Fling wide the Gates! (4/15/22)

I debated about writing this. Was it a church service? Was it a concert/performance? I answered, “Yes.”

The Crucifixion – John Stainer (1840–1901)
Jeffrey Traveras (tenor); Nathaniel Sullivan (baritone); Alistair Reid (organist); [conductor not credited].
The Brick Church (92nd St. Park Ave., NYC)

Composed in 1877, this cantata for soloists, choir, and congregation is a work that sort of epitomizes Victoriana. On another forum, I likened it to Gilbert & Sullivan … but without the humor. Stainer uses some of the same clichés that Sullivan did. Especially a solo reed (in the organ) against a subtle orchestral/organ backdrop.

Full disclosure, I performed the work at age 13, 14, 15 (or all of them). As a result, parts of the work are seared into my brain.

The choir (I’m assumed paid) and soloists (I’m assumed paid) acquitted themselves very well. I really did not remember the congregation joining in hymns throughout, but, hey! I was already singing them back in the day. For the record, my hymn singing and sight reading leave a lot to be desired these days. But I did plug away at singing the tenor part on internal verses of the hymns.

So much that I remembered—“Here in abasement, crowned, poor, disrobed, and bleeding”—I didn’t realize then that ‘abasement’ was not ‘a basement’. And I was in southeastern VA. What did I even know of basements as a choirboy?!?

Drama? Yes, there was Victoriana drama—“And led him away to the high priest.” Did I mention, “Fling wide the gates!?”

“Could ye not watch with me one brief hour?”

And the a cappella chorus “God So Loved the World” is always moving.

The ending? Simple and perfect. “And he bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.”

This was the 98th annual performance of The Crucifixion at The Brick Church. I may go back for number 100. I may not, though.

ConcertMeister

ARTEK (4/14/22)

My Heart is Filled with Longing (4/14/22)

Gwendolyn Toth ~ organ & director; Ryland Angel ~ countertenor; Theresa Salomon ~ violin, Chiara Fasani Stauffer ~ violin; Peter Kupfer ~ viola, Dan McCarthy ~ viola; Arnie Tanimoto ~ violoncello; Motomi Igarashi ~ violone; Adam Cockerham ~ theorbo

Sinfonia No. 7 a 5 – Johann Rosenmüller (1617–1684) Grave ~ Allegro ~ Adagio ~ Allegro ~ Allegro Alemanda ~ Correnta ~ Ballo
Trocknet euch ihr heiβen Zähren – Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657–1714)
Sonata con altre arie – Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1620/23–1680) Serenata ~ Erlicino ~ Adagio ~ [Allegro] ~ Ciaccona ~ Campanellae ~ Lamento ~ Campanellae
Ach daβ ich Wassers genug – Johann Christoph Bach (1642–1703)
Hertzlich thut mich verlangen a 5 – Johann Fischer (1646–1716/1717)

Confused yet? The string a 5 pieces included two violins (one voice, this will occur again), two violas (one voice), one cello, one violone (more on that later) and one theorbo (those of you in the know are, of course, in the know). Oh, the reed organ (continuo) is not counted as an instrument. Go figure.

The eight movements of the first piece were very hard to distinguish from one another. Thus, there will be very minor commentary. It opened with a very full sound from all of the strings and the reed organ. The initial sound was slightly somber, followed by a quicker tempo that was still gentle. [LATE ARRIVALS] One movement had a brief theorbo introduction which I rather liked.

Adding the countertenor to the second piece, it had a gentle tempo throughout.

Another eight-movement string piece had a fairly dramatic opening, lively but not overdone. There was a return to drama via tempo changes and volume changes – a slower movement had some tension in the harmonies. After a return to an energetic tempo, there was an almost perpetual movement motion that was then repeated. Fun! The two Campanellae movements were my favorites.

The fourth piece on the program welcomed back the guest countertenor. It had a somber string introduction followed by a feeling of a sad lament all the way through. It ended with a repeat of the opening to complete the piece.

For the last work, there was a full string opening before getting into the tune that was recognizable to me. It was somber, yet also uplifting. At one point, the tune bounced over to the violone, quite effectively. Then the countertenor joined in to the string version of the tune to present the text of the hymn in a straightforward manner.

New to me: violone, an early form of double bass, especially a large bass viol.
It made perfect sense to me when I saw it on stage.

ConcertMeister