Ave Maria by Biebl
I'm a little behind due to a Circa 1600 retreat yesterday and a concatenation of other happenings overlapping and intruding and/or obtruding upon each other.
But here I am, late but nonetheless in possession of a truly wonderful motet and performance of same. If you are a Chanticleer fan, you probably already know the piece--it's a staple of the group's repertoire, the 'Ave Maria' by Franz Biebl (1906-2001). Scored for a double-choir, and available in several keys and voicings, the motet calls for a trio of soloists and a four-voice choir.
What brought it to my mind afresh was serendipitously stumbling upon this wonderful recording by Voces8. They don't do all the internal repeats which Biebl indicates, but in all other ways their rendition is simply stunning. Check it out!
You can also easily find Chanticleer performing the piece in both live and studio recordings. Here's a good example. Or what about this very good girls' choir from Hungary? And for something different and surprisingly moving, listen to The President's Own United States Marine Band playing the piece antiphonally.
If you'd like to follow with the music and/or sing along, a score is attached to this message. Here's a link to Franz Biebl on Wikipedia--there's lots of information there about the 'Ave Maria'. And if you'd like to go still deeper, I am attaching a DMA thesis on the piece by Matt Oltman, who sang with Chanticleer for a long time and was once director of the group.
I'm a little behind due to a Circa 1600 retreat yesterday and a concatenation of other happenings overlapping and intruding and/or obtruding upon each other.
But here I am, late but nonetheless in possession of a truly wonderful motet and performance of same. If you are a Chanticleer fan, you probably already know the piece--it's a staple of the group's repertoire, the 'Ave Maria' by Franz Biebl (1906-2001). Scored for a double-choir, and available in several keys and voicings, the motet calls for a trio of soloists and a four-voice choir.
What brought it to my mind afresh was serendipitously stumbling upon this wonderful recording by Voces8. They don't do all the internal repeats which Biebl indicates, but in all other ways their rendition is simply stunning. Check it out!
You can also easily find Chanticleer performing the piece in both live and studio recordings. Here's a good example. Or what about this very good girls' choir from Hungary? And for something different and surprisingly moving, listen to The President's Own United States Marine Band playing the piece antiphonally.
If you'd like to follow with the music and/or sing along, a score is attached to this message. Here's a link to Franz Biebl on Wikipedia--there's lots of information there about the 'Ave Maria'. And if you'd like to go still deeper, I am attaching a DMA thesis on the piece by Matt Oltman, who sang with Chanticleer for a long time and was once director of the group.