#pre-baroque

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"JUDITH BEHEADING HOLOFERNES" CARAVAGGIO // 1599~1602 [oil on canvas | 195 x 145 cm.]

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Large Choral Classics: Pre-Baroque to Modern

Today’s post is the first of several dedicated to large classical choral works in the western tradition. I have chosen these seven works drawn from each of the seven periods that I have previously defined as the universe for my comments on various aspects of classical music. Each of these works is representative of a specific period and draws its inspiration from the religious experiences of its composer. My earliest childhood memories include listening to large community ensembles performing many of these works, most notably ‘Messiah’ by George Frederick Handel, and I wanted to begin to share some of these extraordinary compositions with my readers. The absence of Bach’s Mass in B minor, Handel’s “Messiah” and Brahm’s Ein Deutsches Requiem (among others) is by design. These masterpieces are well exceptionally well known and I simply wanted to expand our reader’s knowledge base with these other special examples.

I. Pre Baroque: Giovanni Palestrina – Hodie Christus Natus Est. This particular work, unlike those that follow in today’s post, was chosen as a representative example of this particular period and does not stand out as being unusual for any of its musical attributes. Instead, it simply follows the evolving framework of music during that particular period of time and is, as always, a joy to experience. This YouTube™ clip of Hodie Christus Natus Est speaks for itself.

II. Baroque: Bach’s ‘St. Matthew Passion’. I had the good fortune to attend a recent performance of this masterpiece by Chicago’s Music of the Baroque in the Harris Theatre in Millennium Park during the 2008 concert season. The music critic of the Chicago Tribune™, John von Rhein, made these comments attesting to the special aspects of this amazing work. The St. Matthew Passion is scored for twin choirs and orchestras making it an exceptionally difficult work to perform. This complete YouTube™ performance in German is by the Chorus and Orchestra Collegium Vocale Gent conducted by Philippe Herreweghe.

III. Classical: Haydn’s ‘The Creation’. The more I return to this exceptional work, the more I enjoy it and continue to seek it out. I have several recordings in my own personal library, but find that I prefer the collaboration between Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus. This compete YouTube™ performance is by Nicholas Harnoncourt and the Consentus Musicus Wien from the summer of 2010.

IV. Early Romantic: Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’. I grew up listening to ‘Elijah’ in our home without even knowing the composer or the title of this special composition. My mother had performed this work in college and it was one of her favorite large choral pieces. In this YouTube™ clip Seattle ProMusica performs 'He Watching Over Israel' in May of 2009.

V. Romantic: Dvorak – ‘Stabat Mater’. I have included this relatively unknown work both for its haunting beauty and to help it find its rightful place in the pantheon of large classical choral works in the western tradition. In this YouTube™ clip the ‘Dolorosa’ from ‘Stabat Mater’ is performed by the Hudson Valley Singers in collaboration with the New York Metamorphoses Orchestra conducted by Eugene Sirotkine in October of 2011.

VI. Early Modern: Poulenc – 'Stabat Mater'. Francis Poulenc is certainly not a household name to many classical music aficionados, but he is one of the most brilliant French composers of classical music in the first half of the twentieth century. In this YouTube™ clip, the Monteverdi Chorus in Wurzburg Germany performs Poulenc’s ‘Stabat Mater’ in its entirety in the winter of 2012. In addtion, we have Poulenc’s ‘Agnus Dei’ from his ‘Mass in G’ performed in a recording by Rias-Kammerchor on Philharmonia Mundi.

VII. Modern: Rutter – Mass of the Children. The 'Gloria' from John Rutter’s ‘Mass of the Children’ is performed in this YouTube™ clip by the Orquestra Filharmònica de la Universitat de València in collaboration with Pequeños Cantores de Valencia (2004). As always, please sit back, relax and actively enjoy these exceptional masterpieces.

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Periods in Western Classical Music

In this blog I outline what I believe are the seven primary musical periods in the evolution of western classical music between the 16th and the 21st centuries. This alignment is both simple and accurate from an historical perspective - and useful as a timeline for the exploration process, which is the essence of this blog.

1) The Pre Baroque Period: The 16th & 17th Centuries - Pre 1650

The Pre Baroque period set the stage for the tremendous evolution in classical music composition that was to take place over the next 500 plus years. The primary musical device of this period was that of a single instrument or melodic line, including the human voice, either unaccompanied or accompanied by a small ensemble providing basic harmonic support. Pre Baroque composers included Claudio Monteverdi, Giovanni Palestrina & Thomas Tallis.

2) The Baroque Period: The 17th &18th Centuries - 1650 to 1750

The Baroque period brought expansion of classical music composition including extended melodic lines, multiple melodies, tonal color, and more complex, harmonic accompaniments and orchestrations. Baroque composers included Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel & Antonio Vivaldi.

3) The Classical Period: The 18th Century - 1750 to 1800

The Classical period brought considerable expansion in all elements of classical music composition including more complex, harmonic and rich accompaniments & orchestrations. In addition to such, classical composers developed the primary genres that helped to define the music that we call ‘classical' today including development of the sonata (concerti, sonatas, etc.) and symphonic (symphonies) forms. Classical composers included Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn & Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

4) The Early Romantic Period: The 19th Century - 1800 to 1850

As in the visual arts and literature, the Early Romantic period was a time of exploration bringing new ideas and broader dimensions to classical compositions. The early romanticists retained the strong melodic lines of the classicists and expanded the various musical dimensions composition including significantly expanded melodic lines, tonal color, and more complex orchestrations. Early Romantic composers included Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn & Franz Schubert.

5) The Romantic Period: The 19th Century - 1850 to 1900

The Romantic period can be characterized by the increased size and scope of the romantic composition and the lush, melodic themes being brought to new heights of sonic beauty. Romantic composers included Johannes Brahms, Peter Tchaikovsky & Giuseppe Verdi.

6) The Early Modern Period: The 20th Century - 1900 to 1950

As in everyday life in the early 20th century, the Early Modern period brought important new developments to the arts; classical music included. It is significant that leading contemporary compositions began to include new dimensions of atonality and additional complexities in both form and rhythm. Early Modern composers included Béla Bartók, Sergei Prokofiev & Jean Sibelius.

7) The Modern Period: The 20th & 21st Centuries - 1950 to Present

The Modern period continues the developments begun early in the 20th century; expanding and evolving them in innovative and distinctive ways. By the middle of the 20th century, melody had resurfaced as a centerpiece of modern works with an increased emphasis on rhythm; influenced in part by other popular genre such as jazz and pop music. Modern composers include Benjamin Britten, Aaron Copland & Dmitri Shostakovich.