^^^ Maybe you should provide your own comprehensive definition of 'famous', in relation to 'classical' works, before picking apart the lists that others have submitted?

Perhaps my definition of 'famous' is a little different to yours-I was thinking of pieces that wouldn't necessarily be well known amongst members of the general public. If we're talking a specialised audience, then yes, I guess some of them are well known. In any case, I'm a little intrigued by your claim that Shostakovich's string quartets are not famous, Lisztfreak. If Bartok's quartets are 'famous' (according to your standards), then surely Shostakovich's should be considered famous also? Is Shostakovich less well known than Bartok?

Perhaps I shouldn't have posted in this thread. While its initial aim may have been to share knowledge of works that have slipped under the radar, it appears to have turned into a festival of music snobbery, a chance for people to have a good ol' giggle at the 'common' tastes of others, and celebrate their own encyclopaedic knowledge of obscure composers. I get enough of that every day at uni.

Anyhoo, just thought of a few more that I forgot to add:
Ligeti-Piano Concerto
Ligeti- Sonata for Solo Viola
Vaughan Williams- Suite for Viola and Orchestra
Schoenberg-First Chamber Suite (this is kinda famous, I guess.)
Hooked On Classics

Enjoy picking those apart!

I hate to get this nit-picky, but I will. I think you need to define "general public". I you really mean General public, as in average working guy on the street, then they know Beethoven's 5th and 9th (a few bars of each, anyway) and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. If you mean the general listening public, then that's another story, and the things you go on to say are relevant.

All of that said, I would bet anything on the fact that the average classical music listener does know Schubert 8th (Unfinished) and Brahms' 4th.

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I have a huge problem with this work. I have known about its existence for about 7 years, but it's just impossible to purchase it where I live, I hate record companies and resellers.

I love Vaughan-Williams and have all his symphonies, concertos, chamber works (not all, but many). I just seem unable to get Flos Campi.



Missed the point. It's not other people's tastes what we discredit and laugh at, it's their musical knowledge.

Just joking. Don't take me seriously.

But you really think if I mention I love de Beriot's violin concertos is only because I'm snob? Does this criteria apply also to... let's say... Bax's first SQ?

I purchased a copy online from Crystal Records-you're right, it is really difficult to find. There was another recording released last year, which I saw in the record store where I worked briefly-can't remember the label or artist for the life of me, but it does exist.


Of course not! It was just the manner in which some people's lists had been picked over that I took issue with. I'm all for a little healthy discussion, but nobody likes to be pounced upon.

Agree completely to all of this-I did concede in my original post that works such as the two above would probably be known to a musically literate audience ('specialised' was probably the wrong word, but hey, I was tired and a little grumpy)

Woo hoo, musical snobbery!!

But all seriousness aside, I do think that lists are fun, but not important.

And I try to make all my lists as important as possible. Call me a moron, but please put oxy on the front, ok?

As I've already admitted elsewhere, I have a terrible sense of what's famous and what's not. Most things on these lists so far I would have rejected as too well known. But I still want to play, so here goes:

Peter Dickinson, piano concerto
Robert Ashley, In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven There were Men and Women
Berlioz, Benvenuto Cellini
Janacek, Osud
Michele Bokanowski, L'etoile d'Absinthe
Ludger Bruemmer, Thrill
Stravinsky, L'histoire du soldat (complete ballet)
Gordon Mumma, Hornpipe
Prokofiev, Semyon Kotko
Alvin Lucier, I am sitting in a room
Piston, Incredible Flutist (complete ballet)

I recall someone else saying of his list that all the items were well-known to him. That's how I feel now. All but two of these are very well known in some circles. OK. I've failed.

That's quite an interesting list you have there, amigo. Many works there are only familiar from their names, but never heard them.

I just mentioned to someone on another thread, the second half of the first movment of sains-saens organ symphony (about ten minutes in) the tempo changes to adagio for the remainder of the movemetn and a beautiful theme is passed around the orchestra.

I listened to this symphony the whole way through for the first time the other day and it literally had me in every mood. In parts, i was crying and melancholy, then 2 minutes later i was laughing in hysterics at the pure genius of the guy

wow

an awesome symphony

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Thanks, Manuel! I made that list by thinking of all the pieces I return to most frequently and then cutting out the "famous" ones. So Bach's St. Matthew and Berlioz' Troyens and Saint-Saens Samson and Delilah and Stravinsky's Le Sacre and Bartok's, well Bartok's anything--those all had to go. I left off Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth for the same reason. Too famous. I should really have put Lachenmann's Gran Torso on there, though. Sorry Helmut, wherever you are!

All the Lachenmann I know are his string quartets, which I find a bit... unorthodox. They are just not my cup of tea at this moment.

Lachenmann's wildly good. If you already like Lutoslawski, you'll find it easier to grasp Lachenmann. They were mining similar veins. If you don't like Lutoslawski, yet, perhaps a big dose of Bartok to start. Then move on to Lutoslawski then to Lachenmann. Those should both be pretty easy transitions.

Gran Torso is for string quartet, too, though much farther from 19th century string sound than the string quartets even. Don't go there first I guess I'm saying! After all, the whole point is to be able to enjoy more and more stuff. I'd suggest giving Air a try, or Harmonica, or would if those were at all easy to find.

As far as famous is concerned, we are of course talking about "Famous" amongst average classical music listeners. Some guy, I think your list is quite rare and interesting, the only piece I would call borderline "famous" on that list is L'Histoire du Soldat. But that's because I have a degree in music and everybody who went to University for music knows L'Histoire... perhaps the general classical public isn't so well aware of it, I'm not sure.

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Has anyone heard of Svendsen? He's nearly the exact conteporary of Grieg.

He wrote a piece that I absolutly love - Romance for Violin and Orchestra. I think it used to be played a lot, but now it's gone out of fashion. I would recomend this piece to everybody.

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Yes, I've by Aaron Rosand (with piano). Lovely piece. And splendid play.

A beautiful piece. Svendsen is more known after Rustles of Spring.