A thread for less well known composers. No.1, Cecil Coles

[TheDecameron]

Radio 3 has recently presented some British composers new to me. I know we've discussed them individually elsewhere and I wondered if a thread to collect them might be good.

Last night another "why have I never heard of him" experience on R3, for the commemoration of The Somme.
Cecil Coles, the Scottish composer and conductor who worked in Stuttgart Opera as a young assistant conductor before returning to Britain only to be killed in WW1 rescuing wounded comrades aged 29.
I've ordered this-

They played Cortège from it and it was rather fine. A nod with sad irony, to Brahms Deutsches Requiem in there

 

[TheDecameron]

Listening to his Four Verlaine Songs. A Slumber Vast and Black- and that sadly is what he got in the trenches.

 

[Barrymagrec]

Possibly not completely unknown but largely neglected - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is Composer of the week on R3.

Many people will have heard of his Hiawatha trilogy but it is rarely played these days and I think there is only one complete recording available, from 1991

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001LKK382/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Another piece well worth listening to is the Violin Concerto

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001H70Z00/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

 

[Mark_R]

At the moment I am listening to Alan Rawsthorne's String Quartet No.1 (Naxos 8.570136) played by the outstanding Maggini Quartet. I highly recommend Rawsthorne's music. Although fairly modern in never lacks essential tunefulness. The Naxos series of his music is wonderful at a very modest cost. (The Maggini recordings on Naxos are also highly recommended).

There are many other lesser known English composers that I could recommend as well, since I have a particular fondness for 20th century English music (and earlier).

I suppose this thread is not limited to lesser know English composers? I would be interested to hear suggestions form other nations.

Mark

 

[TheDecameron]

Moi aussi!

 

[Vinniemac]

I really enjoyed the Piano Quartet and especially the Piano Quintet (for violin, clarinet, horn, cello and piano) by Czech composer Zdeněk Fibich. Haven't checked out anything else by him yet, but I'm sure I will on the strength of this cd.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004XP1XDQ/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21