# Eric Whitacre



## Krisena (Jul 21, 2012)

Anybody here a fan of him? I sang soprano in his work Lux Aurumque in my school's choir and thought it was fantastic. I checked out his album and some of his other works and I've got to say I started to grow a fondness for choral music that wasn't there before.






This is amazing!


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I quite like some of his music... and I've heard other works that struck me as pure "schmaltz".


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Hi Krisena, I first heard that piece you sang in, 'Lux Aurumque' at a choral concert, and it struck me upon the first listen as a great piece. Its accompanying 'pendant' piece, 'Nox Aurumque' was also sung at that concert. I went there to hear another similar more 'modern tonal' choral American composer's work, Morten Lauridsen, who I also like a lot. I find these guys illustrate and enliven the Latin texts so masterfully. There is an element of schmaltz in some of their stuff, but I think a lot of 'the establishment's' negative reaction to these guys is a case of sour grapes at their success, esp. commercial success and popularity. Also the look of Eric Whitacre as a kind of composer a good deal of women would find, well, attractive. So it has boosted modern choral music from the doldrums a bit I think, away from what we're used to (eg. Arvo Part, as good as he was, is now kind of past it). So basically its worth having a cd or two of these guys in my collection, and Naxos have put out some good stuff by them. Hearing them live is also good if one gets the chance.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

He's been on my radar, but I haven't gotten around to trying him out yet. What would recording would you most highly recommend?


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I would go with this disc:










If you find yourself liking Whitacre, you might also look into Morten Lauridsen:



















and even James MacMillian:


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I actually do have the *Lux Aeturna by Lauridsen*. I enjoyed what I heard the first time through, but it paled in comparison to *Arvo Part's De Profundis* and *Da Pacem* which I had gotten around the same time. To be fair, though I had only listened a couple of times. On my six-month spending freeze I will spend some more time listening to that one.


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## banjobongo (Sep 18, 2012)

I love his piece "the Seal Lullaby"...


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I quite like some of his music... and I've heard other works that struck me as pure "schmaltz".


For me its very hard to decide where I find the pieces I've heard of his with regards to those two ways of feeling about his music.

My choir is singing this one:


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## Orange Soda King (Sep 14, 2010)

He has some nice music, but I feel like he is a bit overrated. There is too much great a capella choral music I hold in much higher regard. But in my choir, we are currently singing "Go Lovely Rose" and it is nice.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

There is not a question in my mind that both Whitachre and Lauridson know how to compose -it is just what they compose...

I've found nothing about his work(s) to date which does not strike me as overly simple, sentimentally mawkish - and I'm talking about the notes without regard to any context to the chosen texts. A one trick pony who has found a style I call 'cotton candy sweet semi modernism.'

It is a very conservative and 'palatable' modernism, but clearly for me, "Just not my cuppa." Ditto for Lauridson, and I feel much the same about John Rutter.


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## Jenga (Dec 6, 2012)

Hey Krisena, I love Whitacre as well as Ola Gjeilo (another modern composer to check out). I attended an ACDA event where Whitacre conducted a special session using the BYU Choir (BYU Singers). He said he composed with their sound in mind. Plus, arguably his most prolific work entitled "When David Heard Absalom was Slain" was commissioned for the BYU Singers and I still think their recording is the best one yet, exquisite. BYU did his first album, "Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Capella Works, 1991-2001". It's probably one of the best albums top to bottom. Though others may disagree, I don't think anyone does the Whitacre sound better than BYU. But the Polyphony CD is very good too. I think the BYU Choir blends much better and has a stronger amalgamation than Polyphony. For me the Polyphony sound is too dark. 

Now, Eric has the "Eric Whitacre Singers" and you can check them out on his website.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*Godzilla Eats Las Vegas*

Actually Whitacre is also a successful band composer. I have performed _Ghost Train_ and _Godzilla Eats Las Vegas_. _Godzilla_ shows that he has a sense of humor.

Check out:


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## Jenga (Dec 6, 2012)

Good point. I like several of his orchestral compositions.


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## TheVioletKing (Jan 9, 2013)

For Eric Whitacre, my favorites are:

When David Heard






The Stolen Child






and Equus (Concert Band)


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Whitacre did an AMA on Reddit last week, read it here:

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/16duj6


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## Orange Soda King (Sep 14, 2010)

Whitacre really knows how to reach out to a wide audience, using mediums such as reddit, and the way he talks on the internet really resonates a lot with the young crowd. Although I did state above that he's not one of my favorite choir composers from a musical standpoint, I greatly appreciate all he does to get people more into choral music.


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## jim1961 (Dec 22, 2016)

Krisena said:


> I checked out his album and some of his other works and I've got to say I started to grow a fondness for choral music that wasn't there before.


This maybe the case for me as well. Looking through the "Eric Whitacre" thread http://www.talkclassical.com/24593-eric-whitacre.html?highlight=eric+whitacre , it seems many here dont accept his music.

Its a bit like many dont accept neo-prog as opposed to 70's progressive rock claiming things like it doesn't break new ground, isn't as good as the former, lacks innovation, and so forth.

While I get this argument as it applies to Whitacre in choral music, and neo-prog, having once thought this way myself, I have opened up and enjoyed newer interpretations of older music. While I am a novice when it comes to Whitacre and acapella music both old and newer, I am enjoying it. At least some of it.


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