Brahms' Requiem - Salt Lake Choral Artists

Johannes Brahms

Several ensembles in the state of Utah have programmed Brahms' Requiem this year. A few weeks ago, Utah Chamber Artists in collaboration with the University of Utah singers conducted by Barlow Bradford performed it (click here to read my review) and this week both Craig Jessop with the American Festival Chorus and Brady Allred with the Salt Lake Choral Artists (SLCA) presented the masterpiece.

Brahms' Requiem is a remarkable work. It's movements are symmetrical and carefully crafted. Scholars and Academics have studied the work over and over again explaining exquisite craftsmanship Brahms uses, yet with all this form and theory, the work is dramatic and passionate and is among the greatest things Brahms wrote. Though the text is taken from the Bible and based on the Requiem Mass, Brahms was a fairly non-religious humanist and there is a notable absence of uniquely Christian doctrine in the mass. This was a mass for the living, it was meant to comfort those dealing with death. 

While Jessop and Bradford chose to perform the work in its original German, Allred decided to use an English translation of the text. This is a decision conductors wrestle with on a regular basis. Brahms wrote the Requiem in German, and the text is written to match the music in fluidity and stress and other factors; yet, the Requiem Mass is typically in Latin and Brahms chose to write the Requiem in German in order for it to relate and connect to the audience. As scholars debate what Brahms would have wanted, I think we can safely say "it's both," and both in German and in the language of the audience are appropriate and have their benefits. 

Originally planned to be performed with Brahms two-piano accompaniment, Allred began the concert by telling how his singers banded together to raise the funds to hire a full orchestra. This inspiring story, along with the dedication of the performance to a recently deceased choir member, provided a powerful mood for the music. From the first downbeat, the orchestra began playing and drew the audience in immediately. The subtle opening was quiet, but far from restrained. Each phrase and line had its independence and shine of brilliant interpretation. The choir entered delicately with such confident assurance of the music. They were well-prepared and had a clear connection to the work that translated extremely well to the audience.

Allred showed a remarkable understanding of the text and the music. His singers and orchestra executed each line and phrase in ways that emphasized the form and greater spectrum of the work, yet all shimmered in their own beauty and zeal. In the second movement already the choir and orchestra displayed their vast array of color and dynamic. It was almost a synesthetic experience as the incredible music and interpretation transformed the whole audience and touched them in indescribable ways. 

Soloists Tyler Oliphant and Carol Ann Allred were fantastic. Sometimes overpowered by the orchestra in his lower register, Oliphant has a beautiful color that lends well to this dramatic piece. His experience on the opera stage seemed to inform his performance that was nothing less than perfect. Carol Ann Allred performed her movement with such sincerity, singing it almost as a lullaby. The text "you shall be comforted" felt so authentic coming from her as she soared above the orchestra with such ease, it was the music of angels.

Each movement felt like a whole concert of emotion by themselves. Most notably, the first, second and sixth movements really showed off the choir's capabilities. They can sing the softest passages with emotion and lyricism, and the loudest passages with such reverence. Allred is a true master of the choir and bringing out passion and emotion that no other choir of this size in Utah can compare to. 

Brady Allred and the Salt Lake Choral Artists will perform this work again for the Cathedral of the Madeline's Festival this May. I beg you to not miss this performance. This is Brahms' greatest music getting one of the greatest performances you will have a chance to hear. There are some performances that are heard or listened to, and others that are EXPERIENCED. This is of the latter. I sincerely hope you have an opportunity to experience such exquisite music performed so well. These kinds of concerts are why we have music! Bravo!

Requiem - Salt Lake Choral Artists

Saturday afternoon, Dr. Brady Allred and the Salt Lake Choral Artists (SLCA) organization presented Mozart's Requiem. A true community effort, Allred invited his own Youth Honor Choir from the SLCA, Paradigm High School, Bear River High School, and the American Preparatory Academy to come together to present one of the greatest choral masterpieces to ever be penned. This concert took place in Libby Gardner Concert Hall on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City.

Before this review is to continue, I feel a need to quickly say one thing about this concert that isn't in regard to the actual performance. It is really inspiring to see community efforts and collaborative work like in this concert. To see five or more ensembles together to create music is what music and community is about. From concerts and music, collaborations, and their Choral Academy, Brady Allred and the Salt Lake Choral Artists ought to be commended for their collaborative efforts and community involvement and outreach. Something I hope other organizations will do or continue to do, and all will continue to expand.

Accompanied by the Young Artist Chamber Players (conducted by Jack Ashton) and joined by guest soloists Tara Van Dusen Wardle, Valerie Hart Nelson, Tyler Nelson, and Christopher Holmes, Allred and his singers gave a stunning performance of this oft-performed masterpiece. Written practically on his death-bed and finished by one of his students, Mozart's Requiem is full of passion, nobility, fire, and balance. Each of the soloists were in fine form and executed the work excellently; they sounded strongest and best during the quartet movements as their voices balanced and complimented each other exquisitely.

Dr. Brady Allred

The Young Artists Chamber Players is a small ensemble of extremely talented young people. They handled Mozart's choir with delicacy and performed the music as veteran players. They were well prepared proving a delight to watch these young performers working with each other to interpret such fine music.

The real star of the program was Allred's well-prepared singers. Almost exclusively high-school aged students, they sounded like many university ensembles aspire to be. With a warm and mature sound, that didn't sound affected or forced, they sounded natural and rich. From the excitement and crispness of the "Introitus and Kyrie", the choir proved their range of colors had no limit to the high drama in the following legendary "Dies Irae." At times the work felt a bit laborious as it may be a little too long (nearly one hour in length) and tested some of the kids stamina, but movements like the "Confutatis" and "Sanctus" found new energy. It was hard to believe such young voices could evoke such a sound. Another slam dunk from Brady Allred and the Salt Lake Choral Artists organization.

This evening at 7:30 the Salt Lake Choral Artists will present Brahms' Requiem at Libby Garner Concert Hall.

A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration - Utah Symphony

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein are two of the most important individuals in the world of American musical theater Their legacy is unsurpassed and their stories and songs continue to touch the lives of millions. March 28th and 29th, the Utah Symphony bring some of their classic tunes to the Abravanel stage.

Lisa Vroman

To a sold-out audience, the Utah Symphony along with guests Lisa Vroman, Gary Mauer, and William Michals performed some classics and some lesser-know work of the legendary duo backed by the Utah Symphony Chorus and Jerry Steichen conduction. Steichen brought his usual charm he brings to the pops concerts and the three broadway soloists with impressive resumes had enough personality to fill the hall. Lisa Vroman, most memorable for her performance as Joanna in Sweeney Todd with the San Francisco Symphony, was adorable and personable, her voice is lovely and clear, if at sometimes a bit shrill. Her best moment was singing "High on a Hill" from The Sound of Music: her personality shone through as well as her vocal flexibility and versatility.

Also on stage was the Utah Symphony Chorus, though their presence was a bit pointless. They sang infrequently, and when they did, their passages were blandly performed and often full of mistakes with extensive balance problems. It would have been best to leave them out for this performance.

A high point of the night was when William Michals sang "Old Man River." An old favorite by many, Michals interpretation had little to offer in originality, but that was what made it so good. He sang it traditionally and let the rich color of his baritone voice shine that captivated the audience.

Finishing with some music from Oklahoma, the three soloists had great chemistry and did a excellent job of moving these works from the theater to the concert stage. All forces joined at the end to provide a climatic and powerful rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel.

Utah Symphony - Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

On March 8, 2014, Utah Symphony conducted once again by Mark Wigglesworth gave a stellar performance of three very different pieces.

The concert opened with a well-informed rendition of Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D Major. After an excellent evening of music making the previous week, Wigglesworth proved his diversity in capabilities as immediately following this classical work, he conducted Witold Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 4. The two pieces couldn't have been more different from each other. One classical and melodic, the other extremely modern and atonal. Both pieces were performed with precision and excellence typical of the symphony, but paired together, they were bizarre and ineffective.

This calls to attention to something reviewer Rebecca Howard mentioned the previous week when reviewing the Utah Symphony: programming. These three pieces did not belong on the same program together. They did nothing to enhance each other and it proved more of a distraction and deterrent than the daring concept it may have seemed. Though each piece was so wonderfully performed, so much was lost as well because of the bizarre pairings.

The second half of the concert was dedicated to a performance of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World." Most audiences are familiar with the melody of the second movement that attempts to resemble and American folk song or African-American spiritual and given the text "Goin' Home." Though the movement is exquisite on its own, it truly belongs a part of the larger work and it was a great reminder to see how the familiar is enhanced when it's in its original context. The symphony gave a wonderful and passionate performance, Mark Wigglesworth is a fine conductor and we were lucky to have him two weeks in a row.

University of Utah - University Combined Choirs

Saturday, March 1, 2014, the University of Utah School of Music presented a snap-shot of the work of its three choirs thus far. Each of the three choirs gave roughly a 20-minute performance highlighting their work thus far in the semester.

Fresh-off a performance with the Utah Symphony and Chorus, the A Cappella Choir, conducted by graduate student Eric Schmidt, entered Libby Gardner Concert Hall at the UofU and gave an encore performance of the "Kyrie" and "Gloria" of Mozart's "Trinity" Mass (KV 167). Schmidt had a clear yet minimal conducting style that proved effective for the choir as they relived the music, this time with even more enthusiasm and energy. Also conducting the A Cappella Choir were graduate students Sonja Sperling and Matt Robertson.

The Women's Chorus, conducted by Jessica Nápoles presented a varied program spanning many styles, something for everyone. The women sang "Lux Aeterna" by Z. Randall Stroope, accompanied on the organ. They had a mature sound and comprehension of the work that was their standout piece.

Ko Matsushita

Conducted by Dr. Barlow Bradford, and having performed Brahms' Requiem earlier this week with Utah Chamber Artists, the Chamber Choir finished the concert opening with a mystical and reserved performance of "O Quam Gloriosum" by Tomás Luis de Victoria. Bradford's interpretation was deliberate, cautious and poignantly executed, solidly establishing the Chamber Choir as the premier group and the University. Following that was Japanese composer Ko Matsushita's "O Lux Beata Trinitas," a marvelous, exhilarating and difficult work. Unfortunately the piece was ill-prepared with sloppy intonation and rhythm errors; and though eventually the group found it's footing again the piece never took off and recieved its resounding excitement.

Langston Hughes

For Black History month, Dr. Barlow Bradford programmed the first and last movements of Dark Like Me by French composer Thierry Machuel. A daring and intense work that invokes the text of Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr., the work utilizes speaking, whistling, and singing to create a fantastically original work. The choir was extremely well-prepared and sang with excellent precision and nuance for this complex and evocative work. Their performance was intriguing and flawless: each audience member completely engrossed in this incredible experience. I hope they intend to program the entire piece in the future, as it could provide a powerful experience to honor the great writer of the Harlem Renaissance and our rich African American History. I would love to see a collaboration with the Diversity Department to create a rich experience for students and audiences alike (admittedly revealing this reviewers high interest in African-American studies). This, along with the Matsushita, showed a daring turning point in the U's Chamber Choir to more modern and challenging works that we hope to see more of alongside the more traditional choral catalogue that they continue to share with their appreciative audience.

The concert concluded with two fine arrangements by Bradford, both incorporating his trademark for interesting rhythmic and harmonic originalities.

The next opportunity to see the University of Utah Choirs perform is April 2, 2014 for the Women's Choir Festival followed by a concert of the A Cappella Choir on April 7, both in Libby Gardner Hall at the University of Utah.

Utah Symphony and Alexander Melnikov - Grieg's Piano Concerto

This week at Abravanel Hall, Maestro Mark Wigglesworth took to the podium of the Utah Symphony and led a masterful concert of Grieg's Piano Concerto, Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius, and A Freak In Burbank by Albert Schnelzer.

Conducting this week and next is Mark Wigglesworth who was recently appointed music director of the English National Opera. Wigglesworth is a true veteran having conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra for years, as dozens of major orchestras throughout the world. The first piece of the evening was A Freak in Burbank. Inspired by the life of Tim Burton, Schnelzer's work was a hodgepodge of story-telling and musical homage to the popular film director. Rhythmically interesting, but never allowing a sense of resolution, the piece was interesting yet forgettable despite the symphony's excellent interpretation.

Joining the stage at Abravanel Hall was Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov. A terribly unassuming man, reluctant to take any applause for just himself, he is a genius at the keyboard. Grieg's Piano Concerto has been one of the world best-loved concerti since it's premier and Melnikov offered a performance of it that showed off the capabilities of the instrument as well as his own immense talent. The first movement, being exceedingly virtuosic, this mild-mannered man explored the full range of the keyboard in pitch and dynamic, sometimes bordering on the the "too-loud" spectrum. Melnikov had the audience in the palm of his hand during the cadenza and he teased us between the lightning fast runs and lyrical single-note melodies. Incredibly moving, Melnikov's interpretation of the second movement was so sincere and passionate many eyes in the hall began to well up with tears. Concluding the stunning final movement, Melnikov seemed unsatisfied to take credit for the remarkable performance alone and his sincere humility was exceptionally charming and rare given the unforgettable performance he gave. Melnikov is an incredible talent I hope to see returning to the Abravanel stage soon!

Symphony No. 2 in D Major by Jean Sibelius is one of the composer's most beloved work and regularly programmed at the Utah Symphony. Though one can be critical of Wigglesworth conducting technique, his interpretation of this monumental and familiar work could be surpassed by few! Conducting from memory, Wigglesworth provided a emotionally-informed interpretation that was stunning and moving. With a clear understanding of the work and Sibelius' folk-sounding melodies and his exquisite craftsmanship, the Maestro knew precisely how to illuminate each nuance and phrase turning this work from familiar to transcendental. Wigglesworth will continue to conduct the Symphony next week for Dvorak's "New World"Symphony, Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 4, and Mozart's Symphony No. 35. I implore you to attend these to hear the masterful interpretations of this remarkable musician.