Messages

The Sinfoniëtta, op. 32, is certainly a fine work by the too much underrated Johan Wagenaar (1862-1941). I have it on a Et'cetera CD. The four movement piece is dedicated to the University of the city of Utrecht on the occasion of his receiving his honorary doctorate (source: booklet notes). Some connoisseurs think it's Wagenaar's best orchestral work, but my favourite has always been Levenszomer (Summer of Life), a fantasy for orchestra, op. 21.

A new Hyperion RPC Volume is always exciting. I will certainly buy this Vol. 61 for Dreyschock's Konzertstück. But the Döhler, well, it's one of those 'dime a dozen' PC's I'm afraid. The audio samples didn't result in clapping my hands and stamping my feet. However, it's better to hear the whole PC before making any comments.

Today, 30 April 2013, is a special day for my little country. We have a new king. Willem-Alexander, the oldest son of Beatrix, has succeeded his mother after her reign of 33 years.

This event gave me the idea of starting this thread. I am wondering how many (unsung) musical pieces are dedicated to certain royal persons, or are composed for royal happenings.

An example is Raff's wonderful, majestic Grand Quintuor in A minor, op. 107, dedicated to the Dutch King Willem the Third.

I listened to this symphony a few more times. The opening bars of the 1st and 4th movement are somewhat 'dramatic', however, the music sounds more like a symphonic waltz to me. But what a wonderful symphony altogether. A constant flow of catching and memorable tunes. Utterly delightful. For me it's surely a trouvaille. This unknown work absolutely deserves a commercial CD.

I'll guess it's one of those almost forgotten, very unsung rarely played piano gems. Knowing Lekeu's fine, rather complex and somewhat melancholic chamber music, the piano sonate could very well be a masterpiece. I'm eagerly awaiting some audio samples, although I'll order the CD anyhow.

Thanks for the link, Alan. No surprise perhaps, but I almost fully agree with the reviewer, except for his remark on the finale. The more I listen to the Fourth, the more I love it.

I'm with Alan and Mark. However, over the past years I've bought quite a lot of music by unsung composers which I'm rather (an understatement) disappointed about. As a result I've reduced my purchases enormously and am much more critical.

Anyone ever heard of this Polish woman composer? 
This 3 CD set looks worth investigating.

I am wondering what members, listening to a symphony or a solo concert in a concert hall, think of applauding after the first movement (or even after each movement...). Do you think that disturbs the musicians and/or you as a listener? Personally it usually irritates me, but maybe musicians feel it as an appreciation of their good performance.

As some might expect I'm not waiting for another performance of the Gernsheim symphonies, but that has everything to do with my limited time to listen to everything. But if members don't have these symphonies yet, I can strongly recommend them. Wonderful music.
CPO is definitely one of my favourite labels, no, it is my favourite label. Frequent releases of music by (very) unsung composers, interesting series (like the Julius Röntgen Edition), state-of-the-art recordings, lovely sleeve designs. But yes, the text of the booklet notes can be sometimes rather elaborate, not to the point and blurred. I read the German text, but I understand from other posts that the English translations can be improved.
CPO, please release the so utterly attractive Piano Concerto with Oliver Triendl as the soloist. That must become a bestseller.

Well, Thal, no tears for me although some posts leave me flabbergasted. I cannot just simply ignore this thread, on the contrary. I'm really interested in what fellow members think and write. And I respect other opinions, how different they are from mine. Chopin too flowery? I'm a bit stupéfait. Mark, what do you precisely mean by flowery?

Actually, I read more and more posts I just don't 'get', I'm sorry to say. All about sung composers I admire. Well, everyone to his taste I suppose.

Bruckner? I get them all. I enjoy every single note. Cannot be long enough. No better advocate than the KCO under the baton of Bernard Haitink. IM more than HO of course.
I don't like Reger. Too mechanical. Music is not mathematics. Well, maybe a lot of modern music is, but that's to my ears hardly anything else than a curious way of using instruments. In that case I prefer Roger Waters. But how sung is Reger anyway?

Duly pre-ordered. The Germans never let me down.

I'm still in doubt whether to buy the CD or not. It's a fact that Raff is one of my to absolute favourite composers, and it's a fact that I like his Symphony No. 2 very much. But it's also a fact that my time to listen to music is rather limited and that in the past I've given Stadlmair's Raff's Second a spin just once a year, at the most. There is so much to listen to. And I'm not a collector of classical music, I'm a listener to classical music. Oh dear, what a comfortable problem this is.