Choral music
Sun, Jan 29 2012, 8:40PM
#2
RE: Choral music
Spirituality and higher consciousness but not in a religious sense.
How about a good aetheist oratorio like Delius's magnum opus, A Mass Of Life, based on Nietzsche's philosophy? There have been 3 recordings, Beecham arguably the best if one doesn't mind early 50s mono sound or if stereo is a must, Groves, perhaps marginally more lively than Hickox but all are splendid. Will we see a performance this Delius anniversary year? Several black marks to Roger Wright if it doesn't appear at this year's Proms.
Beats Verdi & Britten, but I accept that may be somewhat contentious!
Sun, Jan 29 2012, 8:58PM
#3
RE: Choral music
Between the Missa Solemnis and Faure's Requiem, between secular and other-worldly music, there are vast spaces. And not too churchy, no organ................. we may be left with Baa Baa Black Sheep sung by the King's Singers.
But I'll make the great and probably foolish leap of faith that this is a serious thread and offer a few random thoughts.
Certainly echo the above comments on versions. Can't believe anybody would dislike the Brahms Requiem under Kempe or Janacek's Glagolithic Mass conducted by Ancerl.
Personal favourites are:
The Haydn masses, invigorating, dramatic music with Dona Nobis Pacem endings that demand, not request, peace.
The Martin Mass for Double Choir. Martin's something of an acquired taste but well worth the effort.
Rubbra's choral works. Perhaps too churchy for this recipe but there's a private feel to Rubbra's faith.
The VW mass. A small work, but lovely.
Rachmaninov's Vespers or Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The Vespers are almost operatic, the Liturgy is very much in the Russian Orthodox tradition.
And I know they're rather flavour-of-the-month but you might try Whitacre and Golijov.
Sun, Jan 29 2012, 11:55PM
#4
RE: Choral music
Hi Tagalie!
We are singing from the same hymn sheet!
Frank Martin (one of my favourite unsung 20th C. composer heroes) - yes the mass for double a capella choir is excellent. (Mine is Hyperion with Westminster Cathedral Choir - James O'Donnell).It was that work that turned me on to Frank Martin. Strange that he apparently buried the manuscript in a bottom drawer for many years, as he considered it to be too personal a statement. I can't get my head around his Calvinism I have to admit. Apparently his end of life Requiem setting is a powerful work, though I am yet to hear it. (Tip anyone: Try Polyptique for violin and double string orchestra - 'Six images de la Passion du Christ' - mine is the ECM version -ECM 2015 with Muriel Cantoreggi, violin, German Radio Phil, Christoph Poppen conductor ECM 2008- very powerful work.) Also on the same CD is 'Maria Triptychon- -three separate works joined together - Ave Maria, Magnificat and Stabat Mater).
Haydn's late masses - wow! Though I have to admit I am not familiar with all of the last six, but the Nelson Mass is a personal favourite.Brilliant stuff.
Rubbra's Two Masses - op. 59 and 66 if I remember - yes, especially the op.66 Saint Dominic Mass.
The big dramatic requiems are of course big statements - though I do hear the criticism that the Verdi sounds like an operatic treatment of the Requiem Mass. Ligeti said that he thought the Dies Irae was a bit too 'cartoon strip' for his liking.
(At which point, I am moving over to the Ockeghem thread. Switch channels with me!)
I hear you Vic - there are some odd types indeed. It takes all sorts I suppose!
Sun, Jan 29 2012, 11:42PM
#5
RE: Choral music
And I forgot to add Tagalie - heard Rach's Vespers in a late-night Prom a couple of years ago. Absolutely wonderful. It surprised me - it showed a side of the composer I did not know existed.
Mark
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 12:25AM
#6
RE: Choral music
Good to hear from you again Mark.
If you haven't already done so, check out Martin's Der Cornet. His masterpiece, for my money, a brilliant marriage of text (Rilke, always a sure bet) and music. I have the Orfeo version sung by Lipovsek but I believe there are other good performances around.
Rach is one of my guilty pleasures. I love just about everything he wrote. Shoot! Choral music that's not churchy ................... why didn't I think of The Bells?! Only problem is I think it's still waiting for a recorded performance that does it justice.
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 1:06AM
#7
RE: Choral music
Mark, I'm so glad you enjoyed the Rachmaninov Vespers - I was at that Proms performance too, and have a recording of the evening which I can't access at the moment. It's a wonderful piece. I also recall a performance in St Paul's a few years ago by a visiting Russian choir which was possibly the most ethereal sound I've ever heard human voices make. Russian Orthodox music is such a rich, sensuous sound world. If you've not already tried it, have a listen to Tchaikovsky's Liturgy of St John Christostom, another real gem and not something that immediately springs to mind when Tchaikovsky is mentioned, of course.
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 3:00AM
#8
RE: Choral music
I will add my recommendation to others regarding the Martin Double Mass and 'Der Cornet', which cannot possibly go wrong with words by Rilke. But my favourite Martin composition for chorus is 'Le Vin Herbe' - a setting of the story of Tristan & Isolde. I only know it through a recording but it is a special work.
There is a lot of secular choral music out there. Sibelius wrote some wonderful stuff for chorus - the setting of Finlandia is one of the most stirring things I know. There is a wild version by Lief Segerstam (a fusing of the orchestral tone poem and chorus) as part of his set of Sibelius Symphonies that I have a huge soft spot for. The tradition for choral music runs very deep in Scandinavia and the Baltic States - worth dipping into.
I guess it helps to know what you are really searching for, as you have mentioned Oratorios, Requiems & Masses and other choral works. I would always recommend Mozart's 'Great Mass' in C minor, K427. It may be unfinished but the work stands on its own as and contains some beguiling vocal music.
A few other works I would mention that are worth investigating:
Schoenberg - Gurrelieder (if you know your Mahler this will fall easy on the ears)
Pergolesi - Stabat Mater (wonderfully pure setting)
Finzi - Dies Natalis
Martinu - Field Mass (a simple work, but a beautiful setting)
Nono - Das atmende Klarstein (for choir, bass flute and electronics). This is one of my favourite late night listening pieces - if you are not allergic to contemporary music.
Stravinsky - Oedipus Rex & Les Noces. Not sure this counts as 'choral' but Oedipus Rex is a work of great power and drama.
Tallis - Spem in Alium.
I hope you find something amongst all our suggestions that captures your interest.
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 5:54AM
#9
RE: Choral music
I'm a bit fuzzy on how we're defining chorale. I'm taking this in a fairly broad sense as constituting any large scale, non-dramatic work that involves, well, singing. So I'll exclude purely solo works and opera. I will also try not to mention anything that has been referred to already.
- St. Matthew's Passion (Bach)
- Christmas Oratorio (Bach)
- Dream of Gerontius (Elgar ... feel a bit odd being the first to bring up Elgar in a forum dominated by Britishers, but what the hey)
- The Creation (Haydn)
- Dettingen Te Deum/Dettingen Anthem (Handel)
- Brahm's Liebeslieder Waltzes (chorale lieder, if you will)
- Three Psalms (Spohr ... not really large scale though)
- Psalm 91 (Meyerbeer ... like the Spohr, not particularly large scale, but definitely chorus driven)
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 3:19PM
#10
RE: Choral music
VicGay wrotre:
As for Mozart's mass I notice there is a recording with Juliane Banse and the divine Daina Damrau. Is it any good, it seems to suggest that it is a new version.
Go after Fricsay on DG first (The Originals): superb reading and a reference for years. You'll buy other recordings afterwards.....
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 4:42PM
#11
RE: Choral music
Hi JKH.
Yes it was a very inspiring concert that - just found the date et al..2008 Estonian Phil Chamber Choir/Paul Hillier.
Sometimes, to use your phrase, 'Mission Control' comes down with me to the Proms and sometimes not. On this occasion she listened on the radio while I was there and also found it very moving. In fact, she also raved about a televised prom performance of 'The Bells' a few years ago which I missed.
Thanks for the tip on the Tchaikowsky - I'll order that one!
Mark
PS Naupilus - yes I think I need to explore some secular choral as well, as most of what I listen to is sacred! I'll take some suggestions from this list.
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 10:49PM
#12
RE: Choral music
Top list, naupilus. I'd add my vote in particular to Mozart's C minor Mass, Les Noces and the Martinu Field Mass. I couldn't get into the last until I heard Belohlavek's version, which is far better performance and recording than the Supraphon Mackerras. Gilgamesh is another great Martinu choral work.
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 11:01PM
#13
RE: Choral music
tagalle
I only have the Mackerras recoring of the Field Mass, which has served me well until now. You may have persuaded me to look for a copy of Belohlavek. I have Gilgamesh but have not listened to it enough to really have a view worth sharing.
I am kicking myself now for not adding Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri. It seems to be played more and more these days and maybe it will slowly gain a stronger foothold in the concert hall.
Mon, Jan 30 2012, 11:43PM
#14
RE: Choral music
Throwing some more titles on the table of negotiations, to make things more perplexed (at least for the author of this thread), I may add Poulenc's Gloria (a magnificent, concise and very meaningful musicwise Choral masterwork) along with Liszt's Christus (a very long but quite unorthodox musically choral work that goes beyond where anyone could expect) and plenty of the wonderful music for the Nativity, like the so elegant, refine and even sublime L' Enfance duChrist by Berlioz (an unbelievably quite, almost subliminal oratorio from the master of...noise and bombastic orchestration).
The list can go on, but let's spare the tolerance of our new friend in this forum.
Parla
Tue, Jan 31 2012, 12:04AM
#15
RE: Choral music
No, keep them coming, I'm getting quite giddy just reading them.
guess, Vic Jay, the riddle has been resolved by the author. Now, perhaps, you have to explain (to anybody interested, not necessarily to me) what this Jay may hide...
As for you Vic Gay, you may try also the War Requiem with Norrington too on Hanssler, while soon, van Zweden has a new apparently very impressive one (in SACD sound) on Challenge.
Further suggestions as the thread advances. However, you seem a bit lost in the wilderness of Choral Music. You need further guidance through reading, studying, learning, indulging in the variety and complexity of this genre (there is plenty of extremely wonderful music therein, including the works you have already rejected).
Parla
Thank you Parla for your intellegent response. I am as you put it 'lost in the wilderness' as far as choral music is concerned. The problem I find with the Mozart are the bits that aren't Mozart, however I hear there are different versions available. Perhaps I'll give one of them a try. The Janacek was a big disappointment, I don't like the solo organ, it can be so agressive. As for you VicJay you have some explaining to do. As Parla suggests, what are you hiding and why are you telling us you are taking a shower !!!