Music for the Imposition of Ashes
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Michael... Don't feel bad... those French composers all sound very similar. (Then again, the German composers of the Romantic Era sound the same to me too.)
  • Jean-Baptiste Faure 1830-1914
    Gabriel Urbain Fauré 1845–1924

    I know...I was surprised when I realized this myself.
  • I feel bad because it's my job to know this stuff! Just got crossed in my head that day.
  • Back when I was in High school is when I first sang the Palms. Then when I got to Westminster and discovered Faure's beautiful art songs, I couldn't figure out how the same guy could write in such a different style, until I took myself to the Music Library and dear old Grout LOl

    Donna
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    o my holy gosh! grout! forgot about that dude! he is still sittin' on my shelf here looking over my shoulder.
  • Francis,
    HAHA! The summer before I went to Grad school, I spent most of it reading Grout. I was one of two people to pass out of the Music History courses b/c we passed the entrance exam as a consequence. But I've always loved all kinds of history, and knowing useless facts. :) It's gotten me to where I am today. :)

    Donna
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I read Grout faithfully, too, and loved music history. Maybe that's part of what has kept me out of the big money all these years. ;-)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I am embarrased to admit that I did not have any interest for history, psychology, english, etc, etc, etc. I only wanted to perform and compose from when I was five. Therefore, my Grout is in excellent condition!
  • Francis, You are too funny! Here's my confession- I did not do my final year at Westminster CC, A big part of the reason was that at that time, everyone, and I mean everyone, even us voice majors (some of whom0 couldn't play a simple hymn on the piano) had to analyze every single measure of the Bach bmoll under Julius Hereford. Terrifying. You could tell the seniors b/c they walked around with big fat notebooks filled with it. I bet you would have loved it!

    Donna
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Heh. We had to do Schenkerian analysis at my grad school. Came to find out the Ring was in D Flat. Never mind that it starts with 156 measures of pedal E flat. I suppose that makes the progress of the piece something like ii(M) - I. And the fourteen hours of music in between are just to get you from E flat to D flat.

    Even though i compose (sort of), I never had much use for that level of distillation, frankly. I mean, can you really sum up Beethoven's 5th Symphony as i - VI - i - V - I? I suppose you can . . . but that doesn't give you what you can get from just listening to it or playing it.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Schenker is like Oscar Levant's comment about humor. He said, "It's like a frog. You can cut it open and see how it works, but in the process, the frog dies."

    Same with Schenkering!
  • I just found a new composition that looks great.

    Paul French has written a piece, published by World Library Publications, that uses the chant Parce Domine as a refrain with english verses, alternating between cantor and SATB choir. The verses use an original melody as well as the SOUTHWELL hymn tune melody.

    This one looks very good for use throughout Lent.
  • OH, that sound good. I love Southwell, and it is not in Ritualsong. I miss it every Lent.
    Donna
  • Because i like the musical form of the GR and but prefer the Missals new text I came up with this.
    Thanked by 1noel jones, aago
  • JDE, I am reminded of Mark Twain, who almost said, you stick down Eb at one end and Db at the other and in the middle you just shovel in Wagner.