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The problem I have is often entirely the opposite: something which I find immediately attractive may - for me at any rate - not actually have much staying power; something which is also attractive, but which gives up its secrets more slowly may actually do more for me. I really enjoy going back to a piece and finding more in it each time...

I don't have the time to go into much of an answer - except to say that opinions about music need to have time to develop and settle. I, for example, find Martucci's symphonies intensely memorable - I can hear the first movement of the second symphony in my mind's ear, so to speak, even as I write this. But then, I've known probably known the symphonies for at least five years.

It's certainly not fair on Martucci to make a comparison with Raff who was one of the great tunesmiths of the nineteenth century - any more than it is fair on, say, Brahms to compare him with Tchaikovsky in the memorability department. Some composers simply exert a much more immediate appeal than others.

With the unsung we have to make an effort to listen to them because in the normal course of events we would not encounter them, e.g. on the radio or in the concert hall. This means that there is a special need to give them time to 'sink in', as it were.

Let me give you a personal example; I was originally led to the symphonies of Franz Lachner by our good friend, John White. Unfortunately, I just didn't spend long enough on them when I first heard them to understand the sort of epic symphony which he was attempting to write, I believe, in the wake of the 9th Symphony of his close friend, Schubert. It was in fact the prolonged process of coming to grips with the hour-long Rufinatscha 6 (firstly through the recording of the version for piano 4-hands) which prompted me to give Lachner the sort of attention which I hadn't given him first time round. I now find Lachner's symphonies fitting into a symphonic strand which had once seemed to me to be rather difficult to discern (i.e. Schubert 8/9>Lachner5/8>Rufinatscha 4/5/6>Bruckner).

'Unsung' for me just means 'neglected' - and where this is coupled with an apparent injustice (there is plenty of justly unsung music too!), then you have something worth pursuing.

They'd have to be good: Stanford 1 is a glorious piece.

I'll have to leave the practicalities to Mark; for myself I don't think it matters much whether old topics are repeated: there are often new recordings to discuss and, after all, opinions grow and change over time...

There are two symphonies by Krommer available on Chandos - samples here...

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/SESSIONID/fb2168f227aec203db41480801eeeed3/classic/detail/-/art/Franz-Krommer-Symphonien-op-40-op-102/hnum/7061471

...and at least two others which haven't been recorded.

[Bargiel]

These are good suggestions in respect of the first half of the 19th century. As for later in the century, these would be mine:
1. Bargiel C major
2. Rudorff 1-3
3. Berger W. 1 & 2
4. Noskowski 1-3
5. Cliffe 2
6. Klughardt 2, 4, 5 (1 & 3 are in the pipeline)
7. Abert 1-3 & 5-7
8. Hofmann Frithjof
9. Jadassohn 2-4
10. Sgambati 2
11. Grimm D minor
12. Becker A. G minor
13. Reinthaler D major
14. Munzinger A major
15. Grädener C. C minor
16. Hiller G major; E minor
17. Scharwenka P. 1 & 2
18. Stojowski D minor

I knew Chandos had also done the Conus - but couldn't locate it. Now I remember the problem with the transliteration of the composer's name!

As for the Brüll VC, I didn't mean to give you the hurry-up, Gareth - I was just reporting what I had understood of Cameo's plans. Apologies.

As I've said before, my hope is that Naxos will turn their attention to the many unrecorded VCs which have rather more substance than those churned out by the 19thC violinist-composers.

The Mlynarski VC2 was indeed recorded by Kennedy - but Kulka is just as good.

I think we can expect Cameo Classics to be planning to record the whole of the Brüll VC in the near future. A coupling in the form of a VC by another Germano-Jewish composer would seem to be appropriate...

The Conus has been recorded by David Garrett on DG - an excellent modern performance. The Mlynarski (VC2) was also recorded in 1990 by Konstanty Kulka on the Polskie Nagrania label.

The Lyapounov was recorded in the 78rpm era and certainly needs a modern recording, but the Reinecke VC, Conus VC, Sinding VC1 and Mlynarski VC2  have all received perfectly good recordings in recent years, so efforts should surely be focussed elsewhere on the list.

Goldmark's VC2 has often come up on the previous incarnation of the forum, but nobody seems to know of its whereabouts.

To the list I would add:

Dubois VC in D minor
Thieriot VC1 in A major
Scharwenka P. VC in G major
Hiller VC in A major
Becker R. VC1 in A Minor
              VC2 in E minor
Cliffe VC in D minor
Moór VC2 in G major
        VC3 in E major
Stojowski in G major 
Litolff VC in E minor 'Eroica'
Marteau VC in C major
Huber VC1 in G minor
Sinigaglia VC in A major
d'Erlanger VC in D minor

Some reminders: cpo will be bringing out the VCs by Klughardt, Herzogenberg and Weingartner.
         

I was prompted to listen again to Urspruch's Symphony in E flat today (a recording of the radio broadcast which cpo will be issuing). At 50 minutes it is long - but I have to say that I was transported often by the memorability of its themes (they've been going round in my mind all day) and the many utterly magical moments scattered throughout. The first movement in particular is semi-Dvorakian in its open-air feel (think Symphony 6) and the whole thing is beautifully orchestrated, as befits a pupil of Raff. I realise that I am a sucker for this period, but I'm sure I won't be the only one...

I hear from cpo that the following have definitely been recorded:

- The opera 'Das Kätchen von Heilbronn' (1881) by Carl Reinthaler (1822-96).

- The Symphony in E flat and Piano Concerto in E flat (both from around 1882) by Anton Urspruch (1850-1907) - currently 'being produced', i.e. in preparation.

I hear from cpo that the Herzogenberg CD should be out in late autumn.

The Klughardt VC has also definitely been recorded - but no release date yet.

Yes - lovely stuff. Can't go wrong at Naxos' price either!

The performance of Draeseke 3 on cpo is better played than the one on MDG - so it's Weigle on cpo for me. That said, the performances themselves are pretty similar.