Who are the Division 2 composers from Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe?

[teamsaint]

Hm. Not sure about sorting composers into league tables, but here goes with my choices for Czech composers.
The super league would include: Smetana, Dvorak, Janacek, Suk, Martinu (and obviously Mahler if we're going by country of birth); they would be followed by Jan Novak, Vitezslav Novak, Foerster, Fibich, Ostrcil, Vycpalek, Pavel Haas, Schulhoff, Kapralova, Eben; after that, I suppose is where I get to your "Division 2", but there are some very interesting composers here - I certainly don't think of them as second-rate: Jezek, Fucik, Axman, Hurnik, Dobias, Jeremias, Kricka, Haba, Jiri Pauer... The list could go on and on.

...and include Kabelac. Not many symphony cycles as impressive as his outside the Premier League.

[MrGongGong]

I always into trouble at school for not reading the question.

Hungary isn't in "Eastern" Europe
it's in Central Europe as my Hungarian colleagues are fond of reminding me

[Lat-Literal]

Hungary isn't in "Eastern" Europe
it's in Central Europe as my Hungarian colleagues are fond of reminding me

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2013-09-23/center-europe-purnuskes-lithuania-maphead-ken-jennings

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I agree with that, in view of its distance from that arbitrary line that has been drawn to divide Eurasia into two.

[Lat-Literal]

My definition in this thread is anything European that wasn't in the EU before 2004 except Norway and Iceland.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My definition in this thread is anything European that wasn't in the EU before 2004 except Norway and Iceland.

Or perhaps every Soviet bloc country?

[Lat-Literal]

Or perhaps every Soviet bloc country?

Mainly.

That was the "eastern bloc".

But not the Asian ones plus you can include Turkey, Cyprus, Malta etc.

I should have mentioned in my earlier post that Switzerland isn't applicable either.

[Lat-Literal]

........how about Szymanowski and Penderecki?

[antongould]

Premier league

Great stuff Mr GG ..... IMVVHO of course ......

[Bryn]

Premier league

Many thanks for the fillip. I was investigate via something other than my smartie when I get home from work (around 01:00 tomorrow morning).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Gubaidulina would surely also get ferney's vote on a different day.

Nah - but Ustvolskaya might.

Bbm and Alpie are quite right at pointing out my mischief-making (as I'd hoped would be clear from the little devil) - over the years, I have been frequently moved, excited, delighted and impressed by works by Shostakovich, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Borodin and other Russian composers. But, with ears fresh from reminders of the B minor Mass in this morning's BaL Modest and Igor are the only Russians who astonish me as frequently as does JSB.

(But is there a danger that the Thread might simply become a "list" of Eastern European composers?)

[Lat-Literal]

Nah - but Ustvolskaya might.

Bbm and Alpie are quite right at pointing out my mischief-making (as I'd hoped would be clear from the little devil) - over the years, I have been frequently moved, excited, delighted and impressed by works by Shostakovich, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Borodin and other Russian composers. But, with ears fresh from reminders of the B minor Mass in this morning's BaL Modest and Igor are the only Russians who astonish me as frequently as does JSB.

(But is there a danger that the Thread might simply become a "list" of Eastern European composers?)

I hope it is about structural thinking.

There are the composers who few would question are the significant ones, whether they like them all or not. What of the rest? Is it easy to separate those who have really made their mark and those who are frankly obscure? That certainly doesn't mean to say that the obscure are the least attractive but it is about narrowing lists to acquire knowledge and be certain on bearings. With some geographical areas, all of this sort of thing is fairly obvious. I suggest that it is less so the further east one travels. And there is potential for a lot of discussion here. For example, there are umpteen Russian composers whose names begins with M. Some seem to be mentioned a huge amount but they are played very little.

Do composers whose star is rising - Kalinnikov etc - acquire additional substance with greater popularity or simply reside in the cultural area of "have recently become more popular?". Does Gliere's interest in ethnic folklore add to his substance in the 21st Century when considered alongside Bartok and others? "The Five" must count for something or does it in 2017? Do Cui and Balakirev offer much to modern audiences or seem less substantial because of their nationalism? Post war are the most significant composers outside Russia because they could often be voices against it? Not that political sensitivities are key here. I suspect though I will end up going to Suffolk Coastal's lists to draw up my B list.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

...although, strictly speaking, Prokofiev wasn't Russian.

[Lat-Literal]

...although, strictly speaking, Prokofiev wasn't Russian.

Prokofiev has absolutely nothing to do with this thread, nor does any individual territorial angle on the Soviet Union.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

...although, strictly speaking, Prokofiev wasn't Russian.

Yes - in the same sort of way that Mahler wasn't Austro/German. I included him under "Russian composers I have enjoyed" as he was educated under the Rimsky/Glazunov Russian Music Education system, at St Petersburg Conservatoire.