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.
"St. Florian"
Russische Musik der Moderne
for: Choir, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 211418
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 229360
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 229358
Sinfonie-Kantate für drei Solostimmen (SST), gemischten Chor (SSAATB) und Orchester
Einzelstimme Orgel
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 235392
for: Concert band; chorus ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 583380
Choral Singing – The Easy Way to Learn. Progress through Private Practice
Choral Part Bass
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Playback-CD (Chorstimme Bass)
Item no.: 182315
"Symphony of a Thousand"
Based on the Critical Complete Edition, published by International Gustav Mahler Society, Vienna
for: Solists, boys’ choir, mixed choir, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 577586
"Resurrection"
New revised edtion based on the Critical Edition of 2010. A separate textbook with historical essays and a critical report in German and English is enclosed
for: 2 soloists (SA), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score (with critical report)
Item no.: 579442
"Symphonie der Tausend"
for: Solists, boys’ choir, mixed choir, orchestra
Choir part Bass
Item no.: 672459
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
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
"Choral" für Soli, gemischten Chor und Orchester
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Study score, CD
Item no.: 173998
Choral Singing – The Easy Way to Learn. Progress through Private Practice
Choral Part Tenor
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Playback-CD (choir part tenor)
Item no.: 138380
"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
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 181775
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Horn 1
Item no.: 235382
New Edition
for: 2 solo voices (SBar), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 176271
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
(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
Symphony-Cantata
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1660695
Score for Cine–Symphony
for: Women's choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1208676
With Optional Choir
Band Music
for: Concert band; chorus ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 1183246
Hymn of Praise
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 755966
Urtext from the new Beethoven Complete Edition (G. Henle Verlag)
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1677051
Sinfonie-Kantate für drei Solostimmen (SST), gemischten Chor (SSAATB) und Orchester
Komplettes Orchestermaterial
for: 3 soloists (SST), mixed choir (SSAATB), orchestra, organ
Set of parts
Item no.: 681564
"Polish Flowers"
for: Soloist (tenor), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 1479719
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