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Nonetheless, while one can always find fault with some orchestra or other that doesn't have a big name, would we have even a glimmer of many unsung pieces without those early efforts? Really awful orchestras can be a distraction of course but listening for the music more than for the performance still pays off in many cases. And which critic is willing to fund a "great" orchestra to correct these "terrible" performances? I would rather have a scratchy recording to get an idea of how something I have never heard before than no recording of it at all.

Just ran across a YouTube video of an orchestral treatment of Fanny Mendelssohn's "Das Jahr", enjoyed it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8e0EEj2ylM

Say it ain't so, Joe!!

Earlier on this forum mention has been made speculating as to whether Louise Farrenc had written a piano concerto, and I found a biography by Bea Friedland of Farrenc (perhaps a dissertation) that included information that there was a piano concerto in B minor left in manuscript with two completed movements and a few piano sketches and violin lines after the composer's notation "Dopo una piccola pausa s'attacca subito il Finale". It is supposed to be in the Farrenc documents at the Bibliothèque Nationale. The manuscript bears no date, nor is it mentioned in Farrenc's or her husband Aristide's writings, but Ms. Friedland feels "the work's technical polish and its poetic temper, coupled with an engaging spontaneity, strongly suggest that it postdates the symphonies". How I wish I had the wherewithal to commission someone to pursue this, since to me, even an incomplete piece (and especially a piano concerto!) by this very accomplished composer would be great to hear. But I have neither where nor withal, and so there it will be, maybe for someone else to be intrigued by...
Another quote from Ms. Friedland regarding the second completed movement, a Larghetto in G major: "This hauntingly melancholy piece, and the abortive fragment that follows, might stand as a symbol for Mme. Farrenc's life as a creative artist--cut short, en route to its richest expression". (She had essentially ceased composing after her daughter's early death a decade before her own)
Just thought this might be of interest to a few of you.

If you can get through the clunky ordering process at Tiroler Landesmuseum they have had a half-price sale in November and December the last few years. It has worked for me a time or two, other times I have to communicate with someone personally, etc., but certainly a wonderful bunch of unsungs, Karl Senn, Pembauer, et al are quite enjoyable, and of course Rufinatscha's other symphonies. Just wonder why they did his Piano Concerto with a Hammerflugel instead of a modern piano.

There is a performance of Eduard Lassen's Violin Concerto on YouTube now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scO_ryQacPo&list=WL&index=7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMBpOYSjWQI&list=WL&index=2

Of course the answer is yes, I am sure the "successes" were far fewer than the pieces written by the "sung" composers. Having just read a biography of Tchaikovsky I realized how many operas he wrote, as well as the fact that I had not listened to his four suites for far too long. Enjoyed making that right!

I like all of those mentioned above, but find Adolf Henselt's still at the top of my list as the one of the most satisfying listening experiences I have ever had. Especially a movement in the middle--can't remember if there are 3 or 4 total--that utilizes the rich deep dark notes in the left hand part.

I have heard Dora Bright's Piano Concerto with Samantha Ward and while her work is excellent she is unfortunately accompanied by a less than stellar amateur orchestra, nonetheless, though I found no profundities, it was a lovely piece and I have listened to it again and again without getting tired or annoyed with it. Except for the french horns and high register violiins, why is it always the french horns and high register violins...But, also don't get me wrong, the kids did their best and thank God kids are willing to make music in the clearest way they can.
Any hope of Rosalind Ellicott ever showing up, or Helen Hopekirk--once heard a rumor that Hyperion after 70 or so of the Romantic Piano Concerto series might include her, but of course with Beach who has been recorded many times already. I still like the idea of someone stumbling across a stunningly original and magnificent concerto by Bluebell Klean, Angler of great repute!!!

Has anyone ever found a score for the piano concerto by Ingeborg Starck von Bronsart? It seems there was some mention of a search for it previously. Also, though the only mention I have ever seen of a piano concerto by Louise Farrenc was in the International Cyclopedia of Woman composers by Aaron Cohen, I wonder if anyone had looked any further for it. Unfortunately, I don't have the funds or the know how to search these, but these composers have always intrigued me, especially since we have been allowed to hear Farrenc's symphonies and chamber works. Buena Suerte, Aramiarz!!!

That's why I said "Walter". Eric wondered what Walter wrote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3ptaUDmSkE

Opera by Walter Damrosch on YouTube

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/p87qoducezp42/holger

I recorded the concert of HR3--or most of it if anyone is interested. Included the concert with commentator and edited Baimonti, Tklacic, and von Zaytz

While always seemingly marked as arrangements or orchestrations, Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" has pleased me in almost any configuration, because the piano version alone towers above so much other music. My favorite is the Emile Naoumoff version, I see one by Leonhard Lawrence on YouTube. I wasn't too impressed the movements that Mestre added to the Granodos' 1st mvt (apparently with the most indications of what the author wanted). I also like the Elgar piano concerto for the most part for no particular reason. I guess sometimes I balk a little at people turning piano quintets, etc. into concertos, usually seem to fall a bit thin on the ears. For example, Brahms' Piano Quintet in F minor is, like the original "Pictures" on piano, more than just fine the way it is. All just my unschooled opinion, and I guess if this sort of thing is amusing to composers, they can do all they want, but I definitely agree that truth in advertising helps me accept such more open-mindedly.

I once heard a program that was to present lady composers and they listed Karen Kachaturian, that was many years ago, barely in the 70s do I remember some work in which the music world was beginning to look at the many female composers. The earliest I remember learning about in my own "career" of learning about and collecting classical music (in a most non-musicological way) were Marianne Martinez, Amy Beach and Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte. Also CRI records was beginning to give American composers some attention, and Melodiya and Supraphon were way ahead in producing works by women, even then.
If you haven't run across a huge work by Aaron I. Cohen called "International Encyclopedia of Women Composers" it contains references to probably 5000 composers and has appendices of eras in which they lived, nationalities, types of compositions, even about 250 pictures of them. Aaron I. Cohen was not a musicologist but a town-planner, yet this was his huge labor of love. Under each composers name there are short biographies, bibliographies and lists of work. I don't think this is considered a definitive work, but certainly an extremely interesting one to anyone becoming aware of the importance of woman composers throughout the ages. Actually, the book is out of print but remainders still appear to be available at Berkshire Records for $35, two volumes about 1800 pages. I have enjoyed mine for many years, and have gradually collected a lot of music I first saw mentioned in it.

http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com/search.php?row=0&brocode=&stocknum=&text=encyclopedia&filter=all&book=1&submit=Search

I don't work for Berkshire but if this work interests you and it's not in your library, here is the page for it.

I have always wanted to hear something by Elsa Respighi, it must have been wonderful for you to actually know her, Adriano. I only recently got to hear works by Gubitosi and Giuranna.

This is the reference work that suggests Louise Farrenc wrote a piano concerto, but if she really did it hasn't been  found to my knowledge. If it is, it will probably be very good.
Things are looking up, I finally got to hear Marie Grandvaal's oboe concerto on CD, the Konzertstuck by Clara Schumann, etc.

Best wishes, Jim

By the way, some of the orchestral works listed by Respighi are: Serenata di maschere, Danza orgiastica, Danza sacra, Danza triste, operas Alcesti, Fior de neve, Samurai, but I think one of the shortcomings is that as earlier mentioned this encyclopedia is not always complete or definitive.
Another thought brought up by this thread was of the wives of male composers who also composed, such as Respighi, Schumann, Alma Mahler, Nina Makarova, et al, can't remember any others just now. And lots of sisters, too I think, Fanny Hensel of course.