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Yesterday I enjoyed playing through the first Raff horn (or cello)Romance in my own arrangement for viola andpiano. Have either of these Romances op 182 been recorded?

In this cold season what do you unsung fans suggest as unsung complement to too often heard "warm bath" tunes like Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini'?

My personal favorites from 2010 are Arensky 2nd movt of 2nd Piano Trio and Gliere's Intermezzo Op 9 no 1 for double bass and piano.

Now that Merton's string octet score collection is on IMSLP and a few good sound bites are available on Silvertrust, unsung fans can get to know this repertoire.

Any opinions about what to put after the Mendelssohn? (the previous thread on Raff's octet is noted) 

Any opinions of the above composer, active 1900-1920.?
MGG gives him an entry, and there are two of his works on IMSLP.

Any opinions of Paul Klengel, the indefatigable arranger?

As a viola player he did some good arrangements eg vc part of Gade trio (IMSLP) Mend P trio Dm  Beeth Op 11, in addition to the Classical pieces series.

Also, ｈe wrote nearly 50 original works (listed in Berlin library cat) as well. Has anyone seen the score of or heard his viola and piano works? Op 39 6 pieces Op 46 3 Romances Op 48 4 Fantasy-pieces?

Leaving aside the obvious masterpieces - Brahms (cl) and Vieuxtemps- which of the many viola sonatas (many on IMSLP) sound the best?

I'm thinking of Foote, Kreuz, Ratez, Rubinstein, Naumann, Stanford (cl), Kiel, Fuchs,
Brucken-Fock. Preferably playable by amateurs.

Does any have any bio info about this composer?

All I could find about him is that it's a pseudonym of  Heinrich, Freiherr von Bach.

As for works he seems to have wanted to set two records: one for "poetic" titles, and the other for the number of different combinations of instruments.

In the first category are Fete des Dryades for Horn bassoon and Piano, or Air arabe for oboe horn and piano, also solo works such as Reverie for viola and piano, or Berceuse for vc and p.

In the second category are his larger works. Among his mixed wind and string works are three octets, two (Op 45, and Seranata Op 46) for oboe, horn, basset-horn, string quartet and double bass, and one (Op 47) for clarinet eng hn bsn oboe horn with the same string parts, and finally a decet (Op21) for 3vl va vc db cl eng h hn bsn. bassethn. As for strings only, we find a septet with db (Op 43), two quartets Op 1 and 5, a 2 cello quintet (Op 44) and a sextet (Op 64) for 2 vl 2 va, vc, db. He was a particular friend of basset horn and mandolin players.

He also wrote many songs. His works (186 opus numbers) were published in Vienna by Rorich, and Wiener Musik-Verlagshaus.  Several of his  works are on IMSLP, though few have been recorded. `Perhaps he's an amateurs-only composer. 

On the radio recently I heard 2 hours of Fench violin concertos.

Of three concertos- Viotti 22 Vieuxtemps 4 and Saint Saens 3 - only the latter (the non-violinst) was good. The weird donkey braying effect in the Vieux was particularly strange.

Pianist composers can write good concertos for everything, but violinists are pretty patchy. Is it because they can't understand harmony?

Any recommendations or opinions about this composer?

What are the piano quintets to put on the list after Brahms Schumann  and Dvorak?

I'd nominate Dohnanyi and Faure.

I recently played Weidig's Little Trio Op 9 for violin viola and piano (published by Merton) It's pleasant music for amateurs.

Weidig emigrated to Chicago in 1892 (see bio on klassika.de) and wrote quite a few works between then and 1920: Symphonic Suite 1906, Symphonic Fantasy ,,Semiramis" 1914 or "Abendgang" (Eventide)for Mezzo sopr and Orch op. 29, 1915. Has snyone heard these?

Now that we can get a better view of Arensky thanks to IMSLP (string quartets etc) what can we nominate as Arensky's  greatest hits?

I would suggest the second piano trio- the Romance is a treasure.

The Gade strig octet seems to me a wonderful piece. In many ways for me it's better that the Mendelssohn which it imitates- less overstretched and orchestral.

Any other recommendations for first grade Gade? (or from those not bored by Gade or who feel he's "nothing marred" Gade)

Many writers criticise string chamber music which is not contrapuntal, especially works with loud "scrubbing" passages as "orchestral", meaning bad.

The victim is usually Brahms 1st quartet Op 51 number 1.                I disagree; I thinks it's just different.  For me it has the same kind of energy as the opening of Beethoven Op 95, or Brahms' String Quintet in G.

Other controversial works are Schubert's 2 vc quintet, and Grieg's str qt.

Any other friends of  maligned "orchestral" string chamber works?

What would be the five best pieces to convince someone that Reger is worth their time?
Also the five pieces to avoid?

Any nominations for good string sextets?

Any opinions of this work? Sounds good to me.

Any opinions on this composer?

She was a student of Reger and won the Arthur Nikisch Prize for composition in 1910.

Quite prolific:

9 symphonies, 3  Piano Trios, 1 Piano, Violin and Viola trio, 2 Piano Quartets 6  String Quartets

Also unusual combinations:

Tonstück for 8 wind instruments in E Major, Op. 60
Trio for Piano, Horn and Clarinet, Op. 103
Two pieces for Violin, Viola, Cello and Harp, Op. 111
Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet, Op. 119

Does anyone know of any recordings of violin viola and piano trios? There's plenty of unsung repertoire: Naumann, Zellner, Hobrooke, Kreuz, Herzogenberg, Reger, Amberg, Jensen etc mostly available on IMSLP (or for money from Amadeus and Merton).

Biography of Emil Kreuz, please.
(work list on IMSLP and Klassika.de)