By Julia Goldman
Graphic by Julia Goldman
Whether showcased in concert halls, featured in commercial advertisements or debated as contenders for the “greatest work ever created,” musical masterworks continue to shape culture, foster connection and inspire appreciation for generations long after their debut. Follow along to learn the story and significance of four Camerata-sung masterworks of the past, plus a sneak peek of future performances coming to Long Beach!
- Bach’s B Minor Mass
Widely considered the magnus opus of one of the most prolific, influential composers in history, Johann Sebastian Bach’s B Minor Mass was never performed in his lifetime. In fact, it wasn’t heard until 1859, which was 110 years after his death.
One year before Bach’s death in 1749, he began to rework and repurpose other unrelated compositions within his lifetime. The mass, which Bach wrote after his blindness, surrounds the idea of consecration; which is dedicating one’s entire existence to God or a higher purpose.
Existing simply as a collection of manuscripts then, the works were never performed for over a century for two reasons: one, they were far too long and complex to be performed in a secular setting, and two, that it was uncommon then for ensembles to perform religious music outside of a church setting. Since its debut, however, the 27 movement mass has remained ever popular, often described as profound, elegant and the pinnacle of devotion.
Across Camerata’s six decades of active performance, it has performed the piece to global audiences several times. From a 1974 showcase in the Bach Festival to performances with former artistic directors David Wilson and Rob Istad, current singers Meredith Lee and Ruth Sievert remark upon the piece as their favorite performance.
- Chichester Psalms
Before there was the widely celebrated choral work of Chichester Psalms, there was an idea for a Broadway musical. Known for his role as the Musical Director of the New York
Philharmonic and author of West Side Story, American composer Leonard Bernstein took a year off of his composing duties in 1965 to write a new musical, based on Thornton Wilder’s play, “The Skin of Our Teeth,” which is a musical surrounding a family and their struggles to endure the human experience.
As Bernstein wrote, however, he encountered difficulties and the death of his close friend. Amidst this and a growing tension between the creation of theState of Israel, it is said that Bernstein wrote Chichester Psalms as a plea for peace. It is sung in Hebrew, and is said to use dissonance, unusual meters and tonal vocal part writing to create meaning and a musical union between Hebrew and Christian choral tradition.
Chichester Psalms is one of the most performed pieces of Bernstein’s work. Camerata’s president, Jan Hower, recalls it as one of her favorite masterworks, as she sang with Camerata in the 2011 and 2012 season under Rob Istad. Like Camerata, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
Photo caption: The most recent of Camerata’s “Carmina Burana” performances took place in March of 2023, where the choir performed with The Long Beach Symphony under conductor Eckart Preu. Photo Courtesy: David Brown of LAOpus
- Carmina Burana
“Everything I have written to date can be destroyed.”
These are the words German composer and educator Carl Orff said to his publisher once he completed the score to Carmina Burana, which saw its premiere in 1937. Grandiose and powerful from the start, the piece is described as a “timeless masterpiece with themes of love and fate.” Despite its origins in 1230 Austria, Carmina Burana recognizably lives on today – from professional productions globally to social media reels and even beer commercials.
The piece’s history dates back to the 12th and 13th century, when a group of young, educated clerics called the goliards satirized contradictions within the church of Rome through a collection of 320 medieval poems that were mainly written in Latin. The manuscripts were discovered in 1803 and a second-hand copy later fell into the hands of Orff in 1934. Taking 24 of these poems, Orf created Carmina Burana, which translates to “Songs of Beuren.”
Carl Orff, who is described as developing his own neo-Baroque philosophy of music called “elementary music” that joins words, melody and movement, even developed a musical curriculum for children that is used today. Camerata saw this ideology of Orff’s take shape in their most recent 2018 performance of Carmina Burana under current Artistic Director, James K. Bass, where Camerata performed with the Long Beach Symphony and the South Bay Children’s Choir. Camerata has also performed the piece in the past, including a 2010 performance under former artistic director Robert Istad.
- The Requiem, by Gabriel Fauré
Once performed at funerals, the spiritual works of Gabriel Fauré’s “The Requiem” is about the peaceful and comforting lullaby of death and is widely considered as one of the greatest choral works of the 20th century. Why Fauré chose to write the piece, some theorize, is in connection with his father and mother’s death, each occurring near to each other just five years before Fauré began his work on the requiem in 1887. Others attribute it to his position as the chief organist for most of his life at Paris church La Madeleine, where many funerals took place. However, Fauré himself said, “My requiem was composed for nothing, just for pleasure if I can call it that.”
According to Fauré, the first performance of The Requiem took place after its composition around 1890 for the “funeral of some parishioner or some other.” Described to be sympathetic, consoling and intimate, the piece utilizes voices to resemble angels praising God and to invoke visions of heaven and a better world to come. Unlike its origins, The Requiem is rarely performed at funerals now, with concerts taking place globally in performance halls and venues. One of Camerata’s most recently performed masterworks, The Requiem was heard within Long Beach just this past March, under the direction of Artistic Director James K. Bass.
Future:
Audiences can catch masterworks later this year with Camerata’s 17th annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, Camerata will bring the sacred music of Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi in their performance of Claudio Monteverdi Selva Morale e Spirituale and Mozart’s Requiem in the spring of 2026! Performance dates and ticket information can be found here.