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Captain D's Classical Music Write off, with a Choral and Vocal FocusFeb 15 '07 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Some of the most beautiful sounds to ever leave the human throat.
Although CaptainD’s classical music write off is already more than a week old, I couldn’t resist the chance to add my own thoughts. As my specialty and training so far has been in singing and choral music, I have decided to make a list of my very favourite classical vocal and choral pieces. There is such a wealth of material to choose from that I am only going to mention the things I can think of off the top of my head, without checking my CD or sheet music library. Because they are those that I find personally meaningful, there may be a bias toward pieces that favour the male voice, but there is no such thing as objectivity when it comes to music anyway. Sergei Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil This sublime set of 15 liturgical Russian pieces plumbs the very depths and possibilities of human emotion. In my mind, there is nothing finer in the world of choral music. The notes swell and fade with the pulses of humanity itself. The doubled harmonies are thick and rich in the way that only Russian Romantic music can be. I remember a beautiful chilly night almost a year ago that exposed me to this wonderful work. I sat in a packed church to hear Winnipeg’s finest professional choir singing this piece with every ounce and fibre of their being. The haunting, reverent chords and bone-shaking low C’s are with me still in memory. For a good recording, check out Paul Hillier conducting the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata: Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen Bach’s vocal music can be described as, well…ridiculously difficult. This cantata for bass voice is certainly that, with jagged lines that leap around and explore every chromatic possibility available to Baroque musicians, and a few more. The music sounds almost painful at times, but there is an underlying promise of hope, as the singer vows “I will gladly carry my cross”. The most beautiful moment is when the singer breaks into triplets in the third strophe of the opening aria, against the straight eighth notes of the accompanying oboe and continuo. The recording I love is by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, my favourite voice in the world. Aria and recit.: Mache dich mein Herze rein This selection from the St. Matthew Passion has one of the most beautiful melodies that I have ever heard. The pathos of the singer promising to “bury” the memory of the dead Jesus in his heart is incredible. I don’t have a favourite recording of the Passion but I do love to sing this piece! (I am also looking forward to performing this entire oratorio when my choir sings it on April 1st!) Johannes Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem A wonderful example of tasteful, passionate “death” music. This requiem is heavily choir-driven, with soprano and bass soloists only appearing in three of the seven numbers. If I had to choose one highlight, it would be the central movement, “Wie lieblich deine Wohnungen Herr Sabaoth”. The shortest and simplest piece of the entire work, this movement is filled with quiet beauty and intense joy above a sweetly driving rhythmic ¾ pulse. My recording is by the San Francisco Symphony, but my favourite memory of this will always be that of performing it last year with my choir, Canzona. Carl Orff Carmina Burana I have already written an entire review of this work here, but I will reiterate that this is one of the most accessible and enjoyable of all the larger-scale classical works. Period. Throat-shredding fun for the chorus throughout! Samuel Barber Agnus Dei/Adagio for Strings Many readers will probably be familiar with the Adagio, but as a singer, I love even more the choral Agnus Dei that Barber later transcribed from his string parts. Haunting music built around dreamy minor sevenths and partaking of the ancient profundity of Gregorian chant, the Agnus Dei is one of the saddest pieces I have ever heard. Eric Whitacre I have recently written a review of some of Whitacre’s music as recorded by a British choir named Polyphony, but in Reader’s Digest terms, Whitacre is simply one of the most mesmerizing composers of modern times, especially where beautiful harmonic dissonance and tension are the focus. Favourite pieces: Sleep, When David Heard that Absalom was Slain and Lux arumque. Morten Lauridsen Another twentieth century master of beautiful harmony and dissonance, Lauridsen writes some pieces that are absolutely stunning in their simplicity and perfection. He has written many profound Latin works on liturgical texts, as well as a number of pieces that are accessible to the average high school choir. One of the finest of the latter is his gorgeous, creamy Dirait-on on poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke. Arvo Pärt Perhaps the grand master of twentieth century choral music, Pärt created his own musical system to symbolize his Eastern Orthodox religious beliefs. He writes in a style that hearkens back to Medieval times with an emphasis on the sounds of chant and the old musical scales. He also beautifully utilizes dissonance for effect as an integral part of his style. An important representative work: O Magnum Mysterium. And finally: Georg Frideric Handel Messiah There is no classical choral work that is more famous. Whatever the reason for that, the choruses and arias of Messiah are deeply embedded in the bones of the Western classical tradition. Hard as those fast coloratura lines may be to sing, “For Unto us a Child is Born” is still one of the most enjoyable pieces to put together with a choir. A true classic in any generation. These are just a few of my many highlights. I’m sure to be kicking myself for missing something great, but these are truly the finest pieces I can think of on short notice.  |
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