By Douglas Neslund
With the mighty Bach
B-Minor Mass coming in January, one notices not a single measure on this
evening’s menu from the Baroque period. Yet the music at hand is hardly of
palette clearing value, but solid courses of late Romantic and mid-20th
century holiday season genré. On this occasion, the Los Angeles Master Chorale
was in top form heading into a couple of weeks where even the most committed
choristers might be forgiven if they might sound a bit tired.
Maestro Grant Gershon
opened the evening with four of Nine
Carols for Male Voices by Ralph Vaughn-Williams. Hearing the men sing alone
is undeniably thrilling, especially the Mummers’
Carol, and extra special with this group of talented, intelligent and
committed singers.
While the stage was being
reset to accommodate a chamber group of woodwinds and piano 4-hand, Maestro
Gershon introduced Ottorino Respighi’s Lauda
per la Nativita del Signore, featuring an outstanding solo trio of Master
Chorale members Hayden Eberhart in the “role” of L’Angelo, Daniel Cheney as Pastore,
and Janelle DeStefano as Maria. As
naïve as the text may be, Respighi’s orchestration and choral writing is
exceptionally fresh-sounding and agreeable. Ms. Eberhart’s angelic voice was
particularly well appointed for her role, as she effortlessly floated
stratospheric tones with pure and impressive result. Ms. DeStefano was a
properly chaste and gentle Mary, but it was likely Mr. Cheney who stole the
show, not so much for his role playing, but for the fact he was returning to us
having survived a nearly lethal encounter with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma over much
of the summer and fall. His voice has acquired a deeper layer of soul to add to
his usual brilliant high range. While role of shepherd asked him to represent
those so humble they didn’t wish to sully the Infant Jesus by touch, Mr. Cheney
imparted that, and much more. Many in the audience shouted bravos at the solo
trio as they enjoyed multiple bows.
The women of the Master Chorale
got their turn after intermission with another welcome salute to the centenary of
composer Benjamin Britten via his “A
Ceremony of Carols” written during a hazardous voyage across the U-Boot
infested Atlantic. Written in three-parts for treble voices, one is most
familiar through many recordings by various boys’ choirs in America and
England. The initial performance was given by an English women’s choir, and for
reasons not entirely clear, the initial recording conducted by Britten himself
used the Copenhagen Boys Choir, instead of one of the excellent English
collegiate or chapel choirs.
When it was Kings College
Choir’s opportunity to record the work, Choirmaster David Willcocks approached
the composer and among other performance-related questions, asked how Britten
would prefer the ancient English texts to be sung. Britten said that choirs
should sing it so that audiences could understand as much of it as possible.
The reviewer worked with Sir David during choral workshops for more than ten
years, employing his own choir as exemplars. Sir David related this information
directly.
And yet, the occasional
choir will attempt to find a way to sing the work “in the language of the
time.” The primary problem with that attempt is, simply, nobody alive today
knows how the language was pronounced in olden times. A best guess is the
result, for better or for worse.
Lesley Leighton |
Associate Master Chorale
Conductor Lesley Leighton opted to choose the old English approximation
that often distorts an understanding of the wonderful poetry. But in whatever
language, the women sang gloriously, with articulation seldom heard in the
roulades of “Wolcum Yole!” and the long descending lines of “In Freezing Winter
Night” that challenge any choir’s breath control. Soprano Claire Fedoruk and
mezzo soprano Drea Pressley both suffered momentary technical lapses in their
“Spring Carol” duet. Ms. Leighton continues to conduct with a style more
appropriate for a chorus of thousands, as though attempting to impress.
“Ceremony” doesn’t require lots of arm waving. Harpist JoAnn Turovsky was well
appreciated after her deliberate, introspective “Interlude” solo.
Stephen Paulus’s “Christmas Dances” comes assembled in
four sections: Break Forth, Methinks I hear the Heavins <sic> Resound, The Nativity of Our Lord, and On the Nativity
of Our Savior. The music varies widely while employing a rich variety of forces.
Mr. Paulus suffered a major stroke during the summer past, and is still comatose.
Encores included a very
witty John Rutter version of “Deck the Halls” followed by a schmaltzy “White
Christmas” (yes, the Master Chorale can sing schmaltz!) and concluding with
Maestro Gershon abdicating the podium to stand amidst his singers while
warbling “We Wish You a Merry Christmas!”
Photos courtesy of David Johnston and from Wikipedia sources
Photos courtesy of David Johnston and from Wikipedia sources
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