Pianophilia

Does anybody else get frustrated that time and time again musicians - or perhaps I should say record labels - record music that already has dozens of very fine recordings; Beethoven Sonatas for example, while neglecting so many other fine works? I do, and if I had an ounce of skill at the keyboard you can bet I'd be recording that music - if my record label let me that is...... (sigh)
What would everybody like to here a recording of?
I'll start with the 24 Preludes and Fugues of Carl Czerny (I'd suggest the sonatas but they're already being taken care of).
Also, there is a Prelude and Fugue by Sergei Lyapunov that I read was written , in one critics words, "in the white heat of inspiration". Actually any new works by Lyapunov would be a welcome addition to my CD collection.

The Czerny Preludes and fugues were also in my list, I asked a lot of young pianists to study those for recordings but the answer was always the usual ... they want to record the nth version of the Schubert D.960 or similar....

A random wish: The ten Symphonies of Fritz Brun

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Brun

I have a couple of movements, but that's all.

From my point of view, many (or all!) of the works posted in PP not already recorded should be recorded!

Personally speaking, I would love to hear recordings of the complete piano music and the one concertante work of Émile Blanchet, and the piano music of Henri Stierlin-Vallon.

Also, piano music by Émile Forgues and Heinrich Schwartz and piano and chamber music by Max Jentsch, Bernard van Dieren and E.M. Delaborde.

Another composer who intrigues me is Léon Kreutzer. He has two symphonies, eight string quartets and numerous other piano and chamber works to be discovered.

Many may not agree with parts of this list, but all these composers interest me

4candles wrote:...chamber music by ... Bernard van Dieren ...

Hi Fork Handles!

Hope you grabbed my scans of three of van Dieren's String Quatets?

I do have a little dark list of works i wish were recorded.
In particular...Orest Yevlakhov´s Piano Concerto.
Alexander Mosolov´s Symphony Cuban, and well also the ones that where not recorded. The lermontov's Symphony perhaps? Also his operas and ballets.
Sulkhan Nasidze's Symphony No.1 and 8-10. Tsintsadze's Symphonies 1, 2, 4, 5. Revol Bunin's Symphonies 1,2,3,4,7, 9.
And of course who does not want to hear the unrecorded symphonies by Weinberg?
And the last one i might say Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov's Piano Concerto.

Tony

Arjuna wrote:Does anybody else get frustrated that time and time again musicians - or perhaps I should say record labels - record music that already has dozens of very fine recordings...

I would re-ask that question to also include amateur musicians as well.

I was at a holiday party last December, where the hostess was showing off her new baby grand. She had it tuned and regulated just prior to the event, and the layout of the space was such that you had to pass by it when moving from one area to another. She invited many who had the same piano teacher as herself to to sit and play (some even brought music with them). The majority of them played exceptionally well for not being professionals, but it was steady stream of Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, a sprinkling of Bach and Rachmaninoff, repeat. While enjoyable, it' would have been nice to get some variety outside of that grouping.

I had quite a long conversation with one of the more frequent players, and mentioned pieces by Palmgren, Melartin, Sibelius, Scriabin, MacDowell, Shostakovich, and a few other favorite composers of mine. While he was aware of the symphonic works by Sibelius and Shostakovich, he knew nothing about their piano works, and was totally unfamiliar with the others. (The unfamiliarity with Scriabin really shocked me.) He seemed interested, and was familiar with IMSLP (another reason I was shocked about his narrow view of the piano repertoire), so hopefully he did look up some of the names/pieces I mentioned.

Perhaps it is a case of the extant recordings, and concert programs, and teaching efforts being dominated by the "standard" repertoire, and listeners, including amateur musicians, not exploring beyond that.

Being an amateur myself, I don't have anything really prepared that I can just sit down and play from memory; so I didn't that evening. Perhaps this coming December (it's an annual party) I'll have a few pieces ready that may stretch a few ears.

(Apologies for drifting a bit off topic.)

rob wrote:

4candles wrote:...chamber music by ... Bernard van Dieren ...

Hi Fork Handles!

Hope you grabbed my scans of three of van Dieren's String Quatets?

Ah, must have missed that one. Thanks for the heads up!

Allan wrote:
Perhaps it is a case of the extant recordings, and concert programs, and teaching efforts being dominated by the "standard" repertoire, and listeners, including amateur musicians, not exploring beyond that.

Being an amateur myself, I don't have anything really prepared that I can just sit down and play from memory.

I agree. I'm sure it's also a case of historical practices in the music schools and conservatoires, where many or most of our brightest pianists and musicians hone their art before taking to the world stage. All the great known pianists and teachers learned and taught the standard repertoire, and I don't know that they would have made much of a point of promoting lesser-known works. Commercially, many record companies until fairly recently were probably playing it safe. A recording of a Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Beethoven, Handel or Bach would have been a much safer money earner than an Alkan, Bortkiewicz, Reger or Lourié.

I once was invited to an EPTA evening, where teachers (which I wasn't) played Brahms, Beethoven and Chopin. There was literally a buzz when I took to the piano and introduced two works by Alkan (which I didn't play in their entirety due to my amateurishness ). At least they had heard of him I suppose!

Anyway, long-winded response over!

Sorry for this diversion too! This is a nice thread... I think it would be wonderful if people also shared names of pieces by "unusual"/"unheard" composers they have liked. I suppose one of the problems, especially for amateurs like me is that there are so many scores out there but it is almost next to impossible to sift through them all to find something one really likes. I for one would really appreciate such suggestions and I am sure there are several others here too who share my sentiments. Perhaps the mods might approve of a separate thread?

My introduction to Stanchinsky, for example, were his Eb minor Sonata and the Canon prelude in E Myxolydian (both rather difficult pieces BTW).

Thanks,
Parag