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I am absolutely impressed. Wonderful music!

This is a wonderful release which deserves more attention.
Is Röntgen's Piano Music groundbreaking? Definitely not, but that was not his intention in the first place. What we have here is a thouroughly enjoyable selection of his piano oevre. The Suite in Four Movements opus 7 (1873) reminds us, no surprise, of Schumann. Pleasant, melodious, subtle. Especially the Andantino is quite serene and lovely. The Variations and Finale on a Hungarian Czardas (a traditional Hungarian folk dance), opus 25 (1885) shows Röntgen's skills to play with a simple theme. The Three Romances opus 32 are my favourite pieces of this disc, because of the harmonic melodies. All very memorable. The ten parts of his opus 65, Buiten (translated as 'Outside', but I prefer the word 'Outdoors'), are all based upon frivolous melodies.

Good to see that this CD, well played by Mark Anderson, is Volume 1. No in-depth piano music, but it will give you nearly 71 minutes listening pleasure. Warmly recommended!

I have a few CD's with music from Joseph Ryelandt (1870-1965).
A French speaking religious composer from the beautiful city of Bruges (Brugge) in Flanders (Vlaanderen), whose music stands on his own. From what I have heard his orchestral music, chamber music and piano solo works are all late Romantic. Very recommended to give it a listen. Ryelandt's music will pleasantly surprise members who are not familiar with him.

From my collection:
Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, op 16 (1897)
It is on a Jubilee CD '150 jaar Stedelijk Conservatorium Brugge' (2 CD's of works by Flemish composers and it includes also a few songs by Ryelandt from opp 9, 19 and 46)
This double disc is issued by the Conservatory of Bruges in 1997. I have ordered the CD in 2012 from VZW AUBADE, Sint-Jakobsstraat 23, BE-8000 Brugge, Belgium. I remember I have sent Prof Wilfried Deroo a mail. Maybe you can google for some more information.
That having said, I think this First has both strange and some very beautiful passages, but it is worth listening once in a while.

Symphony Nos. 3 in E minor, op 47 & 5 in A major, op 108 (and the Suite for Orchestra, op 102)
The New Flemish Symphony Orchestra, Patrick Peire
Rene Gailly International Productions, CD 87 054
Without exaggeration I can say that the Third belongs to the most impressive unsung symphonies I have ever heard.

Symphony No. 4 in B minor, op 55 & Idylle Mystique for soprano and orchestra, op 30
Het Symfonieorkest van Vlaanderen, Fabrice Bollon
Cypres Records CYP 1616

Piano Quintet in A minor & Adagio for String Quartet in F Sharp minor, op 13 & String Quartet No. 2 in F minor & Andante 'Ach Tjanne' and Variations for piano sextet in G minor
Spiegel String Quartet, Jozef de Beenhouwer, piano
Phaedra 92055

Nocturnes, Preludes, Pensees Musicales (opp 62, 81, 90, 91, 93, 94, 96, 97, 126)
Bart Meuris, piano
Sabam Lanigram LAN 20071

Richard, happy hunting and many pleasant listening hours guaranteed!

Many thanks Mark, Eric and Amphissa! This must be the first and only performance of Dopper's First. Tomorrow I will give it a first listen.

[Cornelis Dopper]

My wishlist: the 3 unrecorded symphonies by Cornelis Dopper

No. 1 Diana (1896), premiered in 2005 (!)
No. 4 Sinfoniëtta in A minor (1909)
No. 5 Sinfonia Epica for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, chorus and orchestra (1908)

Reason: contemporary Dutch modernist composers like Pijper and Vermeulen thought of Dopper's music that it was too old fashioned. Maybe that is the reason why I like his symphonies.

Who doesn't love Röntgen's chamber music? The audio excerpts sound mouthwatering... https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/kammermusik-vol-1/hnum/5385392

Just a short note to let friends know that I tremendously enjoy listening to this new CD full of pianistic treasures. And it is an old discussion: wasn't Raff really not a piano virtuoso? I suppose he played his compositions himself as well. It varies between very tender and full of fire.
This disc is an absolute winner, just like the volumes 1, 2 and 3. Superbly played by Tra Nguyen, excellent notes by Mark.
Good lord, who is now my favourite unsung composer? Since decades it is Rubinstein. But now I am really in doubt. This disc does it.
Very warmly recommended!

Utterly delightful, with so many beautiful passages and emotional depth, like in the Adagio. Definitely a trouvaille... Thanks very much for the upload, Ludmil Angelov.

My choice would be the Piano Concerto in F minor, op. 6 by Karel Kovařovic.

What a shame. However, the symphony hasn't lost anything from its magical and symbolical power to me. A great and heart warming piece of music which grabs me by the throat.

According to the booklet notes included in the 3 CD box Complete Piano Works by Heinrich & Elisabeth von Herzogenberg (which has given me so much listening pleasure so far) in 2013 the pianist Nataša Veljković has recorded for cpo the complete solo piano works by Dora Pejačević.
I think this will be a release to look forward to.

Season Greetings and a most enjoyable and healthy New Year to all members from a sunny Christmas in the Netherlands (but without snow or ice).

Julius Röntgen visited his good friend Edvard Grieg several times in Norway. Röntgen was impressed by the overwhelming beauty of the Norwegian landscape and enjoyed the many folk tunes of the Norwegians.
He composed Variationen über eine norwegische Volksweise and a Ballade über eine norwegische Volksmelodie, both for orchestra. Lovely is Röntgen's Suite 'Aus Jotunheim', dedicated to Edvard and Nina Grieg on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary in 1892, which is a musical translation of the local colour of Jotunheim, home of the giants, and today a national parc.

A few days ago I heard on the radio a most charming short piece of orchestral music which I had never heard before. A lovely piece which must be rather familiar to UK members. It was Elizabethan Masque by Frederic Bayco. It reminds me a bit of Greensleeves. Light classical easy-listening music, nothing exciting, but when I am in the right mood I can listen to this kind of music for hours.
For an audio excerpt, listen to disk 4, number 13

Who was this composer Bayco? Is he now completely forgotten, maybe except for this Elisabethan Masque? Did he write more of this music? And if so, is it available?

Wikipedia gives some information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Bayco

Available within a few weeks. The audio samples sound promising...