso concerto without resorting to meritricious writing for the soloist and its finale would bring the house down.

Harty: Violin Concerto. A really fine concerto, admired by Delius, with a tuneful finale which any audience would love. It's astonishing that the old Ralph Holmes recording remains the only one.