One hit wonders

[cloughie]

From Wednesday's programme listing:

"Albinoni (compl. Giazotto): Adagio in G minor"

Really? I thought the dominant opinion of musicologists was that it was Giazotto from start to finish and the supposed fragment by Albinoni was also a Giazotto invention.

I always thought it was G’s work too but he cashed in on using Albinoni’s name. Did Giazotto write anything else?
I see that Pergolesi is another of this week fayre - I wonder if Ricciotti or Wassenauer will get a mention!

[Pulcinella]

Well, this thread has caused me to dig out my only Dukas-only CD for a spin later on (I think I have only one other recording of L'Apprenti sorcier, in a BBC MM compilation; but I have another version of La Péri – Fanfare and Poème dansé – in the big Sony Boulez box):

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8160658--dukas-orchestral-works

Edit: The Decca OSR/Ansermet box also contains the apprentice and La Péri.

[NatBalance]

The more frequent appearances of music by the likes of non-white, non-male composers hasn't been totally due to the tick box exercise at head office in my view. So perhaps a bit of positive feedback might find a positive reception?

Yes I agree, we need to send in our feedback, and I normally do, but with the likes of Dukas they don't actually ever play any other music by him, except that once after my email. I'd also like to hear, for instance, some of Chopin's other polonaises, walzes, mazurkas, other than the few they usually always repeat because as far as I am concerned they are all pretty much as good as each other.

[RichardB]

it's just possible they might include those who have yet to acquire your encyclopedic knowledge.

I hope you aren't suggesting that recognising Pachelbel's Canon (if he wrote it) requires encyclopedic knowledge!

Coincidentally I was listening to The Planets the other day, mainly so that junior gets to know it a bit before we go and see his mum playing in it in a few weeks, and wondered why none of Holst's other pieces get remotely near that level of attention. Listening to some of his other work (not enough, some will no doubt say) I came to the conclusion that it seems in fact not really to be on that level of originality and inspiration. Perhaps I'm being unfair. Pachelbel, Dukas and Orff on the other hand, to name only these, wrote other things which are at least at the level of their "one hit".

Remo Giazotto was principally a music critic and musicologist rather than a composer. As far as I know the Adagio in G minor contains no actual Albinoni, although of course, being a pastiche of early 18th century Italian style, bits of it can seem to have been lifted from here and there.

[Serial_Apologist]

There are occasions when it seems that listener power may prevail. In the morning schedules reference is made to the favourable reception to an unfamiliar/unknown composer or work and further airings and/or associated works will follow. The more frequent appearances of music by the likes of non-white, non-male composers hasn't been totally due to the tick box exercise at head office in my view. So perhaps a bit of positive feedback might find a positive reception?

????

[Serial_Apologist]

Coincidentally I was listening to The Planets the other day, mainly so that junior gets to know it a bit before we go and see his mum playing in it in a few weeks, and wondered why none of Holst's other pieces get remotely near that level of attention. Listening to some of his other work (not enough, some will no doubt say) I came to the conclusion that it seems in fact not really to be on that level of originality and inspiration. Perhaps I'm being unfair.

I would think so -anything from the "Ode to Death" (1919) onwards is pack full of Holst originality, in my view, although, very uncharacteristically, the Choral Symphony of 1924 does have its longueurs. Hard to know where to start, really. Here's the Terzetto of 1925, a good example of the composer's unique adaptation of polytonality - not a million miles from what Hindemith and for that matter Bridge were also doing around this time, and too much for RVW from what one knows of their correspondence! - and way more intelligently conceived than how Britten, who learned too little from Holst, would deal with it:

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

There's so much I'd like to add in favour of Holst - his early socialist radicalism which never really died, self-education in Sanscrit and apparently deep understanding of its place in Hindu scripts, the educational work at Morley, etc etc etc - but that would stray us too far off the topic!

[french frank]

What does it cost R3 to once in a while, instead of always playing The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas, play another of his pieces?

In fact, they've broadcast the Sorcerer's Apprentice once this year, on Essential Classics; and the Villanelle for horn and piano 4 times (Lunchtime Concert twice, including the repeat, and twice on TTN - once for horn and piano and once in a later arrangement for horn and orchestra).

[Serial_Apologist]

In fact, they've broadcast the Sorcerer's Apprentice once this year, on Essential Classics; and the Villanelle for horn and piano 4 times (Lunchtime Concert twice, including the repeat, and twice on TTN - once for horn and piano and once in a later arrangement for horn and orchestra).

Apart from the abovementioned there's an Overture "Psyché" and a Symphony from the early-mid-1890s, both very heavily Wagnerian in style; the big Piano Sonata of 1900, very much in a Franckish style and cyclic mould, but greatly admired by Debussy (surprisingly given it has none of the Impressionistic traits found in "L'apprenti"), a delightful set of piano variations plus fugue on a theme by Rameau from 1902, the opera "Ariane et Barbe Bleu", which... does anybody know if it has ever been performed? - and a late piano work, "La plainte au loin" surprisingly advanced in idiom (where further might he have gone?) - part of a group of such also by Malipiero, Roussel and Falla dedicated to Debussy's memory in 1920, and based on the latter's "L'après-midi d'un faun"; but those are all I know, all from my collection.

[Mandryka]

Wiki says that some scholars think that Pachelbel's Canon was composed in response to Biber's canon in Partita III of Harmonia artificioso-ariosa. I bet you'll like the Biber more! I certainly do.



Here

[Serial_Apologist]

Wiki says that some scholars think that Pachelbel's Canon was composed in response to Biber's canon in Partita III of Harmonia artificioso-ariosa. I bet you'll like the Biber more! I certainly do.



Here

That wouldn't have pleased Katie Johnson as much, however!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

From Wednesday's programme listing:

"Albinoni (compl. Giazotto): Adagio in G minor"

Really? I thought the dominant opinion of musicologists was that it was Giazotto from start to finish and the supposed fragment by Albinoni was also a Giazotto invention.

Surely that's right then? Giazotto is only well-known for this one work. (Albinoni, on the other hand, has several oboe concertos that are played regularly.)

[MickyD]

A pity poor old Litolff doesn't get a look in. Hyperion did him justice by recording some of his other works.
I'm sure there are enough examples to fill a second week of programmes on the same theme.

[Jonathan]

A pity poor old Litolff doesn't get a look in. Hyperion did him justice by recording some of his other works.
I'm sure there are enough examples to fill a second week of programmes on the same theme.

Agreed! I've spoken to a record company about recording some of Litolff's solo piano music, apparently no-one wants to! Shame as I have the music for his Spinnerlied and it's rather fun (although a bit of a finger twister).

The other thing about one hit wonders, as far as my mind works is - "Ok, they wrote this piece, what else did they write?" and encourages me to go searching for obscure recordings of rarely heard works.

[RichardB]

the opera "Ariane et Barbe Bleu", which... does anybody know if it has ever been performed?

Qobuz lists two recordings of it, so I guess it has!

I will follow up on the Holst leads, thanks.

[gurnemanz]

A frequent pleasure of buying big box compilations is acquiring previously unknown music of quality, which one would probably not otherwise have alighted upon. One such example is for me the motets for double chorus by Johann Pachelbel on the DHM 50th anniversary collection a few years ago (40 Quid for 50 discs). Superb singing and exemplary enunciation from Cantus Cölln under Konrad Junghänel. Joyous, melodious music and a beautifully resonant acoustic - it is not the work of a Kleinmeister, deserving one-hit obscurity.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8345798--pachelbel-j-cph-bach-j-m-bach-motets