# Do you like vocal music more than instrumental?



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

Renaissance vocal music sutch lhildegarde von Bingen , pérotin, guillaume de Machaut, thomas tallis, Carlo Gesualdo and Orlande de lassus has sutch a soul and inner beauty, instrument can match this just like Rachmaninov vocal music.

There is a paralel to be drawn between early era music and Rachmaninov vocal music or chesnokov for instance.

I find that im having a hard time lisening to instrumental music afterward,it seem instrumental music seem more cold, it has a soul like vocal music but it's distant, while vocal music is closer to you, if you know what i mean.

But this said some instrumental music is very soulful look at Girolamo kapsberger passacaglia track on saint and sinners cd it reach your heart and soul it's not cold...

But whit all this said i preffer vocal music, i understood the fascination Stravinsky had whit Gesualdo
these were my two cents on my love story whit vocal music, and im quite passionate about it.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

No.

I prefer instrumental music... but I have come to appreciate vocal music considerably more than I did even just two years ago. I have surprised myself, in that not just Lieder, but operas and even choral works have started to appeal to me.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

There are many vocal works which I couldn't bear to be without without but my answer is no.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I really like vocal music, particularly sacred music. However, I can't say I prefer vocal music because of all those consarned words that I can't understand.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Yes...........................


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## EarthBoundRules (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm afraid I'm not too fond of the human voice as an instrument, so by definition I'll have to say no. Not to say I hate singing, but I'd rather substitute a voice for a traditional instrument any day.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I absolutely love vocal music over instrumental. There are many great instrumental works, but I don't know if I would even stick with classical music without vocal music, especially opera.


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

What about big symphonic works that include voices?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Deprofundis is more in to older music, medieval to name one.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Absolutely not. I much prefer instrumental works. The big symphonic works with voices, like Beethoven's 9th or Maher's 2nd, are among my favorite works *despite *the use of voices.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

JAS said:


> What about big symphonic works that include voices?


These are good. I like Beethoven's Ninth and Mahler's 8th for example. Also must not forget Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I mostly like chamber music these days. Voices definitely NOT invited!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

hpowders said:


> I mostly like chamber music these days. Voices definitely NOT invited!


Have you tried Barbershop Quartets? Chamber sized anyway. :lol:


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

I love both instrumental and vocal music, and recently I have discovered for myself the purely vocal works of the Renaissance era (Palestrina etc). And yes, I believe vocal music takes precedence in my listening. My favorite three composers are Wagner, Schubert and Bach - all masters of vocal music.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Florestan said:


> Have you tried Barbershop Quartets? Chamber sized anyway. :lol:


I go to the barber for the men's magazines, not the singing.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

hpowders said:


> I go to the barber for the men's magazines, not the singing.


What about the hair cut? Or are you beyond needing that?


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## Joe B (Aug 10, 2017)

Do you like vocal music more than instrumental?

No, I love both. I often binge listen. Days of choral music, days of violin sonatas, days of art song, etc. That's one of the things I love about classical music; the menu is extensive.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

How about Doo *** in the shop


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

No. I don't mind some vocal / choral orchestral works but sometimes good symphonies can be spoiled by warbly vocal sections. I like Arvo Part's instrumental work but find the vocal and choral works tedious. I like instrumental orchestral music much more. I can give or take opera. Depends which one it is.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Merl said:


> No. I don't mind some vocal / choral orchestral works but sometimes good symphonies can be spoiled by warbly vocal sections. I like Arvo Part's instrumental work but find the vocal and choral works tedious. I like instrumental orchestral music much more. I can give or take opera. Depends which one it is.


Vocal parts are not necessarily the best thing for symphonies. I'll take my mega-doses of vocal in opera.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Zemlinsky's best symphony is the one with singers, and it's very good. He wrote some fine opera too. 

Point is, really, there is no general answer, it depends on the composer. I prefer opera by composers who weren't just opera composers. Strauss and Wolfie also good examples. Non-opera composers who attempt drama in their work seem less successful (eg Brahms).. German v French are two different worlds... the early Flemish invented polyphony by voice... And so on...

For me the pursuit of CM has gone far beyond the warhorses, and vocal music is where much of the undiscovered treasure is buried. But it's not always where someone else says it is.

Once the ear gets accustomed to hearing classical voices, it's hard to go back and do without.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I absolutely love vocal music over instrumental. There are many great instrumental works, but I don't know if I would even stick with classical music without vocal music, especially opera.


I believe that every orchestral instrument is somehow designed to be an imitation of, or have the expressive power of the voice-but that the voice is the first instrument and the greatest instrument that can do more than any other instrument can do... I love the voice as long as it does not sound forced and it's sung within its natural range without a wide, exaggerated vibrato... The voice is great because the vocalist doesn't have to carry the voice around like an extra instrument in a case. As much as the violin has expressive power, I believe the voice can even go beyond that in its naturalness, power, and personality of sound. While all instruments are in some form of imitation of the voice, or to accompany it, a great voice can be completely charming, subtle, and irresistible. Plus it can carry the additional power of _words_. The problem is that it's exceedingly hard to sing well, and those who love the music can be rabid critics.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I love a great many vocal and instrumental works, so I'd have to say I have no particular preference currently.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I absolutely love vocal music over instrumental. There are many great instrumental works, but I don't know if I would even stick with classical music without vocal music, especially opera.


A little overzealous there, I was. I would have to say that I definitely would continue with classical apart from vocal. I just returned from a live performance of Mendelssohn's first and it was wonderful! Still, most of my time is spent in vocal works.


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## wahidovic (Jan 10, 2019)

truly, I trust vocal music outweighs everything else in my tuning in. My most loved three authors are Wagner, Schubert and Bach - all experts of vocal music.


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

These days I'm mostly exploring chamber music. It's become an addiction. 

But I love words and have a listening acquaintance with several languages. So, nothing moves me more than hearing an intelligent expression of interesting words imaginatively set to music. My favourite musicians have been singers (some of my least favourite too).


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

In classical music, I like both, but it's mostly instrumental that I go for. In folk music, I like both, but vocal has the edge, because of the beauty of many folk lyrics and the riveting quality of ballads.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Maybe when it comes to renaissance music. Love madrigals, motets and masses, but then there's John Dowland...Most often I listen to instrumental music in many forms.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Depends on the language. I'm not that crazy about Italian. But ultimately I don't care one way or the other. I just like great music.


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