10 ESSENTIAL SURPRISES for BEGINNERS by the Great Composers

There is a lot of music by the great composers beyond those few popular works for which they are best known. They aren't more difficult, or in any way less appealing. For whatever reason, they just aren't as visible, and for that reason they only get discovered much later in your explorations. Well, why wait? Here are ten hidden masterpieces of all sorts that you can enjoy today!
Handel: Dixit Dominus
Bach: Organ Trios
Haydn: The Seven Last Words (of the Savior on the Cross)
Mozart: Divertimento in E-flat major, K. 563 (for string trio)
Schubert: Divertissement à la hongroise, D.818 (for piano 4-hands)
Mendelssohn: 6 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 35 (for piano)
Chopin: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65
Dvorak: Symphony No. 5 in F major
Sibelius: Lemminkainen Suite (or Legends)
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

[@fred6904]

Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances should be as popular as Beethoven's 5th symphony.

[@mhc2231]

Another great list. These are works that I call "Why Don't I Know About this Piece?" When you hear them for the first time you can't believe you haven't heard them before. Thanks.

[@phomchick]

Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances has been one of my favorites for a good fifty years ever since I heard the Dallas Symphony Orchestra recording conducted by Donald Johanos and released on Turnabout in 1967. One of the founding fathers of audiophile journalism once proclaimed this release was the best recording of a symphony orchestra ever made. It is indeed very fine.

[@nickhamshaw1234]

Hello Dave. So glad you are opening ears to masterpieces with such steadfast evangelism. Thank you on behalf of every person who hears something new - or something Anew - because of you. Random request: I was listening to Karajan’s 1965 Tapiola this morning, once again marvelling at his approach (I think I even prefer 1984, but hey ho) and trying to work out why I love it. I think it’s the way that Karajan manages to bring out every melodic fragment. But then, I thought ‘Dave would explain it!’. It just feels right to me, but you’ve got the words to actually say it. So, Dave, how about a big challenge? Best (and worst) Tapiola? I know you did the ideal tone poems, but this masterpiece deserves your attention if anything does.

[@HeelPower200]

The Mozart K563 is one of the summets of chamber music. It has to be one of his greatest achievements. Monumental in scale and depth.

[@cyberprimate]

I love this topic. Please post more !

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Please watch the video before commenting, and I will.

[@Mahlerweber]

Chopin and Dvorak are 2 of my top 10 of all time. Cello Sonata of Chopin is exceptional. BTW, the Subordinate theme in the IV Movement of the Dvorak 5 is one of the most beautiful things ever written. Period.

[@mike-williams]

The Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances (which in my mind pairs nicely with the Janacek Sinfonietta) is absolutely my favourite work of his. However, listening to this talk (without looking at the list in advance), I was convinced you were going to mention the Rachmaninov Vespers which are even more surprising if you're familiar with the composer as a piano guy.

[@markmiller3713]

I wholeheartedly agree about the Bach Organ Trios. They are delightful and charming (in a sincere meaning). Definitely listen to those if you haven't already.

[@richardwoloshen8893]

Another home run of a list, Dave! Many thanks (again)…just re-listening to the Bach organ trio sonatas, which as you said are delightful and very accessible. Handel’s Dixit Dominus is waiting in the wings, and I’ve just ordered Vegh’s recording of Haydn’s Seven Last Words (I only had the quartet version). All of which goes to show that this ol’ goat continues to find inspiration thanks to your entertaining musical surveys…keep on truckin’! 👍

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

The Vegh is another arrangement not by Haydn, frustratingly. Get Savall (he did it twice, ignore the spoken stuff in between), or Storgards on Ondine.

[@richardwoloshen8893]

Done, and thanks for the tip on performances!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Yes, and the introduction to Part II is scored for wind band only. A remarkable piece.

[@UlfilasNZ]

What a great list! Surprises here even for longer-time listeners perhaps?

[@vincentspinelli9995]

This is a wonderful topic and excellent selections. Am unfamiliar with the Bach organ trios and will listen to them asap. The Seven Last Words is a spectacular work, a masterpiece which I have come to love. The first version I heard was by Julius Rudel and St. Luke's Orchestra. Is that one still around? The recordings by Savall are the best I think. Thank you!

[@grahamexeter3399]

Wonderful selection as usual! Thank you! Must reacquaint myself with the Mozart. Re the Rachmaninoff: any chance of a 10 or 12 or 16 Great Symphonic Dances video? There are other fabulous examples - Bartok Dance Suite, Janacek's Lachian Dances, Hindemith (well I think his are fabulous even if nobody else does) etc. But I'm sure you'd know of other gorgeous off the beaten track ones that we've probably never heard of and deserve to be better known.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

An interesting suggestion. I'll think about it. There are quite a few. I love the Hindemith too.

[@DvdAndrsn]

No one thinks of Richard Strauss as a choral composer, but his choral works are gorgeous. I think Solti did Die Tageszeiten when he was at Chicago. Just the short men's chorus leading into Daphne's aria is a lovely little moment.

[@ericleiter6179]

Great list! Interesting idea for a list...I just love the Dvorak 5th and was wondering if there was a link you could put up to access your paper about it...also, is there a link to read your Hindemith thesis online too???

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Sorry, no links available for those two...

[@stevemcclue5759]

Great comments as ever, Dave, but I'm surprised you didn't take the opportunity to demonstrate the end of the Symphonic Dances on your Tam Tam - "Laissez Vibrer!"

[@weewee2169]

hey you should find a reason to talk about the adagio of beethovens 15th string quartet in any capacity - i would love that

[@annakimborahpa]

Based upon your initial criteria for admission, I understand why Haydn's 'Surprise' Symphony No. 94 in G Major was not included.

[@hans-petermanser273]

Pablo Picasso once said (freely quoted): Only the boring works of art hang in the museum. Those paintings in which the painter experimented have not made it into the museum canon. But it is precisely in these works that show the "interesting" artist when he is not working in the mainstream. In this regard, I would like to see a list of some works of classical music in which composers (in the sense of Picasso, according to Mr. Hurwitz) are "interesting".

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

You assume I agree with Picasso. I don't. I think artists should shut up and make art.

[@terryss95]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Very well said.

[@richardwilliams473]

I absolutely love the Sibelius ledgends. Correct if I'm wrong but did the ledgends include The Swan of Tuenella with its English Horn solo?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Were you listening to the video?

[@saltech3444]

With me it was the opposite. I became obsessed with Rachmananinoff's Symphonic Dances as a teenager having found a cassette version in a two dollar shop. It was the first Rachmnaninoff I ever heard and I'm afraid it spoiled me for anything else he wrote. The tape was (I now know) of Eugene Goossens conducting in 1959 on Everest Records. I had to be careful with it, because I had a succession of cheap cassette players that damaged the tape ovee time. I spent ages finding a CD version, which sucked because it was a "needle drop" CD and thus sounded awful. Then late last year I found on eBay the original Everest LP, still mint and sealed! I feel like this is the most personal LP I have got so far because I have been looking for it so long. It sounds really great, of course.

[@wagnerbaseballgloverepair6853]

Would be helpful a reference recording for those Mendelssohn Preludes and Fugues - Serkin is listed on CT, but I cannot find any complete Op. 35 from him, only No. 1. And that's using discogs and some secret potions in my search. I have a recording by frith on Naxos. Spotify lists recording of OP. 35 by Pirner, Stockigt, Colombo, Etude Noir [What?], Schic, Any help?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

There is no reference recording, but the Naxos is very good.

[@wagnerbaseballgloverepair6853]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Thank you Dave!

[@bplonutube]

I love making playlists on Apple Music. I’ve got a big enough collection that most of this stuff is on a CD or an LP somewhere but it’s so easy to just make a playlist on Apple Music. I’m looking forward to listening to the things that I am less familiar with particularly the keyboard works, and the cello Sonata. One question, are the organ trios also known as the trio sonatas? And second question, do you know if Naxos has any plans to re-issue the Dallas symphony recording of the symphonic dances that Donald Johanos did? That was my introduction to that work. Back in the day I think it was considered very good. I doubt that I still have my old LP. Are you familiar with it and how do you think that performance compares with or more recent ones?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

1. Yes. 2. Have no idea, but I've talked about those performance both here and on classicstoday.com.

[@bplonutube]

Thank you, David. And I went both to your Rachmaninoff playlist and listened to the review of symphonic dances, and also looked on classics today. Like you, I really really really like the symphonic dances. That and the Paganini variations on my favorite Rachmaninoff.

[@bbailey7818]

Was the Zelter you referred to, the same Zelter who acted as Goethe's "musical secretary" and when Schubert sent Goethe some of his great, immortal settings of Goethe's poems, Goethe was told by Zelter that they were trash and not worth bothering over?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

That's him.