20th Century Choral Music

[karlhenning]

A Maciek sighting! 

[Maciek]

Oh, hi Karl! Heh, heh.

Another conspicuously absent composer would be Bronius Kutavicius. I think his "pagan oratorios" deserve a mention: especially Gates of Jerusalem (OK, the best parts here are definitely the ones without choir), From the Jatvingian Stone and The Tree of Earth. Again, not really one of my favorite composers but there's some excellent music in there! He's a composer with a wide/wild following at GMG, as is evidenced by his immensely popular thread.

[Maciek]

Another Lithuanian contender would be Vidmantas Bartulis with his Requiem...

Oh, and Narbutaite's Centones meae urbi! The composer seems to have a proclivity towards second rate literature (at least as far as my tastes are concerned) but the music is pretty good.

I would also recommend practically everything on Paul Hillier's Baltic Voices anthology (3 CDs from Harmonia Mundi).

Two masterpieces definitely worth a mention (you'll accuse me of using the term "masterpiece" lightly but what the heck): Schnittke's Choir Concerto and Silvestrov's Testament (I got to know both pieces courtesy of Luke).

Also, while Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's choral music is not, IMHO, as good as his orchestral and chamber stuff, I'd still say that Statements and Examples deserve a mention.

There's also supposed to be some fantastic choir writing from MacMillan, though, unfortunately, I haven't heard any of it yet.



OK, now moving on to the Polish entries..................

Nah, too many, I don't have enough time today. I might drop by tomorrow.

[karlhenning]

There's also supposed to be some fantastic choir writing from MacMillan, though, unfortunately, I haven't heard any of it yet.

Yes, in fact, the director of a chorus which specializes in new music won't do my pieces, because . . . I don't write like MacMillan 

[Drasko]

Two masterpieces definitely worth a mention (you'll accuse me of using the term "masterpiece" lightly but what the heck): Schnittke's Choir Concerto and Silvestrov's Testament (I got to know both pieces courtesy of Luke).

I'll keep you company on the accused bench, at least regarding Schnittke's Choir Concerto.

[bhodges]

I'll keep you company on the accused bench, at least regarding Schnittke's Choir Concerto.

Happy to help fill the bench as well to support the Schnittke, a great piece.  Unfortunately I don't know the Silvestrov at all. 

--Bruce

[vandermolen]

Very strongly recommend this disc for the lovely, inspriting performance (and recording) of Honegger's 'Une Cantate De Noel':

[Lethevich]

I'm surprised Part has been only mentioned once here. What about his Summa? What about the Stabat Mater? Not being much of a Part fan I have to admit the latter is a truly great piece.

Too obvious, maybe - his music is so omnipresent and ripped-off, that it becomes easy to forget about or denigrate. A problem I have is that beyond almost literaly the two you mention, I find it hard to gauge which of his works stand out, and which are Pärt on autopilot.

At his best there is the Stabat Mater, Summa, the Passion, Es sang vor langen Jahre, the Te Deum, Kanon Pokajanen (the latter two at a stretch).

Then there there is the Miserere, Litany, Magnificat, De Profundis, The Beatitudes, which range from very good to "nice", but... hard to become excited about.

Then there is a further group which seem pointless, that includes the Berlin Mass.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I could've used a large choral work from Sibelius - say, a Requiem, or some such.

[karlhenning]

I could've used a large choral work from Sibelius - say, a Requiem, or some such.

How about the Cantata for the University Graduation Exercises of 1897? (Oops! 19th century!)

[Dancing Divertimentian]

How about the Cantata for the University Graduation Exercises of 1897? (Oops! 19th century!)

That might work - it could've been revised and used again in 1901. But really I'd be happier with something large-scale, something to challenge the biggest out there.

A sonic spectacular, with full orchestra, large chorus, a battalion of soloists, maybe offstage instrumentalists, etc...

Not that Sibelius's muse ever ventured into excess like this but such a challenge could've produced gold.

[karlhenning]

That might work - it could've been revised and used again in 1901. But really I'd be happier with something large-scale, something to challenge the biggest out there.

A sonic spectacular, with full orchestra, large chorus, a battalion of soloists, maybe offstage instrumentalists, etc...

Not that Sibelius's muse ever ventured into excess like this but such a challenge could've produced gold.

Kullervo not big enough for you, eh? 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Kullervo not big enough for you, eh? 

Kullervo certainly qualifies as big but I want a work more resolutely vocal. From the word go I want to be swimming in voices, a la Verdi - but Sibelius!

[Mark G. Simon]

I could've used a large choral work from Sibelius - say, a Requiem, or some such.

At least one person who visited Sibelius during the 1930s reported seeing a rather large ms. of a choral/orchestral work. Some have speculated from that that Sibelius' 8th had a choral finale, others think that a separate choral work was eventually lost in the Ainola bonfire.

[not edward]

One of my favourite 20th century oratorios doesn't seem to have been mentioned here: Roberto Gerhard's The Plague, a narrated and sung version of the Camus novel.

It's a serial piece (stylistically not a million miles from late Stravinsky spiced with Varese) but I've found it appealing to people I wouldn't have expected to enjoy it, presumably because of the very direct, atmospheric and viscerally dramatic nature of much of the choral and orchestral writing.

The excellent Dorati recording is available again, and rather cheaply:

[karlhenning]

Wow, Edward.

[Tsaraslondon]

There's also supposed to be some fantastic choir writing from MacMillan, though, unfortunately, I haven't heard any of it yet.

The only piece I know is MacMillan's Seven Last Words from the Cross, a superbly dramatic work for chorus and chamber orchestra. I'm not sure if the recording I have is still available. It is conducted by James MacMillan himself and was once available on the now defunct Catalyst label. It is well worth hearing.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

At least one person who visited Sibelius during the 1930s reported seeing a rather large ms. of a choral/orchestral work. Some have speculated from that that Sibelius' 8th had a choral finale, others think that a separate choral work was eventually lost in the Ainola bonfire.

That's a tantalizing "might have been..."

[gomro]

I see someone, probably Karl, has already mentioned Wuorinen's brilliant Genesis; his Mass is fine, too. Xenakis wrote very fine choral music: try Nuits, Il Colone, Medea. And, even though they're only available from the Stockhausen-Verlag, Stockhausen's Welt-Parlament, Engel-Prozessionen, Momente (are there any Momentes available outside Stockhausen's own release? Could be, but I haven't checked...), Hoch-Zeiten, Chor-Spiral...the list is enormous, and much of it is wonderful music.

[knight66]

So much material has been mentioned that is new to me!

I thought I would report back on two of my first new pieces. I got hold of the recommended version of Martinu's Gilgamesh. I have only heard it once and enjoyed it. Clearly I will need to give it a fair bit of attention before I can feel I am getting to grips with it.

The other is the Mathias Lux Aeterna: I have listened to it twice, it sounded a bit like Britten treading water and filtered through Adams. But that is a superficial reaction and again; I need time to assimilate it.

It was a long time ago, but when I first heard Tippet's Child of Our Time, I could make nothing of it, so I know it is probable that more listening, as against just having the music on, will do the trick.

So, thanks guys.

Mike