Hi Ryan,

Those 2 people have earned there place in history for good reasons. :-)  No argument there.

 

I'll give you 3 (out of many) that I find I keep returning to: 

don Vinzenzo Cimatti http://www.avemariasongs.org/aves/C/Cimatti1.htm  is not well-known in the USA, but is in Japan.  This is only one of many Marian songs that he wrote.

Both  Ave Marias of Jean-Baptiste Du Jonchay http://www.avemariasongs.org/aves/J/Jonchay1.htm are  quite popular in France.

 You might know Franz Xaver Engelhardt's song, http://www.avemariasongs.org/aves/E/Engelhardt.htm

Do take some time to look around and see what you like though. There's so much  variety that you're bound to find something.

Good luck! 
Geert

 

 

John said (in part): "Of course I don't believe in the kind of concert that programs, say, all of the Bach Motets, either, although some people do like that kind of programming.  Variety is the spice of life, and spice is good!"

 

Yes, variety is great. It's a good thing that the Bach motets present such a variety of form, texture, affect, tonal and vocal color, etc., etc. ...  :-)  Several weeks ago it was my privilege to sing in a performance of all six Bach motets, presented by the all-professional ensemble CONCORA (www.concora.org) and a small consort from the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. The concert, which had been highly anticipated in our community, was a stunningly beautiful performance (OK, I'm biased) . Audience and critics had warm praise. Here's a link to the review in the Hartford Courant :

 

 

CONCORA presents an annual all-Bach concert, generally with one motet and 2 cantatas. We are currently working through the Missa Brevae, which are rarely performed (though much of their music is familiar as Bach re-used much of it in cantatas and vice versa).

 

Of course, any programming is a matter of taste - the taste of the music director who creates the program, and the taste of an audience who comes to hear it. In the case of programs like all-Bach, or all "Ave Maria," or an entire concert of music by a single composer, much depends on the skill of the ensemble to present the material with excellence and conviction.

 

Sarah Hager Johnston

GraceNotes