Unfamiliar Composers

What constitutes a "unfamilar" composer depends upon how familiar one is with classical music. Most of these are unfamiliar to the man-on-the-street.

Atterberg, Kurt (1887-1974), Sweden

• Symphony #1
• Symphony #2

Balakirev, Milly (1837-1910) Russia

• Symphony #1

Balakirev was the leader of the the group of composers known as the "Mighty 5" (with Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui, Borodin and Mussorgsky). While he was the only member of the group who was trained as a musician, along with Cui, he has suffered the worst at the hands of time. The 1st symphony is an energetic work that deserves much more attention.

Bax, Arnold (1883-1953), England

• Tintagel
• The Garden of Fand
• Symphony #4

Beach, Amy (1867-1944), America

Symphony in e minor (Gaelic)

Brian, Haavergal (1876-1972), England

Symphony #1 "Gothic"

Bridge, Frank (1879-1941), England

The Sea

Dohnanyi, Erno (1977-1960) Hungary

Variations on a Nursery Theme

Symphony #1

Frank, Caesar ( 1822-1890) France

Symphony in d minor

Symphonic Variations

Gliere, Reinhold (1875-1956), Russia

Symphony #3 "Ilya Muromets"

Hanson, Howard (1896-1981), America

• Symphony #1
• Symphony #2

The 2nd Symphony served as the closing music to the movie "Alien".

Hindemith, Paul (1895-1963), Germany

Concert Music for Strings and Brass

Syphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

D'Indy, Vincent (1851-1931), France

Symphony on a Mountain Air

Janacek, Leos (1854-1928), Moravia

Symphonietta

Glagolitic Mass

Kodaly, Zoltan (1992-1967), Hungary

Psalmus Hungaricus

MacDowell, Edward (1860-1908), America

Piano Concerto #1

Piano Concerto #2

Mortelmans, Lodewijk (1868-1952) Belgium

Myth of Spring

Poulenc, Francis (1899-1963), France

• Gloria
• Stabat Mater
• Piano Concerto
• Organ Concerto
• The Model Animals

Schmidt, Franz (1874-1939), Germany

• The Book With Seven Seals
• Symphony #1
• Symphony #2
• Symphony #3
• Symphony #4

Raff, Joachim (1822-1882), Switzerland

• Symphony #3 "In the Forest"

Scriabin, Alexander (1872-1915), Russia

• Symphony #1
• Symphony #2
• Symphony #3 ("Divine Poem")
• Poem of Ecstacy (AKA Symphony #4)
• Prometheus: Poem of Fire (AKA Symphony #5)
• Piano Concerto
• 12 Etudes Opus 8
• Piano Sonata #5 in f# minor

Scriabin was one of the most remarkable composers in history. You can see the profound changes that took place in music from the 19th to 20th centuries in this one composer. The first symphony (with chorus and soloists) reflects the musical world of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov while "Promethus" points towards Schoenberg and 20th Century atonalism. The works in between (Symphonies 2 & 3 and "Poem of Ecstacy") show a step-by-step transition between those two worlds.

Stenhammer, Wilhelm  (1871-1927), Sweden

• Excelsior! Overture
• Symphony #1
• Symphony #2
• Serenade in F Major

Still, William Grant (1895-1978), American

Symphony #2 "Song of a New Race"

Svendsen, Johan (1840-1911), Sweden

• Symphony #1
• Symphony #2

Walton, William (1902-1983), England

• Crown Imperial
• Symphony #1
• Belshazzar's Feast
• The Quest
• The Wise Virgins

Suk, Joseph (1875-1935) Czech

Fantasic Scherzo