My Favorite Vocal Composers and Compositions

My top favorite composers in this category are Bach, Haydn, and Shostakovich. However, I especially love Haydn's vocal compositions, while remain not-so-passionately attached to his symphonies/quartets/etc., as described below.

Masses, Passions, Oratorios, and Other Sacred Vocal Works

• Haydn's Late Masses (#9-14). I didn't discover Haydn's late Masses until I bought a CD with Mozart's coronation mass coupled with Haydn's Mass "In Time of War". The Mozart Mass exactly met my expectations but the Haydn one impressed me so deeply, far beyond my expectations (or my previous biases). As a result, I quickly obtained the other 5 (Nelson, Therese, Harmonie, Schoepfung, Heilig, in that order). All supreme masterpieces! Taking together, the greatest achievement in Masses, IMHO. What emotional charge, not commonly associated with Haydn! And, I can detect the logical consequence of Beethoven, particularly his 9th and "Missa Solemnis".

• Masses by Other Composers: To me, Bach's Mass in B-minor, Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis", and surprisingly, Rossini's Mass, are ranked high up there, with Haydn's late Masses.

• Oratorios: Here, again, Haydn is most dear to my heart, with his "Seasons" that I love at the first hearing, and his "Creation" that I learned to love more and more. When people talk about oratorios, the first composer come to mind is Handel. However, I'm still in the process of getting into Handel's oratorios (love his operas, though).

• Passions: Well, that's easy. If you love passions, you got to love Bach's St. Mathew and St. John Passions, and lament the incredible loss of Bach's other Passions! I love both the performance by Rilling/Internationale-Bachakademie-Stuttgart and Gardiner/English-Baroque-Soloist/Monteverdi-Choir recordings. Quite different, but both great.

• Cantatas: Similar to the situation with passions, I love ALL the Bach Cantatas I've heard, about 20 CD's worth, and am in the process of trying to get as many as I can find/afford. I love the Rilling/Stuttgart recordings on Hanssler.

Secular Vocal Works

• Shostakovich's vocal works: In this group of compositions, my favorite composer, Shostakovich, shines, with the following especially standing out among his masterpieces:
  • From Jewish Folk Poetry
  • The Execution of Stephen Razan
  • The Song of the Forest ....
  For a more complete discussion of these, and other related topics (including "choral"/"vocal" symphonies), see my dedicated Shostakovich pages.

• Orchestra Songs (and Chorus): Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish this group from "choral" symphonies such as Beethoven's 9th, and quite a few of Mahler and Shostakovich symphonies I love. I guess I just let the conventional label stands in this case.
  • Mahler's Das Lieder von der Erde. I know, it's really a symphony, but as I said, I'm following the "labels" here. Well, at least, he also wrote quite a few orchestra lieder, which I also enjoy a lot.
  • Canteloube's Chant d'Auvergne: such purity and beauty! The complete cycle on Vanguard by Netania Davrath is my absolute favorite!
  • Orff's Carmina Burana,

• Lieder: I like Schubert's and others' lieder, but the language barrier is probably a bit too high for me to fully appreciate this form of music.