Classical Voice  : Notable Notes
 


Notable Notes --  May/June, 2009
     L.A. Phil - Eschenbach conducts Mozart & Bruckner
    Los Angeles Master Chorale's season finale   
 
  May 30  LA Phil- Escenbach conducts Mozart, Bruckner
PROGRAM: Mozart- Symphony No. 34 in C major, K.338.  Bruckner- Symphony No. 7 in E major.  CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH, Conductor

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 few weeks following Salonen’s departure from the L.A. Phil, those missing the classics during Salonen’s tenure were delighted to hear them played so capably and eloquently by the orchestra, under the visiting maestro Christoph Eschenbach by way of Philadelphia.  Must the truth be told, inasmuch as Salonen’s undeniable affinity with the 20th-Century and new music, his efforts in the classics department left much to be desired, and will hopefully be redressed by the new Dudamel regime in the fall (all things looking good so far).   The classic masterpieces of Mozart and Bruckner heard in the final concert of the season were a harbinger of positive changes to come. 

Eschenbach’s forceful podium manner often belies the great warmth and sensitivity of his readings.  In Mozart’s Symphony No. 34 in C-major (K.338), we heard splendidly alert violin playing in the opening and sprightly oboes in the finale, tempered by a highly expressive andante in the middle (there is no minuet in this symphony).  On the whole, the sunny, C-major music ebbed and flowed beautifully in an easy, congenial vein.  It was a surprisingly lighthearted farewell to Mozart’s bittersweet, often-cantankerous Salzburg period.  Henceforth, his symphonies would move closer to the world of the Italian opera buffa and away from the ceremonial Salzburg court of Archbishop Colloredo. 

Similarly, the much larger scaled Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 in E-major had an easy flow and unforced beauty indicative of a conductor at ease with himself, the orchestra, and the work at hand.  From the sweet song of the long-drawn opening melody (which Bruckner said came to him in a dream) to the volcanic closing, the first movement had plenty of springing momentum and subtle shadings to keep it interesting.  The monumental Adagio, too, unfurled gently to reveal a rich tapestry of brilliant and sublime harmonies.  In the Scherzo, the relentless battle cry was tempered by the sensuously diaphanous Trio.  The finale, with its Haydnesque opening and the tumultuous harmonic modulations to find the E-major home key, was superbly handled the climaxes perfectly placed, showing maestro Eschenbach’s keen understanding of Bruckner’s long forms and architecture.

- Reviewed by Truman C. Wang

Related link: www.laphil.org
 

                                                                                                                    
 
   Jun 1  LA Master Chorale shines in season finale

PROGRAM:  Roberto Sierra- Missa Latina.  Soloists- Heidi Grant Murphy, Daniel Teadt.  GRANT GERSHON, conductor
 

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t is fair to say that many of the audience approaching the Master Chorale’s last concert of the 2008-2009 season would expect to be hearing mariachis, gitarros and men in funny hats, with the concert headlined by just one composer, Roberto Sierra, and one composition, his Missa Latina. Or perhaps a south-of-the-border beauty pageant complete with chorus.

Mr. Sierra, a native of Puerto Rico, somehow found his way to Hamburg and studied composition with György Ligeti, and became a fan of Johannes Brahms (among other European masters).  He also learned the fine art of orchestration to an unusually high level of competence, as his “Mass in Latin” so handsomely displayed.

It was “all hands on deck” in both Master Chorale and Orchestra.  The glorious sound produced by these first-rate ensembles was a marvel to hear, as they progressed through the Ordinary of the Mass, into which Mr. Sierra interspersed appropriate Propers from the Mass for Peace: an Introit and Offertory from the Psalms, and the Antiphon “My peace I leave you … Alleluia” following “dona nobis pacem.”

Style-wise, the music is eclectic, and Mr. Sierra is not shy about using major and minor chords to sweeten an intelligent use of dissonance given heightened interest through contextual utilization of generous instrumental participation, including five percussionists.  Such an array would seem to threaten aural mayhem, but he held back the power of the percussionists for just a few appropriate strokes, instead offering the occasional clave or guiro during fragile moments, as though to remind us of his origins.

If all that weren’t enough, Mr. Sierra employed soprano Heidi Grant Murphy and baritone Daniel Teadt, giving each generous solo opportunities to display their respective vocal talents.  (Nathanial Webster had been scheduled to perform, but was indisposed; Mr. Teadt had just a few days to prepare.)  Ms. Murphy was singing, perhaps, one performance too far, as her voice virtually disappeared when ascending above the treble staff.  To gain some semblance of sound, Ms. Murphy manipulated her instrument in a rather awkward manner that left some in the audience worried more about her health than the music she was singing.  Mr. Teadt, on the other hand, displayed a handsome if slim voice that should, in time, grow in size and volume.  Both soloists were difficult to hear when accompanied by both chorus and orchestra.

Displaying yet another facet of his talent was our ever more impressive maestro, Grant Gershon, who obviously relished introducing this composer and his Missa to Los Angeles.  Having had no less an authority than Leonard Slatkin tell him flat-out that he must perform this work during the present season, all it took was a cursory review of the score, and the matter was settled.

After all the well-deserved huzzahs and standing o’s for Mr. Sierra and fellow musicians finally subsided, the Master Chorale walked down into the audience, surrounded those patrons sitting in the lower sections, and performed not an encore, but what amounted to a promo for a brand new, limited edition CD fundraiser project offered by the singers themselves, and what a promo it was! 

Shawn Kirchner is a Master Chorale regular, but he is most distinguished as an arranger of choral music.  The piece sung, Wana Baraka, a happy Kenyan religious folk song, happens also to be the final selection in the CD, which went on sale for $125 a copy after the concert, with a cool $500 donation bringing not only a CD copy, but one autographed by Maestro Gershon.  Reports are that many copies were sold Sunday night.

Details of the Los Angeles Master Chorale fundraiser CD may be found in another location on this website.

- Reviewed by Douglas Neslund

Related link- www.lamc.org

 
 
     

Douglas Neslund is Classical Voice correspondent and a noted voice/choral teacher in Los Angeles. 

Truman C. Wang is editor-in-chief of Classical Voice, whose articles have appeared in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the Pasadena Star-News, other Southern California publications, as well as the Hawaiian Chinese Daily.

 

 

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