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Hi all,

Some years ago, i discovered the lovely piano sextet by Sergei Liapunov. On further research, I only found the ones by Glinka and Mendelssohn (which are both by far not as good as the liapunov one in my opinion).
So do you know any other works for this unusual ensemble? One further point is for which kind of piano sextet the work is written – mendelssohn for example is scored for 1 violin only but 2 violas, a cello and a double bass – glinka uses a second violin instead of the second viola, as does liapunov.

If you only know the work by name and nothing more, a list is absolutely welcome to me – in case you know more about it, don't hesitate to write about it. For example i especially like the liapunov one for the wonderful 3rd movement (Nocturne): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il8hgLNN3QY&list=PL65F84647067B8456 – the sheherazade-like rhythm in the scherzo is nice as well.
However, it's quite difficult to play due to it's wide harmonic range, the nocturne is with 6 sharps and the opening movement with 5 flats. in addition (a common problem to piano sextets as far as I see it): as there is so little literature for piano sextets, you will most likely extend an existing quintet by a pianist if you want to play it – the "poor" cellist who has to play the double bass part will be relatively bored (as far as you don't come from a quintet with a double bass which is relatively seldom as I think). This is of course only a problem for amateurs who play it just for their fun – for a public performance or for a CD, you'll easily find a bassist...

cheers,
ewk

Hi all,

It seems that no specific thread about this has been started so far?

I play in a local string orchestra and different than for symphony orchestra, there are not so many "classics" or "must-plays" for string orchestra, maybe exept the tchaikovsky serenade.
Now I was searching for romantic pieces (I know that there is plenty of Bach, Vivaldi etc. but I think that there is a lot of music for Strings in the Romantic era as well) under a few conditions:
1) only strings playing
2) not too difficult (even the famous tchaikovsky serenade is too difficult at some places, remember it's an amateur orchestra)
3) arrangements are totally ok for us
4) would be nice if the work was public domain, i.e. composer is dead for at least 70 years (ore a little less, so we could play it in some years)
5) not too important: score is available on the internet (e.g. imslp)
6) every kind of composition is welcome: concertos (soloist and strings), symphony or sinfonietta, serenade, little pieces...
7) composers not necessarily unsung, but unsung ones are equally welcome

My personal favourites so far:
finzi: romance, eclogue
grieg: 2 elegiac melodies, peer gynt arrangement
willy ostijn: nocturne
barber: adagio (maybe too difficult because it's so high!)
atterberg: suites
William Lloyd Webber (the musical composer's father): serenade
Herzogenberg: Die Geburt Christi (with choir and organ)
shchedrin: carmen-suite
eric withacre: everything he wrote for strings

and a lot more, i have collected everything which came across my way in a big list, if someone is interested, please contact me.

So lists are welcome in this thread, but some explanation is always nice in case you know more about a piece.

Thanks in advance,
ewk

edit: on youtube, there is an arrangement of grieg's piano concerto for strings (first movement), definitively one of my favourites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj-wKTNIdis

Hi all,

first of all, I have never experienced such a broad knowledge about unsung composers as here on this board. The first night I discovered the board was quite a long one

I started a thread about jazzy concertos/symphonies and it wasn't permitted, the reason is obvious: it's too far away from the board's definition of romantic music.
I can absolutely understand this as it is obviously a board for romantic unsung music and not for example for the music of, let's say Shostakovich.

I just wondered if maybe a special folder for threads like these could be created? Somethink like an "off-topic"-folder? I think most of the useres of this board have a huge knowledge wchich doesnŦt stop 1918. So I think it would be fantastic to share this knowledge as well, what do you think?

In the "suggestions and problems" folder, there was no such suggestion, but I nearly can't imagine that this topic has never been discussed?

And again, the knowledge concentrated on this board is extremely fantastic!
ewk