Unsung Tone/Symphonic Poems?

[chill319]

Mr Henriksen mentioned Víteslav Novák's "Eternal Longing." In my estimation Novák was the right man for this genre, and if you care for late romantic music you're likely to enjoy his other tone poems, including Lady Godiva, Toman & Wood Nymph, and De Profundis, which appear together on an excellent Chandos disc.

Another exceptional composer of tone poems IMHO is the Pole Mieczysław Karłowicz. His works are a steal on the Naxos label.

I would also second TerraEpon's nomination of the Plasson disc of French tone poems. The Lazzari wanders too much for my taste, but everything else pleases, and if you know Franck only by his symphony (which is purposely orchestrated in a heavy Germanic style), you may be surprised by color and variety in Le chasseur maudit (written around the same time as the symphony). Franck knew his Berlioz.

[M. Henriksen]

Some more:

Heino Eller 1887-1970 (Estonian composer): A number of small symphonic poems including "Twilight", "Dawn", In the Shade and in the Sunshine", "The Singing Fields". Recorded by Antes.
Hamilton Harty's (1879-1941) symphonic poems "With the Wild Geese" and "The Children of Lir".
Alf Hurum (1882-1972): "Bendik and Aarolilja". Recorded by Simax.
Armas Järnefelt (1869-1958): "Korsholm". Recorded by Sterling.
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953): "Impressions d'Ardennes". Recorded by Cyprès.
Charles Martin Loeffler (1861-1935): "La mort de Tintagiles". Recorded by New World Records.
Ludolf Nielsen (1876-1939): "Hjortholm" and "Summer Evening at Nymindegab". Recorded by Naxos and CPO.
Adolf Wiklund (1879-1950): "Summer Night and Sunrise". Recorded by Caprice.

In addition I would like to mention the symphonic poems by Finnish composers Ernest Pingoud (1887-1942) and Väinö Raitiö (1891-1945) recorded by Ondine. But they are a bit expressionistic at times. Anyway a good challenge for the listener. Raitiö returned to a romantic-impressionistic musical language in his later years, and "Maidens on the Headlands", "Summer pictures from Häme" and "Forest Idylls" are all from this period.


Morten

[pcc]

What of Victor Herbert's soaring _Hero and Leander_ -- twice recorded now, but rather badly paired with Grofe an the latest CD issue by Maazel and the Pittsburgh Symphony (whose "Pittsburgh Orchestra" ancestor Herbert led for 6 seasons)?

[giles.enders]

My favourite unsung English tone poem is The Forsaken Merman (1914) by Ernest Farrar 1885-1918.

Someone mentioned Augusta Holmes, I have never heard anything of much interest by her, 'second rate' would be to flatter.

[Steve B]

To promulgate it again, "Sehnsucht"("longing/yearning/hiraeth") by SIEGFRIED Wagner. a PERFECT symphonic poem;beautiful tunes and lush orchestration.

Steve

[Klaatu]

Hello everyone - this is my first appearance here.

I'd have to vote for a tone poem by the bloke who - 40 years ago - started my interest in "unsungs". The bloke was dear old Havergal Brian, subject of the 1972 TV documentary "The Unknown Warrior" which I watched at age 16.

The tone poem is In Memoriam - surely the most approachable Brian work; its idiom a far cry from the composer's oddball, but captivating, later output. The main theme is Elgarian - one of those nobilmente ones - and the tone poem would form a great concert-opener for a performance of any of the 3 Elgar symphonies.

[Mark Thomas]

Welcome Klaatu! Good heavens, from the online excerpts available I'd never have guessed that Brian was the composer of In Memoriam. Very Elgarian, as you say. Thanks. Downloading now....

[Pengelli]

I like his 'Festal Dance'. I don't like the Naxos performance of it,though. The old schools orchestra did a far better job.

[sdtom]

I have to go back and mention The Island again from Sainton, available on Chandos. Much of it got used in the Peck/Moby Dick film. Definitely worth exploring.

And I also think that the Rimsky-Korsakov Antar which went from a symphony to a suite and is rarely played compared to Scheherazade. I think we might be surprised as to how few people own this mini masterpiece.

[Pengelli]

I prefer it. Less show offy,more subtle. I only wish a few more conductors would come around to that viewpoint. Who knows? Maybe they will.

[Klaatu]

Although it's officially classified as a "prelude", John Ireland's The Forgotten Rite is in fact a little tone-poem - and a very good one, with a slightly sinister atmosphere.

I haven't yet heard his later, and bigger, tone poem Mai Dun, which some critics have suggested is his orchestral masterpiece.

I believe Ireland himself complained about the infrequent performance of these works - he said that The Forgotten Rite had been forgotten and that Mai Dun may not be done!

[awfulgoodmovies]

I would second Augusta Holmes. I bought the Naxos CD of her music :

Andromede symphonic poem
Irlande symphonic poem
La Nuit et l'Amour: Interlude de l'ode symphonique - Ludus pro Patria symphonic poem
Ouverture pour une Comédie symphonic poem
Pologne symphonic poem

Fantastic stuff...if you like the Wagnerian style.

[chill319]

Re sdtom's comment on Antar: the bardic cast of its main subject and especially the settings of that subject in the low strings must have thrilled the young Sibelius, he who wrote En Saga and the Lemminkäinen symphonic suite of tone poems.

[dhibbard]

ah  just listened to Aino by Finnish composer Rober Kajanus CD on the BIS label....its a great example of early Finnish music pre Sibelius.

https://www.amazon.com/Finnish-Rhapsody-Kullervos-Funeral-March/dp/B0001ZXML8

[M. Yaskovsky]

I'll throw in some Dutch and Belgian symphonic poems:
Reinbert de Leeuw – Abschied (available on a Philips LP)
Johan Wagenaar – Saul en David op.24; De Cid op.27 (on Decca, KCO, Chailly)
Lodewijk Mortelmans – Ochtendstemming; Mythe der Lente; Lentedag; Helios (Marco Polo Cd's)
Adolphe Biarent – Trenmor (Orchestre P de Liège, Cypres Cd)
Flor Alpaerts – Uilenspiegel (Klara Cd, Vlaams RO, Jan Latham-Koenig)
Lodewijk de Vocht – Naar hoger licht (same)