Re: Database details

[Tim Conway <tpconway@ozemail.com.au>]

Frank's message ran:

>_The Canfield Discographic Encyclopedia of Classical Composers_, compiled
>by Dave Canfield from the database of his used record mail order store,
>Ars Antiqua, has one DGG LP of Alexander Getchaninov:
>
>These are all the details:
>
>136457 [Cat. no.] Don Cossack Choir: Gretchaninov: Boratniansky:
>Variamov:
>Shvedov: jaroff: /jaroff, Serge:
>
>Further research reveals that the work is part of Liturgy (of St. John
>Chrysostom) No. 2, Op. 29, for unaccompanied voices, composed in 1902...
>...
>...
>...
>Gretch. himself ran afoul of the Russian Orthodox Church for using
>insturments in his compositions. The Soviets had no use for him. A patron
>brought him to Paris in 1922. He moved to NYC in 1944. He is mostly
>rememered for his songs.

Many thanks for the info in such detail. Where can one get hold of Dave 
Canfield's encyclopedia?

>Hope this is of some interest. Now what's the Gould connection??

Honest answer: Absolutely nothing...except that I have been searching for 
certain Don Cossack Choir (DCC) early recordings for over 10 years with 
no success, and I was pretty sure someone in f-minor, the most erudite 
list on the Web, would know where to look.

Less-than-honest weasel answer made up on the spur of the moment to save 
face: The DCC is different from most other choirs. It was run by one man 
throughout its life. All singers were male. All had to have had some 
operatic training. All had to be Don natives. The Choir sang largely 
unaccompanied. The range of the voices is huge, from (I think) a low G to 
what sounds like an octave above High C. Although the Choir could sing 
'beautifully' Jaroff seemed to encourage a rougher, more earthy sound 
with lots of shouting and whistling in some folk songs. In short, the 
Choir was as individual in its approach to its type of music as GG was to 
his. Questions: Would GG have approved of the DCC? Does anyone know what 
GG thought of singers, singing and choral music in general? Was GG's 
humming partly the result of a subconscious desire to be a singer? If GG 
had taken up singing, would he have been any good?

If anyone answers, perhaps you could re-title this thread 'GG on voice' 
or something similar. It's a long way from 'Database details'.

Best regards,

Tim Conway
<tpconway@ozemail.com.au>