|
Please note: Throughout Classical New Jersey Society reviews some words are found preceded by an asterisk (*). This indicates that the word is defined or discussed in the IOW (In Other Words) section of our website. If you are looking for a special definition or discussion, click on the alpha-clickbar below or the actual word, if it is hyperlinked. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H-I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P-Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X-Y-Z |
This
is an online only review - no other format is available.
Permission
is granted to print and distribute this review in any format.
East of the Hudson, West of the Delaware
Winter
in Pasadena
New
choral music presented
Sunday,
January 29, 2006
By A. Michael
Noll
Pasadena Pro Musica, Stephen Grimm (director). Lauridsen: Midwinter Songs; Bearer: Snow; Rutter: When Icicles Hang; Ticheli: There Will Be Rest. Neighborhood Church, Pasadena, CA.
There were many unifying themes in this choral concert. The billed theme was "midwinter magic,' with all the pieces related to winter, although snow and icicles seems awfully far fetched in sunny southern California and would be more appropriate for New Jersey. Another theme was that all four composers are living. And yet another theme was that all four pieces were written and sung in English. But the theme I like is the quality and emotionality of the pieces and the performance.
This concert included the premiere of E. L. (Elaine) Bearer's Snow. Bearer's credentials are most unique: a combined MD/PhD; studies in composition as a teenager with Nadia Boulanger in Paris; and degrees in music from Manhattan School and NYU. She is studying the neuroscience of music and claims in the program notes that her piece exploits "how changes are more effective than continuities in eliciting attention." Composers can indeed seem quite obtuse when attempting to explain their music - it is best just to listen and enjoy. And indeed her piece was quite enjoyable. The basses rumbled my tummy in this magnificent work with its gentle and glorious harmonies, with a spoken treatment that reminded me of Benjamin Britten, although the work was uniquely hers.
Frank Ticheli is on the faculty at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. The emotionality and peacefulness of his There Will Be Rest brought tears to my eyes with this glowing performance. I felt the stillness of a snowy evening as the stars glistened in the snow crystals, reflecting absolute peace and tranquility. This is a deeply emotional piece of choral music!
Pasadena Pro Musica sings with crystal-clear diction and with rich harmonies soaring from whisper softness to powerfully exhilarating climaxes. This was choral music at its very best, combining creative programming with a perfect performance. The piano accompaniment by Alan Geier was glorious, particularly in the Rutter.