Concertos for voice and orchestra?

[Maciek]

As I've mentioned in the Broadcast Corner, one of my major discoveries of the year is the Concerto for Soprano and Orchestra written in 1928 by Tadeusz Zygfryd Kassern, a relatively unknown composer, even in Poland.

The genre is obviously not a popular one but I was wondering: are there any other concertos for voice and ensemble out there worth knowing?

[Larry Rinkel]

The genre is obviously not a popular one but I was wondering: are there any other concertos for voice and ensemble out there

Glière wrote one for coloratura soprano and orchestra.

worth knowing?

Can't answer that part of it.

[Maciek]

Can't answer that part of it.

Heh, heh. Wise approach.

[m_gigena]

Glière wrote one for coloratura soprano and orchestra.

And Friedrich Gulda wrote another.

[Lilas Pastia]

There are many modern works where the soprano voice is used in an instrumental way. IOW not singing actual words, but 'playing' as a soloist might .

Right now I'm listening to Sikorski's strange Antyfony, for soprano, piano, horn, chimes, 2 gongs, 2 tam-tams and tape.

[knight66]

Glière wrote one for coloratura soprano and orchestra.

It is a piece you would listen to for fairly superficial pleasure. It is not very memorable. There is a recording kicking about with Joan Sutherland.

Like Larry, I point it out, but do not exactly recommend it.

Mike

[Hector]

John Foulds, Lyra Celtica for voice and orchestra.

Oramo's first foray into this composer on disc. Do not hesitate, buy it!

[Maciek]

OK, I've listened to the Naxos recording of the Gliere...

Well...

Er...

It is completely inane! (to say the least)

Can't say you didn't warn me though.

[Larry Rinkel]

OK, I've listened to the Naxos recording of the Gliere...

Well...

Er...

It is completely inane! (to say the least)

Can't say you didn't warn me though.

I picked up a score for $6, and it is indeed inane.

[Lilas Pastia]

Inane in the sense of idiotic and vacuous?

[Maciek]

I don't want to be too harsh: I'd say "idiotic" fits the piece closer. The music seems completely pointless. And silly but in a tiring way.

[Lilas Pastia]

I heard it once (the Sutherland recording) and thoughts were mixed. In a sense La Stupenda was ideal for a wordless, endless note-spinning melismatic confection. But then again, it's supposed to be music, right? In that regard it fared rather poorly.

[Maciek]

I think, André, you and I would both be very interested in hearing this piece:

Aleksander Tansman - Concerto for alto and orchestra (1936-1937)

I just discovered that it exists. They even say it is one of his "significant" pieces! Now if only someone (Jadwiga Rappé perhaps?) would record it!

[2013 edit: I'm under the impression that there might be a mix-up of languages involved, the piece might in fact be a viola concerto; not sure why I didn't think of it back then]

[Lilas Pastia]

Definitely! What a surprise, I wouldn't have thought it existed. Why don't you try to contact Ms. Rappé, or Ms Podles. I'm sure someone will answer the phone (or the email ).

[Maciek]

Ha, ha, ha! I'll ask them to send me some oop discs while I'm at it.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I think Wagner wrote pretty much all concerti for voices and orchestra.

[Maciek]

If you mean to say that his libretti don't amount to much........................

[knight66]

OK, I've listened to the Naxos recording of the Gliere...

Well...

Er...

It is completely inane! (to say the least)

Can't say you didn't warn me though.

I am glad there is some concensus on it. I generally hold back from condeming the quality of music and it is many years since I heard it. But a general swooning about up and down the scales to no great effect is my abiding memory.

Mike

[Maciek]

a general swooning about up and down the scales to no great effect

Perfect description!

[pjme]

Miloslav Kabelac's Symphony nr 5 for soprano and orchestra . "Dramatica" (Symphony in B flat minor )



I've listened only a couple of times and do not find it Kabelac' most inspired work. Libuse Domaninska has a mighty voice ,Ancerl a devoted conductor... but the effect is tiring on the ears....( almost 40 mins!)

A text does help....: André Jolivet's "Songe à nouveau rêvé" (1972)for soprano and orchestra is indeed almost a (very difficult) concerto for voice and orchestra - 2 vocalises and 2 poems form a ca 30 min. composition . The LP version with Colette Herzog (alas late in her career....) / Straatsburg PO /Alain Lombard, has never been reissued.

Poems :Antoine Goléa
Soleil
Vision
Souvenir
Salut
28'

Charles Chaynes : Pour un monde noir , 4 poems for soprano and  orchestra sur le thème de la négritude -written for Christiane Edda -Pierre
01 - Pour un pays perdu
02 - Pour un rituel oublié
03 - Pour la femme noire
04 - Pour la libération




This is a fascinating and very beautiful work, superbly sung by Edda PIerre in 1978. The addition of real African percussion instruments in the orch. -used in a subtle,non folkloric way-adds greatly to the overal effect.