(4.00 out of 5)
I have tried to put together a playlist that is both enjoyable for old fans of choral music and for people that is just discovering the vast beauty of the most exquisite form of ensemble there is - the mixed a cappella choir.
Starting off easy with Antonio Lotti’s most performed piece, the heartwrenching and overtone filled “Crucifixus a 8 voci”. This is by far the oldest song I’ve picked out. This song is really a gem, and great for people who are just discovering choral music. Its subtle dissonances are just enough to make the harmonies interesting, but they do not scare anyone away. This song is sadly very often performed with an organ accopagnement, which in my opinion ruins the delicate feel that only an a cappella choir can produce.
The next is John Tavener’s “Song for Athene (Alleluia. May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest)”, a song often performed, for example in the funeral of Princess Diana. Written only about 20 years ago, the simple harmonization and the sustenuto bass voice (one note through the entire song - about six minutes. Thank God for patient basses!) gives the song a mystical and “ancient” feel. Tavener draws great inspiration from christian orthodoxy, and mixes texts from the Greek orthodox funeral service into the lyrics, which are very gripping. Notice the chilling changes between the minor and major key. The parallell tenor and soprano voices and the underlying alto voice gives the whole piece an angelic feel. Not exactly a dancefloor winner or party hit, but great for bumming out.
Next is a real gem - performed by one of the world’s greatest choirs, the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir. Composed by a relatively unknown danish composer, Bo Holten, and with lyrics from a H. C. Andersen poem, “Regn og rusk og rosenbusk” (meaning something like “Rain and wind and rose tree”) is a real dream for the really high soprano. Packed with beatiful, clustered harmonies, humour, and action, the piece has elements of screaming, folky scandinavian themes and a lot of really really high notes. Holten’s masterpiece is maybe not the most accessible on this list, and probably the least performed because of its difficulty and length, but it definitely deserves a spot high up on the list of the greatest choral pieces ever written. Give it a real chance, even though it might seem strange and unaccessible at times. The end is so worth it.
After the twelve minutes of danish soprano extraordinaire we come to, in my opinion, one of the greatest composers ever, the Estonian minimalist master Arvo Pärt, and his choral masterpiece “Magnificat für gemichten Chor”. The whole piece revolves around the c note, making it a very difficult piece to sing beautifully. When done properly, however, the effect is brilliant. Pärt’s tintinnabuli style is at its most exquisite, and the ever-colliding voices demands the listener’s attention and send chills down his spine at almost every change of note.
The next one is a little special in this context: its is not originally written for choir. “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” (”I have become a stranger to the world”) by Gustav Mahler is originally written for piano accompanied solo voice. The great transcriber Clytus Gottwald has transcribed it for no less that 16 voices unaccompanied. The result is a impressive and fascinating landscape of voices that implements the romantic feel of the song perfectly, and the transcription is in my opinion far better than the original. All honor to the composer, but the transcriber really took the melody up a notch or two. No great song deserves to go unchoired.
With “A Child’s Prayer” by James MacMillan we return to the modern day. The fragmented lyrics and static underlying voices accompanying the soprano duet makes this a memorable and original contribution to the modern choral corpus. MacMillan, a relatively young scottish composer, has written a lot of great choral music, so if you are ready to go for a little more challenging music, search for some more of his music and delight in the great variety and genius of his work.
Veljo Tormis is my all-time favourite choral composer. The great son of Estonia has composed hundreds of songs, most of them based on the great song tradition of his native country. “Hällilaul” (”Lullaby”) is from the cycle “Karjala saatus” (”Karelian destiny”), one of numerous cycles based on folk melodies. He never overdoes the arrangements, but keeps them simple and accessible. They are still always fascinating and beautiful, therein lies this genius. He also makes frequent use of the tragically underexposed alto voice, in my opinion the finest voice type in a choir.
The youngest composer on the list is the Norwegian Ola Gjeilo, born 1978. “Tota Pulchra Es” is a strikingly beautiful motet in the modern American tradition, reminiscent of Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre, but in my opinion not as monotone. The celestial feel of the piece is archieved by a tasteful mix of chant-like melodies and potent cadances, and really represents the finest of the Scandinavian choral music, which is one of the greatest treasure coves for choir enthusiasts.
Speaking of Eric Whitacre, here he is. Whitacre (1970), an American (the only one on this list) is also very young for a composer, especially when considering his immense success worldwide. His trademark is the major second chord, possibly inspired by Lauridsen. This piece really showcases how beautiful a simple line of chords can be when they are lightly sprinkled with dissonants, and has enjoyed pop-hit-like popularity all over the choral world.
We end our list with Knut Nystedt, yet another Norwegian. Few if any have enjoyed the success he has, and none have deserved it more. “Prayers of Kierkegaard”, written in 2000, is one of the last works from his mind (he is pushing 95 years as of today), and in my opinion the most striking. An old man, nearly deaf, composes a modern, up-to-date collection of sacred music that beats most established composers’ standards by far and manages to capture both the trends of the day and maintain the integrity of his vast knowledge of music theory. And on top of that create stunning melodies. Hats off.
This was my list. There will probably be more in the future, as I am discovering new gems every day. This list is of course based on my personal tastes and knowledge, but there are years of keen interest and research behind my choices, so I hope you enjoy it. Anything missing? Let me know! Please rate to your liking!
Tenebrae - 8-part Crucifixus
Tenebrae - Song for Athene
The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir - Regn Og Rusk Og Rosenbusk
Tonu Kaljuste, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir - Magnificat (Arvo Pärt)
Accentus, Laurence Equilbey - Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
The Elysian Singers - A Child’s Prayer
Tonu Kaljuste, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir - Karelian Destiny: A Lullaby
Majorstua Kammerkor - Tota Pulchra Es Maria
Quire of Voyces - Lux Aurumque
Ensemble 96 - Prayers Of Kierkegaard 3
Dave said:
Great list, especially the last track. A fitting end.
November 25th, 2009 at 9:34 am
autorotation said:
Great stuff. I’d also add some by Lauridsen
December 16th, 2009 at 5:06 pm