I've joked about my spring season including Bach (B minor mass), Beethoven (Symphony No. 9) and Brahms (Requiem), but how were those composers linked together? Here's your trivia fact for the week!
Search by Text
Sometimes the text you're researching isn't the first line of the piece (like with "O pray for the peace of Jerusalem"). Fortunately CPDL has a page that lists settings by Psalm text!
Context of Spem
This fantastic video from a few years back does an excellent job putting historical and musical context around Tallis' magnificent "Spem in alium"! Definitely worth the watch to learn more and see the excellent visuals (though I don't think any recording, especially one made from home recordings during covid lockdown, can compete with the incredible experience of hearing or performing this live!
What's that smell?
Christmas in July! I often post about how many carols are really Baroque or Renaissance (or Medieval) tunes, and this one is no exception (and even includes a Beggar's Opera incarnation).
Sephardic Choral Music
"Sacred choral music" doesn't have to mean "Christian" - here's a fantastic snapshot of Sephardic choral repertoire! (Shout out to Ian Pomerantz for the excellent article!)
Castrati
Castrati... Not music history’s finest hour. Here’s a good survey of WHY this was a thing, courtesy of Early Music Sources!
Christmas Oratorio
Messiah isn’t the only major musical work done during the Christmas season. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is made up of 6 cantatas for different major events in the Christmas story, starting on Christmas Day and going all the way through the Epiphany. Read more about it here!
Orfeo, Hindemith, and the Early Music Revival
Do you know how Orfeo connects Monteverdi to Hindemith (and also why I have serious doubts about an early music piece "arranged" by basically anyone...)? Early Music Sources has the answer to this fascinating chapter of history!
Schemelli lieder
This past weekend I sang a beautiful (and simple) piece by Bach from Schemellis Gesangbuch - not sure what that is? (I didn't know) Read more here!
A stolen drinking song...
A stolen drinking song from the 1700s and .... Luxembourg? Here's some history about our own national anthem.