Choral 'wish list'

[cjvinthechair]

Follows on from, but is not really part of, the 'Choral Canon' thread recently started. Don't know if this is the right place, or indeed whether there is a 'right' place on the Forum - but here goes !

I particularly love choral works, usually sacred, not necessarily lengthy, not necessarily as modern as most of those listed below. Have accumulated, on CD & in on-line 'playlists', collections of some 50 composers, above and beyond the ones I suspect everyone here knows. Names and counties as diverse as Ivo Antognini(SUI), Cesar Carrillo(VEN), Gordon Shi-Wen Chin(TAI), Rudolf Escher(NED), Levente Gyongyosi(HUN), Bo Holten(DEN), Alexander Kasalsky(RUS), Stephen Leek(AUS),  Jaakko Mantyjarvi(FIN), Ko Matsushita(JPN), Ludovit Rajter(SVK), Marian Sawa(POL), Philip Stopford(GBR).

I'm sure there must be many dozens/hundreds more worthy of further listening. Do colleagues have composers whom they would champion in this field ? If so I'd love to hear of some !

Many thanks.                     Clive.

[cjvinthechair]

Oh, dear...so disappointed; I felt confident the hugely knowledgeable folk here would be quick to chip in with all their favourite 'new & unsung' choral composers.
Did I put the idea forward in the wrong way, or has it genuinely drawn a blank ?

[Karl Henning]

You've done fine, I just missed this thread somehow . . . .

[Karl Henning]

My friend and colleague, Ivan Moody:

http://www.youtube.com/v/K2WhKDQ7cMc

[Parsifal]

I don't like much choral music, but I like Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

This one is superb and comes with the Poulenc Gloria, another rare choral work I like.

[asin]B0002M5TAC[/asin]

but probably you already know of this.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Oh, dear...so disappointed; I felt confident the hugely knowledgeable folk here would be quick to chip in with all their favourite 'new & unsung' choral composers.
Did I put the idea forward in the wrong way, or has it genuinely drawn a blank ?

Well, it's hard to know where to begin since you've covered so many bases in your op.

How about some Czech pieces? Martinu and Janacek are both fine choral composers.



[asin]B001F6YZ9U[/asin]

[asin]B000024WC2[/asin]

[cjvinthechair]

My friend and colleague, Ivan Moody:

http://www.youtube.com/v/K2WhKDQ7cMc

Ah, Karl, thanks for riding to the rescue !
Mmmnn, not sure the Moody piece will ever sit too comfortably in my playlist, but sure as h**l it's the sort of thing I hoped folk would put forward.
Many thanks !

[cjvinthechair]

I don't like much choral music, but I like Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

This one is superb and comes with the Poulenc Gloria, another rare choral work I like.

[asin]B0002M5TAC[/asin]

but probably you already know of this.

Thank you so much, Mr. Parsifal - not sure either of these works genuinely qualify as 'rare' nowadays, but yes, lovely they certainly are !

My criteria(?) - well, assume none of your most musical friends have ever heard of what you'd like to suggest - that probably qualifies perfectly !

[cjvinthechair]

Well, it's hard to know where to begin since you've covered so many bases in your op.

How about some Czech pieces? Martinu and Janacek are both fine choral composers.



[asin]B001F6YZ9U[/asin]

[asin]B000024WC2[/asin]

Thank you, Mr. Dancing....... ! The whole point of my post is that despite reasonable efforts I've barely scratched the surface of what's out there chorally. These are terrific pieces, but scarcely 'unknown'.
Sure it's the case that learned colleagues on this and other sites can (and in one or two cases already have !) put forward composers with whom I'm entirely unfamiliar.

[Karl Henning]

Ah, Karl, thanks for riding to the rescue !
Mmmnn, not sure the Moody piece will ever sit too comfortably in my playlist, but sure as h**l it's the sort of thing I hoped folk would put forward.
Many thanks !

If you can find a copy, I'd recommend Ivan's Passion and Resurrection, an especially strong choral work.

And over at the 21^st-c. composition listening thread, I have been listening to another piece. It's a piano quintet, but incorporates Byzantine chants.

[Karl Henning]

Ah, here's another piece of Ivan's for which I meant to post a link: his exquisite: Passione Popolare:

http://www.youtube.com/v/74Pdhe9YT9A

http://www.youtube.com/v/ldIHm4rPFLU

[listener]

Joby TALBOT The Path of Miracles, an engaging piece inspired by the pilgrimage route to Santiago in Spain has an excellent performance on

[cjvinthechair]

Terrific, gentlemen - many thanks !

[cjvinthechair]

If you can find a copy, I'd recommend Ivan's Passion and Resurrection, an especially strong choral work.

And over at the 21^st-c. composition listening thread, I have been listening to another piece. It's a piano quintet, but incorporates Byzantine chants.

Sorry, Mr.Karl - ignorance showing through yet again...this 21st C listening thread is....where ?!

[Karl Henning]

Sorry, Mr.Karl - ignorance showing through yet again...this 21st C listening thread is....where ?!

My fault for being elliptical.

Here.

[bhodges]

Sandström: The High Mass (Blomstedt/Leipzig) - There's an earlier, premiere recording (with Leif Segerstam and Swedish Radio SO) that to my ears has even more vitality, but this one is perfectly fine, and comes with a bonus, Lidholm's Kontakion.

[asin]B0006VXF2I[/asin]

Sonority (St. Jacobs Chamber Choir/Gary Graden) - One of my all-time favorite choral recordings, with works by an assortment of 20th-century Swedish choral music, all a capella.

[asin]B0000016NY[/asin]

Also, all three in the "Baltic Voices" series are excellent, with a wide range of composers, beautifully done by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Paul Hillier. Here's the first one:

[asin]B00006RNHD[/asin]

--Bruce

[cjvinthechair]

My fault for being elliptical.

Here.

Wow - what a thread !
Incredible scholarship...& the odd 'artistic temperament' ! Managed to note down some names to investigate (amidst the mass that is way too advanced for me ) particularly from Mr. Sanantonio's posts, so thank you so much for the 'steer'.

[cjvinthechair]

Sandstrom High Mass - great idea, thanks; should be available to listen at Naxos Music Library !

[Madiel]

*Rides in on his usual hobbyhorse*

Are you familiar with Vagn Holmboe's choral work?

I can't actually say I'm familiar with it myself, other than its existence. My Holmboe collection has not yet reached his choral pieces despite them being a fairly large chunk of his output. But it popped into my head while scanning the thread, particularly the works to Biblical texts.  There are the 5 books of Liber Canticorum which have all been recorded - various bits and pieces appear on different choral recordings, as well as one complete set on the Danica label.

[asin]B000SXMWM8[/asin]

There are also a 'Biblical cantata', three motets, a piece called 'Ordet' (The Word) and a few psalm settings. I'm less certain about the availability of these but I know that one psalm setting, 'Beatus Parvo', has definitely been recorded.

There's plenty of less religious material as well.

[cjvinthechair]

Holmboe - yes, such an atmospheric composer; ideal for choral works. Don't know much of his, but will seek out more, thank you !