Unknown Composers

"Unknown" isn't the best choice of word; obviously some people know about these composers, enough to have produced the records, cds, and radio broadcasts where I heard their music. Still, I think it's a useful term for what I'm trying to describe: classical music that for whatever reason isn't often heard, but deserves to be. IMHO, of course. Or IYHO, if you'd care to share your own nominees. Just send me email (jim {at} jimmosk {dot} com) and I'll help you set up your own section of this page!

Jimmosk's list of unfairly unknown composers, with .WAV sound clips.

Steve Schwartz's list of underrated masterpieces, by composers famous and obscure -- written in 1992. Steve was my inspiration for this. Thanks much for the idea!
Since it's such a huge document, I've broken it up into roughly 10k sections. You may skip directly to any section, or page through the documents successively.

A B (Malcolm ARNOLD - William BYRD)
C D E (John CAGE - Edward ELGAR)
F G (Manual de FALLA - Ivor GURNEY) 
H I J (G.F. HANDEL - Werner JOSTEN) 
K L (Aram KHACHATURIAN - Witold LUTOSLAWSKI)
M N (Edward MAC DOWELL - Carl NIELSEN) 
O P (Carl ORFF - Henry PURCELL) 
R (Sergei RACHMANINOFF - Carl RUGGLES) 
S (Erik SATIE - Karol SZYMANOWSKI) 
T (Thomas TALLIS - Ernst TOCH) 
V (Van VACTOR - Jan Václav VORÍSEK) 
W Y Z (Richard WAGNER - Efrem ZIMBALIST, Sr.) 

Non-standard piano masterpieces written by members of the PIANO-L mailing list

Eric Schissel's essay on Nikolai Miaskovski, a detailed work-in-progress.
Eric has also contributed this piece on Robert Fuchs.

Onno van Rijen's list of underknown Soviet composers and works (no longer active, but this archive of it still exists

Peter Stoll's descriptions of unknown German Romantic composers

The Artsong Project is an exploration of lieder by many unknowns

Smelly Cheese -- composers considered acquired tastes by Randolph Pitts

Some 20th-Century British Symphonies -- A guide by Richard Pennycuick

The Bamboo Curtain -- Composers from the People's Republic of China, written by Robert Clements.

Rob Barnett is contributing a series of profiles of 20th-century British composers. Currently available are Gaze Cooper and Stanley Wilson

Israeli Composers by Edward Eisen

Lesser Known Prokofiev works, an essay by Bruce Turlish

Portuguese Composers submitted by Luis Afonso

Composers for the Organ by David Schnute

George Onslow: the "French Beethoven" by Baudime Jam

Warren Cohen is contributing a series of essays; the first is here, on Richard Arnell

This fine page on British and Irish Composers includes dozens of unfamiliar names

Miscellaneous short recommendations from several people

About the editor

Disclaimer

Disclaimer #2

Special Musical Mystery Moment - guess the composer!

Comments? Suggestions? Email me at: jim {at} jimmosk {dot} com