11 Replies to “Perhaps the most beautiful Ave Maria ever”

  1. Beauty is in the eye and ear of the beholder. Although lovely, I missed the chromaticism and progression to neighboring keys that characterize many of Rachmaninoff's works. I prefer Verdi's (chromatic) Ave Maria to this setting.

  4. If we are getting all Romantic, check out Liszt's version. None of it holds a candle to Josquin's interpolated version, Ave Maria … virgo serena. I won't be convinced otherwise.

  5. Wow, nothing here about the Parsons? Nor the Victoria? Perhaps we've been too inundated with those particular works and I must agree with Michael, Josquin's is lovely. Also remember that this particular "Ave" is a part of Rachmaninoff's setting of Vespers a piece that is somewhat different to Roman (either new Roman translation or 1962 Tridentine) vespers as sung today. It was however an interesting representation of post romantic style that most Russian composers leaned towards. Very lovely, Jeffrey, thank you!!! Oh, and I must say that even thought it's not 100% faithful to the Rachmaninoff score I love the Robert Shaw Festival Singers version of the Vespers.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pDIz9RLfg
    Scores of the Parsons available at cantus67@gmail.com

  8. Michael O'Connor is right, Josquin's Ave Maria . . . virgo serena is a thoroughly unique piece, with many exquisite musical features. It is not based upon the familiar text or melody, but a sequence text with its own melody.There is also the other Josqui Ave Maria, based upon the familiar text and melody, also an extraordinary piece.

    Victoria's Ave Maria is a classic, but its attribution to Victoria is seriously in question.

  10. I echo Rick's caveat.
    Two Rachmaninov "BoGo" anecdotes ("BoGo" was a quip term I remember some of my high school kids coined.)

    Back in '88, I was the grad. asst. for a university choir on tour in Poland, Sweden and the U.S.S.R. After a midnight train to Leningrad (that doesn't quite work with Gladys Knight/Pips….) we had some free time in the Venice of Russia. About twenty of the kids and I went to St. Isaac's Cathedral, which then was a "museum." The kids had both the Russian and Latin versions down, and wanted to sing the Rach BoGo within the nave. So I conducted them. We were about four measures into the piece when we were surrounded by Soviet guards and sternly escorted from the "museum." But those FOUR MEASURES!
    Last experience: when I retired from high school choir position in '05, for the last performance we had at Bill Hall's Chapman University HS/College Spring Invitational I'd programmed the Rach along with about 3/4 other directors. I felt the kids' inspiration during our session; the sopranos were cherubim, the altos were hairy chested, and the boys were men!
    The primary adjudicator was Maestro Paul Salamunovich, with whom I've I had a number of conversations over a quarter century.
    On my office wall are a few framed documents. The one I treasure the most is maestro's yellow page, pencilled scribble commentary of our performance. And though the critique of the BoGo was salutory, it only represents the ethereal density of our kids' performance that one day, in the moment.
    And a PS for MOC- Mike, two weekends ago I was pleased that my 4-7th grade choir managed to sing the Arcadelt in SAB a capella at a school rosary!

  11. Adam Bartlett said…
    It's actually mind boggling to think of how many fantastic settings of the Ave Maria exist. …/…
    =============
    CPDL has only about 100 settings of the Ave Maria. Why not take a look at http:/www.avemariasongs.org

    More than 4000 different Ave Marias listed by over 3500 composers, 1300 MIDIs and 2000 videos.

    Enjoy!
    Geert

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