TRIVIA: Classical composers only known for one piece of music

[Gloster]

Ernest Tomlinson is best known for his Fantasia on Auld Lang Syne. (His brother is well-known for co-writing another well-known piece: the Lumberjack Song, which isn’t classical, even if it is a bit of a classic.)

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I think most people are very aware of the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin - though perhaps many/most don't know it is by Wagner!

But also the overtures to Hollander, Tannhauser, and even Meistersinger and Tristan are very well known and frequently performed.



I don't. I adore almost all Wagner's music.

For someone who was largely influenced by Wagner and possibly satisfies the original criteria, I'd suggest Humperdinck is only known for Hansel and Gretel (if at all!)

Indeed. The Pilgrim's Chorus from Tannhäuser is one of my all time favourite pieces of classical music.

 

[DelW]

Henryk Górecki's third symphony "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", was written in 1976 but was mostly unknown until it was greatly popularised by a recording by Dawn Upshaw and London Sinfonietta in the early 1990s. He wrote three other symphonies and many other works, but I'm not aware of ever having heard any of them.

 

[Jimini]

Dvorak’s New World Symphony, the Ninth, is (as mentioned above) known to many people who have no interest in classical and know nothing about his other works from the Hovis advert. “Grandad always used to say that it were a bl**dy long way to go for a loaf of bread.”

In my humble opinion, the other three movements are far superior to the Largo that everyone knows from that ad campaign. The final movement (allegro con fuoco) is one of my favourite pieces of classical music, not just to listen to but also to perform.

Still, I suppose it's one of only a handful of opportunities for Oboe players to crack the Cor Anglais out and enjoy performing a decent solo!

 

[dastocks]

 

[yorksrob]

That is hillarious

 

[AY1975]

I would also mention Bolero by Bo Derek, sorry, Ravel.

Indeed, probably one of the world's longest crescendos. I'd say that Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin is also quite well known, though perhaps less so than his Bolero.

I believe that he also wrote the full orchestral version of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

And I'd add Mussorsgy for Pictures at an Exhibition.

I'd say that Mussorgsky's A Night on the Bare Mountain is also quite well known, both the original version and the jazzed up version known as Night on the Disco Mountain in Saturday Night Fever (which also featured a jazzed up version of Beethoven's 5th symphony known as the Fifth of Beethoven).

I've started a separate thread on examples of versions of music of one genre in the style of another: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...genre-adapted-in-the-style-of-another.243282/

 

[52290]

The English composer Havergal Brian is known for his vast first symphony, the Gothic Symphony. It has an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the symphony requiring the most musicians to perform it, even outdoing Mahler's 8th, the Symphony of a Thousand. Brian, in total, wrote 32 symphonies. Although all have now been recorded, the other 31 are not widely known or played.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

"O mio Bambino Caro" must rank alongside "Nessun Dorma" as one of Puccini's greatest arias.

I agree with OhNoAPacer that the bits between the arias in most classical operas can be a bit tedious. Just before lockdown, I watched the entire Ring cycle online, one act a day, as a sort of 15-part serial. I Googled something like "Wagner Rheingold Bayreuth Boulez English subs" to find links to free showings of the first opera with the all important English subtitles - and did something similar to find the subsequent three operas in the same cycle. I found the much acclaimed Act 1 of the Die Walküre to be seriously hard work but once I got through that, it was really rewarding.

The light operas of Gilbert & Sullivan are more accessible as the characters simply speak between the songs instead of trying to do convey everything in song.

 

[Broucek]

Maybe like me people have interpreted the question, possibly incorrectly, as being known by the general public for only one piece.

Exactly. Pachabel is a true "one-hit-wonder". Ravel is is one of the most significant composers of the early 20th century but is only known by the general public for Bolero and even then mainly due to Torville and Dean*

* and the fact that ALW stole the melody for CATS

 

[3141]

Several of the composers mentioned here were known for more pieces thirty or more years ago. Examples: Khachaturyan's waltz from the ballet Masquerade in addition to the Sabre Dance was often played on the BBC. Some of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances were often played as well as the New World Symphony, and might still be more widely recognised today than just by those with an interest in classical music. The same may be true of Rimsky-Korsakov's Dance of the Tumblers. Even those who, when I was younger, were remembered by just one piece, and now by none, were probably known for others before my time. E.g. Luigini's Ballet Egyptien, Herold's Zampa Overture, Nicolai's Merry Wives of Windsor overture.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Gustav Holst - The Planets.
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini.
Both composed other work but are generally only known for these examples.

What?! Not Piano Concerto No 2? Brief Encounter on Carnforth Station!

 

[43096]

I’m surprised that Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle- dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelterwasser- kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwustle- gerspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumberaber-shönedanker-kalbsfleisch- mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm hasn’t featured so far.

 

[dastocks]

Albinoni and Allegri are both in a similar class to Pachelbel.

 

[yorksrob]

"O mio Bambino Caro" must rank alongside "Nessun Dorma" as one of Puccini's greatest arias.

I agree with OhNoAPacer that the bits between the arias in most classical operas can be a bit tedious. Just before lockdown, I watched the entire Ring cycle online, one act a day, as a sort of 15-part serial. I Googled something like "Wagner Rheingold Bayreuth Boulez English subs" to find links to free showings of the first opera with the all important English subtitles - and did something similar to find the subsequent three operas in the same cycle. I found the much acclaimed Act 1 of the Die Walküre to be seriously hard work but once I got through that, it was really rewarding.

The light operas of Gilbert & Sullivan are more accessible as the characters simply speak between the songs instead of trying to do convey everything in song.

For some reason, the Ring Cycle always has me humming "Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit...."

 

[Broucek]

Albinoni and Allegri are both in a similar class to Pachelbel.

Not sure about Albinoni. He wrote a lot of pretty decent Concertos, especially the ones for oboe. (Also, he didn't exactly write the "Adagio"...)

 

[MikeWM]

I agree with OhNoAPacer that the bits between the arias in most classical operas can be a bit tedious.

I'd agree too for pretty much all non-Wagner operas, but I'd seriously struggle to name any section that I didn't like in Wagner's main 10 operas. Glad you enjoyed the Ring - now try Parsifal

Is Canteloube known for anything other than Chants d'Auvergne?

I was going to ask if Smetana is known for anything other than Ma Vlast, but I suspect many know something of The Bartered Bride, so perhaps not.

Do people generally know much of Richard Strauss other than Also Sprach Zarathustra?

 

[Broucek]

Is Canteloube known for anything other than Chants d'Auvergne?

I was going to ask if Smetana is known for anything other than Ma Vlast, but I suspect many know something of The Bartered Bride, so perhaps not.

Do people generally know much of Richard Strauss other than Also Sprach Zarathustra?

Canteloube - no, just that!

Smetana - First String Quartet? Perhaps less popular than it used to be? (Includes a portrayal of his tinnitus onset.) As an aside, on the subject of Ma Vlast, one of my recent travel highlights was visting Prague going to the Vyšehrad and seing the Vltava flow past.... (Railway link, I wish I'd know about the disused Vyšehrad Station when I visited!)

Strauss - I'm more Radio 3 than Classic FM in taste but I'd say Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel, Ein Heldenleben, Der Rosenkavalier and the Four Last Songs are all played quite a bit.

 

[M&NEJ]

Smetana - First String Quartet? Perhaps less popular than it used to be? (Includes a portrayal of his tinnitus onset.) As an aside, on the subject of Ma Vlast, one of my recent travel highlights was visting Prague going to the Vyšehrad and seing the Vltava flow past.... (Railway link, I wish I'd know about the disused Vyšehrad Station when I visited!)

Apologies for going off on this tangent; but I too visited Prague last summer and listened to exerpts of Dvorak and Smetana in the musical section of the Narodni museum. I specifically wanted to visit Dvorak's house (a short train journey down the Vltava to Nelahodzeves) but it was only open one day a week. Railway link: ...and of course Dvorak was a railway enthusiast!

 

[Cloud Strife]

And I'd add Mussorgsky for Pictures at an Exhibition

He's a tricky one. On one hand, he's not that well known in the Anglosphere except for that (and I would argue, only for The Great Gate of Kiev), but on the other hand, he's an incredibly important part of Russian musical heritage.

 

[Gloster]

Apologies for going off on this tangent; but I too visited Prague last summer and listened to exerpts of Dvorak and Smetana in the musical section of the Narodni museum. I specifically wanted to visit Dvorak's house (a short train journey down the Vltava to Nelahodzeves) but it was only open one day a week. Railway link: ...and of course Dvorak was a railway enthusiast!

A bit like me and the Sibelius museum. First attempt: they had just gone on to the winter season and the day I chose was the one day a week they were now closing. Attempt two: closed for a week for a renovation. Attempt three: a delayed train and a missed connection meant I didn’t have enough time left to see the museum before closing time. (All this was long pre-Internet.)

 

[GusB]

He's a tricky one. On one hand, he's not that well known in the Anglosphere except for that (and I would argue, only for The Great Gate of Kiev), but on the other hand, he's an incredibly important part of Russian musical heritage.

There's also Night on the Bare Mountain (or Bald Mountain if you prefer), which is quite popular.

 

[Broucek]

There's also Night on the Bare Mountain (or Bald Mountain if you prefer), which is quite popular.

Yes, but do you mean the 1867 version, the 1872 choral version or the 1886 arrangement by Rimsky-Korsakov?

I’ll get my coat

 

[ComUtoR]

Do people generally know much of Richard Strauss other than Also Sprach Zarathustra?

Till Eulenspiegel is the one I know him for.

Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings
Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre
Bizet - Carmen

All well know pieces of music but the composer's seem kinda niche.

 

[gswindale]

Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre

To me, that's a slightly less well known work of his.

Carnival of the Animals is, I thought, more well known. If memory serves "Fossils" used to be used on the Tesco ads in the mid/late 90s

 

[Jimini]

To me, that's a slightly less well known work of his.

Carnival of the Animals is, I thought, more well known. If memory serves "Fossils" used to be used on the Tesco ads in the mid/late 90s

His organ symphony #3 is the highlight of his work, IMO. Cracking piece of music.

 

[GusB]

His organ symphony #3 is the highlight of his work, IMO. Cracking piece of music.

I don't think I've heard he whole thing, but I'm sure there was a movement played on Classic FM the other night, and if it's the same one I quite agree with you!

 

[Broucek]

Bizet - Carmen

Also the duet from the Pearl Fishers (you'll probably recognise it if you hear it)

 

[DelW]

I don't think I've heard he whole thing, but I'm sure there was a movement played on Classic FM the other night, and if it's the same one I quite agree with you!

It's a while since I heard the full work, but IIRC only the final movement actually features the organ, so that's probably the one that is most often played.

 

[PeterY]

Prokofiev is one of my favourite composers and one of his best known works, Dance of the Knights, taken from his ballet , Romeo and Juliet (opus 64) is used on the TV program The Apprentice.