If you haven’t listened to any of the videos lately, Haydn’s “Insanae et vanae curae” would be a good one to hear. I’m sure some of us could identify with the following words from Haydn during these stressful times. This is also a video that really shows off our fantastic orchestra!
Insanae et vanae curae invadunt mentes nostras, saepe furore replent corda, privata spe, quid prodest, o mortalis conari pro mundanis, si coelos negligas, sunt fausta tibi cuncta, si Deus est pro te.
Vain and raging cares invade our minds, often madness fills our hearts, deprived of hope, what do you gain, O mortal, by craving worldly things, if you neglect the heavens? If God is in your favor, all things will be good for you.
Persons of the Day: How our music is selected Bob Friestad tells us: As far as choosing music, it’s pretty much been Allan and me. We’d start with ideas, what he’d heard, discovered at ACDA and his vast choral and composer contacts, and I would pass along to him wishes or suggestions from other singers, things I recently heard on FM radio or concerts or revisited from a kinda extensive choral repertoire I’ve had. Another source was my researching favorite composers for their other works. For example, did so and so also write a Te Deum, a Dixit Dominus, a Lux, Gloria, any other masses, whatever? We’d listen to recordings of each other’s suggestions, schedule another time to meet, then come up with a program and theme. That’s pretty much how we did it for 25 years. Most music we ordered. What wasn’t available, Allan got permission to print, and I printed it, including orchestral scores, at Madison company. |
Joseph Haydn was the last great composer to work his entire career for one aristocratic patron (the Hungarian Prince Esterházy). He used to say that because he was isolated he was forced to become original. He is mostly credited with developing and bringing to maturity the genres of the symphony (of which he composed over 100) and the intimate string quartet. He did compose, however, in all genres including many operas and much vocal music.