Choral Composers

Question 0

Ockheghem

Answer 0

1410-1497
French composer concentrated on sacred genre with mass and motets. An example of his well known mass is Missa prolationum. A secular piece could be Miserere that is scored for three voices and structured in the traditional formes fixes.

Question 1

Binchois

Answer 1

1400-1460
Burgundian Court- composed masses, motet, magnificats, rondeux, and ballades. Mostly sacred but wrote secular songs in the 3 part style with one vocal line. Exception is Filles a maiere, which is for SATB and has text in all voice parts.

Question 2

Josquin Des Prez

Answer 2

1450-1521
from Burgundy and was a professional musician in the French royal chapel of Louis XI. Developed the contrapuntal chanson which broke away from the formes fixes and his work include 3, 4,5 voices that imploy imitation and repetition. His secular works include Petite camusette for SATTB or the frottola El grillo.

Question 3

Willaert

Answer 3

1490-1562
gained an education at the French Royal court and was appointed maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s in Venice in 1527. He is attributed to establishing the practic of core spezzati and is known for starting the Venetian school. A madrigal might be Qual piu diversa SATB that contained chordal style with short passages in triple meter.

Question 4

Palestrina

Answer 4

1525-1594
was a chorister in Rome around 1537 and was appointed maestro di capella after leaving the singing career at the vatican. his style represented imitative polyphony, balanced melodic shapes, prepared and resolved dissonances and structural symmetry. Ex. Veni sponsa Christi which was for the ordination of nuns. Madrigal included Vestiva i Colli for SATTB and his style was a variety of rhythmic patterns with expanded textures; less serious subject matter; occasional use of cormaticism for expressive purposes and melodic passages that depict specific textual characteristics.

Question 5

Geusaldo

Answer 5

1561-1631
final stage of italian madrigal was expanded with this composer and pieces like Moro Lasso from book 1611 could include abrupt changes in texture, chromaticism, and unexpected harmonic shifts. less concern with restraint and balance and more attention to expressing emotional extremes.

Question 6

Monteverdi

Answer 6

1567-1643
Italian composer trained as an instrumentalist and was known for a transitional composer. He was appointed maestro di capella at St. Mark’s in Venice around 1613. his madrigals and secular output represent the prima and seconda pratica styles. The madrigals were published in 8 books and the first 4 being in a prima prattica style and the last 4 being in the seconda prattica style showing a gradual intro to continuo and concertizing instruments. The first four books resemble use of homophony which chromaticism and monody is present where 2 or 3 voices are set against the bass. A famous piece is Cruda Amarilli from book 5 in 1605 for SATTB with optional basso continuo.

Question 7

Schutz

Answer 7

1585-1672
born near Dresden and studied with A. Gabrieli adopting the Italian style and then returned to Germany brining back the italian influence. While in Italy he composed madrigals scored for SSATB and contain pervasive point-of-imitation and skillful rhythmic variety and expressive word painting. Ex. O primavera

Question 8

Lully

Answer 8

1632-1687
born in Florence and was exposed to music through the music of Louis XIV and eventually became a composer and citizen in France in 1661. Composed opera but also Grands Motets. These motets were a large scale multimovement work for soloists, chorus, strings, and basso continuo with a structure of a double chorus and strings divided into six parts. These motets were primarily sacred and well-known is Miserere mei deus based on Psalm 51 and composed in 1663

Question 9

Bach

Answer 9

1685-1750
born in Eisenbach and received musical training from father and siblings and at age 15 he received his first music position at Luneberg. In 1722 he went to Leipzig to the Thomaskircke in Leipzig. He composed masses, motets, oratorios, and cantatas. He did compose a few secular cantatas and two to note are Princess, let on more ray and Up, resounding sounds of the cheerful trumpets.

Question 10

Handel

Answer 10

1685-1759
born in Germany and studied in Bermany but had an illustrious career in London where his opera and oratorios flourished. secular output included the odes such as Alexander’s Feast and Ode for st. Cecilia’s Day which were composed in the 1730s.

Question 11

Haydn

Answer 11

1732-1809
Born near Vienna and appointed Kapellmeister with Prince Esterhazy court and remained there for his entire career. Composed opera, symphonies and chamber music. Oratorios like The Creation and Il ritorno di Tobia were composed for concert societies such as the Tonkunstler Societat and the Gesellshaft der Associenten. Close collaborations with van Swieten helped propell the oratorio to a more secular genre. His other secular music included a madrigal (The Storm) and several part songs (Die Harmonie in der Ehe and Abendlied Zer Gott). A secular oratorio could also be The Seasons (1799-1800).

Question 12

Beethoven

Answer 12

1770-1827
born in Bonn and studied with Haydn in 1790 and composed masses, an oratorio, ten cantatas and on choral symphony. Beethoven changed the scene with secular choral music with smaller scale works such as the choral fantasy, calm sea and prosperous voyage, and an Elegaic song whereby choral forces combine with piano and instruments in a secular genre. This was catapulted with the chordal symphony in symphony #9 (1822-1824).

Question 13

Schubert

Answer 13

1791-1828
born in Vienna and received his musical training from his father and contributed greatly to the development of the part song that was later picked up more extensively by Brahms and other composers. His part songs were more chamber music and probably consisted of solo singers on each part with accompaniment and a cappella. Ex. Der Tanz (1826) for SATB and piano.

Question 14

Mendelssohn

Answer 14

1809-1847
born in Hamburg and studied with the director of the Berlin-Singakadmie. He was composer and conductor in Dusseldorf and was featured at the Lower Rhine Music Festival. Later he was conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. His two major oratorios include Elijah and St. Paul. He did compose other sacred works as well as secular cantatas and part songs. Ex. of a cantata might be the First Walpugis Night and a familiar secular song could be Abschlied vom Walde both composed around the 1830s-40s.

Question 15

Brahms

Answer 15

1833-1897
born in Hamburg and began his musical studies with his father and piano lesson giving his first concert at the age of ten. He held several positions as choral conductor and was appointed director of the Vienna Singakademie when he was 30. His compositions contain a deep felt despondency about life, formal structuring of compositions based on canon and close imitation. He composed secular and sacred pieces of notable are the choral orchestral works and the secular unaccompanied and accompanied part songs. Famous orchestral piece is the Schiksalied of 1868 as well as the piece for mens voices such as Rinaldo (1863-68) and the Rhapsodie (1869). Secular pieces include Dreis Gesange (1859-61) for SATBB voices a cappella and piano as well as numerous folk song arrangements such as In Stiller Nacht.

Question 16

Mahler

Answer 16

1860-1911
born in current day Czechaslovakia and was known primarily as an opera and symphonic composer. Mahler is situated with developing the choral symphony as choral forces join his 2nd, 3rd, and 8th symphonies. NO. 8 (1907) is important as its stretches the bounds of the choral symphony and employs two texts such as Veni creator spiritus (come, Holy Spirit) and the second from Goethe’s Faust and express man’s longing for love, wisdom, guidance and assurance. It achieves a synthesis between orchestra and voices.

Question 17

Vaughn Williams

Answer 17

1872-1958
grew up near London and he studied formally at the Royal College of Music. Had a deep appreciation for folk songs and composed much in this genre. He also composed many choral/orchestral works in such pieces as a Sea Symphony (1903-1909) for SB solos and SATB chorus, SSAA semichorus and large orchestra. Smaller scale secular part songs and folk arrangements include Three Elizabethan Songs (1891-96) and Five English Folksongs (1913) SATB chorus a cappella.

Question 18

Britten

Answer 18

1913-1976
grew up near Norwich and studied piano and viola and eventually enrolled in the Royal College of Music. Britten’s choral output is extensive and includes large scale choral/orchestral compositions to a cappella and piano accompanied part songs, liturgical pieces, and concert cantatas. Well-known pieces include Rejoice in the Lamb, War Requiem and a secular work might be the Spring Symphony (1948-49).

Question 19

Tippett

Answer 19

1905-1998
born in London and studied music at the Royal College of Music. Composed in a unique genre that highlighted the secular oratorio in such works as A child of our time (1944) and The Mask of Time (1980-82).

Question 20

Orff

Answer 20

1895-1982
born in Munich and later enrolled in the Akademie der Tonkunst where a development for Monteverdi transpired. He is best known for his large-scale choral work Carmina Burana (1936) for STB solos, SATB chorus, children’s chorus and orchestra.

Question 21

Bernstein

Answer 21

1918-1990
born in Mass. and attended Harvard and at the Curtis Institute where he studied with Randall Thompson. Known for works such as the Chichester Psalms (1965) which is for boy solo, SATB chorus and an instrumental ensemble and includes a sacred text.