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We all know of composers who made journeys to other countries than their homeland (BTW, can you imagine how tiring and long travelling in the 19th century must have been, without planes and cars...). They heard local (folk) music which was used in own compositions. An example is Julian Fontana (1810-69) from Poland who made a trip to Cuba in 1844 in his piano works La Havana. Fantaisie sur des motifs Américains et Espagnols and Souvenirs de l'Ile de Cuba.
We also come across composers who gave some works titles referring to other countries. The Belgian August de Boeck (1865-1937) springs to mind with his Dahomeyan Rhapsody of 1893, although De Boeck never visited that West African country (today's Benin).

A question to members: do you know other examples (not from sung composers like Mendelssohn)?

What a bargain. The cpo 3 CD box featuring the 5 Piano Trios for EUR 7.99 only. Very attractive, joyous and melodious chamber music which can only please the listener, superbly played by the Beethoven Trio Ravensburg. For a composer whose main instrument wasn't the piano the writing for this instrument is remarkable fresh and sparkling.
It's an older recording (1994, released 1995) but for some reason I found it only recently. Recommended for those who enjoy this genre. 

His name has been mentioned a few times in some threads. But he surely deserves his own thread, because IMHO he is a genius. But who has heard his name? Who is familiar with the music of this Belgian master? His few magnificent works, available on CD? Ever heard anything being broadcast?

Besides appealing melodies his music presents the listener a very rich variety of sound colours. In his fast movements he can be furious, full of passion. But the slow movements are most subtle. I'm thinking of his Symphony in D minor, the 3rd movement of his marvellous Cello Sonata in F Sharp minor (on a CD coupled with the Piano Quintet in B minor) and the Andantino of his thrilling Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra. Maybe in the 12 parts of Contes d'Orient (a Suite for Orchestra) Biarent shows his skills how to use all musical instruments at its best. It's brilliant.
How does his music sound like? I would say that it balances between Wagner and Debussy, but in fact Biarent has a real voice of his own.

Any other enthusiasts?

There is not so much music by Johann Baptist Cramer (1771-1858) on CD available, but here is an announcement of a new (double) disc with his Piano Etudes: http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Johann-Baptist-Cramer-1771-1858-Et%FCden-f%FCr-Klavier-Heft-1-2/hnum/2725208

Completely but so unjustified forgotten talented brothers, born in a musical family in the Dutch old city of Amersfoort. Johan Albert, or Johannes Albertus, went in 1843 to Leipzig where he took lessons from Mendelssohn. He composed many organ works and introduced Bach's works in the Netherlands. The only work I know is his delightful Sonata for Violin and Piano, op. 18 (ca. 1857), with its utterly fresh and Mendelssohnian scherzo (Dutch Violin Sonatas on NM Classics).
Gerrit Jan, who also studied in Leipzig, was more successful than his brother in his days, but after some time he lacked recognition as a composer. He was gifted as a song composer. In 1850 he wrote two Sonatines for piano, op. 3. The 1st in F major can be found on the CD Piano Music of the Netherlands from Koch Schwann.

Anyone ever heard of these composers?

Most charming is the piano music from Julian Fontana (1810-1869), a friend and pupil of Chopin, released by Acte Préalable in 2007 (Vol. 1). The 2nd disc should be available now, see here, soon followed by Vol. 3. Again world premieres, now played by the French pianist Philippe Devaux.

I like to discover and explore the symphonies of Franz Schmidt. I've listened to several audio excerpts (jpc.de), but cannot make up my mind which performances are the best. Which one do members recommend?

Here is a new disc with the two symphonies by Wagner and also a Huldigungsmarsch in an arrangement by Raff.

Are we all eagerly awaiting the release of this new volume, despite the outstanding performers?

Those (including myself) who like his Symphonies 1 & 2 (from cpo) and 4 (available thanks to our download section) await eagerly the forthcoming release of his 3rd (from cpo again).

But Van Gilse (1881-1944) composed more, of course. I have a CD featuring his Nonet for string quintet and four wind instruments (1916), the unfinished String Quartet (1922) and a Trio for flute, violin and viola (1927).
Personally I don't like the Nonet at all, maybe except the 3rd movement, an andante. I have the idea that it is would-be modernism, because Van Gilse wanted so much to be respected as a composer of his time.
However, the two movements of the String Quartet are lovely and I can only regret that Van Gilse never completed the work. He started composing the String Quartet on the advice of a friend, a magnetizer, hoping that Van Gilse could handle his frustrations with his tormentor, Willem Pijper.
The Trio is a strange and even funny work (the 2nd movement) and it is said that it belongs to the best chamber music Van Gilse has written. But like the Nonet, it sounds to me as pseudo modernism.

This might be an interesting release.

We know that Nietzsche was not a professional musician and didn't get any musical education. He was self-educated. However, he considered music as an essential part of human life, so to speak.
There are quite a few CD's featuring his piano music, chamber music including songs, and so on. Two CD's are Compositions of his Youth (1857-63), rather extensively and critically (not very positive) reviewed by John Bell Young (2003) on Amazon.com (see here)
and Compositions of his Mature Years (1864-82). Personally I feel very attracted to his solo piano music on this disc.
An interesting and informative website is http://nietzschemusicproject.org/

I'm wondering what members think of the music of this remarkable person, who influenced so many people.

Röntgen's Symphonies are listed by Dr Jurjen Vis as follows:

No. 1 in G major, op. 48 (Jan.-Feb. 1872)
No. 2 in F minor / A major, op. 67 (Dec. 1874-March 1875, reconstructed Oct.-Dec. 1875 and ever since it's in A major)
No. 3 in C minor (30 Sep. 1910)
No. 4, Sinfonietta humoristica, (24 Nov. 1922)
No. 5 in A minor, Der Schnitter Tod, (30 May 1926)
No. 6, Rijck God, wie sal ic claghen, (5 Dec. 1928)
No. 7 in F minor, Edinburgh, (11 March 1930)
No. 8 in C Sharp minor (8 May 1930)
No. 9, De Bitonale, (8 Sep. 1930)
No. 10a in D major, Walzersymphonie, (17 Sep. 1930)
No. 10b, Spielt auf!, (undated)
No. 11 in G minor, Wirbelsymphony, (4 Oct. 1930)
No. 12 in C major, In Babylone, (9 Oct. 1930)
No. 13 in A minor, Alle eendjes zwemmen in het water, (29 Nov. 1930)
No. 14 in D major, Winterthur, (30 Dec. 1930)
No. 15 in F Sharp minor (27 Feb. 1931)
No. 16, Tempest, (21 Apr. 1931)
No. 17, Wilhelm Meister, (5 May 1931)
No. 18 in A major (28 May 1931)
No. 19, über B.A.C.H., (1 Sep. 1931)
No. 20 in C minor, Prooemion. Mit Schlußchor über Goethe's Prooemion [Im Namen Dessen der sich selbst erschuf] (19 Sep. 1931)
No. 21 in A minor (26 Sep. 1931)
No. 22 in F Sharp major (22 Oct. 1931)
No. 23 in C minor (18 Jan. 1932)
No. 24 in E major (18 April 1932)

Source: Gaudeamus. The life of Julius Röntgen (1855-1932). Composer and musician. Dr Jurjen Vis, Waanders Uitgevers Zwolle, 2007, Appendix 4, p.449

If we bear in mind that Röntgen didn't feel well in Edinburgh (1930), went to hospital on 3 August 1932 and died on 13 Sep. 1932 it is very remarkable that he composed 19 symphonies in the last two years of his life. How did he do that? We know that his music is powerful and refreshing up to the end of his life. Just listen as an example to his last two piano concertos 6&7 of 1929.

Today the 2nd movement of Rufinatscha's Symphony No. 6 (from the Chandos CD) was broadcast on the Dutch radio station Radio 4 at 09:15 hours. The broadcast is also announced in radio magazines. It could very well be the first broadcast of a work by Rufinatscha on the Dutch radio. The radio program, called "De Klassieken" (The Classics), usually takes one movement from symphonies and concertos, but I suspect listeners could be pleasantly surprised by the scherzo. This is what we want: a broadcast which might create a demand.
Wasn't Rufinatscha's 6th also broadcast in the U.K?

After listening once again to Chopin's wonderful Ballads, I've done some searching on the internet. An informative article on Piano Ballads can be found on Wikipedia, see here. It presents also an overview of some Ballads.

Some other Ballads I found in my CD collection are:
-Bortkiewicz, Ballade for piano in C Sharp minor, op. 42
-Draeseke, Ballad for piano and cello in B minor, op. 7
-Dreyschock, Ballad for piano in A major, op. 104
-Fontana, Ballad for piano, op. 17
-Henselt, Ballade for piano in B flat major, op. 31
-Jenner, 3 Ballads for piano (No.1 in E minor, No.2 in E flat minor, No.3 in F Sharp minor)
-Röntgen, Ballad for violin and orchestra; Ballad on a Norwegian Folk Song for orchestra
-Rozycki, Ballad for piano and orchestra, op. 18
-Tellefsen, Ballad for piano, op. 28
-Wieniawski (Jóseph), Ballad for piano in E flat minor, op. 31

I'm wondering if members know more Ballads by unsung composers, not only for the piano, but also for other ensembles, which are worth listening.

I've been listening to quite some 20th century piano sonatas over the past few days. And there are some very good sonatas amongst them, sung and unsung.

Although there is a tough competition, my absolute favourite unsung is the Piano Sonata in D minor by Benjamin Dale (1902). Of course, important are the rich melodies in this work of the young student. But the structure and development are also rather unusual. After the opening Allegro deciso follow the slow movement, scherzo and finale, in total 8 variations on an original theme. It's a highly attractive, colourful work with enough challenges for the pianist and listener. A most delightful piece of music!

My favourite sung is Rachmaninoff's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, op. 36 (original version of 1913). No further comments.

I'm wondering what other members think.

In the Netherlands Johannes van Bree is, as a composer, well-known only for his Allegro for Four String Quartets, a lovely piece which is broadcast frequently.
The other work I know is his Scene for Horn and Orchestra. But he also composed symphonies and overtures. And how about the first movement of his Violin Concerto in D minor? To get an impression listen to this.
Another hidden treasure, I think, which deserves a release on a CD, full of passion performed by one of Holland's very fine violinists like Janine Jansen, Liza Ferschtman or Simone Lamsma.

Furtwängler's slogan was to compose "simply, grandly, magnificently" and ,,grand and monumental". Not exactly modest, but obviously as a Great Conductor he can afford these kind of statements . But I must confess that I have a soft spot for his Symphony No. 2 (I have the Barenboim) and the Piano Concerto. No, much more than a soft spot. I think his Second is overwhelming. Full of tenderness and harmonic melodies, almost mystifying, a work of deep felt emotions, and so on. Is it monumental?

Oh dear, how stupid of me that I recently bought Walter's symphony. I don't mind the few euros it cost me, but I think I'll never listen to this CD again. So boring...

Any positive opinions of Walter's symphony?

[Published works]

Amanda Maier was Julius Röntgen's first wife and a skillfull violinist.
For some information see Wikipedia.

Besides a violinist she was also a composer, but after her wedding with Julius her musical activities in public and composing stopped. Unfortunately.
I have made a list of her works based upon two sources: the Dutch website of the Netherlands Music Institute (see this) and the Röntgen biography Gaudeamus by Dr Jurjen Vis (p.184-198). BTW, a new Röntgen website, both in Dutch and English, is now online. See www.juliusrontgen.nl

Published works

- Sonata for violin and piano in B minor "Till min käre fader" (1878)
- Six pieces for violin and piano (1879)
- "Zwiegespräche. Kleine Klavierstücke von Julius und Amanda Röntgen". Ten small pieces for piano, a joint composition with Julius (1883)
- "Schwedische Weisen und Tänze". A joint composition with Julius. For piano and/or violin?
- Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello in E minor (1891)
- Orchestration of the six pieces for violin and piano by Fr. Rosenkranz

Unpublished works

- Romance for violin and piano
- Trio for piano, violin and cello (1874)
- Concerto for violin and orchestra (1875)
- Quartet for piano, violin, viola and clarinet in E minor
- "Nordiska Tonbilder" for violin and piano (before July 1876)
- Intermezzo for piano
- Two string quartets
- March for piano, violin, viola and cello
- Romances on texts by David af Wirsén
  a. Den sjuka flikans sång
  b. Aftonklockan
  c. Ungt mod
  d. Sången
- Trio for piano and two violins

All published and unpublished works are in 1997 handed over to the Statens Musikbibliotek at Stockholm.

The only work that has been recorded is the Sonate for violin and piano in B minor. However, this CD is not available anymore. See here. Has anybody got this disc or ever heard the piece?

Fascinating, of course, is the Violin Concerto (key?). Julius helped Amanda with the score for the violin (because she had troubles with her eyes). Amanda composed the work in 1874-75. On 8 February 1876 the concerto was performed by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the baton of Carl Reinecke with Amanda playing a Stradivarius violin (owner: Heinrich Flinch). It was a tremendous success. Between 1876 and 1879 her concerto was performed more than 37 times. On 18 November 1876 she played her concerto with the Royal Swedish Orchestra at the prestigious Opera House of Stockholm.
Amanda's Violin Concerto must be a glorious piece. How much I would like to hear it. Who doesn't? Is there anybody who can do something with the score, which is in the State Musical Library at Stockholm?