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CHORAL MUSIC REVIEW
November 8, 2003
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By Rebekah Arendt
The huge forces of the Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Oakland Civic Orchestra provided a broad canvas for the talented vocal soloists to decorate on Saturday. The concert at the First Congregational Church of Oakland featured performances of Bach's beloved Magnificat and Mendelssohn's classic choral setting of Psalm 95 under the direction of Magen Solomon and Martha Stoddard. The many members of the chorus and orchestra seemed to enjoy their work very much, but the true highlight of the concert was the performances given by soloists Ruth Escher, Christa Pfeiffer, Katherine Growdon, Mark Mueller and Jeffrey Fields.
After an initial shaky opening to the challenges of the Bach, the soloists proceeded to steal the show. Ruth Escher, soprano, shone in a very sensitive rendition of the “Quia respexit,” keeping up her lyrical lines despite opposition from the orchestra. Baritone Jeffrey Fields gave a solid reading of “Quia fecit,” which appropriately expressed the mightiness referred to in the text. Perhaps the most enjoyable movement of the Bach for me was the lovely “Et misericordia” as sung by mezzo Katherine Growdon and tenor Mark Mueller. Their voices blended beautifully and lent a very special color to the piece. Ms. Growdon's rich timbre and beautiful lines also filled the hungry mentioned in the “Esurientes implevit.” Led by choral specialist Magen Solomon, the huge sound of the 95-member chorus provided a massive sonic experience, if a bit muddy at times. Their “Gloria” nearly blew the roof off the church in a resounding end to Bach's magnificent Magnificat.
The orchestra seemed to fare much better in the Mendelssohn under the firm baton of their regular director, Martha Stoddard. In fact, all involved appeared much more comfortable with this appealing lyrical psalm setting, despite some tuning issues in the orchestra. Sopranos Christa Pfeiffer and Ruth Escher gave a moving performance of “Denn in seiner Hand ist.” Though their voices are quite dissimilar, the overall effect was very pleasant. The true star of this piece, however, was tenor Mark Mueller, whose excellent diction brought real feeling to the German text. Combined with his sensitive stage presence and engaging voice, Mr. Mueller's performance brought the piece to a higher level. The chorus responded very well both to the sensitive direction of Stoddard and to the inspiring work of the soloists. Particularly notable were the extremely effective shifts in dynamic that the chorus accomplished most readily. The chorus beautifully captured the lyrical essence of Mendelssohn's writing.
Overall, the Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Oakland Civic Orchestra gave a satisfactory performance, attesting to the commitment of the amateur membership. The two conductors and the organizers of the concert should be especially commended for bringing together such a fine group of soloists. Though the members of the audience may not have outnumbered the performers, a good time was apparently had by all.
(Rebekah Ahrendt holds the Artist's Diploma in viola da gamba and historical performance practice from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (NL). Currently, she is a graduate student in historical musicology at the University of California, Berkeley.)
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Magen Solomon