Johannes Brahms in 1866, when he was working on his Opus 45 (photographer unknown, from Die berümten Musiker by Lucien Mazendo and Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Last night Davies Symphony Hall hosted the fourth annual performance by the Summer Festival Chorus presented by the San Francisco Choral Society (SFCS). Artistic Director Robert Geary conducted a performance of Johannes Brahms’ Opus 45, A German Requiem. As in the past, instrumental accompaniment was provided by the California Chamber Symphony. The vocal soloists were soprano Cara Gabrielson and baritone Andrew Pardini, both making SFCS debuts. However, there is only one solo opportunity for the soprano and two for the baritone.
According my archives, I have not encountered this music in performance since February of 2015. That was when Herbert Blomstedt returned to Davies in his capacity as Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony. His soloists were soprano Ruth Ziesak and baritone Christian Gerhaher, and the SFS Chorus was prepared by Director Ragnar Bohlin. Geary’s chorus was significantly larger, so much so that it made a significant visual impact. Nevertheless, he had a firm command in balancing that massive ensemble against the same instrumentation that Blomstedt had led.
What is most important, however, is that Brahms knew exactly how to balance his instrumental resources with a full chorus. Geary clearly appreciated Brahms’ wisdom in his interpretation of the score. Thus, while one could appreciate the rich delivery of both music and diction by SFCS, what mattered most to the attentive listener was the interplay of choral work with the diversity of instrumental sonorities. The result was a thoroughly engaging account of Opus 45 with never a dull moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment