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Coming
Full Circle
An
Affirming Requiem
Saturday,
April 23, 2005
By Robert W. Butts
Morristown United Methodist Church Chancel Chorus, Abendmusik, June van Thoen (conductor), Marie Fosket (soprano), Denise Mihalik (mezzo-soprano), Jeremy Blossey (tenor), R. Wayne Walters (bass-baritone). Max Morden: Alleluia Fanfare; Mozart: Requiem. Presented at the United Methodist Church, Morristown.
A Requiem. Forget its relevance to concertgoers and consider its associations. Death, loss, pain, sorrow, hurt. Yet, the word itself means rest. Add "aeternam" and it is a wish for eternal peaceful rest. In many ways, it is similarly a celebration for the living. A reminder of our own mortality. A memory of someone once held dear to those who remain. And beyond that, a celebration of life through the spiritual celebration of death and - at least in the Christian service to which the Requiem belongs - a recognition that eternal rest implies a rebirth once one hopefully passes the day of judgment.
Musically, the Requiems of Brahms, Verdi, Fauré, and Mozart stand beside Handel's Messiah - itself as much a reflection on death and rebirth as on the Christmas tale which only makes up part one - as the most frequently performed and most beloved of all choral masterpieces. Perhaps because death is indeed a powerful force and something we all must at some point learn to cope with, these works in particular do not linger on the terror or horror of the end, but offer solace and celebration to the now, though Verdi's reminders of God's wrath linger even during and after some comforting sections.
For Mozart's work, other factors might contribute to its effective impact. If any attend a performance not knowing the details, they are quickly made fully aware through written or spoken program notes. The work was left unfinished at the composer's death, completed by his student Franz Süßmayr. How poignant a reminder that death at any age for anyone leaves things unspoken, unfinished, uncompleted. Was Mozart aware he was nearing his end? Even if one doesn't take seriously stories of notes and sketches dictated and discussed during the final moments, it is most likely he at least suspected he might not live long enough to see it through completion. Yet, never in the work does one find anger, fear, negativity, or bitterness. What one finds is, even in the presence of death, a celebration of being human, an awareness of the beauty of being alive.
To quote several in the audience after June Van Thoen's spirited leading of the Chancel Chorus of the Morristown United Methodist Church with soloists and orchestra, the performance and the work evoked one word: "Glorious!" Van Thoen conducted with energy and verve. She brought forth the dark forces of the "Dies Irae," the beauty of the "Lacrimosa," and the the interactive lines of the "Kyrie" and its repeat that brings the work full circle to the text "cum sanctis tuis in aeternum: quia pius es," from the human plea for God's mercy to the human acceptance, knowledge, and comfort in believing and musically confirming that God is indeed merciful and that life leads full circle from the mystery of birth to the mystery of death. Van Thoen and company conveyed well the sense that in honoring the dead, there is recognition of union with God and in the process an awakening to the beauty and celebration of life. The chorus was undoubtedly the star of this largely choral masterpiece. Their energy flowed constantly. Entrances were clear. Intonation was nearly flawless. Most impressive were the contrapuntal sections where Mozart's lines distinctly wove their vocal magic.
All four soloists were wonderful with tenor Jeremy Blossey's lyrical approach being most prominently heard and remembered. Bass baritone R. Wayne Walters sang with conviction and a full artistic awareness for conveying textual and musical phrase. Soprano Marie Fosket and mezzo-soprano Denise Mihalik both sang with elegance and beauty, though for some reason were at times overpowered by the orchestra. In the ensemble sections, the four voices blended perfectly in richly expressive tones.
The concert opened in suitably celebratory fashion with New Jersey composer Max Morden's joy-fillled Alleluia Fanfare, commissioned to celebrate Abendmusik's twentieth year. As Van Thoen pointed out, the work has been heard all season in various guises ranging from duet to quartet, from vocal to instrumental. Heard here in its choral incarnation, Morden's short work provided a sparklingly joyous opening for a "glorious" concert.