Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Plans Change
Summer has past and in that season I rehearsed the Bruckner (mentioned in previous posting) at home and then as the day when rehearsals with the choir were to begin I realized that I would not have the energy to start back to work, manage my household and join this choir. So after erasing all the previous markings in my score, buying the CD and spending hours rehearsing, I had to back out. This happens in a chorister's life. Plans change.
Just because I said good-bye to Bruckner does not mean that I am not rehearsing anything. I am back with the church choir and we are rehearsing Camille Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio and Mozart's Te Deum. Two short easy works that we should have no problem mastering. Although the performance is for First Advent we have already started rehearsing it. This is a "come one come all" choir so we are in that lovely note pounding stage. One voice part attempting to sing their line with the piano pounding only their notes and the other voice parts whispering and laughing until it is their turn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6t5rkg46kc This is a link to the Mozart which is truly delightful, written by little Wolfie while only a young teenager.
The Christmas Oratorio (published in 1877)was written by the parisian born Camille Saint-Saens who was also a very talented youngster. He played a Mozart piece, along with Beethoven and Handel at his first public concert which was given at the age of 10. he wrote his first piano piece at the age of 3. Oh boy! As an adult he taught music and counted Faure as one of his pupils. Camille was born in 1835 and died in 1921 so he was born in the romantic period and died in the flapper times. He himself was a great admirer of Bach and Mozart so I am happy we are performing his work together with a Mozart piece. Monsieur Saint-Saens lived through the turbulent French revolution spending some of that time in London as he surely would have been part of the elite that the Occupy Demonstraters would have killed had he stayed in France.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Ng-_AVMbw is a link to the closing chorus of this Oratorio.
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I could not listen to the Mozart link that you posted did not work. Have you tried downloading them from video? Can sometimes be frustrating to find one you want b/c of less options but usually works.
ReplyDeleteYou got me interested in this Revolution, I see it was not the big Revolution but the so called communist Revolution, good thing he fled to London.
I did not know the composer of this Oratorio but this beautiful music is familiar,I have to hear more and see what I all recognize.
oh too bad you had to quit the Bruckner, but you will have a head start for next time. Are you rehearsing for anything else other than church choir in the next three months? Sorry I forgot. guess I could check your previous post.
I'm not familiar with the Camille Saint-Saens Oratorio. But I do remember having to teach my own music my first year and doing The Carnival of the Animals with my class. Oh they loved it. I don't think any of them had really engaged in classical music before. I remember been shocked at what a hit it was with these kids.
ReplyDeleteThat is always so disappointing when you have to give something up you really wanted to do. Especially something you prepared so much for. But it's a wise woman who knows her limits.