Unsung 20th Century Symphonists

[TerraEpon]

I also for some reason keep forgetting which side of the Earth Branco is from, for some reason. Not sure why that is, but I kept thinking he was Argentinian or something.
I like the Naxos discs with the 1st and 3rd, not too big on the 2nd and 4th.

[eschiss1]

Have to check which one I've heard- B minor with symphonic variations coupled? - or am I thinking of someone else... no.4 I think. Was quite good, striking and powerful in my opinion which takes me as far as - me! - erm, no, wasn't thinking of Freitas Branco at all, but of another- I think a relative or teacher or student of his whose works have also been recorded on Marco Polo. Blasted memory.

BTW I have not, I believe, seen Miloslav Kabelác's (Czech, 1908-1979) 8 symphonies mentioned. Not terribly "Romantic" though definitely emotional and expressive - I've only heard nos. 3 and 4, not the relatively more famous nos. 5 and 8 - but I think really good stuff... (Then there's the great Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, cannot remember if he has been mentioned already, whose output contains much that is wonderful- his 4 symphonies are, except for the 3rd (which is terrific), maybe not the best part of it. Well, I like no.2 also, and no.4 has its fans. No.1 was not great but still fun and worth reviving if one likes the composer already- thanks to Marco Polo and also to Prof. Botstein later on for that .)

(Have only heard one of her 4 symphonies but Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)'s solid third symphony- I have what I think is its first recording of at least two now - is worth hearing. All four come before she started using more avant-garde techniques, let alone the more integrated music I think characterizes her last years, like the fine 7th concerto and 7th quartet.)

[eschiss1]

Ah right, Braga Santos' 4th symphony is what I think I was thinking of...

[Ilja]

I also for some reason keep forgetting which side of the Earth Branco is from, for some reason. Not sure why that is, but I kept thinking he was Argentinian or something.
I like the Naxos discs with the 1st and 3rd, not too big on the 2nd and 4th.

He's Portuguese, as is his pupil Braga Santos.

[alberto]

Gino Marinuzzi Sinfonia (Dynamic)
Giuseppe Martucci Sinfonia n.2 (Brilliant, Naxos, Bis, Iron Neeedle)
Niccolò Castiglioni "Sinfonia con rosignolo" (Warner)
Bruno Bettinelli Sinfonia Breve (Warner)
Giovanni Salviucci Sinfonia Italiana (Fabbri LP)
Ottorino Respighi Sinfonia Drammatica (Chandos, Naxos)
Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari Sinfonia Brevis op.28 (CPO)
Oscar Esplà Sinfonia Aitana "A la musica tonàl in memoriam" - fine subtitle (old De Burgos Emi LP)
Joaquin Turina Sinfonia Sevillana (old recording by Argenta, various labels)
Gabriel Saaab (diplomat- composer)  Symphonies 1-2 (Archiphon - label maybe owned - or sponsored- by the composer)
Mozart Camargo Guarnieri (Symphonies 1-6 on Bis)
Claudio Santoro at least 4 and 9 on Bis
Carlos Chavez (1-6 Mata and LSO, vox; three by Chavez, old Everest; one By Bernstein)
Alberto Williams n.7 on Arte Nova
William Mathias (1,2 Nimbus)
Virgil Thomson (3 on Naxos, one common to Mercury)
William Schuman(10 recorded by Naxos; some formerly Delos)
George Antheil: there is at least an integral recording by CPO; great is the Fourth by Goossens (Everest) - better than Stokowsky in bad sound
Viktor Kalabis (5: recorded at least 3, 4, 5)
Alexander Moyzes (10; several recorded by M.Polo)
Laszlo Laytha (9 ; several by M.Polo; some by Hungaroton)
John Fernstroem (n.6 by Mikko Frank, Musica Sveciae)
Ruben Liljefors Symphony op.14 (Sterling)
Oskar Lindberg Symphony op. 16 (Sterling)
Kara Karaev Symphony 3 (Naxos)
Alemdar Karamanov (24! Ahkenazy recorded 22-23 for Decca; maybe Naxos is releasing an early one)
Boris Tischenko at least n.7 from Melodya and Sinfonia Robusta from Supraphon
I quote "en passant" recordings of Symphonies by Boyko (Svetlanov), Svetlanov (himself) and Rakov (Roz.): but a further list of not yet named Soviets could be very long (idem -at least- for U.S., U.K., Scandinavian countries)
There is a plethora of Japanese Symphonies by Naxos
I like a lot Qunihico Hashimoto n.1
I limit myself to list (even if I own the CDs):
Akio Yashiro
Koscak Yamada
Yasushi Akutagawa
Akira Ikufube
Hiroshi Ohguri
Toshiro Mayuzumi
Masao Ohki
Hisato Ohzawa
Saburo Moroi
I would just highlight an underrated (for me) Symphony by a sung composer: Kodàly
--------About reply 32.
Berio Symphony has been recorded at least by Berio, Boulez and Bychkov.
K.A.Hartmann : there was a Wergo series split between Kubelik and Macal; and an  Emi series by Metzmacher.
About Rota Symphony "on a love song" : it is indeed the fourth unnumbered symphony (and relies partially on movies' music)   
Henze: 1-6 by Henze; 7 by Rattle; 9 by Metzmacher.

[X. Trapnel]

I believe Rota drew from the Symphony on a Love Song for the Score to The Leopard, not the other way around. It's a beautiful work in any case.

[Mykulh]

Alberto,
  Can you give me additional information about the Fabbri LP of Salviucci's Sinfonia Italiana that you mentioned in your post? This would be greatly appreciated.

Michael

[eschiss1]

I see a mention of the Fabbri LP here I think (in Italian) - erm... I think I do.

Been wanting to hear the Kodaly symphony again. Not sure if I have a recording and just keep forgetting, or I don't have a recording and I notice it on online radio and keep forgetting to turn it on, but I do mean to hear it in full again; good piece certainly...

From my not-widely-shared POV the 20th century had an embarrassment of riches for symphonism- and I don't like everyone (Mannino's random-seeming 5th symphony I haven't heard but I'm not sure I want to; but... erm. put that way... and his cello solo sonata does look more interesting... erm... ok, bad example, bad example.  And I was going to use K. Meyer's equally weirdly random- aleatoric may not be the word, it has a strict definition- symphonies (some of them aren't, some are) - but sound unheard, again, one gives something a chance.  Sinding's 2nd symphony- I think it was; the announcer said symphony 3, which I think hadn't been recorded yet when I first heard this back around 1988 or so - sounded so boring and self-absorbed I couldn't listen to more than a movement and change- and this from someone who got to like Sinding much more later (including his first symphony, and other works too; I don't think I've heard the 2nd again since, but maybe. It's only barely a 20th century work, his 2nd, though - well, further into the century than Martucci's lovely and intriguing 2nd, it's true!

Someone please record that Sinding string quartet, please. )

I even like, enjoy, am moved by (#11, All Men are Brothers) some Hovhaness symphonies, though that fact surprises me greatly. A phrasing which belongs in a thread I'm trying hard to avoid now. Not Gloria Coates, though. Not yet, anyways. Your kilometre efficiency will vary. G'night!

[vandermolen]

Hanson made a very good recording of his 3rd with the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra that may be still available...

That's a great CD - coupled with the deeply moving Elegy for Koussevitsky and the Lament for Beowulf.

[vandermolen]

Ah right, Braga Santos' 4th symphony is what I think I was thinking of...

A wonderful Symphony - Symphony No 3 is great too.

Another lesser-known symphony I like is Symphony No 2 ('Sinfonia Pacis') by the Czech composer Viktor Kalabis.  There was a Supraphon LP - which sadly never made it to CD.  It is on an old Praga CD 'In Honour of Vaclav Smatacek' - but this is now difficult to find or ridiculously expensive.  The 'Sinfonia Pacis' concludes with a moving, tolling bell-like passage, which I like very much.

[eschiss1]

According to kalabismusic.org there are some symphonies of his on CD now, and his complete string quartets besides, anyway. been meaning to look into his music. thanks for the reminder here

[Arbuckle]

Not sure if mentioned: at least underplayed, the Marco Polo series of Lajtha and Moyzes, and the BIS series of Tubin. Tubin No. 5 is one of my all time favorites.

[reineckeforever]

If someone is interested...i have all the LP of "La Musica Moderna" by Fabbri. They aren't normal LP, the diameter is 24 cm, but they play at 33 rpm.
Andrea

[alberto]

For Mikulh -reply 66- (and Andrea). I misrembered the opus by G.Salviucci in "La Musica Moderna" by Fabbri.
It was "Serenata for nine instruments" (it was vol.43 in a series of about 100 Lp 25 cm. plus books. They were released weekly in 1967-1969). The enterprise was very daring : many records were licensed , mainly by Vox, but a lot of rare works were not licensed by other labels, but produced directly by Fabbri. They were sold exclusively at newspapers shops. Each cost 750 Italian liras (around 1/2 English Pound of the time).
Thanhs to Eric i could read the article in Italian about G.Salviucci and gather than in a later series Fabbri released two other Salviucci works, between them a Symphony for 17 instruments (which I don't deem to be the "Sinfonia Italiana").
Nino Rota: X.Trapnel is right. According to the booklet of CD Nuova Era of 1992 the "Symphony on a love theme" was composed in 1947 (but not performed until 1972). Some material was recycled in the movie "The Mountain Glass" (1949); some other in "The Leopard" (1963).
In Naxos 8.554323 (which I have....somewhere) there is a four minute piano  and orchestra work titled "The legend of the mountain glass" (from...the Mountain Glass).
I am not the only one to make faults.
Calum MacDonald on BBC Music states that Rota Concerto Soireé by Chandos is a premiere recording (Chandos doesn't claim that), but there are at least four others recordings (I have three of them, the first with Nino Rota and Bruno Maderna).
For Eric about the Kodàly Symphony; few recordings, but great conductors: Fricsay, Dorati, Ferencsik.
Thanks to reply 69 I have rediscovered that I own Kalabis "Sinfonia Pacis"  (n.2) by Smetacek (coupled to Lutoslawsky and Britten).   

[Alan Howe]

Some brief feedback on some recent purchases following recent recommendations:
Sauguet 1: grand, impressive music, but rather exhausting to listen to.
Paray 1: a magnificent symphony in the French late 19th/early 20th century style, with echoes of Saint-Saens, Franck, Fauré, even Elgar at times.
Lajtha 3/4: colourful, characterful music - not all hard to grasp if one knows Kodaly, Rozsa, etc.
Moyzes 1-12: a genuinely communicative symphonic voice: very attractive.
Klami 1: a magnificent symphony pitched somewhere between Sibelius and Walton.
Mortensen 1; Serious, tough, nordic. If you like Nielsen, Simpson...
Saeverud 3: hard-ish work, expressionist - like a nordic Krenek?