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Any recommendations?
I've recently discovered Brahm's A German Requiem and the glorious "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place". It's as beautiful as Mozart's Ave Varum Corpus or Faure's wonderful Requiem, Cantique de Jeane Racine and Bach's Mass in B Minor.
I'm sure that the wonderfully learned members of this forum could guide me to more gems of this genre. I would be very grateful.
Lynx xx
how about some bach cantatas? There's so many to choose from and they're all so different, but if you want one with a choir how about bwv4. The opening sinfonia will probably rip you to shreads its so beautiful. I always find Ich Habe Genug wonderful to play and listen too, and BWV199, Mein Herze Scwhimmt im Blut is outstanding. There's so many, I played some great ones at Christmas but I don't remember which they were.
There's a great DVD with English Baroque Soloists and John Elliot Gardner doing 199 and some others live. Really fantastic performances with Magdalena Kozena and Mark Padmore, two wonderful voices.
Oh, and whilst you're on Bach you'd better check out the St. John and St. matthew Passions. The St. matthew is probably the greatest work he ever wrote, there's a good recording of the gabrielli consort, again with mark padmore and magdalena kozena, although harnoncourt's recording is also very interesting. Personally I'd opt for Gabs because they use fewer singers (1 or 2 to a part I think in the chorus), so the sound is much clearer and consequently more alive.
Thanks for your reply Captain, I'll listen to your recommendations. I agree about Bach's Passions and yes, I love the St Matthew, and I do have recordings of them.
Mozart's requiem in C Minor is absolutely sublime. I performed it about a year ago and have been in love with it ever since! There are some beautiful vocal solos and fantastic choral sections, which makes it such a 'complete' and varied work. I would definately recommend it!
Originally Posted by Amy
Mozart's requiem in C Minor is absolutely sublime. I performed it about a year ago and have been in love with it ever since! There are some beautiful vocal solos and fantastic choral sections, which makes it such a 'complete' and varied work. I would definately recommend it!
I agree Amy. Mozart's Requiem in C may be my favorite of all his compositions, which says alot since I have many favorites of Mozart.
I don't know if this falls under what you're looking for, but have you listened to Bach's Motets? I have a CD of 6 of his Motets BWV 225 - 230 on Deutsche Grammophon Archiv label. They were a whole new experience for me. There are no instruments just male, female and boy choirs. Sublime and moving.
My two favourite pieces of chroal music are William Byrds three (acapella) masses and Zbigniew Preisners "Requiem for a friend".
These two are absolutley worth your time.
You might also try
Berlioz's Messe Solennelle. I listened to it the other day and now truly believe it is the best religious music I have ever listened to.
I dare say that my favorite is Charles Gounod’s, “ the Messe solennelle de Sainte Cécile” of 1855.
His greatest mass with full orchestra and soloists added to the choir, which is florid, almost operatic in style. I performed it a few years ago. Splendid!
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