Obscure Composers
by John A. Sarkett
Obscure Composers
by John A. Sarkett
"Wonderful
compilation." Henry Fogel,
Dean, Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University; former president, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra
League
"An enjoyable read, and a great conversation starter." James McCarthy, Limelight magazine, Australia
"...for those seeking to shake up their listening habits and explore musical rarities." Opera America
| The Obscure Composers Index™: |
ORATORIOS |
||
| COMPOSER | RECORDINGS |
WORK |
DATE |
| Handel | 92 | Messiah, HWV 56 | 1741 |
| Haydn, F.J. | 63 | The Creation, H 21 no 2 | 1798 |
| Haydn, F.J. | 33 | The Seasons, H 21 no 3 | 1802 |
| Mozart | 32 | Vesperae solennes de confessore | 1780 |
| Bach, J.S. | 28 | St Matthew Passion | 1727 |
| Mendelssohn | 25 | Elijah, Op. 70 | 1846 |
| Bach, J.S. | 22 | Christmas Oratorio | 1734 |
| Bach, J.S. | 21 | St John Passion 1724 | 1724 |
| Stravinsky, Igor | 20 | Oedipus rex | 1927 |
| Handel | 16 | Israel in Egypt, HWV 54 | 1738 |
| Schutz | 11 | Saint John Passion, SWV 481 | 1666 |
| Haydn, F.J. | 11 | Seven last words of Christ on the Cross, H 20 no 2 | 1796-98 |
| Berlioz, Hector | 11 | L'enfance du Christ 1854 | 1854 |
| Liszt, Franz | 11 | Christus 1873 | 1873 |
| Elgas, Edward | 11 | The Dream of Gerontius | 1900 |
| Handel | 10 | L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55 | 1740 |
| Handel | 10 | Saul, HWV 53 | 1739 |
| Handel | 9 | Jephtha, HWV 70 | 1752 |
| Handel | 9 | Theodora, HWV 68 | 1739 |
| Mendelssohn | 9 | Saint Paul, Op. 36 | 1836 |
| Honegger, Artur | 9 | Le roi David | 1923 |
| Mozart | 9 | Laudate Dominum | 1780 |
| Handel | 8 | Hercules, HWV 60 | 1750 |
| Handel | 8 | Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63 | 1746 |
| Handel | 8 | Solomon, HWV 67 | 1748 |
| Tippett, Michael | 8 | A Child of Our Time | 1944 |
| Cavalieri | 7 | Rappresentatione de Anima, et di Corpo | 1600 |
| Handel | 7 | Semele, HWV 58 | 1748 |
| Schutz | 7 | Saint Matthew Passion, SWV 479 | 1666 |
| Schutz | 7 | Saint Luke Passion, SWV 480 | 1666 |
| Mendelssohn | 7 | Christus, Op. 97 | 1852 |
| Handel | 6 | Belshazzar, HWV 61 | 1745 |
| Handel | 6 | Esther, HWV 50b | 1718 |
| Handel | 6 | Samson, HWV 57 | 1741 |
| Beethoven | 6 | Christ on the Mount of Olives | 1803 |
| Schmidt, Franz | 6 | The Book with Seven Seals | 1938 |
| Handel | 5 | Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno, HWV 46a | 1757 |
| Handel | 5 | Joshua, HWV 64 | 1747 |
| Handel | 5 | La resurrezione, HWV 47 | 1708 |
| Vivaldi | 5 | Antonio Vivaldi – Juditha triumphans | 1716 |
| Bach, J.S. | 5 | Easter Oratorio 1725 | 1725 |
| Saint-Saens | 5 | Camille Saint-Saëns - Christmas Oratorio, Op. 12 | 1858 |
| Stainer | 5 | The Crucifixion 1887 | 1887 |
| Handel | 4 | Athalia, HWV 52 | 1733 |
| Elgas, Edward | 4 | The Apostles | 1903 |
| Elgas, Edward | 4 | The Kingdom | 1906 |
| Honegger, Artur | 4 | Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher | 1938 |
| Handel | 3 | Il trionfo del Tempo e della Verità, HWV 46b | 1757 |
| Haydn, F.J. | 3 | Il ritorno di Tobia, H 21 no 1 | 1775 |
| Satie, Erik | 3 | Socrate | 1920 |
| Schoenberg, Arnold | 3 | Die Jakobsleiter | 1922 |
| Henze, Hans Werner | 3 | Das Floß der Medusa | 1971 |
| Adams, John | 3 | El Niño | 2000 |
| Lassus | 2 | Lamentationes Hieremiae prophetae | 1585 |
| Handel | 2 | Acis and Galatea, HWV 49 | 1718 |
| Handel | 2 | Alexander Balus, HWV 65 | 1748 |
| Handel | 2 | Deborah, HWV 51 | 1733 |
| Arne, Thomas | 2 | Judith | 1761 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 2 | Der Tag des Gerichts, TV 6 no 8 | 1762 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 2 | Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, TV 6 no 6 | 1760 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 2 | Ich danke den Herrn von ganzem Herzen | 1755 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 2 | Jauchze, jubilier und singe, TV 15 no 5 | 1730 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 2 | St. Luke Passion | 1748 |
| Dvorak | 2 | Saint Ludmila 1886 | 1886 |
| Franck | 2 | Les Béatitudes | 1893 |
| Massenet | 2 | Marie-Magdeleine 1873 | 1873 |
| Saint-Saens | 2 | Le Déluge 1876 | 1876 |
| Shostokovich, Dmitri | 2 | Song of the Forests | 1949 |
| Martinu, Bohuslav | 2 | The Epic of Gilgamesh | 1958 |
| Carissimi | 1 | Jephte | 1648 |
| Handel | 1 | Der für die Sünde der Welt, HWV 48 "Brockes Passion" | 1715 |
| Handel | 1 | Esther, HWV 50a | 1718 |
| Handel | 1 | Joseph and his Brethren, HWV 59 | 1743 |
| Handel | 1 | Occasional Oratorio, HWV 62 | 1746 |
| Handel | 1 | Susanna, HWV 66 | 1748 |
| Handel | 1 | The choice of Hercules, HWV 69 | 1750 |
| Handel | 1 | Triumph of Time and Truth, HWV 71 | 1757 |
| Zelenka | 1 | Sub olea pacis et palma virtutis 1723, Sub olea pacis, ZWV 175 "S. Wenceslao" | 1723 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Betrachtung der 9 Stunde an dem Todestage Jesu, TV 5 no 5 (1) | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Brockes Passion, TV 5 no 1 | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Das befreite Israel, TV 6 no 5 | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Der aus der Löwengrube erettete Daniel | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Die Auferstehung, TV 6 no 7 "Easter Oratorio" | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Die Hirten and der Krippe zu Bethlehem, TV 1 no 797 | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Donnerode, TV 6 no 3 | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Hamburgische Kapitänsmusik | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Das Selige Erwägen des Leidens und sterbens Jesu Christi, TV 5 no 2 | |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | St. Mark Passion | 1755 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | St. Mark Passion | 1759 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | St. Matthew Passion | 1730 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | St. Matthew Passion | 1746 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | St. Matthew Passion | 1754 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | St. Matthew Passion | 1766 |
| Telemann, Georg Philipp | 1 | Wohl dem Volke, des der Herr sein Gott ist, TV 15 no 11 | 1738 |
| Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel | 1 | Die Israeliten in der Wüste | 1769 |
| Massenet | 1 | Ève 1875 | 1875 |
| Sullivan, Arthur | 1 | The Prodigal Son 1869 | 1869 |
| Sullivan, Arthur | 1 | The Light of the World 1873 | 1873 |
| Sullivan, Arthur | 1 | The Martyr of Antioch 1880 | 1886 |
| Vaughn Williams, Ralph | 1 | Sancta Civitas | 1926 |
| Schickele, Peter | 1 | Oedipus Tex | 1985 |
| McCartney, Sir Paul | 1 | Liverpool Oratorio | 1991 |
| Einhorn, Richard | 1 | Voices of Light | 1994 |
| Goldenthal. Eliot | 1 | Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio | 1995 |
| Saariaho, Kaija | 1 | La Passion de Simone | 2006 |
People ask: what is the difference between opera, oratorio, and cantata? Opera is a fully staged dramatic or comic presentation that tells a story. Oratorio tells a story, too, with voice and instruments, but no staging. It is most often heard in concert hall. A cantata uses voice and instruments, may tell a story, or may be used to realize scripture in sound. Cantatas are heard in concert hall or church. Operas are more often secular, oratorio and cantata more often associated with sacred stories and texts, but there are secular cantatas as well.
The list above has been carefully researched, but may have errors and omissions.
Source: arkivmusic.com,
5/16/2016,
Analysis: Sarkett & Associates, Inc., publishers:
Obscure
Composers