Choral music is music written for and performed by a choir.
In choral music, each individual part is sung by two or more voices. The structure of a choral composition changes depending on the size of the chorus. A piece can be written for as few as a dozen singers or as many as a thousand, as in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in E-Flat Major, sometimes known as “Symphony of a Thousand.”
Choral Music was popular during the Medieval Period.
In mediaeval times, the rondeau was commonly sung as part of a choral composition. The primary performer sings the words, while a tiny choir sings the refrain. Throughout the 14th century, Gregorian chants, for example, evolved from a monophonic style of group singing to polyphonic arrangements with many singers and unique melodies.
By the 15th century, choral music had grown in popularity, mostly for religious and worship purposes, and composers had responded by composing a slew of vocal works. Many of these works were written to be played without the use of musical instruments, or a capella.
The Renaissance and Choral Music
Music was written for four unique but equally important voices throughout Europe: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
The Latin Mass became one of the most significant musical forms of the Renaissance. Hundreds of religious pieces of music were written during this time period by composers.
In addition to a capella works, other structures of Renaissance choral music included the anthem, cantata, motet, and oratorio.
Anthems for Choral Music
During the Renaissance, an anthem was usually created as a call-and-response piece between a soloist and a larger group. An anthem was typically written in a call-and-response style between a soloist and a larger group during the Renaissance. Modern music listeners may associate anthems with patriotic songs, but during the Renaissance, an anthem was typically written in a call-and-response style between a soloist and a larger group. Most of the anthems were short and concentrated on sacred religious themes. They were immensely popular in the Anglican Church.
Choral Music and Cantatas
A cantata is a short piece with a soloist, chorus, and musical accompaniment (from the Italian verb “to sing”). Johann Sebastian Bach is regarded as one of the most prominent cantata composers (although his works would have been written slightly outside of the Renaissance period).
What is the difference between an oratorio and an opera?
An oratorio is a larger musical production containing several singers, a choir, musical accompaniment, and a story with characters. An oratorio, despite its resemblance to an opera, is always about religion.
From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, motet was a popular form of music.
Throughout the Renaissance, Gregorian chant style compositions became increasingly intricate and elaborate, whilst the motet form of choral singing sprang from Gregorian chant style works during the mediaeval period. A motet is a composition of music in which the majority of the melody is sung, with or without musical accompaniment.
Intervals in Post-Renaissance and Romantic Choral Music
In the 18th and 19th centuries, choral music saw a resurgence, with orchestras becoming more well-established in large towns. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed several choral pieces, including the famous Requiem in D minor. Ludwig van Beethoven and Joseph Haydn were two other composers of the time who wrote choral pieces, albeit neither of them did so exclusively.
