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Under Construction
Choral Music Notes by Valerie GibsonChoral Music: music written for voice parts, to be performed with several voices per part. There are many different kinds of choral music: w chorus alone, unaccompanied (a cappella) w with instruments accompanying (1 instrument such as piano or organ, or large orchestra) w more than one chorus Much choral music is sacred, in other words, written to be sung in a church service. Some choral music is secular (not sacred). Some choral music is sacred, but are such big works that they can't really be performed as part of a church service and are really concert pieces. In class we heard examples of all these, on CDs of The Spectrum Singers concerts (except the Victoria piece). On this web page are links to computer-generated versions of several of these pieces. They don't do justice to the compositions, but do give you a flavor of the pieces. Renaissance
(1450-1600) During this time period, music was composed primarily for the church, not for personal pleasure. Most church music was sung in Latin, the language used in churches in Western Europe. Victoria: Ne Timeas Maria (c. 1600) http://cpdl.snaptel.com/sound/vict-net.mid (MIDI file) http://cpdl.snaptel.com/sheet/vict-net.pdf (PDF of score) This piece is an example of a late Renaissance motet, or song. It was to be sung during a church service, and is in Latin. It is a cappella, or unaccompanied. Listen to the relatively simple setting (just 4 parts). Also, the dynamics (loud or soft) are fairly constant throughout the whole piece, i.e. uniformly same volume. Also notice that the beat is mostly in one. Baroque
(1600-1750) During the Baroque, much music was still church music, still sung in Latin. However, now there were bigger/longer pieces, with orchestra. Bach: Magnficat (1st mov) (1730) http://www.channel1.com/users/gsilvis/mids/bjsmag2.zip:Magnif01.mid Bach is probably the most famous Baroque composer, he was alive during the latter part of the Baroque era. He was a church organist and choirmaster, and wrote many many pieces for chorus. His Magnificat is one of his best pieces. It is written for chorus and a large orchestra (strings, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, continuo organ). You will hear that there is a lot more going on than in the Victoria piece. As you listen, pay attention to the tempo (allegro? lento?) and think about how this music makes you feel -- happy or sad? Classical
(1750-1825) Still a lot of church music, but becoming less important. Aristocracy also patronized music. Mozart: Requiem (Lacrimosa movement) (1791) http://www.channel1.com/users/gsilvis/mids/mozreq.zip:Mozreq07.mid Mozart was probably one of the most famous composers of the Classical period (also Haydn, Beethoven). He died very young (age 35). The last piece he wrote was a Requiem, which is a Funeral Mass. Mozart's Requiem is one of his most famous pieces, especially because it was written at the end of his life, when he was very sick, and much of it was only sketched out. The movement we will hear is called Lacrimosa, which in Latin means "tears". Listen for the minor key (does this music feel sad?). This piece uses an orchestra. Also, listen for dynamics. See if you can figure out whether overall this movement goes from loud to soft, or from soft to loud. What is the tempo of this piece? How does that make you feel? Romantic
(1825-1900) During the Romantic period, composers were more independent and no longer relied on the patronage of the church or aristocracy. More music was composed for the concert hall. There was a lot of interest in nature, especially in Germany, expressed in poetry and song. Brahms, one of the great German Romantic composers, wrote many pieces for chorus with text that describes nature, and you will hear the pieces set a mood. Brahms: Waldesnacht (1874) http://cpdl.snaptel.com/sound/brahms/brah-623.mid (MIDI file) This is a short piece whose title means "Night in the Forest". It is sung in German, and is a cappella. The text is about the forest, and how cool and peaceful it is. It is in a major key, poet is happy. Listen to the tempo. It is not a straight beat, like earlier periods. Here the tempo changes -- gets slower and faster. This "bending" or flexibility of the tempo is called "rubato" and is typical of Romantic period music. Brahms: Nächtens (1888) This piece ("At Night") is a good contrast to the first piece. It is also very short, in German, and about nighttime, but the mood is very different. While the first piece was unaccompanied, this one has piano accompaniment. See if you can listen to whether it is in a major or minor key, and how the piece makes you feel (happy, calm, or uneasy) 20th
Century (1900-2000) There are a great many changes in the music of this period. There is an enormous amount of music written, and it is very diverse. Composers are experimenting with different styles. Dissonance more prevalent. Barber: To be sung on the water (1969) This piece was written by an American composer, Samuel Barber. Like the previous pieces, this one also evokes a mood. It is in English, a cappella, and brings to mind an image of water. Listen to this and see what you think of when you hear the music. Is the water calm or stormy? Weill: The Eternal Road (1935) This piece has a very interesting history. It was written by Kurt Weill, a German who came to America. It was a huge project, involving Weill, a poet and a director, about the entire history of the Jewish people (several thousand years). It was to be performed at a big theatre in New York City, and although they rehearsed it many times, they never sang it all the way through. They knew it was a long piece, but didn't know that the premiere, or first performance, would go until 3 in the morning!! The second night they cut out some portions, so it has never been performed in its entirety since the opening night. I picked this piece out for several reasons. One, because I wanted to share some religious music that was Jewish. Second, although it is definitely a 20th century piece, the opening sounds a lot like Brahms. It has a big orchestra (piano, harp, tamtam), and a choir of angels. We performed this piece last January, and The Spectrum Singers were the chorus of angels, and it has a very strong rhythm part. So listen for the opening which sounds like Brahms. Then, the mood will change dramatically, and you will hear a very strong rhythm played by the tam-tam. Listen for this rhythm. Also, see how many different instruments you can hear, and whether you can hear the chorus of angels (which comes in towards the end). Also, notice the very abrupt ending. Aint'a that good news (African-American Spiritual) The Spectrum Singers sang this piece as an encore, following our March 1999 concert. An encore is an extra piece performed at the end of the concert. It is not listed in the program, and is performed if the audience really enjoys the concert and wants to hear more (by crying , "Encore!"). This song make a good encore because it is short and has a strong, upbeat rhythm.
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Name That Tune!