Your Discovery of the Year

[semloh]

Although not featuring in our forum, the unsung composer who has made the biggest impression on me during 2012, and was totally new to me, is without doubt the neo-romantic Canadian, Godfrey Ridout (1918-84). The delicate touch in his passionate orchestral songs, recalling that special pastoral English soundscape in the tradition of Elgar, Finzi, et al., is pure joy.

For me, the best discovery of music by a composer with whom I was reasonably familiar is probably the overtures by Raff, courtesy of UC. Romeo and Juliet in particular is wonderfully orchestrated, fresh and inventive (my order will go in for the Chandos CD as soon as available). Another Shakespearean piece - Othello by RK Hadley – came a very close second.

For the most unforgiveably neglected composer discovered through UC in 2012, my vote goes to Rudolf Zamrzla, on the basis of his Symphonic Suite for Large Orchestra, uploaded to the Czech music thread. It made an immediate impact on several members of the forum, and the sparkling invention, crisp orchestration, and sustained sense of logic suggest a remarkably talented composer, and yet there is almost nothing about him on the www.

Of course, these choices are liable to be quite different tomorrow! 

[Jonathan]

For me, it has to be Stojowski's Symphony, from the downloads section on this forum - a really powerful, excellent work which really deserves to be more widely heard.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I fully agree, Jonathan. And I'm surprised there is no recording available of this impressive symphony (at least not yet).

If you don't know it do treat yourself to the Suite for Orchestra - that together with the late 'Prayer for Poland' is available on an excellent Dux CD. 'Suite' normally suggests something lesser (and less noisy) than a fully fledged symphony. But Stojowski's Suite is a real masterpiece - beautifully orchestrated. (And this Dux CD is overall a gem of a disc.)

There are also two Hyperion discs - Jonathan Plowright with the piano concertos and then some very good music for solo piano.

The Violin Concerto also sounded to me an interesting work, but loath as I am to say it, its sole recording is a bit of a dud on account of the performance. A pity since that might make others less inclined to take up the work.

There is also plenty of Stojowski yet to be revealed - so let's hope this time next year you have another Stojowski 'discovery of the year'.

[M. Henriksen]

2012 has been a surprisingly good year for the collector of unsung music. I honestly didn't expect that many recordings of the unsung being released. Keep them coming!
Choosing one work is of course always difficult, but looking through the pile of Cd's I have purchased, the highlight for me is John Foulds' Cello Concerto. Over a hundred years before the first recording!? A very melodious and impressing work, with the beautiful second movement being a highlight.

In April, I was fortunate enough to hear James Conlon and the Oslo Philharmonic performing Zemlinskys' Die Seejungfrau. First time ever in this country. Not a new discovery for me, but still a magnificent work.

Morten

[eschiss1]

*looks to see if there's a "Rediscovery of the Year" thread here, have already been thinking about that - for quite some time. That strong returning-anew-as though (somewhat) new feeling, several times this year...

[edurban]

For me, the discovery of the year was easily Saint-Saens' Henri viii.  Thanks to online scores and several cd and even 2 dvd recordings, I was able to really prepare myself in advance of the Bard festival performance, and the work was well worth the effort.  This is a marvelous piece of musical theatre: sophisticated in melody, vividly characterized, brilliantly orchestrated.  The advance it represents over Samson et Dalila is considerable...Samson, delightful as it is, seems almost cartoonish by comparison.  Saint-Saens' use of Renaissance dance music is surely without precedent for the 1880s, even if the style chosen is rather later than the Henrician period.  My only caveat is that every performance I have access to, even the one I saw, omits Henry's big scene preceeding the Synod.  Including this would make the evening a long one, but surely we need more from Henry after his big aria in Act I, non?

For those interested, the most musically effective performance, IMO, is the one led by Sir John Pritchard, taken live from a French Radio broadcast in 1989.  It appears on Ebay from time to time, or on various live opera sites.  The under-rated Alain Fondary is a commanding Henry, and only the tenor really disappoints.

Not to mention that, for once, the critics of the New York Times fully recognized the work's quality.  No sniffing at all.

David

[Amphissa]

My discovery this year was a composer previously unknown to me, Estonian composer Artur Lemba  (1885-1963). Thanks to fr8nks, who uploaded several of his piano concertos. It appears that the Piano Concerto No. 1 (of 5) is the only one ever issued on CD. I managed to track down more of his works, including his Symphony in C sharp minor.

If I had to choose one piece of his that is my discovery of the year, it would be his Piano Concerto No. 2, a delightfully and unabashedly romantic concerto. Not as virtuosic as some others, perhaps, but pure listening pleasure. Unless I listen to his 3rd, which then becomes my favorite. Oh well.

As for the Andriessen piano concerto, I agree, but I had been familiar with that piece for years. The recording is 55 years old. It can be heard/downloaded from YouTube and the MP3 from other sources. (The hard to acquire CD might be the same recording and have been remastered, I don't know.)

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Can't resist adding the comment that although I admire Neeme Jarvi greatly I'd admire him even more if, in his long and distinguished career, he had devoted more attention to recording the works of his once fellow countrymen rather than, for example, Tchaikovsky ballets. After all there is a second symphony by Lemba (although I don't know it), and, as you say, four other piano concertos. Not to mention four operas! Those two 'Music from Estonia' CDs that Jarvi did for Chandos quite a few years ago are fascinating - but frustrating because one wants to hear more of the composers featured.

Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon!

[Alan Howe]

I don't think you can really complain about Järvi's discography. But we've been here before. So, back to the topic...

[TerraEpon]

I doubt I'd be able to make a choice because I can't even remember what was FROM this year (be it newly released or me simply buying it) in the first place outside the most recent ones....I know there's been a whole bunch of stuff though, from clarinet music by Muller and Magnani (and Standford) to the orchestral music of Halvorsen to Liadov and of course Raff piano music. I mean, would a fantastic disc from 2002 of George Templteton Strong count too?

[Alan Howe]

Anything discovered this year - whenever it was issued - was the intended subject of this thread.

[BerlinExpat]

My nomination for unsung discovery of the year is Leoncavallo's Memeli. As with several of Mascagni's later operas, this last opera amply demonstrates that he wasn't simply a one-off opera composer as the operatic world has condemned him (ad Mascagni) to be.
This release by Bongiovanni (GB 2457-2)(see CPO for sound bites) may not be a perfect studio recording but the main singers command the long stretches of high tessitura that the composer demands. I find its dynamic drive almost riveting and as with the recent release of I Medici, it's hard to believe why it's not been more successful. I suspect, as with mature Mascagni operas, the vocal writing has proved too daunting for many a singer.
The Azione storica in due episodi, as Leoncavallo titles the work, concerns particular events of Italy's Risorgimento crusade. Verdi wrote Risorgimento operas but none of them dealt with the real events of the days as this opera does, albeit retrospectively. The hero of the title is Goffredo Memeli who dies fighting for his cause at the end. Of course there's a love affair – between Goffredo and Delia Terzaghi – that allows Leoncavallo some romantic respite in the midst of the almost headlong gallop of the revolutionary episodes.
Equal in length to I pagliacci, the opera is almost an ideal partner for the ubiquitous Cavalliera rusticana!
Well done Bongiovanni and now, please, give us Maia!
Konrad Dryden in his biography describes Maia as being Leoncavallo's 'last successful attempt at creating a verismo opera that is both charming and compelling. Act 1 contains some of the composer's most inspired vocal writing. Although the work is handicapped by Choudens' poor libretto,(which opera isn't?) the sheer beauty of Leoncavallo's music generously compensates for any of its shortcomings.'
Let's hope Signore Frontalini will find his way to it as he has done with other Leoncavallo operas and some by Ponchielli.

[Alan Howe]

What I find with so many of these productions is that the singing just isn't up to scratch - and that the orchestras used are simply too provincial. I really want to like the new recording of Mameli, but I'm frankly scared of buying it - the excerpts at jpc sound pretty awful to me.

The review at Classics Today...
http://www.classicstoday.com/review/loud-patriotism-from-leoncavallo/?search=1
...is probably fair - and it's the comment here about the quality of the singing that would rule it out as a purchase for me. As far as I'm concerned if the singing's below par, I'm very unlikely to listen to it more than once.

I don't doubt the quality of the music, by the way...

[Alan Howe]

I'm enjoying Le Mage too, Mark - very much so, in fact. Just one thing, though - it lacks Massenet's customary melodic memorability. But it strikes me that he might have been striking out in a new, more dramatic direction - it has a lot of heavy Wagnerian brass writing, doesn't it? Marvellous stuff, though. And very well played and pretty well sung. If a recording is issued it'll be a must-buy.

[Mark Thomas]

It will be issued on CD I believe - or at least so said the St Etienne festival web page. As for melodic memorability, it has its moments, I think, but maybe they are fewer than in Thaïs or Werther for example. For me, it is pretty much a twin of Esclarmonde, which is equally Wagnerian and isn't as suffused with melos as some of Massenet's productions. But I love Esclarmonde, so that's OK!