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CHORAL REVIEW
Masses, Austere and Rich
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By Frank Albinder
"Mass," a concert presented by The San Francisco Choral Society under the
direction of Robert Geary, juxtaposed two large-scale settings of the Ordinary of the Catholic mass, each scored for the relatively unusual combination of chorus and wind ensemble. The mass has probably been set by more composers than any other text, either sacred or secular, and this concert compared and contrasted Stravinsky's austere neo-classical setting with the full-bodied romantic mass of Bruckner.
Igor Stravinsky's "Mass" (1948) is one of the composer's least accessible
choral works. He was inspired to write the piece after studying the scores of some of Mozart's masses, writing: "As I played through these rococo-operatic sweets-of-sin, I knew I had to write a Mass of my own, but a real one." Stravinsky intended the work to be used liturgically, rather than as a concert piece. He hoped to create a mass "untainted by theatricality," and most would agree that he achieved his goal. Stravinsky's own religious background (he was raised in the Russian Orthodox Church) provided him with a chant-based foundation for the austere harmonies and complicated rhythms of the piece.
The Choral Society, numbering nearly 140, was too large a group to sing with
the clarity of line and rhythmic crispness so necessary for a successful
performance. There were several lovely moments, however, including the Amen
in the "Credo" and the a cappella opening of the "Agnus Dei." Stravinsky,
looking for a "coolness of timbre" in the chorus, wanted children, rather than women, to sing the soprano and alto parts. Geary made a nice compromise, allowing the women of The Choral Society to sing, but using four children from his Piedmont Children's Chorus to perform the brief soprano and alto solos. Aaron Knowles and Joanna Criddle, soprano, with Rachel Wylie and Daniel Brett, alto, sang with clear, energetic tone and remarkable accuracy in their rhythmically complex lines. J. Wingate Greathouse, Gary Foster, tenors, and Eric Howe, bass, sang their brief solos ably.
Anton Bruckner's "Mass in E minor" (1866) proved to be a more suitable vehicle for the ample forces of The Choral Society. The piece was composed for the dedication of a chapel in the Cathedral in Linz, Austria, and because the first performance was to be outside, Bruckner chose to use only a wind
ensemble to accompany the choir. This work, like Stravinsky's "Mass," is
based on chant, but Bruckner's themes are based on the plainchant of the early Catholic Church. Bruckner developed his melodies using the imitative
polyphonic style favored by great Renaissance church composers like Palestrina and Victoria.
The best moments in the performance came in the soft, a cappella sections of the "Mass," when The Choral Society was able to spin a rich, luminous tone to excellent effect. The chorus sang their lines with intensity, sustaining the long phrases and clearly delineating the many dynamic contrasts in the work. The wind ensemble, a group of local professionals, supported the chorus well and contributed several beautiful small solos. Robert Geary led his forces in well-paced readings of both works, the Choral Society singing with commitment and a warm, full sound that resounded nicely in the vast space of St. Ignatius Church.
(Frank Albinder, in his eleventh season with the male vocal ensemble
Chanticleer, works regularly as a choral clinician and adjudicator and is a
former college choir director.)
©1998 Frank Albinder, all rights reserved
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