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CHORAL MUSIC REVIEW Worthy Praise November 24, 2002
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By Rajna Klaser
Giving thanks and celebrating life and living are, after all, pretty much the same thing. In his clever programming for the San Francisco Lyric Chorus program, Music of Thanksgiving and Harvest, sung in the Trinity Episcopal Church this Sunday, director Robert Gurney combined the ideas musically.
Kirke Mechem's "Give Thanks Unto The Lord" (ps. 136) has stunning sonorities that complement and augment the majestic tone set by the poetry itself. The Chorus executed beautifully the intended sonic grandeur with fine blend and balance. The ensemble tuning was commendable, particularly in the more dynamically forceful sections that would trip less-experienced ensembles.
Set to traditional sacred tunes, Alice Parker's "God Is Seen" and "Wondrous Love" combine simplicity of folk melodies with intricate background textures that set the appropriate mood for each piece without appearing labored or pretentious. The Chorus's rendition of "Wondrous Love" was particularly successful in this respect, the male section weaving a wonderful sound tapestry with the women's voices. Based on an Omaha Indian prayer, Parker's "Invocation: Peace" for treble voices was one of the highlights in the first part of the concert. Of course, much of its charm lies in the score itself, which captures beautifully some of the angularity, sparseness, and simplicity characteristic of Native Indian music. With clear, focused voices and excellent tuning, the women's section captured skillfully the contemplative character of this piece.
Similar to the Parker, Srul Irving Glick's "The Hour Has Come" features delightful textures and evocative dynamic contrasts that lead the listener through expressive changes in the poetry. Under Gurney's precise direction, the Chorus moved smoothly through the complex chord progressions and dynamic shading while never losing exactness in diction. While Copland's "The Promise of Living" was executed well with an astounding upsurge, the highlight of the second part of the program was the selections from Bernstein's Choral Suite from "Candide." Ted Rigney, tenor, Tim Krol, baritone, and Christine Earl, soprano, were featured as soloists. In "Life is Happiness Indeed," the soloists all brought comical flair to their performance, conveying the satire of the piece. Tim Krol's version of "The Best of All Possible Worlds" as Dr. Pangloss was delightfully funny, while Ted Rigney's "This World" brought some of the most haunting moments in the concert. Pianists Ava Soifer and Keisuke Nakagoshi gave a sparkling rendition of the overture. Inclusion of Bach's Cantata "Nun Danket Alle Gott" set a fine, though lone stylistic contrast to contemporary pieces from the rest of the program. The performance by the choir was respectful with confident entrances in polyphonic sections and good intonation. The delightful performance of the second part of the cantata by baritone Tim Krol and soprano Christine Earl featured tasteful phrasing and even tone production. Criticism could be directed at excessive obsession with diction in the choir's performance of this piece that at times resulted in choppy delivery and loss of phrasing. In addition, while the accompaniment provided by Ava Soifer on piano was dependable throughout the concert, organ continuo might have better served this ensemble's performance of the Bach cantata. Frequently, polyphonic piano passages sounded unclear due to the reverberation.
(Rajna Klaser is a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Berkeley Department of Music, with an emphasis on ethnomusicology.)
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