I need to check out Ivanovs. I know he's considered one of the greatest Latvian composers of all-time, right? I should have mentioned Delius in my list as he's a favorite as well. Don't really know why I left him off. Never could get into Bax or Messiaen. Foulds is an interesting composer. I enjoy those two Oramo recordings on Warner. Haven't heard A World Requiem yet. Have been meaning to listen to it.
Lots of Ivanovs is available in the downloads section of this forum -- by all means, avail yourself! My suggestion is to start with Symphonies Nos. 4 or 6, the Cello Concerto, then some of the late symphonies, etc.
Coincidentally, I just listened to Foulds' World Requiem again yesterday. I love the work and have listened to it from beginning to end on quite a few occasions (more than I can say for most large works). It's quite beautiful and very engaging. There's a bit of silliness near the beginning, where one of the soloists exhorts the peoples of the world, naming countries and regions, somewhat reminiscent of Elgar's Crown of India. But the performers carry off the work with great conviction and polish. I often wonder whether Britten heard the work in his youth, as it seems structurally somewhat of a precursor to his War Requiem (which I consider to be one of the supreme masterpieces of music).
Thanks, I'll check it out.
