San Francisco Classical Voice

In the early 70s, the John F. Kennedy Center surveyed its patrons to determine what they considered the most important piece of music to have been written in the preceding half century. Today, more than 25 years later, the winner would still remain Britten's War Requiem. The San Francisco Choral Society's performance of the work Saturday in Davies Hall clarified the unique standing this piece holds. The work is both musically and emotionally powerful, unabashedly pacifistic, and spiritually forward-looking.

In the hour and a half War Requiem, written for the 1962 dedication of the re-built Coventry Cathedral, the soprano and chorus sing the Latin text of the traditional requiem mass. A children's chorus sings yet more of that text, and a tenor and bass soloist sing anti-war poetry by Wilfred Owen in English. The juxtaposition of the texts (Latin and English, sacred and secular, other-worldly and gruesome) is only the first of many aspects that makes this piece work. The harmonic language alternates the plaintive and innocent line of the children's choir with the tonal complexity and richness of the choral-orchestral music, and the English poetry in Lieder style.

By using poetry that actually tells a story, Britten magnifies the impact of the Latin requiem. For example, the Latin text which begins "Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae" ("Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory") ends with the prayer for deliverance from the devastation of hell, just as was promised to Abraham and his seed. Britten weaves into the Latin liturgy Owen's alteration of Abraham and Isaac story, in which Abraham, instead of releasing his son at the angel's command, goes ahead and slays Isaac "...and half the seed of Europe, one by one." It's a gripping moment in the work.

The text of the Dies irae ("Day of wrath") is intended to raise the awareness of one's mortality, including the inevitable wrath of a harshly judging God. But Britten ups the ante by interpolating graphic poetry of the battlefield, clearly implying that the horror of war is the real Day of Wrath of which we should all beware, and that we should all seek forgiveness for waging war at all!

Robert Geary who has led this choral ensemble for five years and championed a considerable amount of twentieth century music, conducted his chorus of approximately 175 singers, the children of the Piedmont Choirs, directed by Sue Bohlin, and the Chamber Symphony of the West. Founded last year, this orchestra is comprised of symphony players of the Bay area.

Geary's ability to pull off the stark power and contrast through most of the work is a credit to him, though a certain finesse is lacking in his conducting technique. Problems became most evident in the Agnus Dei and first half of the Libera me, which lacked in drive and concept. The closing baritone solo, however, with its other-worldly sustained chords played by an onstage chamber orchestra, was transforming in its beauty and helped to retrieve the character of the piece.

Pamela Hicks sang the soprano role in an uneven performance although there were some beautiful, heartfelt moments of expressiveness. Occasionally her vowel timbres on high notes were shrill and the most of her lower notes were lost as she coped with the part's great vocal compass The artistry she showed in her mid-range demonstrates that she has more to offer. Norman Shankle, tenor, and Kenneth Goodson, bass, sang the Wilfred Owen text with great aplomb and expressiveness. In a warm tone and heartfelt manner, Goodson, a student of Fischer-Dieskau, rendered the closing soliloquy poignantly serene and beautiful.

Clearly engrossed, the Choral Society sang with conviction. More focused sound production would have helped it cut through the orchestra during times when it was drowned out and would have alleviated much of the flat intoning of text in the early stages of the work. Also it would have strengthened matters had Geary encouraged a greater range of dynamics. Nonetheless, for nearly 300 musicians to come together on a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-summer and deliver a performance of such feeling and impact was indeed noteworthy.

Britten saw war as a failure of a Christian civilization to practice what it professes; and he felt that the Church frequently betrayed the message of Christ by not condemning the realities of war. Here is music which is willing to wrestle honestly with God and with what is inside the human spirit. As this war-torn century draws to a close, Britten's creation remains an eternal voice of our time.

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

©1999 Jonathan Dimmock, all rights reserved