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Reviews
EARLY MUSIC
All Bach For Noel
By Anna Carol Dudley
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Andrew Manze
(12/20/03)
EARLY MUSIC
Christmas Greetings from 17th-Century France
By Michelle Dulak
Magnificat
(12/21/03)
OP-ED
A Tale of Two Opera Companies
By John N. McBaine
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Responses to Our 12/16/03 Question of the Week
MUSIC NEWS
Ladies' First at Emanu-El First
By Janos Gereben
Robert Commanday, Senior Editor
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Perhaps it only seems that Christmas appeared faster than usual — Christmas Eve tomorrow already! — and none too soon. Perhaps it has been the terribly distracting news we've been getting, or perhaps the habit of tuning out has really gotten to be effective, tuning out the too early decorations, advertising, seasonal music in the stores and the rest of it. Well it's here, and all of us at SFCV wish each and every one of our good readers (you're all good) the happiest holidays, renewal and all that goes into that.
Some of you may find you still have some excess discretionary funds after all the urgent charity appeals have been attended to, and might want to consider a year-end gift to this non-profit. That would be nice, deeply appreciated, and would help us keep strong, continue, and build on what we're doing. We can report heightened readership and interest, a steady growth of the subscribers, who continue to sign in from all parts of the world.
Back to the initial idea: tuning out is a necessary response, but it may have the unwanted price of dulling our senses towards gestures, symbols, and messages that would be well for us to perceive. One aspect of that is the significant indifference to words being sung as all vocal music becomes absorbed as "just music." There's a carryover, I think, from conscious indifference to music in the air to involuntary not-hearing of critical elements in musical performance.
Our seasonal Christmas music is an example. Not only do the very familiar traditional carols go down through our systems with barely a notice of anything more than the lilt, so that each is heard as an entity, "Ah yes, there's ‘Godrestyemerrygentlemen,' " like a label or Christmas stamp, but never noted line by line (except by the lucky singers). Even most new Christmas solo and choral songs are made in such glibbery, slippery musical styles as not to call attention to message or poetry. Santa forbid that some composers will create songs that call attention to words and ideas, that will employ harmony with some bite in it, rhythm that doesn't just dance in the easy old ways, but has some kick and emphasis.
Perhaps one reason that music from the Baroque period comes to the fore during the Christmas season is the energy in the style and the joy that asserts. High among my reasons for choosing Bach's Magnificat, of all works written for Christmas, is the intense focus he placed on word meaning, and in original and vivid ways, making it a most convicted piece.
I think it's nice when music associated with Christmas and its season comes on the air or is heard in live performance and puts folks in the mood; whether it puts them in the spirit or not is another matter. But for music that really talks to you , that makes you listen and maybe think, that's something else, and there's not a lot of it among all that we're hearing today. I'm just as sure that there are wonderful exceptions to this, individual pieces and performances that ring the bell. Those are the ones that call attention to the text, the message, the purpose, and express those words and the feeling and meaning of those words in ways that leave the listener touched and even moved. That's what great sacred music is supposed to do, not simply set the stage or serve as aural incense.
Since my ears can't be everywhere, I couldn't begin to select the outstanding pieces, but you readers might identify those musical works for the season that have some of these qualities just described. That is the purpose of the current Question of the Week, to discover to us the pieces, and performances that have moved our readers. If the resultant list seems a significant one, we could publish it next year, early enough in the season for those making programs to take them into consideration and for the rest of us to keep on the watch for the chance to hear them. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
(Robert P. Commanday, the senior editor of San Francisco Classical Voice, was the music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, 1965-93, and before that a conductor and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley.)
©2003 Robert P. Commanday, all rights reserved
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From September 1, 1998 to October 7, 2003, we have published, in addition to the Music News, feature pieces and weekly editorials 1586 reviews of Bay Area performances by: 47 symphony orchestras (333 reviews), 72 chamber groups (171), 33 new music ensembles and programs (177), 34 opera companies (226), 26 choral groups (97), 15 music festivals (70), 32 early music ensembles (107), 21 chamber orchestras (72), 5 musical theater groups (13), world music (14), recitals (286), youth music (10), Other (10).
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