Word: oratorio
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...POWER TENDS to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." John Acton didn't expect these immortal words to be the foundation for a rock oratorio of the twentieth century. Nowadays one would be tempted to deride anyone foolhardy enough to philosophize upon a money-and-corruption theme, to say nothing of consecrating six record sides to it. Well, if there is anyone in the realm of popular music that could make such an overworked story line appealing it's the Kink's Raymond Douglas Davies. His magic formula of piercing insight combined with a wry, subtle wit enables Davies...
During the Middle Ages, the Passion of Jesus was traditionally performed as part of the Roman Catholic liturgy for this season. Gradually music was added to the drama and the passion-oratorio began to emerge. Bach, who brought the form to its highest expression, wrote five of these passions of which two--St. Matthew and St. John--survive today. In them, Bach interweaves recitatives and choruses which tell the story with arias and chorales which comment...
...England Conservatory Concert Choir is doing a striking program: the Boston premiere of Nuits by Xenakis and the world premiere of a Peyton piece. The "standard" works are cantatas one and three from Bach's Christmas Oratorio...
Part I of the Oratorio was suffused with the joy of the Christmas festival. The opening chours exploded with, if anything, too much enthusiasm on the part of the timpanist. An initial nervousness was painfully noticeable in the faulty pitch of the above accompanying the first alto recitative. They recouped somewhat in the first chorale when the double-reed timbre out through the vocal sound easily and expressively...
PART II OF The Oratorio contrasts vividly with the trumpets-and-drums splendor that precedes it. The scoring eliminates the festive instruments entirely and the accompaniments are lighter: a flute is used in two obbligato roles. The one aria had a trio-sonata texture with tenor soloist, flute, and continuo. This form was a special favorite of Bach's for which be wrote some of his best counterpoint. The simplicity and clarity of singer and flutist filled the entire church and maintained the spell throughout the aria...