Pablo Casals, Cello Virtuoso

Classical Music Datebook: December 29

Spanish virtuoso Pablo Casals, composer and conductor

Pau Carles Salvador Casals i Defilló (December 29, 1876 – October 22, 1973), was a Spanish composer born in Catalonia. Commonly known as Pablo Casals, he was a virtuoso cello player, and later conductor. He made many recordings throughout his career, of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, also as conductor. Casals is best remembered for the recording of Bach's Cello Suites he produced from 1936 to 1939.

Once every four years, the International Pablo Casals Cello Competition is held in Germany under the auspices of the Kronberg Academy. It started in 2000, to discover and further the careers of the future cello elite. It is supported by the Pablo Casals Cello Foundation under the patronage of Marta Casals Istomin. One of the prizes is the use of Casals' Gofriller cello.  The first top prize was awarded in 2000 to Claudio Bohorquez.

El cant dels ocells (The Song of the Birds)   

"El cant dels ocells" ("The Song of the Birds"), is a traditional Catalan Christmas song and lullaby. It tells of nature's joy at learning of the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable in Bethlehem. The song was made famous by Pablo Casals' instrumental version on the cello. After his exile in 1939, he would begin each of his concerts by playing this song. For this reason, it is often considered a symbol of Catalonia. American singer, songwriter and activist included it in her 1966 best selling Christmas LP, dedicating the song to Casals.






Suggested listening:

"Song of the Birds". Traditional Catalan song arranged by Pablo Casals. Interpreted by Yo-Yo Ma. KCRW. Accessed January17, 2020. 



Video Credit:

Pau Casals, accompanied by pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski, plays El cant dels ocells (The Song of the Birds) at the White House. Piano from the album "A Concert at the White House" (Columbia KL 5726) recorded live on November 13, 1961 at the White House and released in 1962. Uploaded by juristchesus. Accessed December 29, 2014.


Resource:

El cant dels ocells. Wikipedia. Accessed December 29, 2014.
Pablo Casals. Wikipedia. Accessed December 29, 2014.


(c) December 2014. Updated January 17, 2020. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.

Menotti and Bridge: Christmas Operas in One-Act

Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and Bridge's The Christmas Rose


Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the story of the little cripple boy's reception of the Magi on their way to Bethlehem (The Three Kings traveled from afar to celebrate the birth of Jesus and give their gifts.)  The Christmas Rose is an opera for children.

Two popular Christmas one-act operas, often traditionally played to celebrate Christ's birth: American composer Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and English composer Frank Bridge's The Christmas Rose. 

Tchaikovsky Opera The Queen of Spades

Pikovaya Dama (The Queen of Spades), a Russian tragedy drama by Tchaikovsky: opera plot summary, character list, and other opera information.

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) composed Pikovaya Dama (The Queen of Spades), a three-act Russian tragic drama. Libretto was written by Modest Tchaikovsky based on a story by Pushkin.  It was premiered at St. Petersburg, Maryinsky Theater, December 19, 1890. The setting is in St. Petersburg, Maryinsky in the later 18th century.



 

Video Credit:

The Queen of Spades - Pyotr Tchaikovsky.  Uploaded by Maria Maksakova. Accessed December 19, 2023.  

 

 

(c) Dec 2014. Updated December 19, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved. 

Australia's Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Choral Singing / Choral Music

The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (SPC), Australia's oldest and most prestigious iconic choir, continue to share the joy of choral music to both audience and singers. At the helm is its charismatic and dynamic Music Director Brett Weymark.

Passionate choristers. Fun. Demanding. Exciting. Therapeutic. Fulfilling.

As the largest choral group of Australia, the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs mainly comprises the following: Chamber Singers, Symphony Chorus, Festival Chorus, and VOX youth group led by Liz Scott, Music Director.

The Chamber Singers. The dynamic Chamber Singers are renowned for their exceptional performances and professionalism. It comprises of 32-voice choir, auditioned annually to ensure the highest standard is maintained. As a flexible ensemble, they are also be engaged for commercial performances and corporate functions, Royalty and foreign dignitaries. It also performs annually in events such as the City of Sydney.

The Symphony Chorus.  The Symphony Chorus, with up to 150 members,  performs in concerts with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra headed by David Robertson, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. It performs alongside the world's best conductors and soloists at the highest standard of excellence.

VOX.  SPC's young adult ensemble led by Music Director, Liz Scott. It comprises of singers aged 18-30 (orig. 16-26) performing programs of classical, popular and contemporary works. Recent highlights have included a recording with Aria award-winning composer and pianist, Sally Whitwell, appearances at the World Netball Championships, and in the Video Games concerts at the Enmore Theatre. In 2015 they performed in A Concert for Peace with the Festival Chorus. They also performed in Holst:The Planets for Earth Hour and Danny Elfman Music from the Films of Tim Burton with Sydney Symphony Orchestra.




Festival Chorus.  The Festival Chorus is the largest of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, with 350 to 400 members who come together twice a year to perform works from a diverse musical range. Singers are selected during Festival Chorus Open Days, which are held twice each year. To join Festival Chorus all singers must attend a voice placement workshop in early February. Each session will take around an hour and a half. At the workshop, the Music Director, possibly with other vocal associates, will conduct voice placements in order for him to assess singing ability and to determine vocal range. It also comprise warm-up exercises, simple melodies, scales and easy harmony pieces to give one the feel of being part of a wonderful sea of sound.  Its performances are often in collaboration with other organizations such as musical theatre company.

Recent  previous Festival Chorus programs include Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, Leonard Bernstein’s hit musical Wonderful Town, Rossini Stabat Mater and Elgar Dream of Gerontius. The choir has premiered compositions by Matthew Hindson and Carl Vine, and collaborates with organisations such as the Sydney Youth Orchestra. In 2018 Festival Chorus will present Haydn's The Creation and Bernstein's Candide.

Joining will give you the opportunity to perform not only with hundreds of other passionate singers but also with professional orchestral players and some of Australia’s best soloists. In 2018 you will perform in the iconic Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House and the stunning Centennial Hall at Sydney Town Hall.

Here's a sneak peek of our rehearsals for George and Ira Gershwin's  Of Thee I Sing  performed Sept 26 and 27, 2015, timely too, for the composer's (George Gershwin) birthday.  In 1932, Of Thee I Sing was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 





Three other major events include: ChorusOz, Carols at the House & Handel's Messiah.


More recently, other initiatives have transpired, including: Singing at the House collaborated with the Sydney Opera House, commissioning and presenting Australian composers' works, and the Discover Series workshop.





How to Audition at Sydney Philharmonia


Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus Open Day Audition. In keeping with the times, there have been new developments in the FC audition process.





Here's Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Ode to Joy" Excerpt 2, performed during SSO's Season Opening Gala 2012.  Sydney Symphony Orchestra with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs - Symphony Chorus, Chamber Singers and VOX. Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor,  Lorina Gore soprano,  Sally-Anne Russell mezzo-soprano,  James Egglestone tenor,  Michael Nagy baritone.





Sharing a Favourite Quote: 

"Sing, then. Sing, indeed, with shoulders back, and head up so that song might go to the roof and beyond to the sky. Mass on mass of tone, with a hard edge, and rich with quality, every single note a carpet of colour woven from basso profundo, and basso, and baritone, and alto, and tenor, and soprano, and also mezzo, and contralto, singing and singing, until life and all things living are become a song..." ~ Richard Llewellyn, How Green Was My Valley


Resources:

Beethoven Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy Excerpt.  Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs / Ashkenazy.  YouTube, uploaded by Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Accessed November 12, 2016.   

Facebook.com/SydneyPhilharmoniaChoirs.  Accessed December 6, 2014.

Highlights of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Accessed December 6, 2014. 

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs: Festival Chorus (Audition 2011).  Accessed December 6, 2014. 

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. YouTube uploaded by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Accessed, November 12, 2016 

The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

Twitter.com/SydPhil

Note:  Originally published Dec 6, 2014.   Latest update, November 12, 2016. 



(c) December 2014.  Tel Asiado.  Latest update November 12, 2016. Inspired Pen Web.  All rights reserved.

Sydney Philharmonia Carols at the House 2014

CHORAL SINGING / Sydney Philharmonia Choirs







Carols at the House 2014 presented by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs comprises a 500-strong choir and orchestra singing favourites such as The Twelve Days of Christmas, Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas and other well-known festive carols. 

Opera star Emma Matthews joins the Christmas choir to perform songs including "Abigail's Song" from Doctor Who, "Let the Bright Seraphim" and "Ave Maria" - and your Christmas won't be complete without Dr Seuss' The Grinch, read by distinguished actor John Bell.