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Choral PathfindersDate: November 11, 2009
I am planning a Concert for the spring called "Pathfinders." I am looking for works that the helped turn choral music in new directions when they were composed. Any suggestions? Replies (3): Threaded | Chronological
Paul S. Meers on November 12, 2009 7:20am
HI,
In retrospect, Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame was a new direction in the sense that GM made a full ordinary setting - but is it really choral, or solistic polyphony? Monteverdi's Vespers and opera choruses represent the new continuo style while maintaining strong polyphonic content. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis broke the boundaries of the Classical mass. Verdi's Requiem altered the liturgy to expressive ends, creating sort of a big sacred opera, and Faure combined song, polyphony, and symphonic form references while cherry-picking the liturgy.
Smaller works are harder to identify, IMO.
John Howell on November 12, 2009 9:20pm
Paul and others who are interested:
You wrote, "In retrospect, Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame was a new direction in the sense that GM made a full ordinary setting - but is it really choral, or solistic polyphony?"
I know exactly what you're asking, and I understand why you're asking it, since at least one textbook on Choral Repertoire states quite firmly that the author feels that there WAS no "choral music" in the modern sence before the early 15th century (DuFay et al.). because polyphony was previously sung by the most skilled individual soloists. (Never mind that there was a 15-century tradition of "the choir" singing chant; no, for "choral" music it has to be in parts, which seems like a rather narrow outlook!)
But is the question really relevant? In terms of early performance practice, certainly. But in terms of modern performance practice?
The fact is that Notre Dame polyphony, 13th century motets, 14th century music including ALL Machaut, and of course 16th and early 17th century madrigals may or may not have been intended for one singer on a part, but we perform them today with our existing choirs or chamber choirs with multiple singers on a part and they work very, very well that way. In fact the biggest change we've made is putting women on the upper parts, which was NEVER permitted in sacred music and probably comparatively limited in secular music, just because the ensembles we work with ARE mixed gender voices.
I do like the "Pathfinders" theme, just because you can justify almost any work you want to perform anyhow! But of course large-scale works like the Beethoven, Berlioz or Verdi are hardly suitable for a program that's trying to show a variety of different pathfinders.
Let us know what you decide on, Robert. I, for one, would be interested.
John
on November 12, 2009 7:23am
Interesting project.
Start with the 4 part Perotin/Notre Dame Organum, The Machaut 'Baalam' hocket, turn to the early Caput/L'homme arme use of parody/tenors., Ockeghem's catholicon&canon -mass, Explore early chromatic divergence from the hexachordal systems,- Vicentino et al, Council of Trent revisions of practice, introduction of B.C./baroque practice, Introduction of printing and secular domestic hausmusic, architecture -based poly-choral lit., war-based return to the small 'symhonie- sacre'-, reformation era use of vernacular/ Lutheran &late Tudor influences, Goudimel's Hugenout works and colonial disseminations/revisions of European religious work, African- influenced Latin American
music, shape-note hymnal traditions, Ives, Toch-word music, minimalism, -what next?
like everything= follow the money/social/political trends. Be aware of our particular small possibly parochial view of what is a world choral phenomenon.
good hunting!
SIR
<www.renaissancechorus.org>
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