Download Free Notes On The Cultivation Of Choral Music And The Oratorio Society Of New York Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Notes On The Cultivation Of Choral Music And The Oratorio Society Of New York and write the review.

From the INTRODUCTION. IT is not the purpose of this little book to give a complete history of the singing societies of New York City. That would be an unprofitable if not an impossible task. I had designed, originally, to write only a sketch of the Society which now represents our highest attainment in choral culture. Knowing, however, that an institution like the Oratorio Society could only be the outcome of many experiments in the past, and that its peculiar features and the cause of its present success could only be understood and valued if viewed as the fruit of early experiences, I addressed myself to a study of choral history in New York with the aim of bringing to the attention of the reader the influences which have been at work in the development of the present state of culture in this department of music. I was the more willing to let the record of my observations and speculations crowd my original purpose into the background, since I became more and more convinced, as I went on, that many others must have felt with me the need of some handy notes on choral culture. It is one of the inexplicable things in the literature of music, that we should be without a history of the rise and progress of amateur singing societies. It would be difficult, I am sure, to point to another influence in the history of modern music so fruitful in results to the art itself, as well as to its cultivators, as that exercised by voluntary organizations of amateur choristers; and its interest as a theme for discussion is greatly enhanced by the fact that the story is almost compassed by the present century, and its elements might, therefore, be got together with comparative ease. The cultivation of choral music in the phase in which it shows itself now in the great festivals of England, Germany, and America, and in the concerts of such choirs as the Handel and Haydn Society, of Boston, the Oratorio Society, of New York, and the choir of the Musical Festival Association, of Cincinnati, is less than a hundred years old; and a more exhaustive investigation than is possible here, owing to the narrow limits of this book, might flatter patriotic pride by discovering that American cities were quite as prompt as Berlin in giving it encouragement, though, it is true, under far less favorable circumstances....
Excerpt from Notes on the Cultivation of Choral Music and the Oratorio Society of New York The singing societies of Germany, by their diffusion of knowledge concerning the master pieces of choral composition, and their nurture of a warm interest in music, were, beyond ques tion, the most potent of the factors employed in the work of lifting that country to the eminence which it now occupies in music. The composers of the Viennese School of the eighteenth century wrested the supremacy from Italy by the virtue that lay in the freshness, vigor, and richness of their creations; these creations became the models for the succeeding generations, and the compos ers became the musical law-givers; but for the cultivation of the national musical spirit which established the conservatories, orchestras, and choirs, in which artists were educated in a man ner that enabled them to maintain its proud su premacy, Germany rested, in a great measure, upon the impulse which went out from the crowning achievement of Fasch, the accompanist at the Court of Frederick the Great, of Prussia. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Choral music represented an important part of American cultural life during the nineteenth century, whether integral to worship or merely for entertainment. Despite this history, choral music remains one of the more neglected studies in the scholarly community. In an effort to fill this gap, N. Lee Orr and W. Dan Hardin offer a new approach to the study of choral music by mapping out and bringing bibliographical control to this expansive and challenging field of study. Their unique guide focuses on literature related to choral music in the United States from the end of the second decade of the nineteenth century through the earlier part of the twentieth century. Choral Music in Nineteenth-Century America explores the entire range of choral music conceived, written, published, rehearsed, and performed by an ensemble of singers gathered specifically to present the music before an audience or congregation. The guide expertly sifts through the extensive literature to cite the most notable sources for study and provides individual chapters on the leading nineteenth-century composers who were instrumental in the development of choral music.
With this volume, Howard Smither completes his monumental History of the Oratorio. Volumes 1 and 2, published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1977, treated the oratorio in the Baroque era, while Volume 3, published in 1987, explored the genre in the Classical era. Here, Smither surveys the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century oratorio, stressing the main geographic areas of oratorio composition and performance: Germany, Britain, America, and France. Continuing the approach of the previous volumes, Smither treats the oratorio in each language and geographical area by first exploring the cultural and social contexts of oratorio. He then addresses aesthetic theory and criticism, treats libretto and music in general, and offers detailed analyses of the librettos and music of specific oratorios (thirty-one in all) that are of special importance to the history of the genre. As a synthesis of specialized literature as well as an investigation of primary sources, this work will serve as both a springboard for further research and an essential reference for choral conductors, soloists, choral singers, and others interested in the history of the oratorio. Originally published 2000. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
With this volume, Howard Smither completes his monumental History of the Oratorio. Volumes 1 and 2, published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1977, treated the oratorio in the Baroque era, while Volume 3, published in 1987, explored th