Let me break it down to the way I see it. There are MILLIONS of pianists in the world. Right? On average, at any one time, I think that it is safe to say you have at least 50% working on Bach, Beethoven, or Chopin (it's probably way more, but let's be safe). Then how much percent of those people play these composers:
Szymanowski, Poulenc, Hindemith, or Ginastera:
Probably a fraction. I know from my own experience, I have played piano for 9 years, and I have only played one piece by Szymanowski and one by Ginastera. In fact, both of those pieces came in the last two years. The first is Ginastera's Suite de Danzas Criollas. Wonderful set of dances/character pieces that can really work well as a recital piece. There are several captivating moments, including a monster ending. It takes a big sound, good octave technique, and a fun personality to pull off. The other is Szymanowski's Variations Op. 3. I like his early music much more than his later stuff, with the exception of the Sonata no. 3. The variations are, again, a great crowd pleaser and they are written in B-flat minor. What more do I have to say? They have a very "epic" sound and when pulled off correctly, they can be put up against almost any other 10 minute piece.
Poulenc is a composer that I have run into just recently; in the past 2 years. I played his Sonata for Two pianos, which, if I may say, is great. It has moments that could be the intro to someones rap CD . . .Luda! =) He does have one piece for piano that gets some play time. His Napoli Suite is probably his most played work. It's alright, I don't think I will be playing it within the next 50 years, but, I might find sometime after that for it; probably not.
Hindemith is another composer like Szymanowski who wrote a good amount of pieces that no one plays. I have seen his sonatas, as well as his "Suite 1922" on some programs. His music can sometimes be harsh or heartless and this might scare some people away.
Just as the GREAT Toru Takemitsu once said, "sayonara".
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