ListeningList

There is a myth floating about that singers are not musicians. It is often true, however, that many singers come to music rather late, when the beauty of their singing voice is “discovered”. As a result of this situation, many singers have a narrower exposure to a variety of styles and composers, as they focus on the music they will be asked to perform. This is especially true now, as more elementary and high schools eliminate music from the curriculum.

Recently, I asked two of my instrumental collaborative partners to suggest non-vocal repertoire that would benefit singers from a musical standpoint. Here is the list of their suggestions. It is not definitive, but it is an excellent start!

*Composer*	Composition
Bach	Brandenburg Concerto #1
Bach	The Well Tempered Klavier
Bartok	Concerto for Orchestra
Bartok	Music for Strings, Percussion and Orchestra
Beethoven	4^th Piano Concerto
Beethoven	7^th Symphony
Beethoven	String Quartet opus 131
Brahms	4^th Symphony
Brahms	Clarinet Quintet
Brahms	Horn Trio
Chopin	F minor Ballade
Copland	Rodeo
Debussy	3 Nocturnes for Orchestra
Debussy	La Mer
Debussy	Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Dvoràk	Cello Concerto
Elgar	Cello Concerto
Gershwin	Rhapsody in Blue
Haydn	Trumpet Concerto
Ives	Three Places in New England
Liszt	E flat Piano Concerto
Mahler	1^st Symphony
Mozart	Clarinet Concerto
Mozart	G Major Flute Concerto
Mozart	Symphony #40 in G minor
Prokofiev	3^rd Piano Concerto
Prokofiev	Sonata in D major for Flute (or Violin)
Prokofiev	Romeo and Juliet
Ravel	Le Valse
Ravel	Left Hand Piano Concerto
Schubert	C major String Quintet
Schumann	Piano Concerto
Shostakovich	2^nd Piano Concerto
Stravinsky	Petrouchka
Stravinsky	Rite of Spring (Le Sacre de printemps)
Tchaikovsky	5^th Symphony
Tchaikovsky	D minor Piano Trio
Tchaikovsky	Violin Concerto

(There is another myth floating about that states audiences who attend instrumental concerts have no interest in vocal music. But that is another discussion!)

Composition

Mozart