neumes

But wait, that was composed in the worrisome period you are talking about, wasn't it?!...The Verdi Requiem is completely out of this world. I have the Faure in my head because my S sang the baritone solo when he was just 15--he can't stand to hear it, as his voice is completely different now. I love it, of course. I'll go listen to Verdi's. (Any favorite recording--not w/Bocelli...?) It'll get me psyched to shovel some snow.

BassDad

Another nearby school that offers a Masters in composition is Westminster Choir College. Most of the students there are singers or keyboard players, so WCC may not provide a lot of opportunity for performance of works for orchestra, wind ensemble, string quartet and so forth. It may be just the place if you are interested in writing for voice or voices.

lorelei2702

neumes, I would be stunned if Bocelli had recorded Verdi requiem, but unfortunately not surprised, considering the marketability he has shown. You can do better with recording of Jussi Bjorling singing tenor or Carlo Cossutto, if you are most interested in the tenor.

cartera45

Lorelei - I'm afraid it's true - he recorded it with Renee Fleming - I haven't heard it, but I know it's out there.

neumes

lorelei, shocking but true! I could not believe my eyes and I don't care to let my ears hear, so I won't be checking it out from the library. But scathing reviews on Amazon are fun to read. My S has the Verdi Requiem on his ipod with Schwarzkopf, Gedda, Ludwig, ghiaurov. I'm going to get the Gardiner one on Amazon (Organosova, von Otter, Canonici, Miles; Monterverdi choir) and the Shaw--both used. It's amazing how inexpensive used CDs are. Kind of sad, really.

LiberaMe, sorry to hijack! I'll stop now.

mamenyu

Your idea about perhaps transferring after the MA is a very reasonable one; many of the "top" schools, including Columbia, frequently accept transfer students at that level (for one thing, they save money on the fellowships, because the program takes a year less, but also there are many highly qualified students who apply at that point -- and they have proven themselves by their academic success and by participating in conferences, etc.); do take a look at Stony Brook, if that is not too far away. (An example of someone who did that is one of the new professors at Rutgers -- who, according to the website, went to Stony Brook and then Columbia). Theory is very different from music history -- some programs don't even offer that as an option (e.g., UC Berkeley), while others have strong theory departments that include history of theory (kind of a meta-subject) -- e.g., University of Chicago.

cathymee

Libera
D is in a PhD program right now in the midwest and her cohort is multi-aged.Please remember that you can often follow the route of a direct PhD (as she is) in Musicology..if that turns out to be your interest area..the Masters is awarded "along the way".But her program also has taken in students with a Masters already awarded from another institution.
My first reaction to your posting was Vanderbilt in Nashville...so strong for your interest in American folk/bluegrass(there Institute is the epicenter) until I saw you need to not relocate..is that set in stone? Remember, Musicology PhD's are usually funded with tuition remission and fellowships in exchange for TA work so you would have some income.You can usually pick up additional work "on the side" D works in the Music Library, she has friends who gig,give piano lessons, teach at Community Colleges,or community based educ programs for adults (music appreciation,opera appreciation,etc) or sub in the public schools.
For whoever is saying you must go to the "name recognition" schools, you must remember that a grads interest may take them to a school whose name the general public doesnt recognize as "top" but may house a professor/advisor or Institute type group doing the work they are drawn to, and whose work is recognized in that field.

mamenyu

The general public's perception of the quality of graduate schools is irrelevant; but academics are very snooty about provenance, and they do the hiring. This is not to say that you can't be successful if you go to a school that is not recognized by academics in the field as a "top" program, but it will help. It is true, though, that if you have a strong speciality interest going in, it could be a good idea to include among your considerations the specific specialities of the professors in the program you are interested in.
Investing years in graduate school to wind up with few if any prospects is a dismal idea -- 5 years into the program it is downright depressing to think that you might not get a job, and that applies to students even at the "top" schools -- the rate of hiring is not so great and the openings are erratic.
I don't believe the same is true of undergraduate institutions for musicology; for example, there are plenty of graduate students now at Harvard (which lists its students and where they are from) who went to non-Ivy-level schools.

L. Fortissimo

Vanderbilt (Blair) doesn't offer graduate degrees in music.

cathymee

L
I realized this when I rechecked their website.Sorry for the midleading info.

L. Fortissimo

It is rather surprising that they don't. There is a master's of music education through Peabody (not The Peabody,) in which you do four years at Blair and one at Peabody, but that's it for now as far as I know.

trpt2345

Don't worry about age, I know many musicians who started working right away after undergrad years (or even before-dropping out to go on the road) and then picked up degrees later.Some places (NW) you can even get a Master's in one year. I know a trombonist who went to Eastman in his fifties.