Requiem by Gabriel Fauré About The Composer Gabriel-Urbain Fauré (1845-1924) figured prominently in the upheaval that took place in French music from the late 1800’s into the twentieth century. Educated as an organist, his teachers included Niedermeyer and Saint-Saens, and he served several churches including the Madeleine Church in Paris, where he was assistant organist…

H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan There is a canard that the English do not “get” jokes. In my family (I am at least one-eighth English, a plurality over any other ethnicity), someone who misses the point of a joke is accused of showing his/her “English”. The English, in fact, do have a substantial sense…

The Festival Te Deum by Sir Arthur Sullivan Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was a trial to his parents: An unmotivated student as a child, he nonetheless matriculated at Oxford, and later transferred to Cambridge. He did not, however, graduate, and his…

A German Requiem by Johannes Brahms The Scene Europe was very much a work in progress during the nineteenth century: France had put away the escapades of Bonaparte, but in mid-century was embracing Napoleon III; in Prussia, a new leader, von Bismarck, was rising; the Sardinian monarchy was expanding into other parts of Italy, as…

Christmas Ornaments by Randol Alan Bass This pastiche of familiar carols was originally commissioned for the Grand Rapids (MI) Symphonic Choir, led at that time (1988) by Anton Armstrong (who now directs the choral program at St. Olaf College in Northfield MN, where he earned his baccalaureate degree). In six sections, Christmas Ornaments presents “Lullaby…

Gloria in Excelsis by Johann Sebastian Bach As the Chorus begins its 30th year of performance, it fittingly turns to Johann Sebastian Bach, who, with a few contemporaries- Handel, Buxtehude, Vivaldi, and Telemann among them- transformed the entire framework of serious music. Curiously, the Chorus’ homage to Bach has been rather scattered; of five, possibly…

Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian-Carlo Menotti Gian-Carlo Menotti was born in Italy in 1911, the sixth of ten children. He showed early musical talent and began studying at the Milan Conservatory when only 13. In 1928, when he was 17, he came to the US to study at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute, recommended by…

Liebesliederwaltzer by Johannes Brahms At 35, Johannes Brahms had not achieved any real success. He had given up his career as a concert pianist some 15 years earlier, hoping to achieve success as a composer and conductor. All he now had to show were couple of serenades, a piano concerto, and some chamber music-and conducting…

The Gondoliers by William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan Much has been written about the 20-year collaboration of Sir William Schwenk Gilbert and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan. There is general consensus that it involved the collision of two strong egos, and that there was much friction-each man thinking he deserved better-but they both denied it publicly.…

Cindy by Mack Wilberg This familiar folk song, sometimes referred to as a “frolic” tune (which may imply that it was used in a game, reel, or square dance), is of unknown origin. John Lomax, one of the earliest musicologists to devote his energies to American folk tunes, was of the belief that it originated…