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I agree that Bach influence is so far reaching as to being detectable in almost every composer after him (or Him). Thus, instead of trying to nominate a long list of unsung composers influenced by Bach I would better like to point out some pieces in which unsung composers have unashamedly (but somehow successfully) imitated Bach style. And I am not meaning Bach the Master of Counterpoint but Bach the Master of Melody. In particular, the shadow of the Air of the Third Orchestral Suite looms large over the following pieces (all of them are among the best examples I know of serene beauty akin to that of the Master):

A. Foote      Air from the Serenade Op.25
C. Reinecke  Andante con variazioni (2nd movement) from Piano Quintet Op. 83
D. Páque    Aria from the String Qt. No. 4
B. Tchaikovsky  Moderato (1st movement) of the Clarinet Concerto

Among them, I would like to highlight the figure of the Belgian composer Desiré Páque (1867-1939), who appears to be now largely forgotten. In the early 90's Koch published two CDs of his very interesting string quartets and another one with piano sonatas. Then, when it appeared that a Páque revival would take hold, Koch did not longer issue and no other label showed interest for his cause (as far as I know). Páque composed no less than 8 symphonies, 2 piano concertos, a cello concerto, a Requiem, 10 string quartets, 3 piano quintets, 3 piano trios, 4 violin sonatas,... During his creative life he appears to have evolved from a late romantic to a more advanced (almost polytonal) style. Judging from the few works I have heard (those on the above CDs), I believe that his music deserves to be rescued from oblivion.

The CD is already available in shops (at least in Spain). Here are two links where the CD can be purchased on the web:
http://www.diverdi.com/tienda/detalle.aspx?id=42796
http://www.clicmusique.com/goltermann-jeral-wolf-concertos-pour-violoncelle-mandozzi-amigo-p-4397.html?language=en
The CD has been issued by a Canadian label called "XXI". It has a website (http://www.xxi-21.com) but it is still under construction.

Cello Concertos by Georg Goltermann (1824-1898) and Wilhelm Jeral (1861-1935) have been coupled on a recent CD (XXI-CD 2 1605).
The German composer Georg Goltermann was well known as cello virtuoso during the second half of the 19th century. Today, he is only familiar to cello players through a few short encore and study pieces but he wrote as much as 8 cello concertos. The one played here is number 3 in B minor  Op. 51 (wrongly listed as Op.57 in the back cover). Anyway, it is different from the only other Goltermann concerto already issued on CD (number 2 in D major Op.30) and, thus, this performance is justly claimed as a World premiere recording on CD". The concerto is a pleasant one, written in a early-romantic style, but (as is the case of the works of other cello virtuosi such as Duport, Romberg, Popper, Franz Neruda, ...) it is not an ambitious or substantial work.
Somewhat more interesting is the concerto of the Czech Wilhelm Jeral, an obscure, nowadays totally forgotten, romantic composer. He was also a cellist, playing as first cello at the Vienna Opera orchestra under Gustav Mahler. At that position he came in direct competition with Franz Schmidt. The story is told by Schmidt himself in his Autobiographical Sketch (an English translation can be found in H. Truscott "The Music of Franz Schmidt. Vol 1: The Orchestral Music" Toccata Press). After retirement of an older first cellist, Schmidt used to play the orchestral solos as an interim section leader. However, when the position was officially assigned, it was shared by Jeral and one Buxbaum (according to Schmidt, this was a result of the intrigues of Arnold Rosé, the orchestral leader and brother-in-law of Mahler). Even if Mahler seemed to prefer Schmidt's playing, he condescended in order not to come in conflict with Rosé. All this embittered Schmidt. At a certain rehearsal of "Die Walküre" Mahler was dissatisfied with Jeral and Buxbaum performances and asked Schmidt to play the solos. Schmidt refused to do so unless he was promoted to the principal position on the spot. Mahler raged in anger rejecting Schmidt's pretension, and the relation between the two great composers became strained ever after.
Jeral's Cello Concerto Op.10 is written in a more advanced romantic idiom than Goltermann (but, nevertheless, fairly more conservative than Mahler or Schmidt). Most moving is the central Adagio with a beautifully serene melody. The first movement is in a somewhat pastoral mood and the last one is a tarantella.
Scores of both concertos (in reduction for cello and piano) can be downloaded at IMSLP.
The sound and performance are very good and the CD rounds off with an orchestral piece: Hugo Wolf's Corregidor Suite (arranged by Hans Gal). This disc is a true rarity.

I hold in high esteem Bazzini's Violin Sonata Op.55. Its stunning first movement doesn't sound old-fashioned at all, rather the opposite. Nevertheless, I agree that he doesn't reach the same level with the string quartets.

A splendid Viola sonata is the one in D major Op.15 by Paul Juon (1872-1940). A fully romantic piece from a composer sometimes referred as "the Russian Brahms" (an title applied also by some critics, with perhaps less foundation, to Taneyev and Medtner). There is another viola sonata by Juon (Op.82a in F minor) but this is in fact a viola version of a clarinet sonata,
Also coming from Russia is the interesting Viola Sonata in C minor Op.10 by Alexander Winkler (1865-1935), a little known Russian romantic composer.
The scores of both sonatas are available on IMSLP and also both have been recorded on CD by the Russian violist Svetlana Stepchenko.

Before this thread dies out because of the sheer lack of recorded works, let's try to exhaust the subject.
For the sake of completeness I would mention the piano concerto by Henri Collet (1885-1951), the famous Parisian critic (the one that coined the name "Les Six" for the group of composers around Cocteau). As some of his countrymen, he became fascinated with Spanish folklore. He came to Spain to study the culture in depth and composed a Concerto Flamenco (i.e. Flamingo Concerto) for piano and orchestra. This has been issued in CD by the label Claves (CD 50-9801) together with a similar one for violin and orchestra and an Alhambra symphony. I do not recommend this work. First, because it doesn't sound French at all and, most important, because Collet uses popular rhythms and tunes without much elaboration, in a way that sounds quite provincial (at least to my Spanish ears).
So, instead of a French concerto that sounds Spanish, let me go the other way round and introduce you a Spanish concerto that sounds French. I am referring to the piano concerto of one Antonio (or Antoni) Torrandell (1881-1965), a native of the Spanish island of Majorca who went to the Schola Cantorum in Paris to study with Charles Tournemire. Shortly after returning to Spain he composed the piano concerto in B minor. It is a work of symphonic proportions that sounds as if Tournemire had composed it himself. Well, perhaps it has a certain sunny Mediterranean touch (as if Tournemire had spent summer vacations in Mallorca) but is certainly a lovely work. It has been issued in a locally subsidized CD coupled with Torrandell's Symphony No.1 for violin and orchestra (in fact a Concerto Symphonique for violin) which is also an interesting work in the same style. The recording has had a very limited distribution but still can be found at the following website:
http://www.onadigital.com/botiga/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=147&category_id=6&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=32
I guess that some excerpts of the works can be heard at this URL but they are not working for me (probably because some setup problem in my computer).
Please forgive me for sneaking in a non-French work in this thread but I think that this could be real find for those of you who like to discover little gems from obscure composers.

An interesting article, indeed. Thanks!

Anyway, I think that covers the south of Europe, and I want to recommend at least the Martucci and the Wolf-Ferrari quintets for some kind of short list of yours, Glazier.

I would not close the issue of southern European piano quintets without mentioning two very distinguished works by little-known Italian composers which luckily have been recorded on CD. I find them as good as those by Martucci, Sgambati and Wolf-Ferrari.
One is the piano quintet by Alfonso Rendano (1853-1931), a pianist pupil of Thalberg. His quintet is beautifully romantic with a most expressive theme leading the first movement after an introductory Largo, and a charming Serenade, in the form of a Bachian aria, as a second movement. I think there have been at least two commercial recordings of this work (on the Ermitage and Aura labels).
Then there is this most extraordinary piano quintet by Guido Alberto Fano (1875-1961), a student of Martucci. His piano quintet is of symphonic proportions (almost 40 minutes) and is written in an attractive late romantic idiom. Most uncommonly this work includes an additional trumpet (!!) in the last movement (don't panic, Glazier! The trumpet part is optional and, therefore, this is still a bona fide piano quintet). The trumpet is used muted and sparely (mainly to highlight and reinforce the chorale theme that dominates the final movement). As far as I know, the only recording of this work (which includes the trumpet) has been issued by the label Phoenix Classics with no less than Aldo Ciccolini at the demanding piano part.
Another late romantic piano quintet by Vito Frazzi (1888-1975) is also available on CD. Although a pleasant piece is not of the same stature of the two mentioned above.
Besides, if Croatia qualifies as Southern European, I would surely include the piano quintet by Dora Pejacevic (1885-1922) as an outstanding exponent of the genre, which is also available on CD.
As for the original question, I think that, after Brahms, Schumann and Dvorak, the piano quintets by Elgar and Franck are the runner-ups, closely followed by Taneyev, Fauré, Dohnanyi (both of them), Berwald (specially the first), Medtner, Hahn, Bridge ...
Among the romantic piano quintets that still have not been mentioned and appear worthy to me, I would like to nominate the Fibich (although originally including clarinet and horn there is also a version by the composer for regular piano and string quintet which has been recorded), the Heise in F major, and the charming early essay by Sibelius in G minor. Although I am not specially fond of the music of Arnold Bax, I admit having a weakness for his piano quintet (also in G minor), specially for the second movement (lento serioso) displaying a splendidly melodic theme (of clear Irish inspiration) couched in impressionistic harmonies and instrumental effects.

I hope to hear the late string quartet and cello sonata he wrote, sometime, but am not sure they've been recorded yet.

Both the 1988 String quartet Op.33 and the 1989 Cello Sonata Op.34 have been recorded in a CD devoted to Khrennikov's chamber music issued by the Russian label Kapelmeister (KAP 012). Interestingly, this very same CD contains the hitherto only recording of his 4th Piano Concerto Op.37 of 1991. It can be obtained from Russian CD dealers through e-bay.
Also, for Khrennikov lovers, I would recommend to search secondhand dealers for an old Russian Disc CD (RD CD 10 070) recording of his ballet "Napoleon Bonaparte", which contains some of his most powerful music. His "Three pieces for violin and orchestra Op.26" performed by Igor Oistrakh on Audiophile Classics (APL 101.532) are also well worth to pursue.

It might be of interest for admirers of Veale's Violin Concerto to be aware that his Clarinet Concerto from 1953 has also been issued on CD (ABC Classics 456 678-2, played by Paul Dean and the Queensland SO under Richard Mills). It is a 15 minute piece in three sections played without a break, very similar in style to his Violin concerto. The dreamy theme of the first section comes near to British film music of the age.
The CD includes also the rarely performed clarinet concerto by Walter Piston (written in his academic brand of modernistic neoclassicism), the Dance Preludes by Lutoslawski and another concerto by the soloist's brother, Brett Dean (1961), in which I found little interesting. Actually this recording seems now hard to find but it is advertised in Amazon (though at a high price):

http://www.amazon.com/Ariels-Music-Dean/dp/B00006I8MI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1275070543&sr=1-9

A very good piece involving birds is Gregorz Fitelberg's 'Song of the Falcon' (1905), unfortunately (AFAIK) not represented in the catalogue but a vivid evocation of birdflight.

Good news! The Song of the Falcon by Gregorz Fitelberg is indeed represented in the CD catalogue with a recent issue of the label EDA (Reference: EDA 27). I wish that more music  of this composer were available.
By the way, John, if I remember correctly the bird sounds appear in Respighi's "Pines of Rome", not in the "Fountains" (after all, you have higher chances to find birds in the forest than in the fountains!).
I would like to mention also the (to me) extraordinarily beautiful song "Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis", the second one from Ravel's Trois Chansons for choir.

The period that you mention seems to have been no less than "glorious" for the British Symphony, both in number (of works and composers) and in quality. For those of you that speak or, at least can understand, German I recommend the book "Die britische Sinfonie 1914-1945" by Jürgen Schaarwächter (Verlag Dohr 1994) with about 600 pages on the subject. At the end of the book there is a list of all (known) British symphonies premiered between 1825 and 1975. The peak appears to have been between 1955 and 1968 with an average of more than 15 new symphonies per year (happy times!).

Perosi is better known as a catholic liturgical composer (he was in fact the Music Director of the Sixtine Chapel in Rome) but I find him best in his chamber music. As John said, his chamber music is well crafted, memorably tuneful, varied and inventive, and surely a surprise for those that only have heard his masses and oratorios. His chamber music style is similar to that of his contemporaries Respighi and Wolf-Ferrari. It is also astonishing that the main body of it (16 String Quartets, 4 Piano Quintets and 3 String Trios) was composed in the interval of just three years (1928-1931).
However, the main drawback (and what a drawback!) is the third-rate rendition of all these works by the so called "Ensemble Perosi" in the Bongiovanni label (the only recording available so far). It is not a question of the performance being stylish or not (which might be a matter of taste). It is just that these guys go badly out of tune far too often. Thus, the greatness of this music can be only envisaged rather than actually perceived through these recordings. This problem (poor sound and shabby performances) is recurrent with Bongiovanni, making it a sort of Jekyll and Hyde label. One the one hand, you may think that it is better to have these deficient recordings than nothing. On the other hand, the release of the works may surely deter others from recording the same repertoire (not specially profitable from the economic point of view) thereby stealing the opportunity of a decent version by other labels that do things better. So, I cannot join an indiscriminate applause to them.
For those of you liking the music of Perosi, I would like to bring to your attention also the music of his successor as Music Director of the Sixtine Chapel, Domenico Bartolucci (1917-2008). He is much less known than Perosi but wrote music in the same vein. He produced also much church music but, as Perosi, had also a penchant for symphonic and chamber music. I heartily recommend a CD containing his Sinfonia Rustica (a beautiful symphony with some surprising Nielsenesque turns) and Piano Concerto (with a final movement that is a real joy)  as well as another CD of chamber music with his beautiful  Sonata en SOL for violin and piano, and a piano trio. These CDs have been issued by the Italian label Capella Sistina and can only be found at specialized Italian shops (such as the website mentioned by John). The sound and performances are not first class but still decent.

Hi Marcus,

You are right in that few Canadian composers of the older generations have been documented, let alone recorded. Perhaps, asking for composers of the 18th century is too much (there weren't too many in the US either) but surely during the 19th century there must have been a regular musical life in most cities. It is likely that Canadian composers of that age are simply "unsung". I have been searching my record collection for romantic Canadian music and found only a pleasant piano trio by Alexis Contant (1858-1918). You may see (and hear excerpts of) this record here:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Hertz-Trio/hnum/1238273

Other composers appearing in reference books are Calixa Lavallée (1842-1891), who composed the Canadian national anthem, and Guillaume Couture (1851-1915), a pupil of Theodore Dubois in Paris. Nevertheless, the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada on the web (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=EMCSubjects&Params=U1) lists 561 entries of Canadian composers of all times that may be worth to examine.
Finally, I would like to mention Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973), a  major Canadian composer on the verge of Romanticism to Impressionism. His C minor string quartet made a deep impression on me. If you don't know this excellent work, you may hear some excerpts at this URL:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Glenn-Gould-Streichquartett-op-1/hnum/5307608

Unfortunately, the coupling is Glenn Gould's string quartet Op.1, an inflated work which has been aptly reviewed by Otto Joachim as: "Gould made all the mistakes a young composer can make. He did not know when and how to bring his work to an end".

Hello Marcus!

Thank you for your comprehensive summation of the available information about Anne Marie Orbeck. I have been looking at the International Encyclopedia of Women Composers but it doesn't provide further information not collected by you. I agree that the symphony is well worth hearing. I also enjoy the songs on the CD  (specially the one entitled "A prayer to the heavens") even if the singer is not top-notch.

gentile