DEBUSSY unsung?

[semloh]

My apologies if this is actually not 'unsung', but one of my favourite discoveries in recent months has been Debussy's early Symphony in B minor, written when he was still in his teens. What a romantic and gentle piece it is...  if anyone doubts that 'music soothes the savage breast' just listen to this after a hard day, and your anxiety will float away and your spirit will be uplifted!

Try the YouTube version at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM6RDEHN090

The two-piano version is also a delight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8FvD3JDqoA&feature=related

Does it count as 'unsung', or are you wondering where I've been for the last 60 years of listening to classical music?? 

[Richard Moss]

I agree - a most pleasant, gentle and relaxing piece.

I first became aware of its existence a few years ago, but it was only recently (when Naxos released a CD of orchestrated Debussy works) that I first heard (and enjoyed) it.

I feel sure that 'unsung' should be applicable to individual works as well as composers themselves, but obviously Alan/Mark and other members may well differ.

Note whole web-sites are devoted to 'Unheard' Beethoven, Tchaikovsky etc ( mostly youthful/student/study works but some are still delightful to listen to).

CLOFO is another website similar  in some ways to UC in terms of its sympathies, if not approach (it doesn't have the invaluable members dialogue forums (fora?) of UC) - but it identifies recordings of 'Great works by forgotten composers and forgotten works by great composers'

Another thought for the day?

Cheers

Richard

[Alan Howe]

We're quite happy to host discussions of unsung music by sung composers here...

[jerfilm]

The "symphony" is quite a lovely piece of work.  T'would be interesting to know a bit more about it.  One source sez the orchestrated segment is the finale of an unfinished symphony.  Another sez it is just the sketches for the first movement.  Is there a "definitive" answer?  We do know, I guess, that he didn't orchestrate it......

Jerry

[TerraEpon]

As far as I know he wrote one movement, the first one, for two pianos. He also wrote Andante Cantabile in E for two pianos which became the second movement.  Lesure, at least, cataloged these at separate works -- though he only even knew about the second movement in his revised catalog I believe (L 8 for Symphony, L 10 for Andante Cantabile....which is confusing because in the old and unfortunately usually used numbering the Symphony is L 10).

Any orchestration isn't be Debussy

Then there's the Orchestral Suite (L 46 [L 50 old]) which for whatever reason has never been recorded (the amatur YouTube vids claims they are the first):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4errXivNqE&feature=plcp[url=http://[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ycWwkDcYE&feature=plcp[url=http://[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTj_q5hID-A&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJtX7di67LM&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMe5_8qkBO0&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK-kBQQHZfc

Apparently 1, 2, and 4 are orchestrated in manuscript too. Would so love a recording of both versions...

[semloh]

I first became aware of its existence a few years ago, but it was only recently (when Naxos released a CD of orchestrated Debussy works) that I first heard (and enjoyed) it. .......

Ah, I wasn't aware of the Naxos disc - another one for Santa to carry. This was arranged for orchestra by Tony Finno (http://www.tonyfinno.com/bio.htm), and accounts for at least one YouTube version.