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Gee, there are so many composers whose works languish today. What about Irene Audain? Or, perhaps, Euphemia Allen whose only published work was under the pen name of "Arthur de Lulli"? I think the idea is great. I'm in!

Ed

It's very encouraging to see such enthusiasm this early in the process. After seeing the posts here and talking to some via PM, the following has been decided:

Title: Unsung Heroes E-cital: In Memory of G. Tozer

Date: August 20, 2010

* One entry per person, unless you are playing a complete sonata, prelude/fugue, set or suite. We may allow multiple pieces per player if space permits.

* No multiple submissions of the same piece. However, it's fine if two people want to play different pieces by the same composer.

* There are no hard and fast rules about what "Unsung" means. We're not going to argue semantics. Any composer who you feel is under-played, under-appreciated, obscure, or new to you is fine.

* I agree that it's impossible to pay homage to every obscure composer. However, I'm sure that all who participate and all who listen will learn something new.


Participants

-Frycek: Adieu by Carl Filtsch

Euan Morrison: Prelude #tbd by Cesar Cui

beet 31425: Prelude and Fugue #tbd by Trygve Madsen

akonow: Scharwenka tbd

gerg: tbd

heidiv: tbd

Schubertian: tbd

epf: tbd


izaldu, Palindrome, Thracozaag - Thanks for the info on pianists.

wr- Thanks for the links to Underappreciated Music and Unknown Composers. I wasn't aware of these. Anyone undecided about which piece to choose might want to check these out.

It would be great to see some Medtner on the program, considering he was one of Tozer's favorites. Keep those submissions coming, and feel free to voice questions or concerns. This is going to be a great event.

Heidi

My favorite unsung hero is Hugo Reinhold. I am aware of only two of his compositions. One is an impromptu - a bit of a Mendelssohn/Chopin hybrid that is occasionally played by high school students:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnFL3d9EjZc

Even better is his set of Miniatures. A few of them tend to turn up in intermediate anthologies, but there are several in the set that are very charming and similar in style and difficulty to Schumann's Album for the Young.

Recently, I also mentioned the Scenes d'Infants by Federico Mompou.

Another extremely obscure favorite piece of mine is Sweelinck's Variations on "Mein Junges Leben hat ein End." It's familiar to some harpsichord and early music specialists, but I think it sounds great on piano.

Found a few harpsichord readings on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2qDxaaTTxE

mental association - a subjective verbal link between two words

If I ever manage to get the Sonata Tragica back into my fingers, I would be happy to offer that in Geoffrey's honour.

Excellent Thracozaag! You have an entire year to prepare, and I have full faith in you. That would be a great addition.

I was considering learning the Sonata Reminescenza, but it's 16 minutes long and frankly, it might take more than a year for me to learn.

Okay, since we're supposed to pick a piece, I'll do "Under the Palms Waltz" by Irene Audain. Not only is the composer virtually known today, she's a woman and women composers were very rare in the 19th century (which is when she was composing).

Ed

I'm sure that piece is entirely worth it though. Gilels' recording of it is magnificent!

I think this is enough to coax me out of my performer lurkdom, so count me in. I haven't a clue what I'll play yet, but I think it will be something Australian

Kreisler - Thanks for the suggested composers. I'm enthralled with Mompou, which you recommended previously. I may use one as my submission.

Here's the updated list:


Participants

-Frycek: Adieu by Carl Filtsch

Euan Morrison: Prelude #tbd by Cesar Cui

beet 31425: Prelude and Fugue #tbd by Trygve Madsen

akonow: Scharwenka tbd

gerg: tbd

heidiv: tbd

Schubertian: tbd

epf: Under the Palms Waltz by Irene Audain

currawong: tbd

RachFan: tbd

--------------------------

Thracozaag - I'd like to put you down for Sonata Tragica, but I'm waiting for the green light from you.

For everyone who hasn't signed on yet, remember -- the nice thing about playing an obscure piece is that your listeners probably won't know the piece and won't have the score at their disposal to follow along. Wrong notes? No, that's the way it's supposed to sound!

Thanks for the fine idea and for organizing this! I'd like to play:

Voříšek - Fantasy, opus 12 (a fairly short work in two movements)

I'll play something by Joseph Achron... maybe one of the Op. 56 pieces. I put up a video earlier this year of his "Dream" Op 56 No. 1, and I'm sure with another year's practice I'll be able to play it without messing up the canon at the end! Or maybe I'll play something else by him.

Hello all,

Thanks for your interest. I've learned so much already, and we haven't even had the pleasure of listening to the music yet! Here's the update:


Participants

-Frycek: Adieu by Carl Filtsch

Euan Morrison: Prelude #tbd by Cesar Cui

beet 31425: Prelude and Fugue #tbd by Trygve Madsen

akonow: Scharwenka tbd

gerg: tbd

heidiv: tbd

Schubertian: tbd

epf: Under the Palms Waltz by Irene Audain

currawong: tbd

RachFan: tbd

SlatterFan: Fantasy Op. 12 by Vorisek

pianojerome: Joseph Achron

--------------------------

SlatterFan - My apologies to you and the composer. I can't figure out how to do the doohickeys over the "ris"

pianojerome - Perfection is not necessary! While we all strive to achieve a certain level, we're all human. I'm sure we'll enjoy it.

Thanks again to all. Comments welcomed.

Heidi

Heidiv - I am still uncertain - but recently I have been led by my spirit guides to look into the considerable amount of music that has been produced by mediums and channelers in that 100 years or so - the most well known, I think, is Rosemary Brown - I have no idea how to get my hands on these scores however - maybe you get them through
'automatic writing'

I'm not sure if this is not too *outre* for this recital - I'm getting bored listening to Dvorak's piano music -

Did Rosemary channel any Schumann? - I know He and Clara visited her.

Yes she did - but I am not sure who publishes that -

In the meantime my public library has the sheet music for some ectoplasmic mazurkas of CHopin, which I am eagerly awaiting - never underestimate the resources of your public library!

So, um- will this be for the Un-Dead Heroes E-cital??

Or maybe the "Don't Quite Know They're Dead Heroes" E-Cital?

Yeah, why not. This is a good venue to participate and play.

Schubertarian:

I've always approached music with a childlike innocence, a certain naivete. Classical music is, to me at least, a window into the ideal, above or aside from ethics and aside from its original inspiration. I've always viewed it, perhaps incorrectly, as intrinsically pure. Any ethical connotations from one genre or another arise from popular association.

One of the aspects I most appreciate about Frederic Chopin especially concerns his titling convention. To most of his works he gave generic titles without regard to his private inspiration: "Nocturne", "Etude", "Valse". He allowed the listener to form his or her own imagery sans preconceived notions.