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"I don't think it is quite as easy as saying good music should be selected and played not on political grounds but on merit as some music has been ignored or judged bad in the past because of unconscious political bias. I don't give a fig for the colour, gender, class, or sexuality of a composer, but I am aware that some music is ignored or judged unfavourably because of the colour, gender, class, or sexuality of a composer."

These days some music is judged favorably ( or, at least, given undue prominence ) because of various immutable characteristics of the composer. Florence Price is, surely, an example. She was, as Alan says, a "minor talent".  Just because there may have been prejudice in the past that does not mean we should feel obliged to compensate for that now.  Where would that end? Should we pay reparations to Price's descendants?! Surely we should always judge a piece of music according its own merits. Apart from anything else, it is very condescending to a composer to imply that, when judging a composition, considerations other than its inherent worth have to be taken into account.

Actually, this post isn't about Florence Price's music. Mark's original post invited comments on her status as "darling" of the BBC.  At least, in the days of William Glock ( who would hardly have been the "darling" of this forum ), decisions on what music to promote, however prejudiced they might have been, were based on musical rather than political considerations.

It's too late to watch the video now but to say "few composers today are held in lower repute than Jules Massenet" seems odd. His star has risen enormously in recent years with nearly all his operas now recorded. I do remember, though, when I was a music student in the late 1970s, mentioning that I was a Massenet fan and the professor going to the piano and, with a sneer, playing the "Meditation".  Many years later, I like to think I had the last laugh.

It seems odd to compare Bruckner and Massenet but didn't Jacques-Dalcroze study with Delibes and Bruckner?!

A list like that is worthless. It does what it sets out to do....list 30 of the greatest composers in classical music history...but what does that tell us?  30 of a thousand or a million? If it said "the 30 greatest composers in classical music history", something which casual readers may think it does, we could reasonably wonder where Nielsen, Puccini, Sibelius, Prokofiev or Massenet are, for example. ( You'd think that Puccini of all people would be included in a list compiled by Classic FM. ) I'm afraid that both Hildegard of Bingen and Mrs Beach are included purely for political reasons.

I know that we don't want to get embroiled in a political argument here but we must all be aware of the political agenda which so often determines decision making in the arts these days.....decisions which have to follow that agenda if accusations of racism or sexism ( and the subsequent risk of defunding ) are to be avoided. Excellent though "unsung" music already has more than enough hurdles to overcome if it is to be heard.

 The connection between them? All three protagonised the piano?!

I thought he was expressive without being indulgent.  All the Chopin influenced filigree in the first concerto goes well yet he tightens up for the first movement's big chordal third theme, for instance.

Thanks for that...but can you explain what you mean by "target oriented" in this context please.

Rontgen was having a particularly good day when he wrote his second 'cello concerto. The best piece by him I know.

Not always. I ordered something from America on Ebay a few weeks ago and it arrived in ten days.

Thanks for that. Although I wouldn't say the prelude to "Wahnopfer" ( which I know from the CPO recording) shows Siegfried at his best, I will certainly investigate Act 1. Do you know if the rest of the opera exists but Siefgried died before he could orchestrate it or was Siegfried one of those composers, like Puccini, who orchestrated as he went along?

Btw, Act 2 of "Der Friedensengel" should convert doubters to SW's cause.

Howard Shelley must surely be a hero for everyone who is interested in unsung music. His indefatigability is astonishing and he has recorded countless works which otherwise would not have been recorded at all. Where would we be without him?

This is really welcome. I know the operas but this recording brings together a lot of rare orchestral music. Should be a great disc.

Something of a phenomenon. You'd think, at 93, Blomstedt would be thinking of hanging up his baton. More Berwald is always good. Liszt is always credited with inventing the symphonic poem but Berwald seems to have got there at about the same time.

Easier to follow than the piano concerto and enjoyable though, on a single hearing, I wouldn't say it's its equal. The syncopated melodic writing in the first movement seems to be characteristic of the composer.  Wikipedia says it dates from c 1888, not 1899.

It was Darke's setting which was voted the "greatest carol of all time". I'm amazed that there are, it seems, parts of the world where it is "unsung".  In the U.K. it could hardly be more "sung"!