@William said:
I sometimes think about the great analog synthesizer music like "Tubular Bells" or Morton Subotnick, etc. No one but those guys will ever play that music even though it is really good. But think of J.S. Bach who not only didn't record of course, but often didn't orchestrate or even specify instruments at all - and yet he is constantly being played all over the globe centuries after he died.
True, but he suffered from apathy/indifference/disrespect too. There were those who could care less about his musical abilities and only employed him to repair organs. There was the post he got only because the "best" (Telemann) wasn't available.
There are too many great composers and musicians relegated to obscurity...my teacher, in the album notes for a CBC accordion recording, wrote that he considers himself like a chemist in a lab, in that the work of building a body of repertoire for a new concert instrument was generally unknown to the public, and often scoffed at by fellow musicians who knew little about the possibilities of the instrument. It's only when you have that "breakout moment" that a career can go from nothing to something, and then all of a sudden, people start heaping the praise. You're no better than you were, your music is no more "genius" than it was, it's just that once a few important voices say you're someone special, everyone starts to believe it.
Historically speaking though, I don't think any of the "giants of musical history" are undeservedly recognized, even though some would suggest certain composers are overrated...I do shut down though when I see a person on another forum suggest that Mozart's a joke compared to Scriabin. No...Mozart is different than Scriabin. They both warrant praise for their brilliance, and while one may speak to you more than the other, to dismiss a titan like Mozart is plain stupidity (and yes, that individual has never posted anything to showcase their "genius.")