Arnold Bax?

[kuula]

In relation to his true stature, he is one of the greatest "unsung" of any era.

[Double-A]

I guess it depends on everybody's idea of what "sung'" means.  I'd propose to consider a composer sung under two conditions:  1)  His/her works are performed live with some frequency and 2)  his/her name is familiar to regular concertgoers (not specialists).  I am sure under this definition Bax must be counted as "unsung".  It would also mean that availability of a nice set of recordings does not "promote" a composer to sung status by itself.

This whole debate brings up a riddle I am not sure has been addressed on this forum:  The special case "England" (or UK if you prefer).  There is no sung English composer I know of in the interval between Purcell and Britten, at least not sung outside the UK.  (Händel is German for those who don't remember).  And this from a nation that was more than competitive in literature for--as far as I know--this entire time and was no slouch in painting either.  Why?

[TerraEpon]

I dare say Arthur Sullivan is pretty damn sung, as is Elgar and Vaughan-Williams.
But you have a point otherwise, and one that's been made before many many times.

[minacciosa]

Look on my soundcloud page for live performances of two substantial Bax works.

[Alan Howe]

There is no sung English composer I know of in the interval between Purcell and Britten, at least not sung outside the UK.

Elgar's appearing on the map outside the UK - mainly due to Rattle and Barenboim, especially the latter. Colin Davis did Elgar in Dresden too. But the biggest scandal concerns VW - to my mind the equal of any 20th century symphonist. Supposedly his music doesn't 'travel'. What nonsense!

Sullivan's really only known for the Savoy operas, in other words he's a special case.

And the great name nobody's mentioned is Walton - one of the most recognisable of 20thC composers.

Still, back to Bax...

[JimL]

I don't know what qualifies as unsung, but in the U.S. Vaughan Williams is frequently programmed, and I doubt a year goes by without Holst's infernal The Planets being programmed by at least one major orchestra (and probably several second-rank orchestras).  At the very least the Tallis and Greensleeves Fantasias and the English Folksong Suite are staples.

[Double-A]

Isn't only Pluto the infernal planet?  And he isn't even a planet any more...

But you are right, I forgot Holst (maybe the suite isn't terrible, just overused).  As to Elgar and Vaughan Williams I maintain that they are unsung outside Anglosaxonia.  Undeservedly as you say, especially the second.

[Alan Howe]

Holst's Planets is a great masterpiece - and like all such, frequently programmed. But that's not the fault of the piece...

[Mark Thomas]

Daniel Barenboims' magnificent new recording of Elgar's First Symphony with the Staatskapelle Berlin on Decca, should make a few more friends for him outside "Anglo-Saxonia" (never heard that before, btw).

[minacciosa]

VW symphonies don't get much airing here; in my career I've played exactly two (1 and 5). Other orchestral works are heard a bit more often, along with two or three choral works. The Boston Oops used to routinely include the Greensleeves fantasia at Christmas time. English music still needs consistent exposure here for it to manifest a presence in the repertoire.

[Alan Howe]

VW symphonies don't get much airing here

A scandal! Yet there are/have been some great American advocates of his music - e.g. Previn, Slatkin (L.), Spano; in Europe one might name Haitink, Bakels, Berglund, Rozhdestvensky, etc. Further back, Bernstein, Koussevitsky, Mitropoulos and Stokowski have also been very influential, so the picture hasn't always been so gloomy...

The Boston Oops

Oops indeed!

[Double-A]

Holst's Planets is a great masterpiece - and like all such, frequently programmed. But that's not the fault of the piece...

Admission:  I watched the BBC series on the planets (about astronomy for those who haven't seen it) and they kept using Holst's music thoughout.  Now I need a break from it.

The BBC series is in other ways magnificent and highly recommended for people with scientific interests.

[mbhaub]

In the US, performing The Planets while showing pictures of planets, stars, space shuttles, etc often provided by NASA or local universities has become common. Of course, having psychics, tarot cards and tea leaves would be more appropriate. And when I write program notes I make sure to point this out. Really irritates some conductors.

[minacciosa]

I'm glad you do that! I think it's an awful trend that's setting in here regarding performances of The Planets. Audiences get enough music with images, and we shouldn't encourage an idea that that's how it should always be when hearing program or descriptive music.

Boston Oops
! Oops!

[kuula]

Please forgive the outburst. I was just shell-shocked. Will not happen again.