12 Neglected Masterpieces by Major Composers

So little time, so much music! If you admire any of these composers but are looking for something a bit off the beaten path, give these works a listen. You won't be sorry, I promise.
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Copland: Short Symphony
Strauss: Macbeth
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1
Shostakovich: Suite on Verses by Michelangelo
Rossini: Ermione
Debussy: Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra
Liszt: Apparitions
Schumann: Overture, Scherzo and Finale
Vaughan Williams: Five Tudor Portraits
Tchaikovsky: Hamlet
Dvořák: The Devil and Kate

[@johnh5958]

How did I get through over half a century of listening to classical music without having heard, or having remembered, the Debussy fantasie? What a wonderful piece, and now my favorite by him. My personal list would include Schumann's Szenen aus Goethes Faust, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, Martinu's Cello Concerto, Mahler's Piano Quartet in A minor, and CPE Bach's cello concertos to name a few.

[@fulltongrace7899]

Are you referring to Martinu cello Concerto 1? He wrote two.

[@marknewkirk4322]

Here's my own list. It's shorter than Dave's, but I'll try composers he didn't mention. Bartok - Cantata profana - Very difficult to sing. Maybe Bartok's most original creation. Ravel - L'heure espagnole - A masterpiece that just doesn't fit anywhere in programming. Prokofiev - Symphony No. 2 - This piece goes way, way over the top. I love it. Nielsen - Symphony No. 6 (Sinfonia Simplice) Overshadowed by earlier works, it is a truly great piece. Beethoven - Mass in C - Just because Beethoven wrote the Missa solemnis doesn't mean we have to ignore this beautiful work.

[@kylejohnson8877]

Totally agree about these choices, particularly the Bartok and Beethoven!

[@davidecarlassara8525]

No. 25 definitely my favorite Mozart piano concerto!

[@kanpette]

I just want to acknowledge you and the new and highly appropriate name of your channel! You continue to open my eyes, ears, and mind to both familiar and unfamiliar composers, artists, and pieces. And the pace at which you manage to post new and interesting videos is truly breathtaking.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank you. I figured after 1700 videos I was due for a name change. Actually, I just realized that the "name" was just me, which doesn't really say anything. Hopefully the new one will show up better on various search algorithms, but who knows?

[@kanpette]

I hope the name will make a difference because your channel deserves to be discovered and loved by so many more people on all levels of knowledge about classical music. A toast to you for the abundance of existing and pending videos!

[@MatthewMarczi]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Search engine optimization (SEO) is a way of life online today. Totally understandable, and the name certainly isn't unwarranted. It's basically how I've been using your channel anyway, and anybody else in my shoes should be able to benefit similarly.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@kanpette Thanks!

[@nicholasjschlosser1724]

Thanks for the wonderful list. Some others that come to mind are: Beethoven: The Creatures of Prometheus Bernstein: Dybbuk Hindemith: Symphonic Dances Respighi: Metamorphoseon Nielsen: Violin Concerto Walton: The Quest

[@nathanielsattler1382]

For an underrated masterpiece I gotta go with Sibelius 3. Doesn't have as striking of a first impression as some of his other more popular ones but repeated listenings bring way more benefits than with nos. 2 and 5 imo

[@johannesbluemink4581]

My view also. Nr. 3 has such a fun and 'country' atmosphere, while Nr. 2 is certainly a Masterpiece and I prefer this over Nr. 5.

[@jimslancio]

Sibelius 3 is neoclassical, before its time. The economy of texture, especially in the first movement, is striking

[@waynesmith3767]

Well, #3 may be neglected compared to 5 and 7 and especially 2 I love them all.

[@PaulLeger-fl4jh]

I like #3 the most and I like the😢 Maazel recording with the VPO.

[@dion1949]

Playing neglected works would also make for more varied concerts.

[@murrayhardie8025]

Superb list and insights. Thanks Dave!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank YOU very much for your kindness.

[@simonkawasaki4229]

Oh, I’m SO glad you’ve finally talked about Tchaikovsky’s Hamlet!!!

[@CortJohnson]

Copland 2! A landmark - love it and Macbeth by Strauss - nice! And what great introductions - couldn’t ask for more. 😎

[@jimbobobie]

OMG! I am unimaginably grateful for this talk. A couple of years ago I was in despair that I had listened to all the great works of the great composers and there was nothing more to discover. I suspected that I was wrong, but where could I turn to discover more. You have answered that need in spades, so thank you for your marvelous work. It keeps me going in my dotage.

[@canticle56]

The Debussy Fantasy really deserves more attention.

[@JohnAndrews-lb8yk]

So nice to see the Debussy " Fantaisie" on your list...always one of my favorite pieces. I've always enjoyed the Martinon recording.

[@stuf159]

Another underrated Liszt piece is his oratorio, Christus.

[@martinbennett2228]

It is massive though (and pretty devotional).

[@patrickhackett7881]

A few days ago, I listened to Mendelssohn's A minor piano concerto, and it's probably even better than his numbered piano concertos. Especially the sublime slow movement.

[@martynspargo2980]

Rach - Isle of the dead, as the name implies a very brooding darkly menacing piece .........thanks for your insightful videos sir.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Yes, but it's hardly neglected. I've seen in live several times, and it's been recorded pretty often.

[@SLMgmt]

Thank you so much. I adore Vaughan Williams's Five Tudor Portraits and would love to see that work get programmed more often (or ever, really).

[@culturalconfederacy782]

Looks like Tchaikovsky's Hamlet comes out a winner in this discussion. Fun fact: the main theme was used in the film A Christmas Story. Glad to see Overture, Scherzo and Finale made the list. Other works by Schumann that are rarely heard these days: his violin concerto, concert piece for four horns and orchestra and the overture Julius Caesar. In regard to Liszt, he deserves far more credit than he gets. His Spanish Rhapsody and symphonic poem Orpheus are fantastic. And who has heard the organ sonatas by Mendelssohn. Naxos had a wonderful recording of them which is hard to find. In fact Mendelssohn's reputation as an organ in London was so renowned, they had to pull the plug in the middle of a recital. He caused a frenzy and traffic jam.

[@minquino]

Thanks again for splendid talk and appetizer! The only neglected masterpiece of your recommandations I knew ahead was Tchaikovsky’s Hamlet, a work I have treasured since I heard it the first time and for many of the same reasons that you point out, the gloominess and the terrific musical handling of the subject. I will now pay speciel attention to the above mentioned works too! Thanks again for a passionate and inspiring talk, as inspiring as music can be itself.

[@davidmayhew8083]

Bravo! What a great talk! I am delighted to mentioned Copland's Short Stmphony! I've been listening to your talks alot recently and the Copland keeps coming to mind. Such an amazing piece! And thankyou for the heads up on many works I've not heard and can't wait to hear. This is one of my favorite of your videos. Much appreciated!

[@davidmayhew8083]

I forgot to say! I've always thought it was interesting that there are so many great 2nd symphonys. Randall Thomson, Walter Piston, Copland, Schuman, Mahler, Brahms, Vaughan William's and on an on. Perhaps once you've gotten past the angst of doing a first, sort of a primer, the 2nd is freerer to generate and evolve. Hard to express, but there you have it.

[@marcuspeck963]

Thank you Dave! The recommendation of Dvorak's "The Devil and Kate" was particularly appreciated. Like you, I love Dvorak, he's one of the composers who have the power to cheer me up when I'm in a slump. My appreciation of him only continues to grow the more I listen to his work. I agree with you, "The Devil and Kate" is sheer delight, so wonderful! The Shostakovich will bear much more exploration. and as you said, the Debussy " Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra" is glorious, and I hadn't listened to it in a long time. Also love the Vaughn Williams "Five Tudor Portraits" and Liszt "Apparitions", neither of which I'd heard in ages!

[@Jasper_the_Cat]

What I love about this channel is how I'm so often surprised by what I think I'm going to like vs. what I actually end up liking, once I actually listen to a piece of music. So far, I'm up to #5 on your list(working my way through them in a linear fashion), and although they're all great in different ways, the Mendelssohn was one that filled me with so much joy. I was expecting it to be just more boring classical period I IV V progressions with diminished scales but it was so much more dynamic than I had expected. So rich and beautiful. Can't believe a 15-year-old wrote it. I'll look forward to exploring his other works, as well as continuing to listen to your other recommendations. Awesome thanks!

[@cyberprimate]

If you have more, please post another list. It takes a lifetime to discover great overlooked music.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I always have more...

[@marktanney3347]

Thanks for everything Dave. I just wanted to mention that I ran across this new KZbin video of Mozart 25 recorded July 7, 2024 I believe. I thought Emanual Ax did a beautiful job on it. Emanuel Ax, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Chief Conductor Alan Gilbert

[@connykarlsson9969]

Hamlet is one of my favorite works by Tchaikovsky since I heard it as a young student visiting Leningrad. So poignant and tragic!

[@aarong5716]

I strongly, strongly agree on "Devil and Kate"!! I just discovered it myself a few days ago.

[@wayneday3116]

I was surprised to learn that Vaughan-Williams' 5 Mystical Songs were never performed in the Royal Albert Hall until Thomas Allen sang them there some time ago. The performance was on KZbin but, I'm sorry to say, has since been deleted. It was a great treat to hear Sir Thomas sing this neglected work. It truly is one of the glories of British 20th Century music.

[@howard5259]

Yes. I'm always in two minds about the closing Antiphon but Five Mystical Songs has some of the most beautiful music Vaughan Williams wrote, which is saying something.

[@jachymhajek9700]

Leoš Janáček- Říkadla. Another late masterpiece by Leoš.

[@nicolaa55]

Thank you for including the Shostakovich. I had the great privilege of hearing this gem performed live (and I'm sure you know just what a rarity that is) in what the concert organizer thought might have been its Toronto premiere (and this was in 2019). It was the original version (for piano and bass) and I mostly agree with your summation that the orchestral version is to be preferred--but the piano version is worthwhile for two related reasons: one, it was Shostakovich's own instrument and very much suits his sparse later style, and second, because of the theme that starts off and concludes that final piece--a little thing he apparently composed as a child--is just so perfect on the piano. I also love the story arc of the poems that were selected. It's genius. I very much look forward to hearing your more expanded thoughts.

[@jacobmeinders348]

tchaikovsky orchestral suite no. 3 in g major op. 55 is my suggestion!

[@simonballard6413]

And orchestral suite no.1, with that lovely Slav intermezzo.

[@leestamm3187]

Thanks for the list. Your recommendations are typically golden. I know some of these and will promptly check out any I haven't heard. The new channel title is appropriate and I'm glad you kept your name as part of it.

[@thomasmcgorry2176]

There is much neglected greatness in Mozart's supposed lighter music. The Haffner and Posthorn serenades, the Divertimentos KV 287 and especially KV 334 etc.

[@Dorabella141]

Add to those K251 Divertimento and the Notturno for 4 orchestras K286.

[@joonaa2751]

Mozart’s piano concerti 10 and 16 are very underrated to me. I also seem to be among a minority who absolutely love Liszt’s orchestral tone poems (they usually seem to receive a more guarded sort of appreciation, like he invented the genre but then others did it much better)

[@thomasmcgorry2176]

I agree about Mozart KV 451, the finale is one of Mozart's most Haydnesque movements.

[@ruramikael]

Liszt's Trois Odes Funebres are really neglected.

[@joebloggs396]

11 and 12 are underrated, 12 a favourite of mine. Hardly anyone thinks much of 26 anyway, whether it has a nickname or not doesn't matter. I don't think it ever eclipsed 25.

[@pietstamitz1]

@@thomasmcgorry2176 and the first movement is (in my opinion) one of his most ingenious concerto-movements. The piece is undeservedly underrated, but maybe it is more a piece for the "Kenner" and less for the "Liebhaber)

[@murraylow4523]

Just putting in another word for Bartok’s Cantata Profana - very strange and beautiful but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are only a couple of recordings..

[@henrypalmeter1195]

The music is great and the story is heartwrenching!

[@josephromance3908]

I completely agree about Copland's Short Symphony. And I enjoyed the entire list.

[@jensenbenh]

Other neglected pieces by composers you mention...Dvorak Requiem, Rossini Stabat Mater, Vaughan Williams Symphonies 6 and 9, Shostakovich---Michelangelo is an interesting choice---Symphony No. 14 and the late quartets aren't done much, 2nd cello and violin concerti, Mendelssohn String Quartet in F minor op. 80, Tchaikovsky String Quartets, Hindemith Ludus Tonalis

[@MatthewMarczi]

This is a great idea for a series and a nice complement to the "most uninteresting" (or is it "least interesting"?) works from major composers series. I especially agree with your choice of the Mendelssohn first symphony. I've quickly grown to really admire him as a composer and the number of conductors who only cover the final three symphonies is frustrating, even though the first two are just as good (or close enough to deserve similar treatment).

[@bbailey7818]

I agree with you about the Debussy. I also think La Demoiselle Elue is not played nearly as often as it used to be. L'Enfant Prodigue is almost pure Massenet with dollops of Franck but I think it deserves more attention than just the Air de Lia which pops up on mezzo recitals every so often. Beecham used to do the Cortege & Air de Danse as a lollipop. Among the lesser known Tchaikovsky tone poems, I actually prefer the Tempest to Hamlet. The writing of the mists, fog and storm are incredibly evocative. The love music for Ferdinand and Miranda is as good as the R&J tune. I think it gets hurt because it gets confused with Tchaikovsky's other Storm Overture based on Ostrovsky and the same subject as Kata Kabanova but Janacek certainly trumped his predecessor there!

[@fredrickroll06]

You can't really compare a full-fledged opera with a short symphonic poem. Besides, "The Storm" (op. 76) was a STUDENT work of Tchaikovsky's, he was just 24 - but it's one of my absolute favorites! Avoid Haitink's reading, it's a disaster! Wit is incomparably better.

[@luukmarcus]

For me Tchaikovsky's Hamlet is his incidental music Hamlet. With a short version of the Fantasy overture, some lovable shorter pieces, specially the Marcia funebre, and a lot of very short fanfares. With fine recordings by Vladimir Jurowski (PentaTone) and - even finer - by Geoffrey Simon (Chandos).

[@caleblaw3497]

Beethoven Trio in B-flat major for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 11 is a great piece and it is pretty neglected. Another one is Mozart Quintet for piano and winds. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25 on the other hand is one of my favorite pieces to listen to. I think the piece is popular enough to be considered not being neglected. It is just my opinion

[@salt_cots]

Mozart 25 is probably my favourite of his concertos, although 22 runs it close. I adore the finale, and there is one moment that I find spine-tingling: the sudden gear change when the piano comes in with the simplest three-note descending figure. E.g. Brendel/Scottish Chamber Orch & Mackerras at 4:00.

[@onnoalink6694]

Indeed, the Five Tudor Portraits is the best choral/orchestral work RVW ever wrote. When I first heard it on record I was astounded that this piece was never performed live. That changed in the nineties, when lo and behold the Delft Student Orchestra & Chorus performed it (in Delft) and shocked the audience. It was coupled with Constant Lambert's The Rio Grande, so it was a superb evening.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I love love LOVE Hamlet. Oddly enough, I came to know the work rather early on…via an LP I bought when I was in junior high school. Maazel conducting both R&J and Hamlet on a London LP. I bought it for the R&J, but I really latched onto the Hamlet!!

[@timh8587]

The Copland is wonderful isn't it. I've played the Sextet arrangement (string quartet, clarinet and piano) a few times and it never gets less scary. It's always worth it.

[@peterfitton4529]

Debussy - Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien. In its Symphonic Fragments form it is simply wonderful - beautiful and evocative music. The full length piece with singing/narration etc is also very fine.

[@fredcasden]

Bravo!

[@classicalduck]

I concur heartily with many on your list -- in fact, the very first work that came to mind when you stated your premise was the Schumann Op. 52. I've actually heard that in concert; Sir Neville Marriner programmed it when he conducted the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in 2008, adding a slow movement fashioned from excerpts from "Kinderszenen" by Paul Chihara. It didn't really make a symphony out of it, but it did no harm, either. San Francisco State University did RVW's "Five Tudor Portraits" sometime in the 1970s when I was there. I remember my friends in the large Concert Choir exchanging nudge-nudges and wink-winks over the words in "Jolly Rutterkin" after rehearsals. (I didn't sing in that, for some reason; I think it was because I was in the elite Chamber Choir, and we had our own program, with lite classics such as "Friede auf Erden.") I especially approve of your choice of the Mozart K. 503. In fact, Ivan Moravec's earlier recording of that, with Josef Vlach and the Czech PO, has long been my go-to work for getting over depressive episodes. (You might consider devoting a chat to that sometime.) The only work on the list I'd never even heard of was the Liszt. I must see if I can find that somewhere.

[@kylejohnson8877]

My list (many of these have already been mentioned by others): Dvorak (so many choices!): Symphony no. 3 (possibly the most neglected masterwork by a major composer IMO), Requiem Saint-Saëns (again, so many choices!): Piano Concerti nos. 1 and 3, Piano Trio no. 2 Poulenc: Piano Concerto, Les animaux modèles Sibelius: The Wood-Nymph, Swanwhite Nielsen: all four of his deliciously inventive string quartets! Barber: the three magnificent Essays for orchestra Respighi: Metamorphoseon modi XII Vaughan Williams: Piano Quintet (like the Debussy Fantaisie, it doesn’t deserve to get derided just because it’s “early”), Job, Piano Concerto Beethoven: Mass in C (in some ways, I prefer it to the Missa Solemnis), various folksong settings Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata no. 1 (pure joy from beginning to end) Rachmaninoff: Symphony no. 1 (though its reputation is beginning to be rehabilitated) Prokofiev: Symphony no. 7 (sure, it’s been recorded a bunch of times, but when’s the last time you heard it in concert?) Franck: 3 Piano Trios, op. 1 (some of the most astonishing music ever penned by a teenager!) P.S. I respectfully disagree with the trashing of Mozart’s PC no. 26 (an all too common occurrence, sadly). It’s one of my very favorite works of his.

[@michaelhartman8724]

For completists, the Geoffrey Simon 2 disk from Chandos 1981 includes additional incidental music for "Hamlet": a mishmash of spoken dialogue and bits of the 3rd symphony and other castoffs recycled for performance. Not exactly a great experience, but gives some insight into Tchaikovsky as a workaday schmuck who will cobble older material together for a ruble or two.

[@classicalemotion]

The Mendelssohn's 8th symphony in it's version with winds. There is a really nice recording with Masur. I think this work doesn't have much attention because it comes in CD on same box as the string symphonies. But I think it's really a really good work. In the time it was recorded, it came in a Single LP clamming being the 8ve Mendelssohn's symphony, which of course leads to: what happens with the 6 and 7!!

[@hallingerman2168]

Dave, I enjoyed this overview. Would you ever consider doing a program on the wonderful Irish composer, John Kinsella (1932-2021). I enjoy so much hearing his modern yet melodic works, especially his 11 Symphonies - very dramatic, and energizing, but also with a wonderful lyricism. Thank you, Dave!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Sure, I'll think about it.

[@leoncohen2712]

When you do another such list, please include Vaughan Williams's opera "The Pilgrim's Progress." It contains some of the most spiritually radiant music I've ever heard, there are only a few recordings of it, and it should be performed more often.

[@KenL414]

As usual, sir, thank you for a fantastic set of recommendations - haven't heard the Debussy Fantaisie, and I immediately found a version with Barenboim conducting, with Martha Argerich on piano - so I'm about to devour that recording! Also going to check out the Liszt Apparitions, too - seems like Liszt doing what he did best - taking a tune someone else wrote, and turning it into a virtuosic whirlwind of technical genius!

[@melodymaker135]

The old name was in a sense just Dave’s name. Or what I subscribed to was called Classics Today, which is a perfectly fine name but could refer to books or cars or movies. The new name stakes out some bold turf and I love it

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Well, I thought "ultimate" was more modest than "definitive." But who's counting?

[@samuelstephens6163]

Here's my little contribution: Barber: Toccata Festiva Berber: Prayers of Kierkegaard Nielsen: An Imaginary Trip to the Faroe Islands Arnold: Scottish Dances Arnold: A Sussex Overture Berlioz: Fantasia after Shakespeare's The Tempest Mussorgsky: Pictures, in the Ashkenazy Orchestration Rachmaninov: Vigil Biber: The 1681 Violin Sonatas Schmelzer: Violin Sonata No.4 Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes In Biber's case, I think the 1681 sonatas are more approachable than the Rosary set, and certainly no less interesting.

[@herbchilds1512]

Bach's Cantata, BWV 211, "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht," the Coffee Cantata, would seem to fit the description of this list. It's really a miniature comic opera, 28 minutes of pure pleasure, and frequently staged. It's not nearly as well known as it should be. It's a secular cantata, just a bit irreverent, and such a contrast from Bach's 200-plus religious cantatas.

[@josephgreen8149]

I don’t think we can leave it to history to deliver a verdict on orchestral music of the last 100 years and beyond. My hobby is compiling concert histories and Having completed a full diary for the Philadelphia Orchestra in its subscription seasons 1900 to 2020 I am now working on George Szell. Collecting his concerts given in Prague in the early 1930s I came across Casella’s Violin concerto. I didn’t know Casella had written a violin concerto. I don’t think Noseda included it in his chandos series and I had to hunt for a recording which I eventually found on Capriccio. I listened to it on my way to work this morning and it is really quite good. Not in the front rank but there are so few violin concertos it’s worth hunting for extra Repertoire. Rather in the style of Samuel Barber with a gorgeous movement. So you are right there is a huge amount of repertoire worth listening to and you’re doing a great service bringing this to our attention but orchestras really ought to be trying not just to promote new work but also revive pieces they may have given the first performance to many years ago. By the way if you’d like to see the Szell and Philadelphia work, let me know

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

There is no other judgment but that of history. Just sayin'...

[@alenaadamkova7617]

I shared your list of neglected pieces to Russian lady who writes facts about Tchaikovsky on twitter, mostly his quotes, like Twitter ambassador, or fan. She wrote: There are dozens of Tchaikovsky’s works that are really neglected masterpieces. But the most terrible thing is that many people here know nothing about his generally recognized works. For example, they think Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is just some music from M&Ms commercial

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Good for M&Ms. At least they have class!

[@alenaadamkova7617]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Yes. :)

[@alenaadamkova7617]

@@DavesClassicalGuide But if they enter the world of classics, they feel they cannot live without the music.

[@LazarusLonger]

Divertimento by Bartok. Among his greatest works. Honorable mention to Stravinsky’s Apollo.

[@benrlego]

A very nice list. For my underrated one, I really like Beethoven’s piano concerto no. 2, which is greatly overshadowed by the last 3 concerti. While I can acknowledge that 3-4 are better, I love 2. It’s early Beethoven in his playful style with a very fun finale. Some Mozart tones in this one, and I enjoy Mozart’s piano concerti immensely. Fleisher/Szell and Zimerman are my personal picks though there are many greats like Ashkenazy etc. The 1st concerto is also overlooked.

[@JAMESLEVEE]

The 1st overlooked? That's funny. I know a bunch of companies that play the first movement while I'm on hold.

[@benrlego]

@@JAMESLEVEE Iconic is not necessarily talked about. Admittedly I do not recall hearing it in the settings you describe, but I believe you.

[@alenaadamkova7617]

Slovak theater did months ago Devil and Kate and the short clip seemed like quality production visually too.

[@brossjackson]

absolutely right that mozart #26 is mediocre and #25 is one of the great ones. Arguably his "Abendampfindung an Laura" is underplayed b/c Mozart isn't really thought of as a Lieder composer, and that's top drawer Mozart. I also love the Dvorak and Vaughan Williams picks (and with the Vaughan Williams, throw in Flos Campi) Beethoven's Mass in C is definitely underplayed. Not much of Beethoven is overlooked, but I think this one is. The Strauss violin sonata is one of my favorites, but isn't heard that often (though it seems to be making progress in the repertory in recent years). Oddly, I think for LIszt the entirety of Book 1 of Annees is a bit neglected, because the music is really wonderful. If pianists decided to occasionally NOT program Chopin Ballades every single concert and threw some of these pieces in instead, I'd be delighted. Never happens, though.

[@Alonso6390]

First time I heard Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 1 in C minor I was shocked. The old WQRS would play the Scottish and Italian Symphonies all the time, like maybe every week, and yet I just couldn't remember them ever putting on the First.

[@fredrickroll06]

I heard snatches of the First Symphony done several years ago in Düsseldorf as incidental music to a performance of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" - to illustrate Oberon's outbursts of fury! I like this symphony very much!

[@martinhaub2602]

Tchakovsky's Hamlet had been guaranteed immortality because of its use in that holiday classic, A Christmas Story ("You'll shoot your eye out!"). Nothing else on this list has ever had such a vast audience and likely never will.

[@12Trappor]

I love Rossini’s Ermione ever since I watched the 90s Glyndebourne production on TV. Bruce Ford in particular was fabulous. One reason why it’s not staged more might be casting difficulties, especially the tenors. I guess that goes for several of the operas written for Nozzari/David.

[@TdF_101]

Also Debussy's La Demoiselle élue is great. But yeah, his piano and orchestra fantasy needs to be played more! I would also add Respighi's Metamorphoseon ... the variations add so much .... variety (pun intended) for the listener ... plenty of solos and interesting orchestral colours

[@kylejohnson8877]

Yes!! Totally agreed about about Respighi’s Metamorphoseon. I consider it to be Respighi’s greatest work - possessing a real depth of feeling in addition to his customary displays of orchestral wizardry. There’s a marvelously imaginative “Cadenza” variation which features extensive solos for cello, viola, harp, and clarinet - it’s unlike anything else in the repertoire. This work really ought to get played instead of the ubiquitous “Pines of Rome” every once in a while.

[@TdF_101]

@@kylejohnson8877 exactly. it has all the characteristics of a great Respighi piece

[@zaaplol5777]

Hans Graf did the Shostakovich with the Singapore SO April 2022: and they also did the Schumann Aug 2022 and by the way Kallivoda 1st Symphony April 2022.

[@brynbstn]

Regarding neglected Mozart piano concertos, I would like to add my two cents: Where #25 may not be in the top group of most performed/recorded (24,23,21,20,17) it's seems to be in the second group, based on my experience. One concerto I recently discovered when I undertook a project to listen to all the Mzt piano concertos I had never heard, and one I went back to 3-4 times to re-listen to, is #13. This concerto is remarkable - a virtuosic, complex piano part, vivid themes, wonderful writing (as always), I see it as gem overshadowed by the more frequently played.

[@herbchilds1512]

Elgar's "Starlight Express." It should be a regular Christmas event, although a bit long-winded for today's version of the children it was intended for. As long as we're in Britain, please consider a program recognizing Eric Coates and Albert Ketelbey. Coates' music (long favored by the BBC) kept spirits up during WW2. His "Three Elizabeths" alludes to the late QE2 and her sister Margaret when they were teenagers in active military service (in its third section, "The youth of Britain.") The first section, "Halcyon days," is long remembered as the theme music for BBC's "Forsyte Saga."

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I talked about Ketelby in "Dave's Faves."

[@adamfrye246]

I like Leonard Bernstein's cadenza for Mozart Piano Con. 25, which he plays and conducts from the keyboard. It is like a "wrong note piece

[@alenaadamkova7617]

National museum said in 2 min video in 2020 that most Dvořák Operas are refused by most Opera houses, except for Rusalka and as David said previously the reason can be the fact that the names of Operas are ordinary and not so catchy to attract thousands of people. It seems It would be Dvořák´s dream to make his Operas known, not for his name but for its music and idea. Maybe in new world they will do more his Operas, instead of New world. :) Now it makes me think how many composers are neglected refused or maybe they cannot give so much space to everybody, because they want to be certain of its popularity. It´s easy to lose illusion about their artistic "business". Philosophers say Love is irrational wisdom of heart. Why music has to be rational, then? :) Why music cannot be just irrational wisdom of heart?

[@VallaMusic]

gonna give Mendelssohn #1 a listen immediately

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Have fun!

[@mikewinter2235]

meant to thank producer Thomas Frost and Ormandy of course for the Bartok pairing on one side of an LP from 1963.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I would certainly agree about the Mozart concerto, but then we have that remarkable mainstream recording with Fleischer and Szell. I would love to see this live in a concert hall.

[@morrigambist]

The Barenboim/Klemperer is also superb - no one could doubt the identity of the conductor from the first notes.

[@valerietaylor9615]

Slow as molasses?

[@eddihaskell]

Beethoven Second Symphony. It is not programmed as much as it should be. The second work I would mention is Elgar's Cockaigne Overture (in London Town). There is no piece of music more evocative of the happy Edwardian years than this piece. Third, Haydn Symphony 88. If you find Haydn too lightweight, listen to the Furtwangler version.

[@barrymoore4470]

Along with the Second, the Fourth and Eighth are also treated as the poor relations in the pantheon of Beethoven symphonies.

[@fredrickroll06]

I find the Second Beethoven's least felicitious symphony. It's on the way to the Third, but hasn't gotten there yet by a long shot.

[@barrymoore4470]

@@fredrickroll06 It may not be a masterpiece, but the Second Symphony is one of Beethoven's most interesting compositions, showing an experimental impulse also evinced by such works of around the same time as the "Moonlight" Sonata and the "Eroica" Variations. There are humorous, even grotesque effects in the symphony that distinguish it from the kind of mellifluous music that was deemed desirable by the composer's contemporaries.

[@Anvanho]

Oh gee, ok I'll just say it since no one else has: Bruckner Requiem.

[@brucemiller5356]

tchaikovsky: 'concert fantasia for piano and orchestra.' oft played at one time but no longer. a real challenge for a pianist. i would love to hear anna federova play this

[@stevenmsinger]

My votes for neglected masterpieces by major composers: 1) Stravinsky's Les Noces.You've already had a video about how amazing and important it is. There is nothing else really like it. This is one of Stravinsky's best works - and that's saying A LOT! 2) Schoenberg's Gurrelieder - I know it's not one of your favorites, but it's important and beautiful. It shows the composer's style as it developed, and it's full of huge mostly tonal orchestral horror. It's like Mahler, Wagner and Schoenberg got together and went nuts. 3) Mozart's Piano Concert 9 - for me this is the most unsung Mozart piano concerto. Most of what came later really follows this as the model. It's full of youthful delight.

[@lukewaddell67]

Charles Rosen called Mozart's 9th Piano Concerto the first great masterpiece of the classical period, and while that's definitely hyperbolic (what are the Sun Quartets, chopped liver?), it's fair to say the work is the first in the long list of Mozart's mature masterpieces.

[@bbailey7818]

I emphatically agree about Gurrelieder. From the 12 tone period I'm not so sure that the piano concerto isn't neglected and even derided a bit because it seems to be a compromise, a bid for "popularity" but it's a masterpiece. I'd bet that Mozart's 9th, Jeunehomme" is the first concerto before Beethoven's G Major to begin with a statement by the soloist. It does seem to get played more than many of the first 15 except No.12.

[@bigtom6939]

My first ever live classical listening experience was A Lark Ascending and Mozarts' 25th piano concerto by the local Trinity Cathedral chamber orchestra in Cleveland roughly 35 years ago. That performance has stayed with me and really set me to listening to "classical music" ever since. BTW I want to say that I only discovered you about 6-7 months ago and I have learned so much its scary. W ith your reviews and a really great library system, used cd's and Qobuz I have expanded my classical library tremendously. Thank you for your you tube channel it is really fun.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank you for listening!

[@fredrickroll06]

I loved "Macbeth" when I was 19 - never heard it again. Tchaikovsky's "Hamlet" certainly DOES have a love theme! It didn't impress Balakirev, who commented, "Hamlet makes Ophelia compliments and offers her an ice" - but I beg to disagree. Admittedly, the theme of Ophelia herself is better, the best thing in the work - a great example of an oboe symbolizing a woman, as so often. The biggest problem with "Hamlet," in my estimation, is a lengthy tumultuous passage which gets hung up on a diiminished seventh chord and is repeated in the recapitulation exactly as it was in the exposition - except for the transition back to Ophelia's cantilena with a subtley agitated accompaniment, which is terrific! All in all, I love "Hamlet" - although not entirely as much as Tchaikovsky's other symphonic poems - including the much-maligned "Fatum"!

[@Richard-fq5he]

Bach's chamber masterpieces are somewhat neglected; the 3rd viola da gamba sonata, the E major violin sonata and the trio sonata from the Musical Offering. Also Beethoven 'harp' quartet and Shostakovich 2nd piano sonata.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Surprised you didn’t choose the 5th symphony for Dvorak. You really opened my mind to that amazing work with a previous video.

[@KBMars]

Same here. Fantastic work, discovered thanks to David.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@KBMars I was so tempted, but the opera is even more obscure, and I haven't done anything separate for it yet.

[@tygertyger8597]

Any suggestions on the best recording of Copeland's Short Symphony? As a tricky piece to perform, I definitely want to find a recording where they got it right. I realize there are not that many to choose from. Advance thanks for any suggestions.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Amazing.

[@nb2816]

I think part of the reason Mozart's 25th concerto is not often performed is because initially, at least, it can come across as rather frigid, rather icy, especially when compared with such concertos such as Nos. 17 and 23, which are more obviously warm in expression. I've come to appreciate and value No. 25 much more than I used to, but the one sticking point for me in regard to this work is what I consider to be the crippling banality of that repetitive little (initially) minor tune in the opening movement. I still have problems getting past that tune, lol.

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

there's a F-major melody in the central ('C') section of the Rondo that is as good as any other melody Mozart ever wrote. It's played by the soloist and winds in his typical mastery of the winds that's seen from your mentioned KV. 453 (No. 17) and onward

[@gavingriffiths2633]

Listz.....what about the Dante and Faust symphonies? Have these, either of them, been performed in the last twenty, thirty years? Bernstein was the only 'great' conductor to tackle the Faust, alas....

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Well, Barenboim did them both, and so did Sinopoli. Solti did the "Faust."

[@ruramikael]

I recommend Dorati for the Faust and Lopez-Cobos for Dante (c/w Solti's Faust on a Double Decca).

[@derekmcmurchie179]

Try the String Quintet K614.

[@josepholeary3286]

Let's not forget that the sublime and lovely Nozze di Figaro is a collective work: without the brilliance of Beaumarchais and Da Ponte Mozart could not have risen to this height.

[@markzacek237]

Actually, whether they know it or not (and 99.9999% don't), hundreds of millions of people know a bit of Tchaikovsky's Hamlet because it's used - oddly - as background music in A Christmas Story where Ralphie disposes of the bad guys with his Red Ryder air gun.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Already mentioned. You missed this one by 22 minutes!

[@markzacek237]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Rats! I'll be quicker on the draw next time!

[@freewheelnorth322]

which bit of Hamlet is used?

[@dovrosenschein147]

Different pieces get played more elsewhere in the world. Carmina Burana or Richard Strauss's tone poems, for instance, have only in the last couple decades been played at all in Israel - and still today the Israel Philharmonic has yet to perform officially any works of Wagner. Richard Strauss and Carl Orff were card carrrying Nazis, and Wagner the favored composer and philosopher of Nazi Germany. On the other hand, Josaph Joachim's overtures and his Hungarian concerto are known pieces in Israel, long after most of the rest of the world forgot he even existed. Likewise Mahler, whose music was outright banned in central Europe after World War 1, is one of the most performed composers in Israeli orchestras - I've heard 7 of his symphonies performed by the Israel Phil and the Jerusalem symphony (not the 8th or 9th, but I might have had multiple opportunities to hear those pieces). Some of Schönberg's lesser known pieces (such as his Kol Nidrei) are also better known in Israel. Schumann's music in Israel is not as popular as Mendelssohn's. And there are other examples as well...

[@leonardbernstein2285]

How does Liszt's Hamlet compare to Tchaikovsky's, in your opinion?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't make those kinds of comparisons, normally, and see no need. They are different.

[@freewheelnorth322]

Tchaikovsky's Hamlet gets some poor performances that fail to bring out its greatness. But I'd recommend the USSR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yevgeny Svetlanov, coupled with The Tempest, which is greater according to musicologist Tchaikovsky expert David Brown. But make your own mind up.

[@TichmanClassCologne]

Not sure, having played it several times, that the Short Symphony, aka Clarinet Sextet, is any easier in the chamber version. Plus the material from Boosey is full of mistakes, which makes rehearsals REALLY ditsy