[onecm]

I heard some on the radio the other week in a choir competition and thought "I gotta get me some of this" but I don't know where to start.

Any recommendations?

 

[FalconP]

A big area indeed. At one extremes you'll find styles that recapitulate folk music of the old days (e.g. the famous Bulgarian women choirs); and at the other, something very forward looking and completely unheard-of (e.g. The Water Passion by Tan Dun). My single favorite is Psalm of Repentence by the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke. A work who soul stems from ancient Orthodox choral music, but the scales and harmonies are resolutely modern. Monumental and breathtaking.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconP A big area indeed. At one extremes you'll find styles that recapitulate folk music of the old days (e.g. the famous Bulgarian women choirs); and at the other, something very forward looking and completely unheard-of (e.g. The Water Passion by Tan Dun). My single favorite is Psalm of Repentence by the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke. A work who soul stems from ancient Orthodox choral music, but the scales and harmonies are resolutely modern. Monumental and breathtaking.

Schnittke is great.

Since this thread exists, I'll use it as another opportunity to plug my favorite contemporary composer in the choral realm: Arvo Part.

onecm: Do you like more dissonant type music?

 

[onecm]

Thanks guys!, I'm going to get both those CDs FalconP.

Gratefulshrink: In a word, yes, but my life is currently to stressful to have much of an appetite for prolonged musical tension without release or resolution.

 

[recstar24]

Eric Whitacre - one of the biggest names right now in current contemporary choral literature

 

[onecm]

Thanks recstar24! If you had to pick 1 or 2 CDs to take away with you for a year (which I do), could you tell me which you'd choose?

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by onecm Thanks guys!, I'm going to get both those CDs FalconP. Gratefulshrink: In a word, yes, but my life is currently to stressful to have much of an appetite for prolonged musical tension without release or resolution.

Another composer I would reccomend is John Taverner (the contemporary one) -- in some ways similar to Arvo Part, but generally less dissonant.