# Choral works without vocal soloists



## Cirpi (Apr 14, 2013)

I'm looking for lesser known, preferably Romantic or late Romantic, short or long works for choir and orchestra without vocal soloists (or perhaps one). For an amateur group consisting of a choir and an orchestra, the soloists could be too expensive to hire.

Well known soloistless examples often performed by amateur ensemble are 
- the Cherubini requiems
- Dvorak's mass in D (in the right version)
- Elgar's The Black Knight and many other English choral ballads
- Poulenc's Secheresses
- Barber's Prayer of Kierkegaard
- Beethoven's Meeresstille und Gluckliche Fahrt
- Brahms's Nanie/Gesanger der Parzen/Schicksalslied
- Faure's Pavane/Cantique de Jean Racine
- Sibelius' Snofrid/The Captive Queen/Oma maa/Maan virsii

There are alternatives by for example Holst, Nielsen and Gade, but they don't seem to be so popular.

But I adore for instance the - I think not so well known - Schwanensang by Schreker and Korngold's Der Sturm.

Who has experience with this kind of programming and/or knows less obvious works in this genre?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Bruckner: Mass No. 2 in E minor - Not a capella, but less operatic than Bruckner's other two mature masses, and my personal favorite of all of his religious works.





Schoenberg: Friede Auf Erden (in D minor/major) - It's a Christmas-themed song written by a Jew who converted to Lutheranism, only to convert to religious Judaism later in life. It might be too difficult for an amateur group (split into 8 parts in spots, I think), but make your own decision.





Stravinsky: Three Russian Choruses - written for liturgical use by a relatively non-religious man who had what he deemed a miraculous healing. (Not Romantic or late, but not terribly difficult for modernism.)


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

_Daphnis et Chloé_ (although the choral part is rather small).


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## Cirpi (Apr 14, 2013)

The Bruckner mass is a good and beautiful piece. The only problem is that there is not a full orchestra, but only winds. Daphnis et Chloe is better in that sense! It may be very difficult for an orchestra, though.
The a capella works are lovely but I am looking for pieces which do include an orchestra. There are numerous cantatas and oratorios, but they almost always have (many) soloists.


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## Kazaman (Apr 13, 2013)

ahammel said:


> _Daphnis et Chloé_ (although the choral part is rather small).


I'm not sure it would make sense to perform the choral parts in isolation (plus, they're pretty racy).


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Kazaman said:


> I'm not sure it would make sense to perform the choral parts in isolation (plus, they're pretty racy).


Are we talking about the same thing? I meant the ballet by Ravel, not the operetta by Offenbach.


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## Kazaman (Apr 13, 2013)

ahammel said:


> Are we talking about the same thing? I meant the ballet by Ravel, not the operetta by Offenbach.


Yes, I'm talking about the Ravel.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Then I don't think I know what you mean by 'racy'.


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## Kazaman (Apr 13, 2013)

ahammel said:


> Then I don't think I know what you mean by 'racy'.


The moaning in the final bacchanal, for example.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Hmm, seems relatively tame to me, but fair enough.


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## Kazaman (Apr 13, 2013)

I guess it depends upon the production.


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