The amateurs seem to be the average viewer of symphonic choral performances on YT.
The amateur thinks that every video performance on a major concert hall stage is the best. Or, they conductor-worship and drop the name of their favourite celebrity conductor (who’s dead usually) and give his performance as “the best ever.” They think that any Chorus that does not sing with perfect intonation is “amazing” and “awesome” and they think that any person who is “soloist” in a symphonic choral performance and who is “opera trained” and screams is “outstanding.” And the person or organisation who owns that particular YT channel puts a red heart by all of these over-the-top extreme praise comments written by amateurs.
As for me, I play a bit of the video performance that these amateurs are gushing over and then click off for various reason: Either the Chorus needs more work — they do not sing with perfect intonation in all SATB voice sections — or one or more of the “soloists” is/are screaming, usually the soprano soloist who is overpowering everyone on stage. She seems absolutely unable to control her voice and her obnoxious screaming. Where did she train? Are they not training how to sing beautifully and without screaming in Conservatories and University Schools of Music these days? Scanning the comments, I don’t see what all the praise is about based on what I heard from said performance.
The amateurs conclude that said performance is “the best ever” even though s/he has not heard all performances — recorded or not — of this piece to make that blanket, grandiose conclusion.
Apparently anything sounds good to amateurs and that’s what these people in the comments are. I also learned years ago that amateurs are intimidated by trained musicians. Why is that you might wonder? Because the trained musicians usually expose the amateurs as musical frauds, although this is not done intentionally. The amateurs write comments as if they are Conservatory-trained musicians, but they often slip up and say something to expose themselves for who and what they are, or as musical illiterates.
Because of my Conservatory training, I have a bit wider threshold for listening to semi-amateur performances on some occasions than my friend. But generally speaking, in part, because of my training, I can only listen to the best. I can’t stand to hear opera divas wobbling, fluttering and screaming their way through solo passages in symphonic choral works. I can’t stand to hear a Chorus not trained in perfect intonation and impeccable diction. So I have little to no patience for the performances that the amateurs gush over, in their ignorance. I just can’t do it.
Interestingly, my friend is the same way. He’s not a musician but from being around me he trained his “choral ear” on Robert Shaw’s superb Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, so he knows choral excellence. If he hears anything other than that, he wants it turned off. He doesn’t have the patience for it. He absolutely hates opera and often asks, “Why did that composer put that solo passage in this symphonic choral work for some opera divas to scream through? Why didn’t they use soloists from the Chorus?” Her/His voice does not match anyone’s voice on stage. Very true. I can be playing a CD of Atlanta and he immediately says, “that’s the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under Robert Shaw.” He’s correct.
The amateurs also say stuff such as “We sang this in choir.” What does “in choir” mean? That is such a vague, unrevealing statement. But that’s what I’ve come to expect from amateurs. Was the name of the ensemble really a Chorus and not a Choir? They don’t know the difference? “In choir” as they write it sounds like a High School Chorus or a University Chorus. Why don’t they say that, rather than this “in Choir” nonsense? But amateurs are not big on attention to detail in music. That’s partly what makes them amateurs. Attention to detail is what makes the finest musicians what they are: True Artists.
They do the same nonsense in YT comments. The name of the ensemble performing can have the word Chorus as part of their title, but the amateurs refer to them as “the choir.”
There’s a distinction between a Chorus and a Choir. A Choir is typically associated with a church or religious institution. A Chorus is typically associated with a secular organisation such as the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, or the Chicago Symphony Chorus. But not everyone learned that in their training so these days things have gotten sloppy with some secular ensembles using the word Choir as part of their name.