Fan of the glorious Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony? Amazingly, it wasn’t until Beethoven in the 19th Century that the choral symphony came to be! Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore the wide world of choral symphonies with Stretta Music today!
Beethoven’s first attempt to integrate a vocal component into his symphonic music was in 1808 with Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. This piece interestingly used a piano soloist and a choir, and even contains similar themes to the revolutionary Beethoven’s 9th Symphony of 1824. Beethoven breaks the conventions of the symphony, and the choral symphony was born.
Beethoven’s model was very popular with many composers of the Romantic Period, due to the new creative, descriptive and narrative possibilities. Berlioz’s Romeo & Juliet Symphony in 1839 uses the choir to narrate, but it is still belongs firmly to the symphonic world because the orchestra plays the leading role.
Felix Mendelssohn also experimented with this new form, and described his second symphony, Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise of 1840, which uses biblical texts, as a “Symphony-Cantata”.
Franz Liszt uses a male voice choir, his “Chorus Mysticus”, at the end of Liszt’s Faust Symphony of 1854 , singing the last verses of Goethe’s original drama Faust. Here, the work is more of a “Choral Symphonic Poem”.
Gustav Mahler was a keen advocate of the choral symphony, and in two of the three Choral Symphonies by Mahler, he uses a boys’ choir.
One of the most famous British choral symphonies, and indeed one of the most popular choral symphonies to this day, is Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony of 1910, written when he was just 30 years old.
The Russian composer Alexander Scriabin uses a choir at the end of Scriabin’s Prometheus Symphony to create a mystical tension, and to increase the dramatic climax to the end the work.
Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms of 1930 departs from the typical symphonic structure, and is one through composed movement, using experimental instrumentation and the texts from three psalms.
Dmitri Shostakovich wrote three choral symphonies, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 2, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 3 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13, published in 1927, 1930 and 1962, he also uses soprano and bass soloists in the 1969 Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14.
The Russian-German composer Alfred Schnittke composed two choral symphonies, Schnittke’s Symphony No. 2, St. Florian of 1979 and Schnittke’s Symphony No. 4 of 1983.
The Polish composer Henryk Mikołaj Górecki uses choir in his Choral Symphony No. 2, “Copernicus”, of 1972 and in Górecki’s Symphony No. 3, “Symphony of Lamentations” of 1977 he uses soprano soloist and symphony orchestra.
Hanz Werner Henze uses choir in Henze’s Symphony No. 9 of 1997, consciously following in Beethoven’s footsteps, which is dedicated to the heroes and martyrs of the German anti-fascism movement.
The Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki uses German poems of the 19th and 20th centuries in Penderecki’s Symphony No. 8 “Songs of Transience” of 2005. Here he stretches the boundaries of the symphonic form, using 12 relatively short movements.
4th and 5th movement
for: 2 soloists (SA), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 693115
Symphony no.3
for mixed chorus, boy's chorus, speaker, soprano and orchestra
for: Soloist (soprano), narrator, mixed choir (SATB), boys' choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 458271
Amstel Classic
for: Solo voice (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), concert band
CD
Item no.: 1208683
"Choral" für Soli, gemischten Chor und Orchester
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Study score, CD
Item no.: 173998
Sinfonie der Lieder (Symphony of Songs)
Amstel Concert Band
for: Soloist (mezzo-soprano), children's choir, concert band
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1208873
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 332493
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 229356
New Edition
for: 2 solo voices (SBar), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 176271
"Polish Flowers"
for: Soloist (tenor), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 1479719
"Symphonie der Tausend"
Mahler - Gesamtausgabe 8
Nach dem Text der Kritischen Gesamtausgabe. Herausgegeben von der Internationalen Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft, Wien
for: Solists, boys’ choir, mixed choir, orchestra
Conductor score
Item no.: 577389
from Symphony No. 5 - Return to Middle Earth
for: Solo voice (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), concert band
Score
Item no.: 1208680
Finale
Urtext from the new Beethoven Complete Edition (G. Henle Verlag)
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 695819
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 181775
Adagietto aus der 5. Sinfonie
for: Mixed choir (SSSSAAAATTTTBBBB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 491180
"Ressurection"
for: 2 soloists (SA), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 471659
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Horn 1
Item no.: 235382
Studien-Edition
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 692281
Ode to Joy
Vocal score compatible with all available music editions
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra [piano]
Piano reduction
Item no.: 636742
A Symphony-Cantata after Texts from the Holy Scriptures
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 695979
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 159564
Sinfonie-Kantate für drei Solostimmen (SST), gemischten Chor (SSAATB) und Orchester
!
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Choir score
Item no.: 210810
"Symphonie der Tausend"
for: Solists, boys’ choir, mixed choir, orchestra
Choir part Alto
Item no.: 672460
A Symphony-Cantata after Texts from the Holy Scriptures
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 695980
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Solo part(s)
Item no.: 332492
Urtext (Urtextausgabe) (Urtext)
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 194085
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 443062
für Soli. Chor und Orchester
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 359619
Ode to Joy
Vocal score compatible with all available music editions
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra [piano]
Piano reduction (XL format)
Item no.: 660388
"Symphonie der Tausend"
for: Solists, boys’ choir, mixed choir, orchestra
Choir part Soprano
Item no.: 672461
Amstel Concert Band
for: Solo voice (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), concert band
40 choir scores
Item no.: 1208682
Urtext from the new Beethoven Complete Edition (G. Henle Verlag)
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 695821
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 329241
Symphony cantata
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 279250
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 273565
Hector Berlioz. New Edition of the Complete Works (NBE) 19
for: Orchestra; mixed choir (SSTTBB) ad lib.
Score (Hardcover, Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116886
for: Solo voice (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), concert band
Score
Item no.: 1011193
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 341494
(Resurrection)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1203178
Symphonie-Kantate
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 235369
A Symphony-Cantata after Texts from the Holy Scriptures
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 695978
Lieder der Vergänglichkeit für drei Soli (SMezBar), gemischten Chor (SATB) und Orchester
Musik unserer Zeit
for: 3 soloists (SMezBar), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 681910
Kikapust Choral Series
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 148335
Sinfonie-Kantate für drei Solostimmen (SST), gemischten Chor (SSAATB) und Orchester
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 615191
(With optional Choir)
Band Music
for: Concert band; chorus ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1011830
for: Women's choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1208700
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 660817
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 229359
Symphony of a Thousand
for: Solists, boys’ choir, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 124177
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