Most Unjustly Neglected Composers

[djealnla]

There have been several discussions on underrated composers in the past, but they did not take place in this section of the Piano Forum. I apologize if I overlooked some topic in this section that deals with this issue.

Standard repertoire (or "consolidated musical canon", if you will): Josquin des Prez, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Buxtehude, Haydn, Bruckner, Nielsen and Schoenberg.

Obscure and old music: Alkan, late Stravinsky (he probably belongs in the category below), Skalkottas and Roslavets.

Non-standard repertoire (or "music not examined by the test of time yet"): Too many composers.

Discuss.

[furtwaengler]

I'd think the most underrated would be someone we've not heard...but that takes the fun out of the thread.

[retrouvailles]

I always thought "underrated" meant someone who is known perhaps more by name, but the works of said composer either have a bad reputation that perhaps comes off the reputation of one popular work, or something of that effect.

[furtwaengler]

Like Sir Malcolm Arnold?

[keyboardclass]

WF Bach.  At least now there's a biography in English.

[pianisten1989]

What do you mean with Haydn?! Everybody plays Haydn? Not our fault that he wrote like a billion piano sonatas (and many sounds almost the same), so no one wants to play all of them...
Since I'm from Sweden, I have to say Allan Pettersson (Probably Stenhammar too, but I don't like that many of his works so...). I can't understand how his symphonies isn't played more often!

[djealnla]

What do you mean with Haydn?! Everybody plays Haydn? Not our fault that he wrote like a billion piano sonatas (and many sounds almost the same), so no one wants to play all of them...

This post is a perfect example of why I consider Haydn underrated.

Also, Haydn's piano music certainly isn't the most arresting part of his repertoire, but that is perhaps a bit hard for you to figure out, since you are probably another "OMG only piano music matters" egocentric "piano-philefetishist".

[ch101]

any of bach's kinsmen. they all live in the shadow of the great J.S. and never get a chance to get the fame they deserve

[keyboardclass]

Hate to say it but I think CPE is overated, now JC...

[sevencircles]

Heinrich Biber is underrated for sure, Dietrich Buxtehude and Jan Sweelink are propably even more underrated.

[orangesodaking]

Hate to say it but I think CPE is overated, now JC...

PDQ is my favorite son of JS Bach.

I second Alkan. Not everything he composed is a master piece, but there are plenty of works by him that are great!

[richard black]

My vote is for Ildebrando Pizzetti. In my honest opinion he wrote some of the most sheerly beautiful (also very individual) music of the 20th century, and yet he's practically unknown. Look him up on YouTube and you'll find a fair smattering of stuff at least, and a couple of recent discs on Hyperion have helped his visibility a little, but he's still very much in the 'special interest' category, which I completely fail to understand.

And if anyone is very impressed by him, Frankfurt Opera is staging his 'Murder in the Cathedral' (in English, interestingly, though it was originally written to an Italian libretto after TS Eliot) next month.

[sordel]

"Unjustly neglected" is, as people have said, a tricky thing to judge. Hindemith and Poulenc are two composers who spring to mind when I think of composers who have tended to be sidelined. I think that if people listened to either more they would be very much more widely enjoyed.

[pradeep200417]

I feel Medtner has been neglected.
Like Sorabji says, about his second piano concerto, that its neglect was a scandal.

[emma_kate]

Poulenc and Alkan.
Bortkiewicz.
Satie as well.

[healdie]

I was thinking Satie  as well people only play the same couple of pieces by him when you dig a little deeper there are some really strange but wonderful pieces to be found, maybe he's not under-rated as mis-understood 

[williampiano]

George Antheil
Reinhold Gliere
Kent Kennan
Erno Dohnanyi
Ivan Wyschnegradsky
Leo Ornstein
Louis Vierne
Xaver Scharwenka
Jules Massenet

[pianoplayjl]

Alkan
Thalberg
Cesar Cui

You should check out the Hexameron channel on Youtube. It has the most amazing works by the most neglected composers.

JL

[pianoplayjl]

Lyapunov. Few people ever heard of this name but fewer people have heard of his music and alot fewer people have heard of his etudes and Sonata. His sonata reminds me of the lone sonatas other composers wrote which were really great and yet underplayed like Alkan and Thalberg. His etudes certainly deserve to be called concert etudes and played in festivals, competitions and concerts. My favourite Lyapunov is his TE 6 and 10.

JL

[haydnseeker]

George Antheil
Reinhold Gliere
Kent Kennan
Erno Dohnanyi
Ivan Wyschnegradsky
Leo Ornstein
Louis Vierne
Xaver Scharwenka
Jules Massenet

I don't consider Massenet or Vierne to be neglected composers.

Of Massenet's many operas, Manon and Werther at least are regularly staged.  But his piano music certainly is neglected.  The New Grove lists a concerto, a dozen or so solo works and some 4-hand pieces.

Vierne is a staple of the organ repertoire.  His very fine Messe solennelle gets performances too.  There are nine solo piano works.

Is anybody out there familiar with either of these composer's piano music?  So far as I can see, not much of Massenet's is in print.  Bärenreiter are publishing an urtext of Vierne's piano works, though to date only the third of three projected volumes seems to be available.

[pianoplayjl]

We are probably talking about neglected piano composers here. Another one I'd add is Leo Ornstein and Henry Cowell.

JL

[bachbrahmsschubert]

I'm jumping on the Haydn bandwagon.

He fathered the Classical style, taught Beethoven, and is an embodiment of the word prolific.

Those string quartets!

Could I also vote for him as one of the most misunderstood composers? And groundbreaking?

The man was amazing.

[ahinton]

We are probably talking about neglected piano composers here. Another one I'd add is Leo Ornstein and Henry Cowell.

That's two, actually - and the first of them has already been mentioned.

Best,

Alistair

[pianoplayjl]

Baines, Arnie bax, Lourie, Griffs, Macdowell, Casella, Stachinsky, Syzmanowski. A few names and perhaps the most obscure of the obscure.

JL

[chopin1993]

I'd say Medtner and Alkan.
I don't consider Kapustin a classical composer, but I think he's also worth mentioning.

[49410enrique]

i know the "latin american' composers are not well down outside of their respective contries, its a pitty, they have contributed lovely works to the piano lit

Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Lopez Buchardo
Julian Aguirre
Mozart Camargo Gaurnieri
Luis Cluzeau-Mortet
Beatrice Lockhart
Francisco Mignone
Ernesto Nazareth
Manuel Saumell

among the heavy hitter countreis, hmm for now let's say france, pleyel and chabrier come to mind

[retrouvailles]

I don't consider Kapustin a classical composer, but I think he's also worth mentioning.

Why not? Lots of his pieces use classical/baroque/etc forms and his pieces are entirely written out. Heck, that's more classical than many of Kapustin's undeniably classical contemporaries.

[chopin1993]

Why not? Lots of his pieces use classical/baroque/etc forms and his pieces are entirely written out. Heck, that's more classical than many of Kapustin's undeniably classical contemporaries.

Don't get me wrong and I truly respect your comment.
I just got introduced to his music a couple of weeks ago.
A student of the conservatory in Amsterdam played his variations and I got totally blown away by the piece.
The way of composing is done like in classical music. I just think it sounds to Jazzy to be fully called classical.
It's just like there are many thoughts like this about Gershwin. In many competitions these composers are "forbidden" to be played, because it sounds too much like jazz. You know Kapustin actually recorded some of his pieces for a Jazz CD?

I'm sorry for any mistakes in my writing!

Valerie

[49410enrique]

Don't get me wrong and I truly respect your comment.
I just got introduced to his music a couple of weeks ago.
A student of the conservatory in Amsterdam played his variations and I got totally blown away by the piece.
The way of composing is done like in classical music. I just think it sounds to Jazzy to be fully called classical.
It's just like there are many thoughts like this about Gershwin. In many competitions these composers are "forbidden" to be played, because it sounds too much like jazz. You know Kapustin actually recorded some of his pieces for a Jazz CD?

I'm sorry for any mistakes in my writing!

Valerie

glad you've 'discovered' him, yeah i've been obsessed with his work for quite a while and have been building my score and recording collection bit by bit.  i'd call him 'jazzical' but yes though he was a 'jazz pianist' as a performer for a while, composition wise he falls more towards the traditional art music side of fence specially with regard to form, work scale, ensemble writing, etc.

another sound not many know of (even thouse that like him) are his rock influced works like his piano concerto n 4

[pianoplayjl]

Kapustin's a great composer! I just discovered most of his works for the piano and they are amazing especially his etudes. thx enrique for sharing his PC 4.

JL

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Lyapunov. Few people ever heard of this name but fewer people have heard of his music and alot fewer people have heard of his etudes and Sonata.

Absolutely agreed.

Another completely forgotten (but worthwhile) composer is Tausig, who died tragically young and was unable to fulfil his considerable potential.

[pianoplayjl]

Tausig seems alright. I mean, I've only heard of his arragement of Schubert's military march and it seems ok. Tausig I heard was a great pianist.
Another I'd like to mention is Granados. Though not a composer who fits into this category, I often find the large percentage of his piano output is forgotten by most pianists.

JL

[pianoplayjl]

 I also forgot to mention Guilherme Schroeter who if any of you bothered to listen to his music posted here for a few weeks before disappearing. His concerti are amazing and absolutely a monumental effort by a composer. I recommend his music.
Most of scarlatti's sonatas are neglected. I've never heard of any pianist recording the whole set even though there are 555. I'm sure most are easy enough for a competent pianist to sight read?

JL

[williampiano]

Babadjanian and Scelsi

[pianoplayjl]

Auerbach and Blumenfield (hear his etude fantastique)

[mozartk365]

J.N. Hummel and Nikolai Medtner

[pianoplayjl]

Christopher Norton
Kuhlau

[pianoplayjl]

C.p.e Bach
Auerbach
Catoire
Henri Herz
Hensel

[pianoplayjl]

Johann peter pixis (judging by the hexameron variations)
Poulenc
Cramer

[pianoplayjl]

Today I heard a piece by Yanni played by a boy. I was captivated by the sound of the piece. It had a flowing sound, bright tone colour. Shame I can't recall the name of the piece. Yanni defintely deserves a mention since I think he fits the  unjustly neglected composers category.

JL

[49410enrique]

i think this chap qualifies as ujustly neglected, especially considering his early fame/popularity vs relative current obscurity
Stanchinsky

Hailed as a genius by Alexandrov, Medtner, Prokofiev, and Lourié, Alexei Stanchinsky (1888-1914) was once a household name to Russian composers in the early 20th-century only to be forgotten after the 1917 revolution. Today he is usually regarded as an eccentric composer whose premature death is shrouded in mystery. Throughout his youth, Stanchinsky was prone to mental illness, spent a year (1908-09) in an institution, and was pronounced "incurably insane." He often destroyed his own compositions in fits of hallucination and rage; thankfully, friends and colleagues did much to reconstruct many of his manuscripts. Despite his degrading mental health, Stanchinsky had ambitions in music and concertized widely. Yet in 1914 Stanchinsky's body was discovered near a creek and although the cause of death was unknown, rumors spread that it was suicide. During his studies at the Moscow Conservatory around 1909, Stanchinsky wrote experimental piano pieces that were considered avant-garde for the day. He assimilated elements of Scriabin, Medtner, Mussorgsky, and folk music in the creation of his own style, one that cradles the harmonic language of high Romanticism, especially Scriabin, and his own fascination with polyphonic textures. Interestingly, scholar Larry Sitsky calls Stanchinsky the "Diatonic Webern" for his propensity for diatonic saturation and employment of "polyphony not as a contrasting episode but rather as the essential and organic tool of his music."

[stoudemirestat]

There are many I don't know because I neglect them But the three that I know well and think are very neglected are: Alkan, Medtner, and Liszt.

You may say...WHAT? LISZT? HE's one of THE most popular composers. Well yes, he is, but there is the famous side of Liszt, and then there is the more neglected and obscure side. And also a lot of his best work that ought to be known

[pianoplayjl]

You may say...WHAT? LISZT? HE's one of THE most popular composers. Well yes, he is, but there is the famous side of Liszt, and then there is the more neglected and obscure side. And also a lot of his best work that ought to be known

I agree with what you are saying, but still that doesn't make Liszt half neglected. What constitutes my definition as neglected is when a composer's works are rarely, if at all, played in regular concerts and not in the standard repertoire of most pianists.

i think this chap qualifies as ujustly neglected, especially considering his early fame/popularity vs relative current obscurity
Stanchinsky

Hailed as a genius by Alexandrov, Medtner, Prokofiev, and Lourié, Alexei Stanchinsky (1888-1914) was once a household name to Russian composers in the early 20th-century only to be forgotten after the 1917 revolution. Today he is usually regarded as an eccentric composer whose premature death is shrouded in mystery. Throughout his youth, Stanchinsky was prone to mental illness, spent a year (1908-09) in an institution, and was pronounced "incurably insane." He often destroyed his own compositions in fits of hallucination and rage; thankfully, friends and colleagues did much to reconstruct many of his manuscripts. Despite his degrading mental health, Stanchinsky had ambitions in music and concertized widely. Yet in 1914 Stanchinsky's body was discovered near a creek and although the cause of death was unknown, rumors spread that it was suicide. During his studies at the Moscow Conservatory around 1909, Stanchinsky wrote experimental piano pieces that were considered avant-garde for the day. He assimilated elements of Scriabin, Medtner, Mussorgsky, and folk music in the creation of his own style, one that cradles the harmonic language of high Romanticism, especially Scriabin, and his own fascination with polyphonic textures. Interestingly, scholar Larry Sitsky calls Stanchinsky the "Diatonic Webern" for his propensity for diatonic saturation and employment of "polyphony not as a contrasting episode but rather as the essential and organic tool of his music."

What a powerful piece. I'm baffled as to whether to classify this piece of music as Romantic music or atonal 20th century music.

JL