Your finds of 2014

[Alan Howe]

Mine would be the following:

1. Rufinatscha Symphony No.3 (TLM, Innsbruck) - further confirmation, if it was needed, that Rufinatscha was a genius of the first order who wrote symphonies that could be confused with no-one else's.

2. Rudorff Symphony No.3 (cpo) - proof that the great conservative symphonic tradition was by no means played out, even as late as 1910.

3. Bargiel Symphony in C (Toccata) - a wonderful, life-affirming summing-up of the symphonic tradition from Haydn/Mozart/Beethoven through Schumann.

[alberto]

My appreciation for the Bargiel Symphony is strong.
I propose a list of further three:
1) Pizzetti Cello Concerto in c minor (1934, Sony)
    A substantial, but not long winded, romantic and tuneful concerto which dares to venture well into the thirties of the XX century
2) Napoleao Piano Concerto (Hyperion)
    Inventive in form concerto with high spirits and good tunes by an absolute obscure
3) Louise Farrenc
    Sextet for piano and winds (Sony)
    Poise and spirit from a gifted woman composer.

[kolaboy]

1. Molique: Concerto for Accordion and orchestra - which I discovered by chance whilst looking up Nikolai Chaikin's Accordion Concerto no.1 (wonderful piece) on youtube.
2. Stenhammer's symphonies. Never gave them a great deal of attention before. Treated myself to a box set over Christmas; not disappointed.
3. Spohr: The Last Judgment. Found a 2-lp set in a second hand shop. Who would get rid of this??

[jerfilm]

I'm with Alberto on the Napoleao Piano Concerto.  Inventive, moving, easy listening.  Amazing for an unknown.

Also, the Bargiel Symphony in C and the E B Hill 4th Symphony and the shorter works for piano and orchestra.  Would like to hear much more of Hill's music. 

Jerry

[semloh]

We seem to have informally restricted this to three items - very wise! I have been sampling some of my favourite finds and struggling to keep the list in single figures! 

So, here's just three from the list:-

DE GREEF - Suite for Orchestra (1896) – wistful, melodious, playful, inventive, but no slight work at over 20 minutes;

FABRITIUS - Violin Concerto in D minor – the only work I have by this composer; totally seductive melodies, and excitement both restrained and unrestrained; my upper-range hearing deficit generally detracts from my appreciation of violin concertos, but this is an exception. In truth, it is actually a re-discovery!

...and lastly, one that doesn't quite meet our romantic criteria (apologies to Alan and Mark) but is quite irresistible:

LIPOVŠEK - Suite No.2 for string orchestra – again, the only work I have by this composer; fine string writing; engaging and beautiful, but like the other two, utterly neglected; hints of Prokofiev and Britten in the faster sections, Elgar or Sibelius in the slower, and yet to my ears no hint of pastiche.

[John H White]

Alan, whilst I tend to agree with you on Rufinatscha's later symphonic works, I would say that the opening movement of his 1st symphony, sounds extraordinarily like Berwald in style.

[thalbergmad]

Hopefully I am in the minority, but i found 2014 to be singularly uneventful concerning the unsungs. I can only really think of one being the Napoleao PC.

Thal

[Alan Howe]

whilst I tend to agree with you on Rufinatscha's later symphonic works, I would say that the opening movement of his 1st symphony, sounds extraordinarily like Berwald in style.

Well, it would have to be the other way round, John. Rufinatscha's 1st dates from nearly a decade before Berwald's 1st.

[Aramiarz]

It's hard to think what was the more important music that I found
I have the Bargiel's Sterling, 5-6 years ago I get the score and I fighted for one orchestra performance it. This year I can reach this target. I like very much this symphony and Ouverture  Medea. Op 22 is tragic and very emotive music! I must think in one third piece,
Maybe Moór cello concerts in Hungaroton. He was very gifted, very well crafted and charming melodies, etc

[Syrelius]

Well, it would have to be the other way round, John. Rufinatscha's 1st dates from nearly a decade before Berwald's 1st.

The symphony usually referred to as no 1 (Sinfonie Serieuse) is actually his second. There is a symphony from 1820, of which only a fragment remains today (recorded by Hyperion in the 1990ies). It is, of course, not like the mature symphonies from the 1840ies, but at least to my uneducated ears, there are Berwaldian touches already in this work.

[Alan Howe]

Well, actually Rufinatscha's first two mature symphonies both precede any of Berwald's completed symphonies.

[Syrelius]

Well, actually Rufinatscha's first two mature symphonies both precede any of Berwald's completed symphonies.

If I recall correctly, the symphony of 1820 WAS completed but most of it has been lost, like several other of his early works.

[eschiss1]

If we're debating the possible influence of Berwald on Rufinatscha or something (I'm lost), then the relative dates of their symphonies isn't really so much the question, it's what works- in any genre, of any kind, any media- the composers might have heard from each other, if any, that might have, or did, leave some influence.  Yes, in some cases, symphonies by one composer are known to have made an impression (Volkmann's first symphony, iirc, made at least some sort of impression on Tchaikovsky, and the latter mentioned as much in his letters- and also playing Volkmann serenades in piano reductions); but if influence is what we're discussing, not only symphonies influence symphonies (of course).  ... I might just be lost though...

[Alan Howe]

I can't imagine that there's any connection at all between Berwald and Rufinatscha. I can't hear any musical influences in either direction.

[Aramiarz]

My third choice is Bordes vol 2 (melodies), I'm charming with these music. Reach my heart!!