I pity those who listen to pop music only.
Whatever we take as the starting point, the Harlem R&B or the Rock&Roll, it is only 60 years of composing.
We, lover of classical music can choose from 400 years of composing!
(no, I don’t think the music from the middle ages belong to classical, it is as simple hence as boring as pop music
? )
The funny thing is, although we have a tremendous repertoire to choose from, we often listen to the same composers; Monteverdi, Bach (JS of course), Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler and a few more.
Why settle for less if you have these giants?
Over the years I started listening to the second echelon.
By and large due to a friend who knows every nook and cranny of classical.
A couple I would like to mention.
Alkan, Charles-Valentin (1813-1888)
A virtuoso pianist himself, his compositions often labor on the virtuoso.
Hence technical challenging so often the performance has a “look at me, how brilliant I am” character.
12 Etudes d'orgue pour les pieds seulement by Kevin Boyer
Indeed an church organ played with the feet only.
Some crackpot compositions.
Esquisses by Steve Osborne
Exquisite indeed.
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788)
Bach is Johan Sebastian is baroque
As I’m not a big fan of the baroque (very formal) I never paid attention to CPE
His music is totally different from his father. An exponent of the “classical” period instead of the baroque.
Lively, spiritual, free from the formal constrains of the baroque
My favorite CPE: Triosonaten by Richard Egarr, London Baroque.
Hummel, Johann Nepomuk (1778-1837)
There you are, writing excellent compositions in the shadow of that mount Everest called Beethoven
I like the piano sonatas as played by Stephen Hough
Onslow, George (1784-1853)
Called the French Beethoven and totally forgotten.
A composition I like very much are the sonatas Op.16 as played by Ilia Korol and Norbert Zeilberger
Vitali, Tomaso Antonio (1663-1745)
Anyone know this guy?
His Chaconne in G-m as played by Clematis is high on “what to play on my funeral list”
Soler, Padre Antonio (1729-1783)
As fierce as you can expect from a Spanish composer.
Listen to recording by Elena Riu or Vestard Shimkus
Can’t get enough? There is the complete recording by Bob van Asperen.
Stamitz, Johann (1717-1757)
Richter, Franz Xaver (1709-1789)
I mention them both as they are on an excellent performance by the New Dutch Academy
Enough esoteric composers ?
Whatever we take as the starting point, the Harlem R&B or the Rock&Roll, it is only 60 years of composing.
We, lover of classical music can choose from 400 years of composing!
(no, I don’t think the music from the middle ages belong to classical, it is as simple hence as boring as pop music
? )The funny thing is, although we have a tremendous repertoire to choose from, we often listen to the same composers; Monteverdi, Bach (JS of course), Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler and a few more.
Why settle for less if you have these giants?
Over the years I started listening to the second echelon.
By and large due to a friend who knows every nook and cranny of classical.
A couple I would like to mention.
Alkan, Charles-Valentin (1813-1888)
A virtuoso pianist himself, his compositions often labor on the virtuoso.
Hence technical challenging so often the performance has a “look at me, how brilliant I am” character.
12 Etudes d'orgue pour les pieds seulement by Kevin Boyer
Indeed an church organ played with the feet only.
Some crackpot compositions.
Esquisses by Steve Osborne
Exquisite indeed.
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788)
Bach is Johan Sebastian is baroque
As I’m not a big fan of the baroque (very formal) I never paid attention to CPE
His music is totally different from his father. An exponent of the “classical” period instead of the baroque.
Lively, spiritual, free from the formal constrains of the baroque
My favorite CPE: Triosonaten by Richard Egarr, London Baroque.
Hummel, Johann Nepomuk (1778-1837)
There you are, writing excellent compositions in the shadow of that mount Everest called Beethoven
I like the piano sonatas as played by Stephen Hough
Onslow, George (1784-1853)
Called the French Beethoven and totally forgotten.
A composition I like very much are the sonatas Op.16 as played by Ilia Korol and Norbert Zeilberger
Vitali, Tomaso Antonio (1663-1745)
Anyone know this guy?
His Chaconne in G-m as played by Clematis is high on “what to play on my funeral list”
Soler, Padre Antonio (1729-1783)
As fierce as you can expect from a Spanish composer.
Listen to recording by Elena Riu or Vestard Shimkus
Can’t get enough? There is the complete recording by Bob van Asperen.
Stamitz, Johann (1717-1757)
Richter, Franz Xaver (1709-1789)
I mention them both as they are on an excellent performance by the New Dutch Academy
Enough esoteric composers ?
