I had actually typed this up and meant to post it Sunday, but never got around to it. Oh well…
I love choral music. My preference is for smaller, intimate pieces, rather than the large orchestral works such as Mozart Requiem, Mendelssohn "Elijah", etc. I like doing the larger works, but nothing brings out the purity of the human voice like the close harmony of a small ensemble. A small ensemble requires subtlety and close attention to blend. Large groups are often subject to the "louder is better" mentality.
This afternoon the Greenville Chorale Chamber Ensemble presents its annual winter concert. Our program consists of Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F, Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes, and PDQ Bach’s Liebeslieder Polkas. At least two thirds of the concert will illustrate what I love about choral chamber music. The other third, well…
PDQ Bach can be very funny, but a little goes a long way. Especially with the Polkas, there are tons of inside jokes that the audience will only get if they are familiar with the repertoire. Our group tends to take things overboard, so there will be more slapstick than musical production. I’m just not sure how this is going to go over. I think I’d go along with it more if it were toned down, and only half as long.
I think what disappoints me most about the PDQ section is that the Chamber Ensemble has an excellent blend this year. I hate that such potential is squandered on something like the Liebeslieder Polkas.
And for the post-concert post-mortem…
Well, it went about as I expected. The Mozart and the Brahms went very well. The PDQ Bach left the audience wondering just what kind of concert they were attending. I’m not sure they had planned on seeing so much slapstick. I felt like I was back in college (and not in a good way.)