A work you think is Genius but not popularly acceppted as one

In this thread tell us a work that you think is genius, but a work that isn't popularly thought of as a work of genius, for instance Mahler's second wouldn't apply. A work that is excellent in your opinion but perhaps few have listened to it or even heard of it.

I have some extra listening time so I am planning to try to listen to some when I get the chance.

My work is Scriabin's first Symphony, Scriabin was a symphonic mastermind I really love this piece for it's melodies and amazing orchestration
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Apropos master orchestrators - Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler leave Scriabin choking in the dust. Sorry to pour cold water on ya, sir. I like to play Scriabins piano music but he's not a favorite composer of mine. Yes, he dabbles with music as tonal colors in light of his medical condition called *Synaesthesia*.


Cheers!

Giovanni :tiphat:
 

Art Rock

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
I'm planning to post a Scriabin symphony on my blog the coming weeks.

Back to the topic:
o Suk - Asrael symphony
o Barber - Knoxville summer of 1915
o Bax - Most tone poems, but let's say Novermber woods
o Silvestrov - Silent songs
to name a few...
 
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Todd

New member
Agree with the Suk work mentioned, and would add A Summer's Tale to that list, and probably Epilogue. Some others:

Schulhoff - String Quartets 1 & 2; Concerto for Piano and Small Orchestra

Szymanowski - Stabat Mater; King Roger; Symphonies 3 & 4; pretty much all piano music starting with his second period; String Quartets 1 & 2

Balada - Guernica

Revueltas - Sensemaya; Los Noches de los Mayas

Lutoslawski - Yes to pretty much everything

Scelsi - Khoom

Falla - Fantasia Betica

Schnittke - Life with an Idiot


That's just a few . . .
 
Apropos master orchestrators - Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler leave Scriabin choking in the dust. Sorry to pour cold water on ya, sir. I like to play Scriabins piano music but he's not a favorite composer of mine. Yes, he dabbles with music as tonal colors in light of his medical condition called *Synaesthesia*.


Cheers!

Giovanni :tiphat:

I agree master orchestrators (I love works by all of them except Bruckner, who I haven't listened to seriously yet). But I guess I wasn't fully referring to orchestration when I considered Scriabin a symphonic mastermind. To me Scriabin has a style that is very unique. Now it doesn't give an intense passionate feeling, like Strauss Tod und Verklarung or Mahler's Second, but to me an ever greater feeling is the very pleasurable serenity/flow I get from his pieces. They can be visited over and over and over again, whereas I can only take one listening of Mahler second. The passion is very intense in the climax of that piece, it's amazing for the first listener getting a grasp of it, but in my opinion a Mozart/Scriabin like elegance is in the end more enjoyable that kind of intense "fast burning" passion. So yes, his I still love Scriabin's symphonic works. Now master orchestrator, I don't know about that. I'm not an expert but I do have a good feel for how expert "first vienesse school" masters like Strauss and Mahler work. (Sorry I may be using first vienesse school wrongly...) The feel that their orchestration gives, but I'm still really pulled by Scriabin's content and orchestration style and quirks. So that's just what my brain enjoys!! But yes, Scriabin seems to be somewhat polarizing. Most people who I've talked to have no interest in him, or have been at some point seriously captivated by his music!
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
LovesBachandGershwin,

I laud you for taking such an interest in Scriabin. At least symphonic music won't go the way of the dodo bird if we all stick together to promote one of the most noble art forms.

Regards!

Giovanni
 
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