Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Eric Whitacre in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Eric Whitacre in Review

Eric Whitacre, composer/conductor
Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, piano
Sara Jean Ford, soprano
Jad Abumrad, special guest
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY
April 15, 2018

 

 

Fierce rain, wind, and tax deadlines could not stop throngs of music-lovers and fans of Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) from coming to hear the music of Eric Whitacre and friends at David Geffen Hall, Sunday April 15, at 8pm. Nor could the fact that the same program (with different choirs) was heard the previous week at Carnegie Hall (for that review, go to DCINY The Music of Eric Whitacre April 8, 2018). In fact, thanks to the concert being live-streamed on Facebook, there was little to prevent virtually anyone (no pun intended) from hearing it, though nothing tops the unique excitement of live music, especially under the leadership of someone as charismatic as Eric Whitacre.

This reviewer first had the pleasure of hearing and reviewing the music of Eric Whitacre back in 2009, when New York Concert Review was still a print periodical rather than an online one. Mr. Whitacre was already in great demand but there was clearly much more coming. My description of his music as “ingenious” and “inspired” is as true now as then, and expectations that his musical commentary “could make him a real Pied Piper” appear to have been fulfilled and surpassed (not that any special credit is claimed for these observations – rather like observing that water is wet).

Mr. Whitacre (b. 1970) is a bit young to be having anything resembling a retrospective, but this concert allowed his fans to hear music spanning nearly three decades, some “greatest hits” alongside some newer works, plus a few friends’ works and arrangements tossed into the mix. Adding to the firepower were the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, unfailing collaborative pianist Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, fine soprano Sara Jean Ford, radio host and sound designer Jad Abumrad, and some five-hundred singers hailing from Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Canada, and (as DCINY’s written material states) “individual singers from around the globe.”

Mr. Whitacre’s entrance with the pianist, Ms. Lin, was greeted with cheering, as one expects from rock stars, and with characteristic energy he leapt puckishly to the podium. As an opening greeting, he led the choir in his own arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner by John Stafford-Smith. The gesture was appreciated by many in the audience who stood up, with hands on hearts. Some traditionalists might not take to all of it – this listener is still on the fence – but it was certainly interesting to hear the old familiar phrases treated with Mr. Whitacre’s signature sound – the added major and minor seconds coloring basic triadic sonorities.

Moving on to Mr. Whitacre’s strictly original works, the program continued with his very famous piece Lux Aurumque (2000), translated as “Light and Gold” (the latter being also the name of his Grammy-winning album from 2012). It was beautifully executed by the massive choir. Thanks to some alchemy of the composer’s, the voices do seem to shimmer in this, and depending on the dynamics of each individual voice, a harmony pulsates between consonance and dissonance, producing the illusion of the choir being a single vibrating organism. The combined choirs, which had met only a few days before, gave a beautiful performance.

Five Hebrew Love Songs (1995) followed, short evocative pieces on texts written by Hila Plitmann and given sensitive accompaniment by a string quartet who also played the quiet introduction. Temuná was pensive, rendered with a folk-like simplicity, followed by Kalá Kallám, which resembled a plaintive sicilienne in the lower voices before breaking into exultant dance music in the higher voices, with tambourine accents. It was quite impressive to see so many young people singing from memory in various languages, in this case Hebrew, and it was a credit to their directors who undoubtedly worked for many months to achieve such a high level. The last three songs included Lárov, appropriately brief to suit a text about love diminishing distances, and Eyze shéleg! an exquisite musical evocation of falling snow. Rakút, gently closed with the strings just as they had opened the set.

Little Birds (1992), next, was evidence that Mr. Whitacre’s flair for unusual effects in choral music started early. Set to an enchanting poem on birds by Octavio Paz, it includes bird whistles from the choristers and a fluttering descent of white pages at the close, suggesting the rusting of birds among the trees.

To mix things up, and because the composer John Mackey is a good friend and colleague of Mr. Whitacre’s, this concert included the New York premiere of Mr. Mackey’s piece The Rumor of a Secret King (premiere if one counts this Geffen Hall performance as an extension of last week’s Carnegie Hall premiere, the actual first). Mr. Mackey needs little introduction to new music circles, but this piece, reportedly his first foray into choral music (set to a text by his wife A. E. Jaques), met all expectations. Filled with a sense of anticipation built on repeated syllables blending with the text to a final climactic Alleluia, it was conducted precisely and winningly. At the end, Mr. Whitacre remarked, “I hope John was watching on Facebook” – then looked at the camera and quipped, “Wassup, John?”

Returning to his own composition briefly, Mr. Whitacre conducted The Seal Lullaby (set to text of Rudyard Kipling), a touching piece composed originally for film, before conducting two arrangements by another friend, Moses Hogan (1957-2003), the spirituals Elijah Rock and The Battle of Jericho, both performed with infectious spirit and wonderful rhythmic energy. (A third spiritual, I want Jesus to Walk with Me, was listed on the printed program but was omitted.) What a great close to the first half!

After intermission, we heard only work of Mr. Whitacre himself. First came his enchanting setting of Goodnight Moon (text by Margaret Wise Brown) sung beautifully by the chorus, with the voice of soprano Sara Jean Ford soaring like a dream over all, and following it was the setting of the stunning poem, I carry your heart, by E.E. Cummings, a piece dedicated to the marriage of two friends. As Mr. Whitacre recounted, it took much searching to find the right music for the latter gem – but the good news is that he did, and with great soulfulness. The performance by these newly convened choruses was again remarkably sensitive.

Cloudburst (1991) was a welcome rain after the great emotional weight invested in the prior pieces. Much loved and imitated by now, notably for the striking finger-snapping, clapping and other effects to simulate a storm, it was a joy to revisit since my first hearing in 2009. The effects were so persuasive (and the audience cooperated) that one really wanted to grab a towel and dry off! Home, from The Sacred Veil was then given its Lincoln Center Premiere. Part of a new work that Mr. Whitacre says needed adjusting as recently as the day before this concert, it is set to a text by Charles Anthony Silvestri on the large matters of life, death and the thin veil between them. For this work, the composer drew upon the electronic expertise of Jad Abumrad in creating sounds of surf. It is a deeply moving piece about finding one’s spiritual “home” in one’s true love.

Another high point of the program was The City and The Sea (premiered in 2010 by DCINY), a set of five more E.E. Cummings poems of varying emotions and scenes. The music matched and magnified the texts’ moods, from the sanguine i walked the boulevard to the melancholic the moon is hiding in her hair. At the heart were maggie and milly and molly and may and as is the sea marvelous, both set with a sense of youthful wonder and sung accordingly. Perhaps the most memorable though was the final one, little man in a hurry, enlivened by Mr. Whitacre’s dance-like conducting style. He led his attentive singers in a precise and comically frenzied performance.

 From this point, emotions took a plunge in Mr. Whitacre’s arrangement of the extremely dark song, Hurt by Trent Reznor (b. 1965), sung in the nineties by the group Nine Inch Nails, later Johnny Cash, and also by Mr. Reznor himself. The lyrics (including “I will let you down,” “I will bring you pain,” and, “everyone I know goes away in the end”) speak of profound depression. It is not easy, in this listener’s opinion, to convey through the angelic voices of several hundred well-coached choristers the kind of raw loneliness and despair that one once heard in the gravelly voice of the lone, weather-beaten Johnny Cash as he sang it, but Mr. Whitacre’s setting was truly painful in a completely different, stylized way. Soprano Sara Jean Ford sang the agonizing words against a faint choral hum at first, joined later in the devastating lyrics by all. At times, Ms. Ford’s voice reached otherworldly heights, sounding almost wailing over the other voices, and the overall effect was excruciating.

Not much can follow such pain except sleep, and the song Sleep (2000) followed, closing on a soft note what was Whitacre’s 15th concert with DCINY. The audience rallied from the depths to applaud and cheer the musicians and the music. Bravo once again to DCINY and to Eric Whitacre.

 

 

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Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Eric Whitacre in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents The Music of Eric Whitacre in Review

Eric Whitacre, composer/conductor
Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, piano
Sarah Jean Ford, soprano
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 8, 2018

How does one make a concert that is both entertaining and musically substantive? This is something that many concert organizers struggle with, but Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) has discovered a simple formula that is a lock for sure-fire success: Invite Eric Whitacre to conduct a concert of his own works. This is Eric Whitacre’s fifteenth appearance with DCINY. Five hundred forty-three singers from Ohio, Massachusetts, California, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, and individual singers from around the globe gathered under the direction of Mr. Whitacre for an afternoon of some old favorites (Lux Aurumque, Seal Lullaby, The City and the Sea, Cloudburst, and Sleep) with newer works (e.g., Hurt and “Home” from the Sacred Veil), in addition to works by Moses Hogan and John Mackey.

Eric Whitacre is a true force of nature – Grammy-winning composer, conductor, public speaker, and evangelist for the cause of music. He is one of the most charismatic people in any field this reviewer has seen in action. His enthusiasm is simply infectious; one cannot help being drawn in by this dynamic personality.

The Star-Spangled Banner, as arranged by Whitacre, was a welcome pre-concert opener overall. It has some of his characteristic close harmonies, and some other additions for dramatic effect, including that hackneyed leap of a fourth on the held note “Free,” and a Hollywood-esque soundtrack finish. Thankfully, it was not the melisma-fest one so often hears at sporting events by various pop stars.

The program did not follow the printed order, but Mr. Whitacre announced each work with some of the history/back story behind each work. There was a moment of confusion when a string quartet appeared on stage at the appointed time after Mr. Whitacre had just announced the ensuing piece, but without missing a beat, he vamped à la Airplane! – “I picked the wrong week to stop taking amphetamines.” Roaring laughter followed.

Lux Aurumque, one of his earlier works, opened the concert proper. I’ve heard this work countless times, yet it still amazes me how the simplest means have such a profound effect. The chorus rendered the close intervals flawlessly, with excellent balance and intonation. This was an excellent start!

The next piece, Little Birds, to text by Octavio Paz, could be described as “Fauré for the 21st century.” Mr. Whitacre acknowledged Fauré’s influence in his remarks. Complete with bird whistles and paper waving at the end, it was enchanting.

Five Hebrew Love Songs, written in 1995 for his wife Hila Plitman to her texts, is filled with passion. Even a person with little musical training could sense that Mr. Whitacre poured his heart and soul into these songs. The addition of the string quartet added further depth to an already emotionally charged work. Each song was captivating in its own way, but Temuna (A picture), with its almost mournful sentimentality, and the atmospheric, shimmering Eyze sheleg! (What Snow!) were my favorites.

The next work, The Rumor of a Secret King, by John Mackey (b. 1973), set to text from Mr. Mackey’s wife Abby Jaques, was written at the request of Mr. Whitacre. Mr. Mackey and Mr. Whitacre were classmates at Juilliard and remain close friends. It is not a secret that I am an admirer of Mr. Mackey’s works, so I was especially looking forward to this piece. It is filled with driving rhythmic energy, combined with hints of John Tavener. My admiration is intact; this is a worthy addition to the repertoire that was given a winning performance. Mr. Whitacre told the audience that Mr. Mackey is very active on social media and to send him a tweet telling him how good his work was! I am sure many people did just that.

Seal Lullaby, with text from Rudyard Kipling, followed the Mackey. It originally was intended for a DreamWorks project that was abandoned in favor of Kung Fu Panda. Mr. Whitacre called this piece “trunk music,” a work written that is stored away to be used at some point in the future. The tune is simple, yet very moving, and the timbre of the singers was ideal in a touching performance.

The first half concluded with two well-loved and frequently performed spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan (1957-2003), Elijah Rock and The Battle of Jericho (and a third selection in the printed program was omitted). The audience loved the rollicking works and gave all a standing ovation that one usually sees only at the end of a concert.

The second half was all music of Mr. Whitacre. His Goodnight Moon opened. The lyrics come from the beloved children’s book of the same name, which Mr. Whitacre said he has read to his son “at least a thousand times.” It had all the child-like innocence in a sweet, wistful performance that would enchant children of all ages from one to ninety-nine.

The New York premiere of i carry your heart, with text from E.E. Cummings, was next. It was composed as a surprise gift to two friends of Mr. Whitacre. He said it was the favorite poem of the two, and that it was hoped that he could set it to be used at their wedding. Alas, it was not to be, as Mr. Whitacre was unable to get the setting to his satisfaction, instead giving “the worst best man speech in history.” Sometime later, Mr. Whitacre was sitting at the piano randomly striking chords, when a simple two-chord sequence was the catalyst for showing him the path he could not find previously. I’m sure his friends loved the post-wedding gift. The chorus was superb in the “unfolding” of the layers of sound, as it expanded into its full grandeur.

Cloudburst, with text by Octavio Paz, is one of Mr. Whitacre’s signature pieces. With added percussion for the “storm” and chorus member finger snaps for “rain,” it is an aurally and visually arresting tour-de-force. I was disappointed that so few in the audience took the cue from Mr. Whitacre to snap their fingers rapidly in creating the cloudburst effect. It would have been amazing if the entire hall had joined in! Nonetheless, it was still a mesmerizing eight minutes.

The World Premiere of “Home” from The Sacred Veil, courtesy of the DCINY Premiere Project, followed. It is a part of a larger work that Mr. Whitacre is writing in collaboration with his friend Charles Anthony Silvestri. Mr. Whitacre described the veil as the dividing point between the living and the dead, but not a barrier to communication between these worlds. The text is a remembrance of the second date Mr. Silvestri had with his wife, who passed away twelve years ago from ovarian cancer, of the feeling of falling deeply in love with her – “You, feel like home.” A cellist joined the piano and chorus. It was heartbreakingly beautiful, and the emotional impact is still lingering inside me. I very much want to hear the complete work.

The next work, the city and the sea, brought back a light mood. It uses the texts of five poems by E.E. Cummings. Three selections, the jaunty No.1, i walked the boulevard, the nostalgia-tinged No. 3, maggie and milly and molly and may, and the furiously hectic No.5, little man in a hurry were this listener’s favorites.

Hurt, by Trent Reznor (b. 1965), from the group Nine Inch Nails, is a song that Mr. Whitacre told the audience is one of his favorites. An unforgettable cover of this song by Johnny Cash is one of the very last things The Man in Black did before his death. The power of the lyrics is undeniable regardless of one’s feelings about the music itself. Mr. Whitacre’s conception harnesses the rawness of emotion with an otherworldly feeling. Sara Jean Ford’s soprano voice wandered in and out like a calling from beyond. It was haunting, and even a bit unsettling, which might account for the somewhat bewildered response from the audience. This listener found it to be most compelling.

Sleep was the final work. Originally written using Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Mr. Whitacre was denied permission by the Frost estate to use the text in any form, including performance, until 2038 (when the work would enter the public domain), and was threatened with legal action.  Luckily for Mr. Whitacre, his friend Charles Anthony Silvestri was able to provide him with a metrically identical poem, for which Mr. Whitacre was able to use the already written music. It was a sublime ending to a memorable afternoon. The audience gave Mr. Whitacre a long standing ovation. The formula remains effective: Mission accomplished, DCINY!

Kudos to the unsung hero of this concert, pianist Kelly Yu-Chieh Lin, who was a superstar in her own right. If one missed this concert, it will be encored on April 15, 2018 at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center.

 

 

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Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents: Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents: Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre in Review

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents: Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre
Distinguished Concerts Singers International; Eric Whitacre, composer /conductor; Stephen Schwartz, special guest artists; Ashley Brown, Sara Jean Ford, special guest performers; Tali Tadmor, piano
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center; New York, NY
March 30, 2014

 

A concert featuring the music of the legendary Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz paired with the music of the wildly popular and dynamic Eric Whitacre was destined to be a sure-fire winner.  Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) brought this concept to Avery Fisher Hall on March 30, 2014 in a concert entitled “Defying Gravity” (a reference to a song from Stephen Schwartz’s smash Broadway hit Wicked). Eric Whitacre was to conduct his own works and those of Stephen Schwartz, with Tali Tadmor at the piano. Special guests Ashley Brown and Sara Jean Ford were also to have featured roles. The full hall was buzzing with excitement as family members looked for their “star”, hoping to get onstage photographs.  These young (and not so young) performers were ready to be part of something special that each one would treasure forever. I have witnessed this excitement countless times, but it still delights me.  DCINY “defies gravity” each concert they give, lending wings to the musical dreams of countless persons from around the world.

The first half chorus consisted of High School ensembles from China, Georgia, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, “and individuals from around the globe,” as the program notes state. Eric Whitacre bounded onto the stage to launch the afternoon by leading an energetic and engaging performance of Mr. Schwartz’s Defying Gravity. One could see joy in the faces of so many of these young performers, setting the tone for the rest of the concert.  Next up was Mr. Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque, one of his earlier works (used for the initial “performance” of Whitacre’s famous Virtual Choir: Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir- Lux Aurumque).  The chorus handled well the challenges of the close harmonies and the divisions of voices.  It was a bit top-heavy at times, not at all surprising considering the young women outnumbered the young men in a ratio of about three to one, but was the net effect was still beautiful. The next work, Mr. Whitacre’s the city and the sea, part of the DCINY Premiere Project, uses the texts of five poems by E.E. Cummings. Three selections, the jaunty No.1 i walked the boulevard, the nostalgia-tinged No. 3 maggie and milly and molly and may, and the furiously hectic No.5, little man in a hurry were given strong characterizations. Mr. Whitacre told the humorous story behind the next work, Seal Lullaby, with text from Rudyard Kipling, originally intended for a DreamWorks project that was abandoned in favor of Kung Fu Panda. Mr. Whitacre’s setting would have been DreamWorks gold if the project moved forward. The tune is simple, yet very moving, and the timbre of young voices was simply perfect in a touching performance. What If, from Mr. Whitacre’s upcoming musical (on which he has been working on for more than a decade) Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, followed. My enjoyment of this work was affected by both the missing lyrics in the program and the accompanying pre-recorded track, which overwhelmed the chorus. If over two hundred singers were not able to overcome this track, then it was WAY too loud, and it should have been dialed back a notch or four.

After this, Mr. Whitacre introduced Stephen Schwartz, who took over at the piano for his own works.  The first song, Testimony, was inspired by the “It Gets Better” project, which was created by Dan Savage to give hope to bullied LGBT youth around the world. Testimony takes words from actual interviews of those who lived through the pain and the horrors of being bullied. Moving from despair to hope to acceptance to celebration, the message is clear: hang on, it will get better, and life is full of wonders waiting to be found.  It is a powerful message, and the music reflected this in an inspired performance that had many audience members in tears.  For the last two songs of the first half, Spark of Creation and Ain’t It Good, from Children of Eden, Broadway superstar Ashley Brown unleashed a passion-filled performance that closed the half with a bang, bringing the audience to its feet.

After intermission singers from Michigan, Connecticut, Canada, Italy, “and individuals from around the globe” took the stage. With the exception of a few very young performers, this chorus was composed of college-age and older singers. Mr. Whitacre returned to the stage and told the story behind his Sleep, which opened the second half. Originally written using Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Mr. Whitacre was denied permission by the Frost estate to use the text in any form, including performance, until 2038 (when the work would enter the public domain), and was threatened with legal action.  Luckily for Mr. Whitacre, his friend Charles Silvestri was able to provide him with a metrically identical poem, for which Mr. Whitacre was able to use the already written music. It was a given a winning performance.

Mr. Whitacre’s Animal Crackers, Vols. 1 and 2, followed, and had the audience howling with laughter. The composer used Ogden Nash’s hilarious animal poems (Volume 1- The Panther, The Cow, and The Firefly: Volume 2- The Canary, The Eel, and The Kangaroo) in ways that were every bit as witty as Nash himself. Mr. Whitacre read each poem before it was performed by the chorus. The “mooooooo” in a slow yodel during The Cow, the “ew!” building in intensity to a soft, staccato “yuck! for The Eel, the incessant repetition of “never varies” in The Canary, and the Tchaikovsky B-flat minor Piano Concerto/ O Christmas tree mashup in The Kangaroo, had this listener laughing every bit as loudly as the audience.  These five or six minutes were the highlight of the afternoon to this listener.  A Boy and Girl, with text from Octavio Paz followed this merriment, and the shift of gears was handled seamlessly in another satisfying performance. It is always amazing that these ensembles are able to put forth such polished readings with such short rehearsal time. Sara Jean Ford, Broadway star and no stranger to DCINY events, came to the stage to sing Fly to Paradise, which was the selection for the fourth performance of the Virtual Choir.  Her voice truly soared in a dynamic performance.  Once again, a pre-recorded electronic track was added to the mix, and once again it was too loud. Ms. Ford was able to triumph over the decibel levels by virtue of her strong voice and the use of a microphone. The chorus was more audible as well.  Even Mr. Whitacre made a joke about the volume, saying, “Choral music is LOUD!”

Stephen Schwartz returned to the stage and took the piano again to close the half and the concert with three of his works. The first, Keramos, is a setting of a portion of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem of the same name.  The chorus took the audience on a moving life journey through Mr. Schwartz’s musically adept setting. The second song, Forgiveness’ Embrace, was sung and played by Mr. Schwartz himself as if he were telling the story of his own life journey. The last selection, For Good (from Wicked) combined the vocal talents of Ashley Brown, Mr. Schwartz, and the chorus. Ms. Brown, as the professional that she is, deftly handled a microphone malfunction by grabbing another microphone without missing a beat. The energy was electrifying in a terrific performance that brought this highly enjoyable concert to a close. The audience responded with an extended ovation. Congratulations to all!

While all the performers are to be congratulated, it was Eric Whitacre who was the star of the day. Mr. Whitacre is a one-of-a-kind talent. His music has mass appeal to an audience that normally would shun “classical” music. He is young and energetic, an ideal ambassador for the “cause”, and is one of the most charismatic individuals I have seen or heard in any field. He is a “rock star” in a decidedly non-rock world!  One could go on and on, but I will limit myself to a comment I overheard in the hall- “I would listen to Eric Whitacre read the phone book.” Any further comments would be superfluous.

 

 

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“This Shining Night”: The Music of Whitacre and Lauridsen in Review

Presented by DCINY
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Eric Whitacre, conductor
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall; New York, NY
April 1, 2012
 
This Shining Night: The Music of Lauridsen and Whitacre. Photo Credit: DCINY Production/Richard Termine

This Shining Night: The Music of Lauridsen and Whitacre. Photo Credit: DCINY Production/Richard Termine

 

 

Eric Whitacre conducted amazingly well-prepared choruses in presentations of his music, which ranged from 1992 to the present, and he also conducted two lovely renditions of works by Morten Lauridsen. The singers, mostly students from high school and university choruses throughout the United States, all sang from memory with excellent pitch, diction, balance, phrasing and rhythm, plus complete devotion to each work. The music contrasted from the sublime (most of the works had to do with the night, sleep or dreams) to the ridiculous (Ogden Nash’s texts in “Animal Crackers”), and the full-house at Carnegie Hall seemed captivated by every selection.

The evening began with “Lux Aurumque”, a serene and poignant work with fascinating harmonies. But even more touching and unsettling was the setting to Octavio Paz’s text to “A Boy and a Girl”. By contrast, “Animal Crackers”– in two short volumes–riotously showcased boys singing high falsetto in “The Cow”, and cleverly incorporated familiar strands such as the opening chords of Tchaikovsky’s B-flat Piano Concerto and “Oh Tenenbaum” in the song “The Kangaroo”. Just as catchy was “The Canary”, humorously set to repetitious music on the words “..never varies”. The excellent pianist for the evening was Tali Tadmor. Ogden Nash’s texts are indeed hysterical, but Whitacre’s music added even more to the hilarity. The audience had a blast.

“Five Hebrew Love Songs”, with a fine string quartet at hand, provided a welcome variety within its five settings. It was idiomatic and ethnically authentic, complete with precise tambourine in its dance movement. There was some ragged ensemble (in the male voices) only once in a tricky section. The work entitled “the city and the sea” contained more dense harmonies and even more fascinating counterpoint; the “Little Man in a Hurry” movement was the highlight, with its catchy melisma and mixed meters.“Cloudburst” was as evocative and mystical as “the city and the sea” was invigorating and exuberant. It goes ‘Old World’, with chants in 5ths, but then intersperses modern techniques such as aleatoric writing and minor-second clusters. The sustained voices over the counterpoint sounded sublime. The celestial swells were reminiscent of Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloe”, and the rattling percussion, plus clapping and snapping sounds provided with unity and confidence by the chorus added to the sensations and imagination.

“Go, Lovely Rose”, Whitacre’s first composition from 1992, contained impressive high solos for tenor and soprano, and they were performed admirably. Harmonically, the piece is more daring than you would think from such an early composition (he was only 21 at the time). “Sleep”, was evocative, atmospheric and beautifully performed by the large chorus; the cloudy harmonies and mysterious atmosphere are reminiscent of “Sirenes” from Debussy’s “Nocturnes” or music from “Neptune” in Holst’s “The Planets”–both for women’s voices and usually sung off stage. Whitacre’s music, even though seemingly inspired by strokes of genius in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, still has much to offer–especially to young people. The concluding, extremely gradual ‘fade-out’ was astounding for its breath control and dynamic color; it disappeared into the night.

Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on This Shining Night” and “Dirait-on”, based on the text by Ranier Maria Rilke from “Les Roses”, made fitting partners to Whitacre’s “Sleep” music, but instead of being ethereal-sounding like the Whitacre work, Lauridsen’s night music–while sharing similar ideologies–was less mysterious and chromatic and sounded more harmonically open, earthy and lush (an appropriate musical style for settings to poetry like “Les Roses”). Mr. Lauridsen performed at the piano while Mr. Whitacre conducted. Lauridsen’s consistently tender music provided an endearing close to this very impressive program.

The excellent choruses that participated in this successful Carnegie Hall concert were the Desoto Central High School Chorale (MS), Legacy Christian Academy Concert Choir (TX),  Orrville High School Choir (OH), West Monroe High School Choir (LA), Winter Springs High School Chorus (FL), Classical Ensemble and Bel Canto Choirs (CA), Delta State University Chorale (MS), The Lowell Choir (CA), molto cantabile (Switzerland), Olive Branch High School Choir (MS), Ridgeland High School Choir (MS), River Dell High School Select Choir (NJ), and the Rose Choir (NJ). They could not have been better prepared by their directors.

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Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)
Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings
Music by Eric Whitacre
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
June 15, 2010
Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings

Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings

 
 

At the New York premiere of the musical “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings” by Eric Whitacre and David Norona, and presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), a chorus of 425 people conducted by Whitacre gathered on stage to replace the typical staging and action.  Aged 14 to 73-years-old, the chorus produced glorious, powerful sounds, and they were well-blended, singing with excellent intonation and diction. They stood proudly the entire 80 minutes without intermission—which was astounding since they didn’t sing all that much—and the full-house audience also stood proudly after the performance, cheering loudly. To accompany the singers, there were synthesizers, the two talented Taiko drummers from the On Ensemble, and the fabulous cellist Fang Fang Xu.

The music of “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings” is comprised of some familiar melodies—two moments were seemingly inspired by Valjean’s “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables” and the eerie part of “Johanna” from “Sweeney Todd”—ritualistic, electrifying  percussion (although the wind chimes were overused), and some fascinating use of harmony. The choral and vocal ensemble-writing was fairly straight-forward, except that there was very skilled use of counterpoint in an Act II trio and in an Act I Quintet, which brought to mind the intricacies of Bizet’s Quintet in Act II of “Carmen”. The acting, obviously limited to the space in front of the microphones, was nevertheless very convincing. And the solo singing, particularly that of soprano Hila Plitmann, was stellar.

This Edward Esch story, which contains scenes of martial arts combat, is timely; the remake of the Karate Kid is doing well at the box office, and the second Kung Fu Panda film is due next summer—sure to be another hit. Seeing this tease of a production did make me dream about what a fully staged production would be like. The characters and their conversational interplay were interesting, and seeing them move on stage with that playful dialogue—as well as watching the combat scenes—would be a lot of fun. The narration here was crucial, but sometimes it was too obvious, such as: “(they) embrace”, followed by a hug. Seeing a concert version of “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings” was about as frustrating as seeing a concert version of “West Side Story”, but it was a prelude to a potentially fantastic evening at the theater.

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