Wednesday, May 02, 2007
One down, one to go!
So I drove to Columbia this morning, leaving before 8am to get here for my 9am exam in 16th Century Counterpoint. It was a little easier than I had expected -- we didn't have to write any examples, only analyze excerpts from 5 masses and one motet using fairly specific questions he had written out.
I made one really dumb mistake (calling mixolydian mode lydian) and there was one question that I have heard a few others say they did not recognize the term put forth in it. There was one section that I just didn't remember the answer to. I feel better about it than I did the second test in that class. And it is over, no more counterpoint for me.
It was a good class for me, I think. Not that I really know how to write counterpoint very well but I understand a bit more about the choral technique used in that period. The counterpoint class in undergrad focused more on instrumental stuff from the 18th century and the Fux species counterpoint that Bach and everyone studied. This was more a study of what actually happened in 16th century contrapuntal composition. I think it will help me understand any choral works I may do from that period or shortly thereafter.
Now I am spending time in the library surrounded by 10 scores out of 20 that I have to know (four I already did stuff on for presentatons and one I have my own copy of, I was unable to find scores for some).
Right now I have been looking at Berlioz's Te Deum which he composed in 1849. It is a very massive work for 2 100 voice 3-part choirs (STB) and one 600 voice SA children's choir, large orchestra containing things like the ophicleide (brass instrument later to be replaced by the tuba), Trumpets AND cornets, "A lot of cymbals" (I am guessing that to be what "Grosse caisse et cymbales" means especially when followed by the parenthetical, "4 or 5 pairs", 12(!!!) harps), organ and strings (specifying 25 violins, 18 violas and cellos and 16 basses)!!!
We do not have a recording in the library so all I have been able to do is listen to short clips from each movement on Amazon. I think it is about 40 minutes long.
Good luck finding the forces to EVER do this. 12 harps! 800 singers!
Klasinc&Loncar Duo (Just trying to help it get picked up by Google spiders, I maintain it for them)