Movement in the 'core repertoire'

[Ilja]

I can recall a discussion we had on the old Raff forums, as they then were, about the way (if any) in which the seemingly solidified concert repertoire had evolved in recent times. It seemed like an interesting enough question to put to the forum once again, particularly with regard to our beloved unsungs: which composers have gained entry into the (symphonic) concert hall, and which (sung or unsung) have disappeared from it or are less often heard?

To get the discussion going: I get the impression that Strawinsky has all but disappeared (this year's centennial of the Sacre notwithstanding), while there has been an interesting amount of Stenhammar this season (it seems).

[eschiss1]

It's not the best of measures, but Bachtrack (I am not associated with them in any way) lists 234 concerts of music by Stravinsky involving about 47 works (presumably, in the remainder of the 2013-2014 season)- counting chamber and solo - not quite disappearance. If your search procedures involved ("Strawinsky" & !"Stravinsky") that may have reduced the results somewhat and may explain the perception as it would have limited "hits" more or less to the German-spelling world, more or less and so to speak, I think (or something similar.)

I agree about Stenhammar. Partially a push to promote the new (and welcome, and 2 so far) volumes of BIS string quartets, I suspect, but so many other concerts too. (Including, I notice, another performance of Excelsior on YouTube - an Egyptian orchestra, and mostly enjoyable- from Feb. 2010, I see- cut in the same place that the Proms performance was cut, at the same difficult string passage, blast it.)

[Ilja]

Ah, Eric, I stand corrected with regard to Strawinsky. Any other suggestions?

[eschiss1]

Seems silly to say now that everything known by him has been recorded, but while Mozart's been core repertoire for centuries, -what- Mozart works have been played or were at all known made for a very restricted list until - oh... starting early last century, I gather. Not sure if that's at all a good analogy, though I like to think so.
Much more recently, I think (I may be mistaken) that there seem to be a fair (greater?) number of performances of works by Alkan (actually, not many Alkan concerts this year for the 200th anniversary of his birth?... ..., so-- maybe not...), Arensky, Atterberg, Medtner (though Hamelin is carrying a lot of that weight this particular season! - also Demidenko, some...), Berwald poss.?, some others...

[alberto]

I would suggest that I see a fair amount of performances of Korngold and (less) Schreker and Zemlinsky.
In particularly the Korngold Violin Concerto could be considered a repertoire piece.

[chill319]

Yes, the Korngold concerto has seemingly claimed a stable spot in the repertory since Heifetz first recorded it.  There are also small signs that the Schumann violin concerto is nudging it's way toward the penumbra of public affection. Have other concertos -- Lalo's Sinfonie espangol, for instance -- moved out of the repertory during the same period?

[Alan Howe]

I'd say that was correct - especially if recently-released CDs are anything to go by. By contrast the Lalo seems to have sunk without trace.

[eschiss1]

The most recent issues listed on/added to MDT of the Symphonie Espagnole are (... ok, this is not in itself unusual in the record market) older recordings (Isaac Stern on Praga in July '13, coupled with Le Roi d'Ys, a fact I find interesting...; another Stern, on vinyl. Back in February there was a new recording (Kalmar), with the Symphonie es., suites from Namouna and the Scherzo in D minor. I'm intrigued that two of the latest releases of this "warhorse" aren't quite coupled as usual, though (an opera with one, ballet suites and an orchestral scherzo with another, rather than more violin music, I mean. Another last October coupled it with Lalo's D major violin sonata... didn't think the record industry was showing a few nerves.)