Waking to Ippolitov-Ivanov this morning started me pondering... there are quite a few composers who are famous for only one work (Weinberger for Schwanda the Bagpiper, for example); but there are also more highly regarded composers who in my opinion only hit the bullseye once.

My nominee is Bloch, whose Schelomo I think is a wonderful masterpiece, but whose every other work has disappointed me deeply. And I've hunted down most of them... 

Haes anybody else had this (expensive) problem with a relatively well-known composer?

I certainly haven't heard anything by Holst which measures up to The Planets (cue for Holst experts to remind me of what I'm missing), though I'm not sure what posterity has decided is the one hit for which Rimsky-Korsakov excites wonder.

As for Orff, he does seem to have written only one piece which has gained wide currency, but for me it's one of his least interesting works, compared for example to Oedipus der Tyrann which to my ears is the most successful "operatic" setting of Greek tragedy ever written.

I guess in the case of Holst, Egdon Heath (absolutely mesmeric and forward-looking) and the St. Paul's Suite (dull and trite, IMO) are pretty well known too, plus a lorry-load of wind band music.

Come on RB - doesn't the dark brooding melancholy of Hammersmith do anything for you? OK, granted, not everybody is "fat, glum and predictable", but does it leave you completely cold?

(Thanks Ron Dough for putting me right. I have it on tape somewhere, but everything is such a muddle...)

Another: Pfitzner, whose "Palestrina" I love above all of Wagner and Richard Strauss, but who signally failed to reproduce that form...

Litolff, as you all ought to know, is a FIRST-RATE composer whose music, OBJECTIVELY assessed, is infinitely superior to that of Beethoven, Johann Strauss, Vivaldi and almost everyone else, as  Professor Grew CONCLUSIVELY proved some time ago. How short are the memories of today's benighted youth.

As for Holst, I did say I hadn't heard anything which struck me to the extent that The Planets (the first "classical" piece I ever got to know, actually) did, but I'm prepared to admit that's more out of ignorance (and perhaps being fat, glum and predictable) than anything else. I will get around to it sooner or later. I just borrowed a recording of Peter Grimes to put onto my hard disc, which anyone who knows me will confirm is a major step, although in which direction?

I remember quite liking Savitri but I've only heard it once.

Of course Ligeti's best-known work by far is his 2001 soundtrack music.

Mr Barrett, please tell me it's the original Britten/Pears recording.  I'm always horrified at the idea of someone getting to know Grimes or any other major Britten-work (Is this the first time you will listen to Grimes on disc?) through the more recent recordings of them...  They're allright, but I feel they often miss the rythmic energy and preciseness, and emotional subtlety of the recordings conducted by the composer himself (and sung by Pears! )  I know I would never have been attracted to Britten if it were for the recent recordings.  All my personal musical highlights sound so messed up there, I hear so many missed opportunities...  (Or maybe I'm just totally biased...  )

Erm, to ensure my post is at least a bit on topic...  Here are some more one work composers:

Bruch - Violin Concerto
Lalo - Symphonie Espagnole
Bizet - Carmen (oh, and The Pearl Fishers) (Why did he only write two major operas?  He was quite good at it...  )


When I was younger I had a fervent admiration for Stravinsky, I had just discovered his great Ballets Russes-ballets and was bewildered by them.  Then I heard of the existence of an opera by Stravinsky and, as soon as I could, I went out and bought it (quite expensive).  I didn't realise at the time Stravinsky had switched styles by then and was expecting a wild, colourful, extremely expressive feast of music (Le Sacre meets Petroushka, but with singing in it).  You can imagine my bemusement...  I kept the recording on the shelves for some years, regretting having been such an impulsive buyer...  Fortunately, over the years, I have come to love and admire The Rake's Progress more than anything else... 
Same thing with Vaughan Williams.  I only knew The Lark Ascending (I am a slow listener), and I went out to borrow his Sixth Symphony from the library (much cleverer!), expecting the same warm, gentle, English, pastoral, soothing music...  I brought it back as soon as I could, but I'm sure it will please me some day...