San Francisco Classical Voice

It is no small thing when a community regularly continues to extol the talents and virtues of one of its artists nine years after his death. That happened Sunday afternoon at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, where the annual Ludwig Altman Memorial Concert was held.

Several things were noteworthy about this occasion. The first is that Ludwig Altman (1910 - 1990) was a Jewish organist. Not until well after the birth of Reform Judaism in the nineteenth century were organs used in Jewish worship. Until then, the organ was always considered an instrument of the church (and the concert hall). Organists, themselves, tend to be raised in the Christian traditions, later coming to serve synagogues as well. But here, a Jewish organist, formerly the organist of the largest synagogue in the world (in Berlin), having migrated to this country, served Temple Emanu-El for some 30 years.

The second thing of note was the programming itself. Entitled "A Celebration of Psalms" and using exclusively Jewish composers, each half was identically structured, starting with one of Altman's own choral compositions and concluding with a major choir and orchestra piece of the latter part of this century. This structure seemed to unify an afternoon of both the familiar, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and the unfamiliar, Steve Reich's Tehillim.

Altman's own choral compositions, Lift up Your Heads and Psalm 47: Clap Your Hands, while perhaps not demonstrating the profundity of the Reich and Bernstein compositions, nonetheless were interesting works and a fitting tribute to Altman. Clap Your Hands especially, with its more colorful use of choral textures and solo writing, ably sung by Cantor Roslyn Barak, demonstrated that Altman's gifts as a composer were firmly rooted in his Jewish faith. Both of his anthems were greatly enhanced by the skillful accompanying of Emanu-El's organist, Charles Rus.

The third thing of note was that the concert was hosted by Altman's temple, Emanu-El, but largely performed by musicians from UC Berkeley. The University Chorus sang the Altman anthems and, with the UC Symphony accompanying, the Bernstein work, while members of the University Chamber Chorus sang Reich's Tehillim, accompanied by a professional group of strings, winds, and percussion. Cantor Barak and UCB professor John Roberts framed both the personal and professional context of Altman and his relationship with UCB in their remarks at the start of the program.

The fourth thing of note was the music itself. Reich's weighty Tehillim employs his minimalist language, triadic harmonies, tonal melodies, and sophisticated rhythms to propel portions of four different Hebrew psalms into an aura of sound that is simultaneously ancient and modern. Using phasing and looping techniques, the music rolled around the temple's vaulted space in a hypnotic fashion. With the meter of this music changing for almost every measure of the piece, the most difficult aspect of the work was simply keeping the piece together.

UCB's choral director Marika Kuzma, who directed the entire concert, handled the varying demands with aplomb. The orchestra used instruments that evoked biblical ancestry (strings, clapping, drums, cymbals) and mechanisms which were modern, (synthesizers and amplification for the singers). The extraordinarily difficult vocal lines were sung by six sopranos and two altos. Their blend was ideal, and their straight tones in this work were essential in understanding the character of the composition itself. A fascinating piece. Bernstein's work, which concluded the program, was a wonderful choice. Composed in 1965 after a commission by Chichester Cathedral, the work serves as a reminder of the struggles of the Jewish people, not only in the days of King David, but also in our own century. In the second movement, for example, Bernstein juxtaposes two psalms to remind us that even amid the ravages of war, there is always the capacity to trust in the God of peace and to return to an innocent, child-like faith.

This piece also had its difficulties, some successfully handled -- such as the fine intonation of the chorus throughout, and some not. Though many, the string players were barely heard, and the harp, which plays such a critical role in this piece, placed at the back of the orchestra, was frequently out of sync with the ensemble. Yet Bernstein's masterful technique, ingenious orchestrations, jazzy rhythms, use of dissonance and concord, and sublime moments of serenity make this one of the beloved choral works of the century. This was certainly communicated with warmth and sincerity.

Was it for the love of Ludwig Altman, the mastery of Bernstein's lyrical setting of Psalm 23, the simple and elegant purity of boy soprano Aaron Shiber Knowles who sang the solo portion standing in front of the ark, or a mixture of all of these that brought many in the synagogue to tears as the program closed?

(Jonathan Dimmock is a freelance conductor, organist, accompanist, coach, and continuo player.)

©1999 Jonathan Dimmock, all rights reserved