It started as a search for Handel's Israel in Egypt with a female alto (most are male on this work), and ended with my purchasing three CDs of this wonderful Danish orchestral group, the Akademisk Orkester and Kor. The three CDs I purchased are Messiah, Israel in Egypt, and Brahms German Requiem. Check out these sound clips for their Messiah
Here is a discussion of their choir audition practices from which I summarize: The Academic Choir is amateur, but aims to have a high standard in their concerts. This means that they are working seriously with sound, intonation and technique, and with the choir as whole.
I think that for live performances by a non-professional group, this can't be beat.
From their web page translated to English:
Here is a discussion of their choir audition practices.
Here is a bio of their wonderful soprano.
This is wonderful! As great as studio recordings are, there is something very special about a live recording. The occasional cough or other extraneous noises do not bother me one bit, and may even add to the realism of it. In fact, I ripped the sound track from the live recorded 1978 Bernstein Fidelio DVD because it has more life than the studio generated CD they recorded a few weeks after the opera.
I think we could generalize and say that realism in music is in this order:
1. Live Performance
2. Live Recording
3. Studio Recording
4. Computer generated music (sorry, it is revolting, but I had to put it to show the whole spectrum).
Here is a discussion of their choir audition practices from which I summarize: The Academic Choir is amateur, but aims to have a high standard in their concerts. This means that they are working seriously with sound, intonation and technique, and with the choir as whole.
I think that for live performances by a non-professional group, this can't be beat.
From their web page translated to English:
Academic Orchestra was founded in Copenhagen in 1899 and in 1935 Academic Choir was formed. It is an ensemble rich in tradition, and the Choir especially has managed to bring these traditions into the present. Although originally a student ensemble Academic Choir today is a diverse group of about a hundred singers. Throughout the years Academic Orchestra and Choir has performed many of the major choral works and the Choir is particularly renowned as an oratorio choir.
Here is a bio of their wonderful soprano.
This is wonderful! As great as studio recordings are, there is something very special about a live recording. The occasional cough or other extraneous noises do not bother me one bit, and may even add to the realism of it. In fact, I ripped the sound track from the live recorded 1978 Bernstein Fidelio DVD because it has more life than the studio generated CD they recorded a few weeks after the opera.
I think we could generalize and say that realism in music is in this order:
1. Live Performance
2. Live Recording
3. Studio Recording
4. Computer generated music (sorry, it is revolting, but I had to put it to show the whole spectrum).