Great Choral Works, More Often Praised Than Listened To

February 8, 2021, 7:00 pm

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Part of the fun with Exploring Music is making up titles for our various weeks. Bill came up with an outstanding doozy —Great Choral Works, More Often Praised Than Listened To— but not this week! We’ll hear St. Paul and Elijah, two huge oratorios written ten years apart by Felix Mendelssohn; A Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and a beautiful setting of Walt Whitman’s When Lilacs Last in the Door Yard Bloomed by Paul Hindemith. It’s a special treat to hear Robert Shaw, Sir Andrew Davis, and others, lead a stage full of a large orchestra, chorus, and soloists through these profound masterworks.

Playlist

Episode 1

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 –Ouvertüre (excerpt)
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
6:28

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Ouvertüre (excerpt)
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
4:31

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Ouvertüre Part 1: “Herr, der du bist der Gott”; “Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Her”
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
12:25

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Ouvertüre (excerpt)
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
0:32

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 — Ouvertüre (excerpt)
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rundfunkchor und, Gewandhaus-Kinderchor/Kurt Masur
Mendelssohn Paulus
Philips 420 212
00:53

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Part 1:
“Die Menge der Gläubigen”;
“Und sie sahen auf ihn alle, Weg mit dem!”
“Jerusalem, die du tödtest die Propheten”
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
9:34

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Part 1: “Und sie steinigten ihn, Dir, Herr, will ich mich ergeben”; “Siehe, wir preisen selig die erdultet haben”
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
6:29

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Part 1: “Saulus aber zerstörte die Gemeinde, Vertilge sie, Herr Zebaoth”
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
2:27

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Part 1: “Und als er auf dem Wege war”;
“Mache Dich Auf!”
“Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
9:49

Mendelssohn, Felix: Paulus, Op. 36 – Part 2: “Wie lieblich sind die Boten”; “Nicht aber ihm allein”
Orchestre Des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe: Melanie Diener, Matthias Goerne
Mendelssohn, Paulus
Harmonia Mundi 90154.85
6:22

 

Episode 2

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – “Baal, We Cry to Thee” (excerpt)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
1:20

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Introduction: Overture;
“Help, Lord! Wilt Thou Quite Destroy Us?”
“Lord, Bow Thine Ear to Our Prayer!”
“Ye People, Rend Your Hearts & Not Your Garments”
“Ye People, Rend Your Hearts & Not Your Garments”
“If with all your hearts ye truly seek me”

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
13:25

Mendelssohn, Felix:Elijah – Part 1:
1: “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, & Israel” (excerpt)

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
0:55

Mendelssohn, Felix:Elijah – Part 1: “Elijah! Get Thee Hence, Elijah!”
“For He Shall Give His Angels Charge Over Thee”
“What Have I To Do with Thee, O Man of God?”
“Blessed Are The Men Who Fear Him”
“As God t he Lord Of Sabaoth Liveth”
“Baal, We Cry to Thee”
“Call Him Louder, For He Is A God!”
“Elijah – Part 1: Call Him Louder! He Heareth Not”
“Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, & Israel”

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
28:50

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 1: “O man Help the People” (excerpt)
“Thanks be to God! He Laveth the Thristy Land”

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
5:25

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 2: ”Lift Thine Eyes to the Mountains”
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
1:50

 

Episode 3

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 1
“Help. Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us” (excerpt)

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
02:40

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 1
“Thanks be to God! He Laveth the Thirsty Land” (excerpt)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
01:34

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 2:
“Hear Ye, Israel”
“’’Be Not Afraid,’ Saith God The Lord”
“The Lord Hath Exalted Thee from Among the People”
“Woe to Him! He Shall Perish”
“Man Of God, Now Let My Words Be “Precious In Thy Sight”
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
17:01

Mendelssohn, Felix:Elijah – Part 2:
“It Is Enough! O Lord, Now Take Away My Life”
“See, Now He Sleepeth Beneath a Juniper Tree”
“Lift Thine Eyes to The Mountains”
“He, Watching Over Israel”
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
11:35

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 2:
“Arise, Elijah, For Thou Hast a Long Journey Before Thee”
“Oh Rest in The Lord”
“He That Shall Endure to The End, Shall Be Saved”
“Night Falleth Round Me, O Lord!”
“Go, Return Upon Thy Way!”
“For The Mountains Shall Depart”

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
15:42

Mendelssohn, Felix: Elijah – Part 2: No. 42. Chorus: And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Edinburgh Festival Chorus/Paul Daniel
Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel
Mendelssohn Elijah
Decca 455 688-2
3:13

 

Episode 4

Hindemith, Paul: When Lilacs Last in The Dooryard Bloom’d; Arioso, Sing On, There in The Swamp (excerpt)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Shaw:
Jan DeGaetani, William Stone
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
Telarc CD 80132
1:28

Hindemith, Paul: When Lilacs Last in The Dooryard Bloom’d; Prelude; Arioso, In The Swamp; O Western Orb
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Shaw:
Jan DeGaetani, William Stone
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
Telarc CD 80132
13:02

Hindemith, Paul: When Lilacs Last in The Dooryard Bloom’d; Arioso, Sing On, There in The Swamp;
Sing On! You Grapy, Brown Bird 
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Shaw:
Jan DeGaetani, William Stone
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
Telarc CD 80132
11:52

Hindemith, Paul: When Lilacs Last in The Dooryard Bloom’d; Death Carol, Come, Lovely & Soothing Death;
To the Tally of My Soul; Finale: Passing the Visions

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Shaw:
Jan DeGaetani, William Stone
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
Telarc CD 80132
22:20

 

Episode 5

Vaughan Williams, Ralph: Symphony No.1, “A Sea Symphony” I. Song for All Seas, All Ships
BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Andrew Davis
Amanda Roocroft, Thomas Hampson
Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
Teldec 94550
18:58

Vaughan Williams, Ralph: Symphony No.1, “A Sea Symphony” II.On the Beach at Night, Alone
BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Andrew Davis
Amanda Roocroft, Thomas Hampson
Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
Teldec 94550
10:27

Vaughan Williams, Ralph: Symphony No.1,
III.  “A Sea Symphony” – Scherzo

BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Andrew Davis
Amanda Roocroft, Thomas Hampson
Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
Teldec 94550
7:53

Vaughan Williams, Ralph: Serenade to Music
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Chorus/ Robert Spano
Tallis Fantasia/ Symphony No. 5
Telarc CD 80676
13:06