# Those Hidden Gems



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 14, 2013)

Hey Guys ,
Here I am , waiting for my template to load , takes a while  , and I was thinking about composers in general , ranging from those known to unknown . Without question , there are countless works out there which I will never hear and would be a crime not to . Even with the great composers , there are works far less performed and recorded which are truly wonderful when you finally get to hear them . Would appreciate any Hidden Gems you guys would like to share , be it past or present , known or unknown composers . Looking forward to discovering new / old music  Thanks .


----------



## Sasje (Sep 14, 2013)

A not very well known (outside of Armenia) composer: Komitas Vardapet.

Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935) was an Armenian priest, composer, choir leader, singer, music ethnologist, music pedagogue and musicologist. Many regard him as the founder of modern Armenian classical music.
Komitas had a psychotic breakdown after witnessing the horrors of 1915 Armenian Genocide and is considered a martyr of the Genocide...

Komitas Vardapet - Al Aylughs (My Scarlet Handkerchief)


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 14, 2013)

Hey Sasje ,
After listening to the piece it led me to listen to some of his folk songs and piece's like Six Dances for Piano . Some gorgeous music . Thanks .


----------



## Sasje (Sep 21, 2013)

Probably unrelated, but I also love listening to Neil Young's Harvest for some inspiration. It doesn't have much orchestration (some here and there) but it's a great piece.


----------



## synergy543 (Sep 21, 2013)

Probably not too many outside of the U.K. know of Sir Arnold Bax as his music went out of style for many years (due to its tonality), which led him to the bottle, and to ultimately to resort to filmscoring. :wink: 
However, his early orchestral works are quite interesting.


----------



## synergy543 (Sep 21, 2013)

Nikokai Tcherpnin (not to be confused with his son Alexander) wrote some beautiful orchestrations. His father beat him regularly and instilled a strong sense of discipline that would've made him a good candidate for RC. 8) 
He competed with Stravinsky for the Firebird although this piece probably turned into the Enchanted Kingdom (not even on youtube believe it or not! Good god, somebody post this please). So here's on of his other works.


----------



## synergy543 (Sep 21, 2013)

And (lastly - I could go on and on but want to share the thread) there was this guy named Beethoven who you've probably heard of, *but *(oh, there's one more thing here)... 
if you haven't heard Andras Schiff's lectures on his Sonatas, then you're missing out on * absolutely the very best youtube has to offer.* 
There is so much to learn about composition and composing from these intriguing lectures - don't miss these gems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIExQ1Rsoy4&list=PLbaRdpWs4vq2Gs8gPJzrfzrbjTV_sJIVq (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIExQ1Rs ... bjTV_sJIVq)


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks Sasje , Synergy , the Neil Young certainly brings back memories from hearing my sister playing it . The 2 links you added Synergy are wonderful , and I must say I have never listened to either before . So thank you . And it does appear that Nikokai would have been a good candidate for RC  That made me smile . And what can one say . I'm a lifelong Beethoven , Wagner , Shostakovich Freak ... I'll stop there far too many greats to list  I've abused a few different pianists Complete recordings of the Sonata's over the years , always something to be learned .


----------



## synergy543 (Sep 21, 2013)

Glad you enjoyed the links (though you couldn't have listened to ALL the Schiff lectures yet!). 
OK here's another one, Gliere was Prokofiev's early teacher. His symphonies are rarely played (probably because they are too long) but here's a short little snippet (only 7m) from his 3rd Symphony.



And to aid your listening pleasure, here's the score.
http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnk ... 3FSjur.pdf


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 21, 2013)

Hey Synergy ,
Thanks for the new link , love Prokofiev , especially his Piano Concerto's so this will be interesting to hear his teachers work and how it may have effected his development . Thanks for the score also . The Beethoven lectures , yes they are wonderful , I listened to them many years back now , a wealth of information . I also use to buy the Robert Greenberg lectures when the were on sale and discounted , always fun and full of wonderful information and stories .
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/prof ... aspx?pid=3


----------



## Walid F. (Sep 22, 2013)

Akira Ifukube - Ritmica Ostinata. (Fantastic composition from beginning to end, it really gets crazy towards the end with insane time signatures)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Enjoy!


----------



## muk (Sep 22, 2013)

Let me add some piano music. You may have heard the composer's name - Zdenek Fibich - but I bet you never heard this gorgeous piece. It's Nr. 21 from his Moods, Impressions, and Souvenirs op. 41. I thoroughly love this piece of music. In my opinion, while all the other pieces of the collection do not, this one holds up well next to similar pieces by Schubert or Schumann.

However, this gem is so hidden that the only recording I have found is a 10 second excerpt only 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eRLhdEi9A0

It's the one right at the beginning. Isn't that magical?

Another one would be Ginasteras Danza de la moza donosa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eRLhdEi9A0

Maybe a bit better known, but still not as widely as it could.


----------



## rgames (Sep 22, 2013)

I really like Ahmed Adnan Saygun's symphonies but don't ever hear anyone talk about his music.

rgames


----------



## EthanStoller (Sep 22, 2013)

I love the beautiful melody and the perfectly understated performance of "Empire of Light" by Tin Hat Trio. One of my favorite songs of the century so far:


----------



## Goran (Sep 22, 2013)

Phew...where to start?

I suppose you can never go wrong with Sergei Taneyev's Piano Quintet, one of many sadly underperformed masterpieces by a sadly underprformed master composer in general...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya_L6OQ-I7o

...or the Adagio from the Symphony No.4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSxEvpIeCI0


...and we can continue with, f.e. Felix Draeseke's 1st Symphony:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MMEA5d28GQ

...enjoy!!!


----------



## SergeD (Sep 22, 2013)

Love Komitas Vardapet piece.

A beautiful diamond here, 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS4bZVVHWGk


----------



## sinkd (Sep 22, 2013)

Best. Thread. Ever.
:D


----------



## jleckie (Sep 22, 2013)

Great thread. Had several of these youtubed pieces running all day yesterday.


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 22, 2013)

Thanks Walid , indeed his use of rhythm is wonderful , really enjoyed that piece . Sergei Taneyev , wonderful composer , certainly left his mark on his students . Empire of Light , love it . And Kaleidoscope , absolutely wonderful . I'll add this one , old to some , new to others . I remember the first time I listened to Georg Friedrich Haas' "In Vain", was very inspiring . Now that's a challenge for sample based mockups , somewhat in the future  Would love to experience that live , with it's use of lighting throughout the piece .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PtJH63D0YY


----------



## Sasje (Sep 23, 2013)

Some Harry Partch is missing... 

Harry Partch: The musical instruments of Harry Partch (1945/1967) 



01. Adapted viola (start at minute 00.43)
02. Chromalodeon I & Blo-boy (1945-1949) (04.39)
03. Adapted guitar (1945) (07.19)
04. Kithara (1938-1945-1959) (08.34)
05. Harmonic canon II (1953) (09.56)
06. Diamond Marimba (1946) (10.55)
07. Bass Marimba (1951) (12.35)
08. Cloud chamber bowls (1950-1951) (14.08 )
09. Spoils of war (1950-1955) (16.11)
10. Marimba eroica (1951-1955) (18.20)
11. Surrogate Kithara (1953) (22.26)
12. Kithara II (1954) (24.02)
13. Boo (1955-1957) (25.35)
14. Koto (1956) (27.41)
15. Harmonic canon I (1945-1959) (29.05)
16. Chromelodeon II (1953-1959) (30.34)
17. Chromelodeons I & II (31.55)
18. Crychord (1960-1961) (34.11)
19. Zymo-xyl (1963) (35.20)
20. Mazda Marimba (1963) (37.14)
21. Gourd tree & Cone gong (1965) (39.02)
22. Eucal blossom (1964-1967) (41.03)
23. Quadrangularis reversum (1965) (42.28 )
24. Harmonic canon III (Blue rainbow, 1965) (45.02)
25. Hand instruments (1965-1967) (46.51)


----------



## KEnK (Sep 23, 2013)

Ahhh!

Harry Partch gets mentioned!
No one ever seems to talk about him.

Ever read his "Genesis of a Music" ?

It completely changed the way I think and hear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love the Komitas too.
Never heard of him before

k


----------



## JohnG (Sep 23, 2013)

Tigran Mansurian. I like his quartets numbers 1 and 2 in particular.

Youtube -- String quartet number 3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxucnKoK7g4

The music is very dramatic and evocative. I wonder what some of it would sound like reworked for full orchestra.


----------



## Goran (Sep 23, 2013)

SymphonicSamples @ Sun Sep 22 said:


> I remember the first time I listened to Georg Friedrich Haas' "In Vain", was very inspiring . Now that's a challenge for sample based mockups , somewhat in the future  Would love to experience that live , with it's use of lighting throughout the piece .
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PtJH63D0YY



Had the privilege of listening to Haas lecturing music theory and composition in my student days, also saw a great live performance of In Vain with Klangforum Wien some 9-10 years ago... one of his very best pieces imo...

...and to continue on a contemporary note, the Piano Concerto of my teacher, Beat Furrer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVuwGlazcA


----------



## apessino (Sep 23, 2013)

Goran @ Mon Sep 23 said:


> ...and to continue on a contemporary note, the Piano Concerto of my teacher, Beat Furrer:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVuwGlazcA



Wow... :shock: what a piece. Some pretty amazing performers right there.


----------



## bdr (Sep 23, 2013)

Lili Boulanger.

Got to know this piece through Thomas Goss' orchestration you tube channel. Beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF9SltYJAT8


----------



## Goran (Sep 23, 2013)

apessino @ Mon Sep 23 said:


> Goran @ Mon Sep 23 said:
> 
> 
> > ...and to continue on a contemporary note, the Piano Concerto of my teacher, Beat Furrer:
> ...



That's true, this is a great performance of the piece. Courtesy of WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln conducted by Peter Rundel, with Nicolas Hodges as soloist.


----------



## Goran (Sep 23, 2013)

bdr @ Mon Sep 23 said:


> Lili Boulanger.
> 
> Got to know this piece through Thomas Goss' orchestration you tube channel. Beautiful!
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF9SltYJAT8



+1

...and a grand symphony by an another badly underperformed female composer, Louise Farrenc (just listen to that 1st movement, Beethoven wouldn't need to have been ashamed to have composed that):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up8MVoFOheU


...no wonder Schumann held this lady in such a high esteem...


----------



## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 24, 2013)

This has been something I discovered recently I can´t stop listen to.
Also the other movements of the symphony. 
To me one of the greatest composers in 20th century. I`ve never heard of him before.
Einojuhani Rautavaara from Finland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De6PtkArQ1I


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 24, 2013)

Some wonderful additions . Indeed some hidden Gems that I've really enjoyed listening to . Please keep them coming


----------



## ed buller (Sep 24, 2013)

Just loved watching these....guys a legend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3HLqCHO08s

e


----------



## JohnG (Sep 24, 2013)

thanks bdr for the Boulanger piece. Beautiful text too.


----------



## BoulderBrow (Sep 24, 2013)

Ooh lot's of food for my ipod  

Rachmaninoff: Trio Elegiaque No.1 in G minor - old to some, new to me - talk about melody writing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN7h3ILAqXo


----------



## Goran (Sep 24, 2013)

Markus Kohlprath @ Tue Sep 24 said:


> This has been something I discovered recently I can´t stop listen to.
> Also the other movements of the symphony.
> To me one of the greatest composers in 20th century. I`ve never heard of him before.
> Einojuhani Rautavaara from Finland.
> ...



Know the composer by name, but somehow never got to listen to his music until now. Thanks for posting this.

Two hidden gems by two (almost) forgotten 19th century Germans: Carl Heinrich Reinecke and Heinrich von Herzogenberg (to be correct, Herzogenberg was Austrian).

Reinecke / Violin Concerto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkOJY9HM4h8


Herzogenberg / Symphony Nr.1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuGBeG4po28


----------



## TGV (Sep 24, 2013)

I'm very fond of Walter Braunfels, in particular his opera "Die Vögel". It's like a marriage between (Richard) Strauss and Wagner, but with better melodies. They are continuously changing, but still consistent, and the whole opera is mesmerizing from begin to the sublime end.

I'm also very fond of Frank Martin, who wrote in a more modern style, but without giving up his personal melodic and harmonic idiom.

- Some lesser known Russians that are really good: Glinka, Glazunov.
- French: Chausson, Duruflé.
- Dutch: Sweelinck, Diepenbrock.
- Belgian: Lekeu.
- Hungarian: Kodaly
- Czech: Martinu.
- Polish: Szymanowski, Zelenka.
- Spanish: Mompou.
- More modern, I'm fond of Gal, Hartmann, Gorecki, and Michael Torke.
- Spiritual: Kancheli.
- Renaissance: Josquin des Pres.

There is so much music. Wonderful. And I quite like the recommendations from the people above (and hopefully below). If you want, I can fill in some links too.


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 24, 2013)

Absolutely TGV , fire away . Some of us have collected gold only over the years , some precious gems , and some like one of my brothers , buckets of dirt :D


----------



## bdr (Sep 24, 2013)

JohnG @ Wed Sep 25 said:


> thanks bdr for the Boulanger piece. Beautiful text too.



No worries John. Score is available on imslp and here are a couple of orchestration analysis videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJJU1GPMKQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1QnFerJIZ8


----------



## wonshu (Sep 24, 2013)

What a great thread, keep it coming!! Thank you everybody!

Best,
Hans


----------



## Goran (Sep 25, 2013)

TGV @ Tue Sep 24 said:


> I'm very fond of Walter Braunfels, in particular his opera "Die Vögel". It's like a marriage between (Richard) Strauss and Wagner, but with better melodies. They are continuously changing, but still consistent, and the whole opera is mesmerizing from begin to the sublime end.
> 
> I'm also very fond of Frank Martin, who wrote in a more modern style, but without giving up his personal melodic and harmonic idiom.
> 
> ...



A good list, two small "national" corrections: Zelenka was Czech and Mompou was Catalan-French. 

To expand on the nationalities, here are my two favorite lesser known 19th century Scandinavians (a Dane and a Norwegian):

Asger Hamerig / Requiem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx5121o_0Fg 

Johan Svendsen / String Octet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BNVCiuT42U


Are you referring to Karl Amadeus Hartmann? I have just recently discovered his symphonies.


----------



## Chriss Ons (Sep 25, 2013)

*Franghiz Alizadeh* (Azerbaijan, b. 1947) Chamber
*Osvaldo Golijov* (Argentina, b.1960) Soundtrack/Chamber
*Eleni Karaindrou* (Greece, b.1941) Soundtrack
*Jouni Kaipanen* (Finland, b. 1956) Orchestral
*Gia Kancheli* (Georgia, b. 1935) Symphonic/Chamber
*Morten Lauridsen* (USA, b. 1943) Choral 
*James MacMillan* (Scotland, b.1959) Symphonic/Orchestral/Choral
*Einojuhani Rautavaara* (Finland, b. 1928) Symphonic/Orchestral
*Valentin Sylvestrov* (Ukraine, b.1937) Symphonic/Chamber
*John Tavener* (England, b. 1944) Choral/Lithurgical
*Veljo Tormis* (Estonia, b. 1930) Choral


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 25, 2013)

Hey bdr, thanks for the links . I recall looking through his channel some time back now but never saw these 2 clips . They're great , and duly deserved of the composer . 
Goran , 2 absolutely gorgeous pieces of music , especially the Requiem , I'll have to dig deeper into each composer . A couple of weeks back I dug out some old box's of CD's and listened to Alfred Schnittke 8th Symphony , hadn't heard it for a very long time . Some wonderful music , especially love the 3rd movement, Lento . 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgDwmIGTrhk


----------



## Goran (Sep 25, 2013)

SymphonicSamples @ Wed Sep 25 said:


> Hey bdr, thanks for the links . I recall looking through his channel some time back now but never saw these 2 clips . They're great , and duly deserved of the composer .
> Goran , 2 absolutely gorgeous pieces of music , especially the Requiem , I'll have to dig deeper into each composer . A couple of weeks back I dug out some old box's of CD's and listened to Alfred Schnittke 8th Symphony , hadn't heard it for a very long time . Some wonderful music , especially love the 3rd movement, Lento .
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgDwmIGTrhk



Didn't hear a piece by Schnittke in a very long time, thanks for posting the link. There is a very individual sort of "angularity" to his writing of instrumental lines (f.e. the 1st Movement here) which is very much to my liking. Very refreshing to hear his music after a while.

Two older lesser known Russians, with some grand pieces:

Georgy Catoire / String Quintet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpcQSJHGxac


Anatoly Lyadov / The enchanted lake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ0xs3_8gqc


----------



## TGV (Sep 25, 2013)

@Goran: Catoire's string quintet is great. I'd never heard of him.


> Are you referring to Karl Amadeus Hartmann? I have just recently discovered his symphonies.


Yes, him. I don't know many of his works, but I heard some live, and it impressed me. Rihm is another good modern composer, but he is stylistically so diverse that one could like 1 work and dislike the rest.

PS I did err on Zelenka's nationality: he would have been born in present day Czechoslovakia, but Mompou was Spanish. Not to tread on nationalistic sensitivities, but he was born and bred in Barcelona, and lived there the largest part of his life, which makes him Spanish by most accounts. His music is oriented to the French style, that's true.


----------



## Peter Alexander (Sep 26, 2013)

Leo Arnaud - AND! I promise, you will be SHOCKED!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IizWc4cJwbw

After listening, read:
http://www.robertgreenbergmusic.com/2012/07/20/viva-la-fanfare/ (http://www.robertgreenbergmusic.com/201 ... a-fanfare/)


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 26, 2013)

Well there you go Peter , thanks for setting the record straight . I had no idea of the history behind that Fanfare . An interesting read , which was a surprise from one point of view , but not from another  Any others up your sleeve ?


----------



## Peter Alexander (Sep 27, 2013)

SymphonicSamples @ Thu Sep 26 said:


> Well there you go Peter , thanks for setting the record straight . I had no idea of the history behind that Fanfare . An interesting read , which was a surprise from one point of view , but not from another  Any others up your sleeve ?



I can't take credit for the find. It was up Robert Greenberg's sleeve!


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Sep 27, 2013)

I know I said at the start of the thread , Robert Greenberg is a wonderful educator of music , his courses are wonderful . Also looking forward to what you have coming in your current series Peter


----------



## Goran (Sep 27, 2013)

TGV @ Wed Sep 25 said:


> @Goran: Catoire's string quintet is great. I'd never heard of him.
> 
> 
> > Are you referring to Karl Amadeus Hartmann? I have just recently discovered his symphonies.
> ...



I bought a 2 CD-recording of Mahler's 9th Symphony years ago which was coupled with Hartmann's 2nd Symphony, but didn't like the recording that much, so I didn't even listen to the Hartmann part. Then a few months ago I decided to get his complete symphonies with Ingo Metzmacher - probably the best "expanding horizons"-decision I made in the last half year.

On Mompou: personally I don't have any problems with calling him a Spanish composer, although I don't know if he himself would have considered him a Spanish or a Catalan national (being a sort of passive pro Franco conservative, probably the former 

Catoire is a very unknown name in the West (not so much in the countries of the former Soviet Union, where his music was regularly performed, as was that of Taneyev, Lyadov and many other today unjustly neglected Russian/Soviet composers), but this seems to be changing slowly, as his (first class) chamber music increasingly attracts performers seeking to expand their repertoire.

Another hidden gem of chamber music: Charles Villiers Stanford's Piano Quintet - imo au pair with the very best chamber pieces of the 2nd half of the 19th century. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQsRkXuNZk8


----------



## midi_controller (Sep 27, 2013)

Peter Alexander @ Wed Sep 25 said:


> Leo Arnaud - AND! I promise, you will be SHOCKED!
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IizWc4cJwbw
> 
> After listening, read:
> http://www.robertgreenbergmusic.com/2012/07/20/viva-la-fanfare/ (http://www.robertgreenbergmusic.com/201 ... a-fanfare/)



SHAME on you Peter! Posting an awful mono compressed to hell version. Go to your room, no supper for you!

Here is one with less suck:


----------



## Peter Alexander (Sep 27, 2013)

I'll take a listen later on tomorrow. 

I'm sorry, you'll have to punish Bob Greenberg. The link was on his site. >8o


----------



## apessino (Sep 30, 2013)

I am surprised no one has mentioned Thomas Ades yet... I guess as a gem he is not all that hidden :wink: as the hype surrounding him has been huge from day one.

Still, I love his work... some incredible pieces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYw5hfzH1KM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G8ySgSayK8

I also love his Baroque-inspired works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5IEPFQt8Cs


----------



## SymphonicSamples (Oct 5, 2013)

Thanks apessino, I finally got around to listening to the 2 pieces . Wow , Loved Totentanz . Thanks for the links , much appreciated . What about some Film Score that have gone under the radar over the years , anyone have any suggestions ?


----------



## Tatiana Gordeeva (Jan 19, 2014)

*Sviridov's Time, Forward!*

I was reminded of this well-known piece written by Sviridov (in one hour for the movie of the same name) by a nice matching video "Tower Bawher" by Theodore Ushev (just make sure you switch the video quality to 480p before playing):

http://www.onf.ca/film/tower_bawher

From Wikipedia: _A short segment from his score for the 1967 film *Time, Forward! *(Время, вперёд!) was selected as the opening theme for the main evening TV news program Vremya (Время, 'time') and became the staple of Soviet life for several generations._

More from Wikipedia (auto-translated from Russian):

" Time, Forward! "- suite Sviridov , written in 1965 for the film Michael Schweitzer, " Time, Forward! "devoted to the construction of the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant, based on the novel by Valentin Kataev.

The six-part suite exceptional popularity was the rumba - "Time Forward." Composer wrote it very quickly... for the film "Time, Forward!" and was afraid to miss the evening fishing, the composer started his alarm clock and in almost an hour he wrote the first part of the suite. It was later used in a number of films, television and radio broadcasts, documentaries about the First Five , about industrialization , the post-war reconstruction. Fragment of the musical theme of the last part of the call sign became news on the CG in the original, and then on the first channel in the arrangement .


----------



## impressions (Jan 19, 2014)

don't know if this guy is famous, it sound more like a really good film score, but its fun.

Symphony No. 2 "Romantic" III. Allegro con brio by leonard Slatkin, 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN4li1lVReQ&list=PLAA1ED9A7A386BDB8&index=55 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN4li1lV ... 8&amp;index=55)


----------



## Jetzer (Jan 21, 2014)

I know he is a world renowned film composer, but I always considered this piece as a sort of hidden gem from James Newton Howard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06odMZRZMBg

I don't know if it is in the movie or not, but this is one of the most beautiful orchestral pieces I know. I don't know why, it just moves me in a way only a few musical pieces do.


----------

