Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Brandon Stephen Matthews, Gabriel Fauré, Katie Mahan, Pie Jesu, Rossini, Semiramide
Friday, March 26, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra performed its penultimate concert of the season at the King Center on the Auraria campus. The final performance of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra will be Friday, May 7, when they will perform works by Verdi, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky.
Still in search for a permanent conductor, Friday’s performance was conducted by Brandon Stephen Matthews who was recently appointed Music Director of the Metro State College Symphony Orchestra as well as coordinator of string studies at Metropolitan State College of Denver. A vibrant and versatile conductor, he is equally comfortable directing ensembles on the concert stage or in the theatre pit. Matthews obtained a doctor of musical arts degree in orchestral conducting at Arizona State University, studying with Timothy Russell and William Reber. While at ASU, he served as a co-music director of the ASU Sinfonietta and was an assistant conductor for the ASU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He also conducted fully staged operatic performances of Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, Don Pasquale, Luisa Fernanda, as well as the musical Nunsense II.
Friday’s concert began with Rossini’s Overture to Semiramide, a two act opera that Rossini finished in 1823. The title role was written for his wife, Isabella Colbran. Today, the opera is seldom performed, but the overture has won a place in standard concert repertoire, and it is certainly a rousing opening piece. Dr. Matthews took a good tempo for this overture and the horn section was excellent, as was the piccolo. For several years now, the brass and the woodwind sections of the DPO have really been outstanding. Matthews is sometimes very angular in his conducting (which is a reflection of his style, not his ability) and occasionally conducts phrases rather than a specific beat. The violin section sounded much better in this overture than I’ve heard them for the last few concerts, but tonight it was the viola section that seemed to be a little out of tune. I point out that is a little unusual because the violas usually do extremely well.
Following the Rossini, the Denver Phil performed Chopin’s Concerto in E minor, Opus 11, with Denver’s own Katie Mahan as the soloist.
Katie began her piano studies at the age of four with her mother, Bobette Mahan, and gave her first solo recital at the age of six. She made her orchestral debut in the summer of 1999 with the Breckenridge Symphony Performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F, and was subsequently invited for performances of Brahms Concerto in D minor and Ravel’s Concerto in G Major. Katie received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she was a student of Robert Spillman, graduating with highest honors. Katie was also a protégé of the late Howard Waltz, himself a pupil of the legendary French pianist, Robert Casadesus and has participated in masterclasses by such musicians as Stanislav Judenitch, Lang Lang, Lori Simms, Nancy Roldan, Simon Trpceski, and Robert McDonald. She has also studied with the renowned French pianist Michel Béroff.
The program notes, which were written by Dr. Suzanne Moulton-Gertig (and she is exactly right) state that “Much has been said in music literature of Chopin’s consummate artistry at the keyboard and the sensitivity that he brought to the piano and its literature at a time when thundering virtuosos like Liszt were touring Europe.” It isn’t that Liszt was not a consummate artist, but it is certainly the case that Chopin and Liszt were very different pianists just as they were very different individuals. One of the reasons for this difference in pianism is that Chopin’s favorite composer was Mozart because he admired the inherent clarity and the fact that everything was so exposed. And we can certainly hear that clarity reflected in Chopin’s compositions.
There is a fairly lengthy orchestral introduction to this concerto, and at the outset it is unfortunately the case that some of the violins were inconsistent in their tune. It also seemed that they were just a nano second late in their entrances on occasion. But it also seemed as though the conductor, Dr. Matthews, gave down beats of which were not readily prepared so that the orchestra could sense the downbeat was imminent. I have not seen the score for this concerto, or heard it, for quite some time, but it did seem that some of the sections were a little bit on the slow side. Ms. Mahan certainly has a good set of fingers, and she seemed very well prepared, but her playing of Chopin was a little on the heavy side without the expected lightness and finesse that I have come to associate with this composer. When I say finesse, I am referring to subtle dynamic shaping in the phrase work and difference in dynamics between the left-hand and right-hand. There did not seem to be, in this first movement, a great deal of nuance and subtlety. In the second movement, the violins improved considerably. I thought that the tempo in this movement was also a little slow, but I hasten to point out that this could be a difference in personal taste. I would have enjoyed a more personal interpretation of this movement, that is to say more introspection, for again it seemed to lack a certain subtlety of tone. The third movement was a little heavy in its opening, and unfortunately some of the violins were a little more consistent in their lack of tune. And in a few instances, some of the sections of the orchestra did not seem to be quite together.
Nonetheless, I would certainly have to say that this was a good performance, and I point out that Miss Mahan did receive a standing ovation. There was very good communication between conductor and soloist, and Miss Mahan certainly demonstrated that she is comfortable in front of an audience. I make that statement because as often as she has played with an orchestra, she is still a young artist, and every time she plays with an orchestra she gains more and more of the experience required. On occasion, it seemed that she was not concentrating as fully as necessary on some of the more delicate nuances that are innate in Chopin’s style.
After the intermission, members of the violin and viola sections of the Denver Philharmonic performed a touching arrangement of the Pie Jesu from Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem. This was in tribute to, and in memory of, Clark Robinson, who for several years was principal violist and member of the viola section in the orchestra. He passed away unexpectedly, far too early, at the age of forty-one. He was very well-liked and a good friend to everyone in the orchestra.
The final work on the program was Beethoven’s Symphony Nr. 5. I think that it is safe to say that hardly anyone on the face of the earth would not recognize the first movement of this tragic symphony. I say tragic, because not only was Europe in the grip of the Napoleonic wars, but on a personal level, Beethoven was faced at this time (he began sketching this symphony in 1806) with the reality of his growing deafness. He was also in emotional turmoil because of the litigation to gain custody of his nephew from an alcoholic brother. Matthews’ opening tempo was very good, but the opening famous theme, if one is counting, begins on the second half of the first beat with a meter signature of 2-4 time. That means there is an eighth rest followed by three eighth notes, then comes a half note which gets two beats, but it has a fermata written above it (a fermata is a ‘hold’ or suspension of time whose duration is up to the conductor). Matthews’ fermatas were so short that it distorted the downbeat for the following measure, so that the preparation for that downbeat was barely discernible. It certainly required that the orchestra keep a sharp eye on the conductor. I must say that in this opening the whole orchestra was unfailingly in tune and performed with great excitement. I was quite disappointed that Matthews decided not to take the repeat of the exposition section. I was puzzled by this, because the exposition is very short and the repeat would not have added much time to the overall length of the performance. Though the entire orchestra seems to be genuinely enthused with this work (and who could not be), I thought that in the coda, the timpanist’s enthusiasm came pretty close to covering up the whole orchestra.
Matthews began the second movement with a tempo that I thought might be just a little on the quick side. It was in this movement that the woodwinds were absolutely exceptional, especially the clarinet and bassoon. In the third movement, which is a Scherzo, much to my surprise, the low strings were a little out of tune. More noticeable perhaps, was that the eighth notes that the cellos have in the trio were not articulate and each measure of these eighth notes sounded slurred together rather than as individual notes. The last movement was taken at a very fast tempo, and I must say that after a good deal of thought, I think that Dr. Matthews was absolutely correct in the tempo that he chose. It certainly did place a heavy burden on the orchestra, for the last movement of this symphony is very difficult. However, I’m not sure that any Beethoven symphony is easy – that was never a consideration of Beethoven’s. He simply wrote what had to be. This was a very exciting performance of a very popular symphony that simply refuses to grow old, and every time it is heard, something new arises.
I still think that the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra is the best community orchestra in our state. It is my sincere wish that they find a conductor with whom they will be happy and who is capable of bringing to fruition the potential that they display.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Alejandro Cremaschi, Erika Eckert, Faculty Tuesdays, Julie Simson, Luis Gonzalez, Margaret McDonald, William Stanley
The University of Colorado at Boulder has a concert series which is called Faculty Tuesdays. These recitals showcase CU-Boulder College of Music faculty and are held at 7:30 p.m. on most Tuesdays and at 4 p.m. on selected Sundays in Grusin Music Hall in the Imig Music Building. They are free and open to the public.
The concert on March 16 featured CU Boulder Emeritus Professor of Composition Luis Jorge González. In some ways, it was an unusual concert because three out of the four works performed were World Premier performances. In addition, the first work (and I will use the English translation for all the titles) which is titled “With Fervor for Buenos Aires” featured the poetry of Dr. González. This work is also a revision of a previous version written some years ago in 1985. The first version was a 12 tone piece and was premiered at the Golden Hall of the Colón Theatre in Buenos Aires.
For those of you who are unsure of the term “12 tone,” it is, very briefly, a taxonomy of music that uses all the notes (there are 12) of the chromatic scale, rather than the major or minor scale. And those 12 notes do not have to be written in consecutive order, but can be scattered over the range of the instrument. The 12 notes can also be divided into groups, as the composer wishes, and modified with inversion and retrograde. Because these notes are from the chromatic scale, there is no tonal center, or final note to arrive on as there is when music is based upon the major and minor scale. The progenitor of 12 tone technique was Arnold Schoenberg who thought that major and minor had been used up in the 400 years of its existence.
Dr. González made the decision a few years ago to abandon the 12 tone technique, and he now composes tonal music even though his harmonies are amazingly complex. At the top of the program notes, Dr. González also states that he uses “a wide range of stylizations of tango rhythms that support the internal structure of these works.” That may be an understatement because I have not heard such complex rhythms in a very long time. It is González’ way of combining the complex rhythms with the harmony – he seems to make them reliant upon each other – that drives his music forward, even at a slow tempo. The result is an unparalleled richness that is absolutely fascinating music to listen to, and it is also beautiful.
With Fervor for Buenos Aires is a three movement work (this new version was written between 2008 and 2010) for mezzo-soprano and piano. Tuesday night’s program featured Julie Simpson, mezzo, and Alejandro Cremaschi, piano. González has a knack of finding good performers for his concert, and why shouldn’t that be? He is an internationally known composer who writes fine music and he deserves excellent performers. Julie Simpson is on the faculty at CU and has performed in Europe and the United States. She is also well known as being a superior voice teacher. She has performed in operas, oratorios, and masses. Alejandro Cremaschi is a fine pianist, and I have commented on his artistry in past reviews. Suffice to say that he also truly belongs on the CU music faculty which is his present position. Keep in mind that González wrote poetry that he uses in this work. The first movement, entitled Nostalgia, is like many of his compositions because of its darkness. I quote from the text of this first work: “The roads, frozen, woke up/ In the demolished outrage of past and present/ Of water and shadows.” González rich harmonies emphasized the despair of these words. Julie Simpson managed to capture this spirit as well, and emphasized, by inflections of tone, this dark mood. However, I missed understanding some of the words – she was singing in Spanish – when her diction wasn’t quite what it should have been. I have heard her perform before, and I have never had such problem understanding her. The second song or movement in this work is entitled Evening in the Plaza. The first line of text begins “At the edge of the evening/ the streets go fast.” Indeed, this entire song had a certain furious pace about it, and put great demands on the pianist and vocalist. The last movement, entitled “From Afar” is quite obviously a reminiscence of living in Buenos Aires and ends with the line “My years as a traveler are a fiction, Buenos Aires is my past, my tomorrow, my always.” What an incredible lament.
The second work on the program entitled “Beyond departure,” was another world premiere performance. Of this work Dr. González says in the program notes, “Beyond Departure is an elegy for Juan Francisco González. The first movement is a sort of lament in lead form. The second is an imaginary dance remembering the fancy dancer Juan F. González was.” The notes do not tell how Juan F. González is related to the composer, but it must have been a close relationship. This work was scored for trombone and piano. My first thought was that trombone seemed to be an unusual instrument for an elegy, but the compositional skills of Luis González proved that it was quite appropriate. It was performed by William Stanley who is associate professor at the College of Music. He has previously taught at Temple University, Eastern Illinois University, and Milliken University. He has performed and recorded on historical brass instruments. The pianist on this work was Assistant Prof. Margaret MacDonald, who has a very active career performing nationally as a recital partner with many distinguished artists. This work is in two movements, the first of which is entitled Threnody, and second is entitled Ghost Dance. A threnody is a song of lamentation or a dirge. The first movement was divided into three sections, the middle of which was a waltz. The harmonies are what will remain in my mind. It was absolutely beautiful writing and everything about this threnody was powerful yet elegant. And as a matter of fact, the word elegant would be a good word to apply to almost everything González has written. Even when his writing is difficult for the performer, as was the case for the second movement of this work, Ghost Dance. Both the pianist and the trombonist have to stay on their toes, not only because their parts are technically difficult but because their entrances are difficult as well. It takes great patience to learn something so difficult, but these two musicians gave a superb performance.
After the intermission, came yet another World Premiere, and this one was for solo piano. It is a three movement suite entitled City Twilights – and yes, it is plural because it describes three different kinds of twilight. The first movement is entitled The Darkened Sky Falls Over; the second, The Light Fades in the Corners; and the third, The Eyes of the Shadows. The pianist was Alejandro Cremaschi. González has the unique ability to make long phrases out of disjointed rhythms and rhythms that can only be described as rhythmic motives. He also has a knack for starting a rhythmic idea, and this applies particularly to his piano compositions, in the left-hand and finishing the rhythmic idea in the right-hand. That makes it difficult for the pianist, and the only other composer that I can think of who did basically the same thing was Robert Schumann in the last movement of his Sonata in F minor. Of course, as I stated above, González has a knack for choosing remarkable performers, so Cremaschi didn’t seem to have any problem with this at all. In the first movement of this work, there was an absolutely beautiful melodic line in the left-hand, while the right-hand had a marvelous fiora. The third movement was a beautiful dark tango with very rich harmonies, and very pronounced question/answer phrases which I have never heard written or stated so clearly in a González composition.
The last composition on this program was González’ “Sonata elegíaca” for viola and piano, which was written between 2002 and 2004. In the program notes, González states, “It is a homage to dear members of the composer’s family. The framework of the piece is based on the classical sonata form in three movements.” The violist was Professor Erika Eckert, also a faculty member at CU. She has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Baldwin Wallace College, both prestigious schools. She has also performed with the Tackacs String Quartet, and has performed in Europe as well as throughout the United States. Her collaborator for this sonata was Margaret MacDonald. I was immediately struck by the wonderful sound which Erika Eckert obtained from her instrument. It was full and rich and was wonderfully suited to the dark sound that seems to pervade all of González’ compositions. And when I emphasize ‘dark sounds’ I do not mean to imply that González’ compositions are a morass of melancholy. They are not. But, they do contain such incredibly thick textures that are so complex and so carefully thought out, that one does not readily associate them with a lighthearted style. Once again, the rhythms began in one instrument and were continued in the other. The second movement contained very slow jazz chords – ninth and thirteenth chords – which were very impassioned. The third movement was a wonderful tango in which both instruments showed the complex rhythm. It also required some very difficult double stops from the violist.
Once again, I found myself thinking that so many musicians and critics outside the state of Colorado seem to have great difficulty believing that our state has so much to offer to the arts. I also found myself wishing that this program had been performed in a truly prominent concert venue. And when I say truly prominent, I am not in any way maligning the University of Colorado. I wish that this has been done in Boettcher Hall, Lincoln Center, or Symphony Hall in Chicago. González’ music deserves that and so do the performers. This is a composer and these are performers that deserve everyone’s support.
Luis Jorge Gonzalez was born in San Juan, Argentina, in 1936. After study at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina, in the early 1970s he enrolled in the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied with Robert Hall Lewis and Earle Brown. Initially attracted to the musical avant garde, over the years he abandoned radical innovation and returned to tonality but with great imagination and individual perspective. He taught briefly at the Peabody Conservatory and in Austin, Texas, before coming to the College of Music of the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1982 as a professor of composition and music theory. He retired from that position in 2003, but still resides in the Boulder area where he composes and is active in civic and university musical affairs.
Gonzalez’ music has been widely performed throughout the United States, and in South America, Europe, and Japan. His musical awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship (1978-79) and compositional prizes from the Wieniawski International Competition, the City of Trieste, Radio France, the Percussive Arts Society, and the American Harp Society among others. Commissions from Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, the Colorado Music Festival, the American Guild of Organists, the Cosanti Foundation, the Austin Texas Music Festival, and many universities and performing ensembles fill a long and impressive professional resume.
Dr. Gonzalez has his Master of Music and Doctor in Musical Arts degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: 3motions, Antony Tudor, Brian Reeder, Celts, Dana Benton, Echoing of Trumpets, Eventually, Gil Boggs, Igor Vassine, Janelle Cooke, Lila York, Maria Mosina, Sayaka Karasugi, Sharon Wehner
This is going to be a very enjoyable review to write. Enjoyable, because of the remarkable performance given on opening night by the Colorado Ballet Friday, March 19. Three ballets were performed, each lasting roughly 20 minutes to a half hour with an intermission between each one. The first was the World Premiere of a new work choreographed by Brian Reeder entitled “Eventually”. The music is by Michael Gandolfi.
Commissioned by Colorado Ballet specifically for this production, Eventually, choreographer Brian Reeder is clever and humorous, and while he has choreographed a variety of ballets, Reeder’s newest ballet follows en suite with Reeder’s persona. Described as a light-hearted and witty ballet, Eventually chronicles an elderly man making his way across the stage, through the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Throughout his journey, the gentleman is caught in the midst of four couples constantly moving around the stage exuding energy that juxtaposes the central character’s journey.
Brian Reeder was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania and began his dance training with Marcia Dale Weary at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. After attending American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Program, he studied at the School of American Ballet. Before joining American Ballet Theatre (1994-2003), Mr. Reeder performed as a soloist with William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt (1990 -1993) and also danced with New York City Ballet (1986 -1990). He is currently on staff at American Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensives in New York City and the Coordinating Director of the ABT International Summer Dance Intensive in Bermuda (2006 – 2008.) Mr. Reeder has been a guest teacher at the Alvin Ailey School, School at STEPS, Studio Maestro, Orange County High School of the Arts, Newark Arts High School and the Icelandic National Ballet Company and School.
Michael Gandolfi entered the Berklee College of Music before transferring to the New England Conservatory of Music after one year. He went on to receive both his Bachelors and Masters degrees from NEC, where he is now the chair of the composition department. In 1986 he was a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center; there he studied with Leonard Bernstein and Oliver Knussen. He has served on the faculty of Harvard University, Indiana University, and the Phillips Academy at Andover; since 1997 he has been the coordinator for the Tanglewood Music Center’s composition department. He has been championed by conductor Robert Spano as one of the “Atlanta School” of American composers, a group that also includes colleagues Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, and Christopher Theofanidis.
As this ballet opens, one can immediately see two things: an elderly man with a cane portrayed by Christopher Moulton, and on the other side of the stage is a mailbox. The elderly man’s wife, portrayed by Christina Schifano, hands him a letter to mail, and thus begins his journey from one side of the stage to the other; a journey which takes the length of the entire ballet. On this journey he is surrounded by the humdrum of everyday life, and his journey gives the audience a warm and humorous view of the comparison between the young and old and those who are fast and slow. Halfway across the stage, he becomes tired. He snaps his finger and a wonderful porch swing, its suspension cables covered with vines and flowers descends from the ceiling of the stage. He takes his seat and amuses himself by watching the hustle and bustle around him, and seems to be amazed at the thought that he was once as young as those he watches. The music has three sections; fast, slow, and fast. It is during the slow section that he is seated on the swing, and four couples take turns performing a pas de deux as he sits and watches them, eventually nodding off. The four couples were danced by Dana Benton, Andrew Skeels; Sharon Wehner, Adam Still; Caitlin Valentine, Sean Omandam; Shelby Dyer, Luis Valdes. And every one of these eight dancers exhibited a youthful exuberance and happy warmth in knowing that they were in their youth. And I must say, that it was extremely pleasurable watching eight young dancers who have very clearly worked very hard to perfect their art. I also could not escape the feeling of gratitude that Gil Boggs, the Artistic Director of the Colorado Ballet, has the creative imagination to commission Brian Reeder. I will not divulge how the ballet ends, but I promise you that it is a surprise, but yet charming.
After the first intermission, the Company performed for the first time in Denver, the ballet “Echoing of Trumpets.” This is a ballet choreographed by Anthony Tudor, with music by the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu. The Colorado Ballet had the benefit of Mr. Donald Mahler who served as Repetiteur ( a “Repetiteur” is a coach for the dancers). Mr. Mahler has danced several leading roles in Antony Tudor’s ballets. In fact, he was trained at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School by Antony Tudor. Tudor himself, is one of the outstanding choreographers of the 20th century. Born in London, in 1908, he began dancing professionally with the Ballet Rambert where he created many of his early ballets. He choreographed and created the Echoing of Trumpets in 1963 for the Royal Swedish Ballet.
The composer, Bohuslav Martinu, was born in Bohemia, and eventually became a violinist with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. He began studying composition at the Prague Conservatory, but he became dissatisfied with the styles of music that he was being taught, and was eventually dismissed for being a “lazy student.” He traveled to Paris, but had to flee the German invasion of France, and he therefore immigrated to the United States. He was a prolific composer, and among his huge output are 14 ballet scores.
This ballet has to be one of the most moving and tragic performances I have ever seen from any ballet. It is set during the World War II Nazi occupation. This powerful ballet memorializes the Czechoslovakian village of Lidice, which was completely destroyed in 1942, by Nazi forces. Echoing of Trumpets explores man’s inhumanity as he grieves for lost lives in an upturned world. Tudor expertly evokes the emotional turmoil of the people of a war-ravaged land caused by occupying soldiers.
The story centers on a woman, danced by Maria Mosina, and her husband, danced by Viacheslav Buchkovskiy. The occupying troops torment and harass the residents of the village. There is a Young Girl danced by Sharon Wehner: a Tough Girl danced by Janelle Cooke. There are women of the village who are danced Shelby Dyer, Asuka Sasaki, and Evelyn Turner. The Army captain is danced by Alexei Tyukov. All of these dancers were certainly very affected by the roles that they were dancing. I can promise you that they didn’t “just” dance. Every single one of them is a superb actor, and I am absolutely convinced that every single one of them could portray any character you choose. They were able to project total fear and despair at their surroundings, knowing that at any moment their lives could come to an end. The women of the village danced often stooped over, with their arms in second position, and exuded a palpable air of being browbeaten and totally subjugated in every single respect. But it was Maria Mosina who gave a truly remarkable performance. She was chilling and entirely convincing as she portrays the devastation of watching her husband killed. She goes to her husband’s body and pulls him into a sitting position, hoping that if she does that, he will come back to life. It does not work. She then pulls on his arms, as if to try to move him away from the hell that has engulfed them, so that he will have a better place to come back to life. And that does not work either. Her character then becomes an empty and hollow shell. Maria Mosina is such a fine dancer and such a fine actor, that you can almost read her mind in this role. Everyone on stage reacted to her acting. And so did everyone in the audience.
I admire the Colorado Ballet for programming such a devastating work and presenting it in such an incredibly artistic manner. Gil Boggs and the Ballet Mistresses, Sandra Brown, and Lorita Travaglia are masterful at what they do, and so is Donald Mahler.
After the second intermission, the ballet company performed “Celts.” Celts is a wonderful, cheerful, and energetic ballet based on traditional Irish music. It was choreographed by Lila York who danced with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. She has choreographed ballets for companies all over the United States and Great Britain. I was astonished at the demands that she places on the dancers. There was constant and incredibly vigorous movement all the time without a let up, and let me assure you this was not any kind of a cheesy reprise of Riverdance. This is a wonderful and artistic ballet that exhibits far more than athleticism. Adam Still, Sayaka Karasugi, Janelle Cooke, Igor Vassine, Johnstuart Winchell, Sean Omandam, and Cara Cooper absolutely shone in this third ballet of the evening.
Every time I see the Colorado Ballet perform I think that I have seen them at their best, but each performance is always better than the last. They always surprise and they never disappoint. Under the leadership of Gil Boggs the Colorado Ballet is doing remarkable things. All of you who attend their performances should go backstage afterward and tell the dancers how well they have done. It lets them know they are appreciated and this is an organization that deserves and has earned everyone’s respect and support.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Dies Irae, Herbert Howells, Ildebrando Pizzetti, Jean Richafort, Louis Warshawsky, Phillip Judge, Requiem, Rhonda Wallen, Tana Cochran, Thomas Edward Morgan, Tuba Mirum
The Ars Nova Singers once again performed a truly outstanding program. Their performance at the St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral on Washington Street here in Denver on Friday, March 12, introduced the audience to three Requiem Masses, all of them very different. The first Requiem was composed by Jean Richafort (1480-1547), the second Requiem by Herbert Howells (1892-1983), and the third Requiem by the Italian composer, Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968).
A Requiem Mass is, of course, a funeral Mass, and in many periods of music history it has been proven to be more often performed than the regular Mass. It differs from the regular Mass in that the joyful portions are omitted, and the sequence Dies Irae followed by the Tuba Mirum is inserted. In addition, instead of the Ite Missa Est, which comes at the end of the Mass, the Requiescant in pace (rest in peace) is added. Composers throughout history have written requiem masses, and they can be extremely in content. For example, Gabriel Fauré wrote a huge Requiem for choir and orchestra, but omitted the Dies Irae and Tuba Mirum because he thought that the deceased individual should truly rest in peace. The Dies Irae is anything but restful, because it is, in truth, a warning that the Day of Judgment will arrive, and on that day the world will dissolve in ashes and everyone will be examined. In other words, it would be very advantageous if one has lived their life according to the word of God. The Tuba Mirum is the section of the Mass following the Dies Irae where the Day of Judgment is here, and no one who has lived less than a perfect life will ascend to heaven. It is usually, as the text implies, introduced by the sound of trumpets. As a matter of fact, the painter Hieronymus Bosch painted a triptych entitled “The Day of Judgment” depicting the opening of the earth and sinners being pulled into its bowels. Terrifying stuff indeed. Even the original medieval Mass which included the Dies Irae and Tuba Mirum attracted one’s attention because instead of a chant full of melismas (a lyrical section of music), the Dies Irae which was written by Thomas of Celano (the biographer of St. Francis) in the 13th century, contained motion by the interval of the third and whole and half steps in the melody, first going up, and then going down (F, E, F, D, E, C, D, for example).
The first Requiem on the program by Jean Richafort was beautifully done by Ars Nova. His Requiem was written for his teacher, Josquin Des Prez who died in 1521. It uses quotes from several of Josquin’s compositions as a tribute to his greatness (it also reminded me a little of the future composer, Thomas Tallis). Immediately when the Ars Nova began to sing, one was struck by the incredible blend of voices that typifies this organization, and the knowledge of the musical period possessed by its conductor Thomas Edward Morgan. The sound was incredibly pure without any bleat coming from any of the singers. And once again, one is struck by the remarkable dynamic range that these singers possess and which Mr. Morgan requires. I was also immediately struck by the fact that this group sang all of the Requiems in this performance without sounding morose or exaggerating any imagined sadness at the use of such a Mass. Morgan has a very precise beat as he conducts, and he asks for inflection and attacks on every single syllable the choir is singing. And this, of course, enables the choir to enunciate every word so that it can be understood, let alone emphasize musical nuance. Richafort, who is a very obscure composer, certainly needs to be heard much more often. He was highly regarded by his peers and his works were published in several anthologies between 1519 and 1583.
Herbert Howells, whose Requiem appeared next on the program, wrote his Requiem for his nine-year-old son, Michael, who died from polio, or according to other accounts, meningitis. As is the case with any parent who so tragically loses a child, his son’s death affected him throughout his entire life. As a matter of fact, in 1915, Howells himself was diagnosed with Graves’ disease (an autoimmune disease) and told that he was only to live another six months. However, he made the decision to accept some experimental radium treatments. These treatments were successful and he lived a full life. In this program, Morgan seems to have picked three Requiems, all of which can be typified by some of the most beautiful harmonic writing I have heard. In addition, the Howells work exemplifies great dignity which the Ars Nova singers seemed to have no difficulty in presenting. There were four soloists in this Requiem; Tana Cochran, soprano, Rhonda Wallen, contralto, Louis Warshawsky, tenor, and Philip Judge, baritone. This is the first time that I have heard Rhonda Wallen, and she has an absolutely beautiful voice, and like everybody else in the Ars Nova singers, her diction is beyond compare. She is amazingly sensitive as are the other three soloists who appeared with her. I think it is time to say that none of the soloists, and in fact, none of the members of the choir, seem to be afflicted with professional jealousy. They all simply (simply?) sing to the best of their ability, and they all seem to be very good friends. It reminds me very much of the Colorado Ballet in that regard. The entire corps de ballet could be soloists if they were called upon, and they do not seem to be encumbered by personal jealousies. Similarly, I am convinced that all the members of the Ars Nova Singers could be soloists if Morgan asked them. Every singer in this choir is an individual reason to attend their concerts.
After the intermission, the Ars Nova sang the difficult Messe de Requiem by Ildebrando Pizzetti. Pizzetti was a composer and a teacher and a critic whose Requiem was written on the death of his wife. Pizzetti’s Requiem does include the Dies Irae and the Tuba Mirum, unlike the other two Masses which were performed on the evening’s program. However, even though the Dies Irae is accented by rhythmic jabs and emphasis, it seems far less confrontational than the original Dies Irae from the 13th century, and certainly less threatening than the Berlioz, Verdi, Mozart, or Gouvy Requiems. There is far less repetition of the Dies Irae than in any of those Requiems, and the text proceeds into the Tuba Mirum almost unnoticed. As a matter of fact, Pizzetti’s Dies Irae section ends with a sign of hope because the harmony changes to a major key and has a quiet ending. The harmonic changes in this work truly set it apart from the other two masses performed on this program, which is a little surprising, as Pizzetti’s later works are typified by minimalism in the extreme. In fact, the harmony is so complicated in this work, that sometimes the choir was divided into multiple parts with only two or three voices singing the same note. This is another work that needs to be performed more often.
What a stellar program this was! The soloists were excellent and the choir truly beyond compare. It demonstrates such careful attention to detail on the part of Thomas Morgan. The choir members were given different standing positions for each Mass so as to achieve the proper balance among the sections. And I must say that it is so very rewarding to listen to the Ars Nova Singers because they are such a very willing instrument for Thomas Edward Morgan’s remarkable artistic abilities.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Beethoven 7.1, Beethoven Nr. 7, Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Golan, Linda Wang, Sarah Johnson, Sibelius Violin Concerto, Symphony Nr. 2, William Hill
On Thursday, March 11, I attended a performance by the Lamont Symphony Orchestra in Gates Hall on the DU campus. In so many ways, it was one of the best performances I have heard the Lamont Symphony Orchestra give. It was a very exciting performance as well, because it was the world premiere of composer William Hill’s new Symphony Nr. 2 which carries the subtitle “Beethoven 7.1.” Also on the program was the original Beethoven Symphony Nr. 7, and a performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor, Opus 47, which was performed by one of DUs most outstanding violinists that I’ve heard to date, Sarah Johnson.
First, a word about Beethoven’s Symphony Nr. 7 and William Hill’s Beethoven 7.1. Hill’s symphony was commissioned by Lawrence Golan, Music Director of the Lamont Symphony Orchestra for concert and recording sessions in March of 2010. In the program notes, Mr. Hill states:
“Symphony #2 is subtitled Beethoven 7.1 due to its numerous references to his great Seventh Symphony, and is designed as a companion piece for the Lamont Symphony performances of the Beethoven. It was composed n the autumn of 2009 and completed on January 24, 2010. The 173 page score contains virtually every theme from the Beethoven, sometimes in obvious statements, and often in rather abstract relationships within a context of modern musical language. My symphony combines the main themes of the Beethoven second and third movements into one single musical form, and thus results in a three movement work.”
The original Beethoven symphony is in four movements. The slow introduction is marked poco sostenuto and then vivace as the first movement gets underway. The second movement is allegretto, the third movement is a scherzo, and the last movement is marked allegro con brio. The premiere performance of the Symphony was given December 8, 1813. And since it was a benefit concert for the wounded veterans of the Napoleonic wars, there were many composers that took part as orchestra members. Among those were Hummel, Meyerbeer, Spohr, and Salieri. And seated in the back of the hall, no doubt listening very intently, was a 15 year old student with what we would today call coke bottle bottom glasses, who was a little on the heavy side, and who, just a few weeks before, had finished his own first symphony. His parents had named him Franz Schubert.
Hill begins his symphony – and remember: this is a companion piece to Beethoven’s – in the same manner with a slow introduction followed by what Hill calls a ‘modern interpretation’ of the Sonata Allegro form. As Mr. Hill points out, the Sonata Allegro form is one of the most important symphonic forms, and it was used in virtually every symphony from Haydn (who was Beethoven’s teacher) through Mahler. I must say that even if I did not know from the outset that Hill’s symphony was conceived as a companion symphony to Beethoven’s great work, it would have been fairly easy to pick out and recognize Beethoven’s rhythm and melodic fragments. You may ask, “How is that possible?” Well, Beethoven used very prominent rhythms, and in this symphony, he wrote them with such incredible intensity that they are easy to pick out. Hill placed the rhythms in his symphony where they can also be heard, and the writing in his own symphony is equally intense. But, I promise you that Hill did not set out to just mimic Beethoven, though he certainly does use recognizable quotes of themes as well as rhythm. Keep in mind that William Hill is very clearly a 21st century composer, and as I have said about his works in other articles, he is on the cutting edge of everything that is new. There are at least three instances where the harmony he uses suddenly dissipates (that may be a poor choice of words) to open chords that are very widely spaced, resulting in a dramatic interruption. His harmonies are exciting, and several times in the first movement, they resulted in a very lush sound. It is amazing to me how he combines the drive and intensity with harmonic “lushness”, but he does just that and, like Beethoven, he requires a great deal of virtuosity from the orchestra, and, therefore, the conductor, Dr. Lawrence Golan. Keep in mind that I am a pianist and not a conductor (though I have performed with several conductors), but I am constantly amazed at how Dr. Golan elicits and receives the drive and passion and intensity from a student orchestra, even though I am perfectly aware that these students are on a path to become professional musicians. They worked tremendously hard and the effect was mesmerizing. Beethoven’s second movement, a theme and variations, begins with a rhythm of one quarter note followed a two eighth notes, then followed by two quarter notes. Hill’s symphony begins with the same rhythm, but the theme is stated in major seconds sounded together that do not resolve. The effect is electrifying, and I am also sure that while this was being stated, I heard a different rhythm from the viola section. And certainly, from this rhythm/thematic material comes some amazingly long, lyrical melodies that absolutely soar. Following this – and remember Hill combines the second and third Beethoven movements into his second movement – comes Hill’s interpretation of the scherzo movement which is full of dissonance and drive, but eventually returns to the lyric theme and closes the movement.
The last movement is full of forward momentum and absolutely incredible drive. Beethoven’s theme is shared by the first and second violins, and there is a very dramatic moment where the clarinet has the theme in short notes and hands it off to the violas and violins where it is continued with pizzicato. I was reminded of the slow movement of the Khachaturian piano concerto where the French horn begins a solo and it is taken over by the clarinet as the horn reaches the upper limit of its range. The clarinet, in this instance, just goes soaring off into the clouds. And that was the effect in Hill’s work when the strings took over from the clarinet. There was also a great deal of humor in Hill’s last movement.
In both symphonies, the orchestra shone. The brass and the woodwinds were spectacular. Golan’s conducting is extremely precise, and his motions often mimic, and thus communicate to the orchestra, the dotted rhythms with great precision. It is a very subtle way of demanding a response from the orchestra. He often crouches slightly and shows the palms of his hands to the orchestra, thus communicating the dynamic level. That in itself is not unusual, but the orchestra’s immediate response is, when you consider that the age range of the orchestra is roughly 19 or 20 to 24 years. It is clear that the orchestra respects him very highly, and it is clear that they absolutely love what they play and are concerned with giving their very best.
In between the Beethoven 7.1 and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, there was an absolutely breathtaking performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor, Opus 47. The performance was given by Sarah Johnson, who is a first-year grad student at DU where she studies with Linda Wang. Ms. Johnson was a winner of the Lamont Solo Honors Competition.
I can tell you that I was not expecting the kind of performance that she gave Thursday night. I knew that she would be good because she did win the competition, but her performance was way beyond good or even excellent. It was mature, sensitive, and full of unbelievable intensity and dignity. In the first movement she took a breath with every phrase and she gives her playing a remarkable sense of earthiness in the full rich sound she gets from her violin. And her violin is a remarkable instrument because of the kind of sound it is capable of in her hands. Her technique was world-class, and when I say technique, I use that word to encompass everything that a violinist should have. Of course she played in tune, of course she had astounding double stops, and of course she was very well prepared to be on stage and play with an orchestra. It seemed as if she had performed the Sibelius at least thirty times because she was so familiar with it and so confident in sharing this very difficult work. It has been a long time since I have seen and heard a young violinist play with such incredible soul. It was a very powerful performance, and I could see many in the audience were holding back tears. I’m very happy to say that the hall was jammed, and that the entire audience, who gave her an instant standing ovation and called her back three times, had the opportunity to hear the kind of performance that this world needs. One can only hope that she continues a long and successful concert career.
This concert was truly artistic from every point of view. The new work by William Hill was sensational, as was the LSOs performance of one of the most difficult Beethoven symphonies. Sarah Johnson’s concerto performance has left me speechless.
