I'm just curious if there are any good Mass/religious setting pieces that are unsung? Edit: I just noticed that it sounds a little like I'm looking for instrumental only pieces! LOL
Thanks as always in advance!
monofam, try Puccini's mesmerising and very tuneful and very camp and very beautiful Messa di Gloria; sung composer, unsung piece!
Steve
Kiel's Missa Solemnis and Hamerik's Requiem come to mind.
Might I suggest Cherubini's Requiem in C minor, much admired by his pupil Berlioz and available on a naxos CD? Going back a bit, Michael Haydn wrote some good church music including various mass settings.
Stanford's Requiem. Stunning.
Hi
I will chime in with a loud cheer for Kiel's lovely Mass. Thanks for mentioning that one!
Other prime 'unsung favourites for me are Soderman's Catholic Mass ( on Sterling label - sincerity high drama, big orchestral effects) and Pembauer's Festival Mass. All three of theses works reveal fine melodic gifts on the part of tthe composers.
regards
Peter
I like Pizzetti's 'Messa di Requiem'. No orchestra,just voices. The Hyperion cd got the most praise,but the all Pizzetti Chandos cd sounds fine to me.Beautiful!
Thanks for all the suggestions up to this point! I'm looking forward to checking these out.
Theodore Gouvy's Requiem is a fine work, too. I would also like to second the recommedation of Söderman's Mass.
The Flemish Peter Benoit (1843-1901) composed a marvellous "Hoogmis", which I've mentioned before in another thread. The organ in the Benedictus does it. Unforgettable.
Not quite on the same scale as a Mass or Requiem, but Taneyev's St. John of Damascus is surely one of the most beautiful choral pieces ever written.
One of my favourite 'unsung' pieces by an otherwise very well 'sung' composer is the C major Te Deum of 1872 by Sir Arthur Sullivan. It combines memorable tunes with appropriately classical counterpoint and gravity and has some 'big' moments too. The orchestration (which includes organ) and the handling of the voices are typical of this master craftsman who, I have come to feel, is the greatest English composer.
Lew Lewis
Here are some of my favorite unsung religious works:
1) Mass by Franz von Suppe
2) Mass in D by John Knowles Payne
3) The Masses by Moniuszko -- a new cd from Dux is just beautiful
4) Rossini's Petit Messe -- maybe more familiar, but not many people know it.
5) Franz Schmidt's Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln. One of the glories in the entire music literature, in my humble opinion.
You like the Franz Schmidt? Phew! I must admit that one stays in the box. And I
say that as an admirer (of Schmidt!).
For a really fantastic,'undiscovered' choral 'blockbuster', I would go for Charles
Tournemire's stupendous 6th symphony! (Auvidis Valois).
The Schmidt is worth sitting through just for the stupendous ending - surely one of the most glorious in all music!
Quote from: Pengelli on Thursday 24 September 2009, 11:07
You like the Franz Schmidt? Phew! I must admit that one stays in the box. And I
say that as an admirer (of Schmidt!).
When I first acquired the work on with Mitropolous on LP many years ago, that's how I reacted, too. It just didn't click. The next version I got was the Orfeo cd and certain parts became very special -- but the whole thing eluded me. Then, on a trip to Germany I picked up a cd set from Amadeo. I was stuck in the hotel watching a terrific storm listening to Das Buch and all the sudden it made sense -- all of it. It just fell into place, and it's been a favorite of mine since then. But I can understand not liking it. I can't stand the Mozart Requiem, the Brahms German Requiem or the Beethoven Missa Solemnis. To each his own.
Suter's "Le Laudi" - just gorgeous.
I'm going to have another go at the Schmidt as soon as I can find it! But it IS
rather grim! Brian's 'Gothic' seems like a light hearted romp in comparison.
I'd like to echo Gareth's enthusiasm for Suter's Le Laudi - it is an absolutely glorious late-Romantic piece.
I think I'll go for the Benoit 'Hoogmis'. Flemish music is so underated & what I've
heard is so good.
I have just listened to Bomtempos Requiem on a Berlin Classics CD. There is perhaps a lack of drama, but nevertheless, there is a lot of beautiful music in it
Thanks for all the suggestions so far! I've been able to get the Soderman one to this point (based on some credits I have) and really enjoyed it.
Is the Schmidt one the piece he wrote in honor of the passing of his daughter? I heard it's powerful and I'm wondering if I could take it (having kids myself).