Schubert/Brahms: Choral Music
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Performer: King's College ChoirEdition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2007-11-06
Music Label: Angel
Free Music Notes for Schubert/Brahms: Choral Music
Free Music Review: a voice teacher and early music fan
Hit: 5 Stars
SCHUBERT, A MASTER OF SWEET MELODY; BRAHMS, A MASTER OF LUSH HARMONY; APPARENTLY MADE SIR PHILIP LEDGER'S HEART SING, FOR HE SAID 'I BELIEVE THIS MUSIC 'FIT FOR KING'S'.
For Schubert, a man possessed by melody, the art song was an ideal form, and he made himself master of it. Even his symphonies and chamber music are instrumenal song-fests, which have much the appeal of folk songs.
Schubert's ethereal setting of Psalm 23 was written for the female singing-class of the Gesellschalft der Musikfreunde, an association of music-lovers in Austria. It is the first selection on this disc and one can easily hear why it was a tremendous success on its first performance. Ledger accompanies his 3-part treble voices on the keyboard; just exquisite!
'Gebet' (prayer) is a setting of a lengthy piece by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque, a friend of his who was a passionate lover of Italian opera,and parts of this piece have somewhat of an operatic flair. It has 5 sections all of which segue into the next.
'Gott im Ungewitter'(God in unsettled weather) and 'Christ ist erstunden' is a setting of the Chorus of Angels from Goethe's 'Faust' This is one of the three motets that were published posthumously. Goethe's poem puts forth the idea of God's power and anger and Schubert gives it musical force by the relentless rhythm which dominates the entire work.
The most obvious difference between Schubert & Brahms is that Schubert never mastered counterpoint, and the music of Brahms demonstrates throughout. In fact, many of Brahms's choral works are essentially studies of J.S. Bach's methods of counterpoint and fugue.
The first selection by Brahms is based on the chorale 'Es ist das Heil uns kommen her'(Salvation comes to us now), After an opening statement of the chorale, there follows a four-part fugue of classic proportion.
Baroque techniques and textures also characterize the setting of verses from Psalm 51, 'Schaffe in mir Gott...'(Make me a clean heart, O God). It has three sections all of which segue to the next.
'Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Muhseligen'(Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery) was written in 1879, and by this time Brahms had assimilated Bach's methods-which here include canon- into his own. This is divided into five rather short sections all of which segue to the next.
Although Brahm's models were classic, so too his spirit and the forms he selected, yet his compositions were described as being 'like a gypsy woman dancing in a tight corset, latent heat beneath a formal exterior'.
There are two choral preludes for organ, one by Schubert, and one by Brahms, played skillfully by Ledger. Also, the Schubert pieces are all accompanied with piano, while the Brahms are all unaccompanied.
Who can possibly question the quality of a performance by King's College Choir or that of Ledger, himself. Just good listening all the way. Lovely crystalline boy soprano sounds; mellow velvet-toned male altos; sweet sounding tenors and resonant un-rumbling bass sounds. Well, anyway, I LIKE THEM!!!!!
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