Choral Monuments

Dennis Shrock is widely acclaimed as a master teacher, scholar, and performer of choral music, being noted for his commitment to performance practices and being hailed for performances characterized for their technical precision, stylistic faithfulness, and musical expression. He has held numerous university residencies and is author of several books on choral music and performance practice, including Choral Repertoire (OUP 2009) and Choral Scores (OUP 2015).

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionCHAPTER ONE Josquin Desprez - Missa Pange LinguaBiographical and Compositional OverviewSalient Compositional CharacteristicsImitationOstinatosThe Missa Pange linguaStructure and Parody TechniquePerformance Practice ConsiderationsPerforming ForcesMeter, Tactus, and TempoText UnderlayMusica Ficta and Musica RectaSummarySelected Bibliography CHAPTER TWOGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli Biographical and Compositional OverviewThe Papacy and the Counter-ReformationThe Missa Papae MarcelliMusical CharacteristicsLegacyPerformance Practice ConsiderationsPitch and Performing ForcesMeter and TactusOratorical PhrasingTempoMusica FictaSummarySelected BibliographyCHAPTER THREE Johann Sebastian Bach - B Minor Mass Biographical and Compositional OverviewBach's Lutheran MassesParody TechniqueThe B Minor MassParodiesCompositional RationaleManuscripts, Editions, and PerformancesFormal and Musical StructuresKyrieGloriaCredoSanctusAgnus DeiSummaryPerformance Practice ConsiderationsPerforming ForcesMeter and TempoRhythmic AlterationOrnamentationSummarySelected BibliographyCHAPTER FOUR George Frideric Handel - Messiah Genesis and Historical Perspective Handel's Compositional ProcessSpeed of Writing, Parody Technique, and Revision of WorksThe Libretto of MessiahFormal and Musical StructuresInstrumental MovementsRecitativesSolo Vocal MovementsChorusesPerformance Practice ConsiderationsPerforming Forces and Stage SetupVolume, Timbre, Pitch, and VibratoMetric AccentuationRhythmic AlterationRecitativeOrnamentationSummarySelected BibliographyCHAPTER FIVEJoseph Haydn - The Creation IntroductionGenesis and Historical PerspectiveThe Text of The CreationMusical ExpressionFormal and Musical StructuresPerformance Practice ConsiderationsEditionsPerforming Forces and Stage Setup Meter and Tempo Metric Accentuation RecitativeOrnamentation SummarySelected BibliographyCHAPTER SIX Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony #9 IntroductionGenesis and Historical PerspectiveSchiller's An die FreudeFormal and Musical StructuresExpressionPerformance Practice ConsiderationsTempo Metric AccentuationOrchestration Stage SetupSelected BibliographyCHAPTER SEVEN Felix Mendelssohn - St. Paul Genesis and Historical PerspectiveReception of St. PaulCompositional HistoricismThe Text of St. PaulFormal and Musical StructuresRecitativesTurba ChorusesAriasChoruses Performance Practice ConsiderationsIntroduction Performance in German or English Performing Forces and Stage SetupFermatas Recitatives RecommendationsSelected BibliographyCHAPTER EIGHT Johannes Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem Genesis and Historical PerspectiveReception of the Requiem Texts Set by Brahms Related to Those of the RequiemThe Texts Brahms Chose for the RequiemMusical and Formal StructuresPerformance Practice ConsiderationsInstrumentation, Timbre, and VibratoMetric AccentuationStage SetupTempo FluctuationSelected BibliographyCHAPTER NINE Giuseppe Verdi - Messa da Requiem Introduction Genesis and Historical PerspectiveThe Text of the RequiemFormal and Musical StructuresStructures Exhibited in ScoringStructures of Individual MovementsStructures Related to Melodic DesignPerformance Practice ConsiderationsRhythm and Expressive MarkingsTempoPerforming Forces and Stage SetupSummarySelected BibliographyCHAPTER TEN Igor Stravinsky - MassGenesis and Historical PerspectiveMasses Based on Historic ModelsThe Nineteenth CenturyThe Twentieth CenturyStravinsky and Musical Styles of the PastOedipus rex and BabelSymphony of Psalms and Canticum sacrumMass and CantataFormal and Musical Structures of the MassKyrie and Agnus DeiGloria and SanctusCredoSummaryPerformance Practice ConsiderationsText SettingPerforming Forces and Stage SetupSummarySelected BibliographyCHAPTER ELEVEN Benjamin Britten - War Requiem IntroductionGenesis and Historical PerspectiveWilfred Owen and his Poetry in the War RequiemMusical SymbolismStructural SymbolismMovement 1 - Requiem AeternamMovement 2 - Dies IraeMovement 3 - OffertoriumMovement 6 - Libera MeSupplementary StructuresPerformance Practice ConsiderationsPerforming ForcesStage Setup Nationalities of the Vocal Soloists and Their Vocal TimbresAcousticsAddendumSelected BibliographyAppendixScore Data

Shrock manages to achieve a balance that is both scholarly and inspiring: the book is deep yet easy to read; adequately informative yet provides paths for further research....This volume should be required reading for every student of choral music and aspiring or veteran conductor of choral masterworks. Additionally, the organization, terse writing, and depth of approach are excellent examples of both musical and scholarly preparation for graduate students, and it would make an excellent textbook in many (if not most) graduate choral literature courses. Shrock's Choral Monuments is recommended for all music libraries and libraries with music collections.