Choral Arts' Rachmaninov "Vespers'

The Rachmaninov Vespers would probably disappoint listeners who associate Rachmaninov with razzle-dazzle orchestral works. There's nothing flashy about the Vespers. It's simply a glowing example of beautiful choral writing, with appropriate settings for all its texts.

The great liturgical works in the Latin/Roman Catholic tradition tend to be sturdy and monumental, with big choruses that awe us with their size and grandeur. But Rachmaninov maintains the Russian tradition of dark, flowing settings.

When he wants to communicate exuberance and exaltation, he shifts to faster tempos and rolling, Slavic rhythms. His "Glory to God" passages sound like the kind of thing that exuberant Cossacks might sing as they ride across the steppes.

Mary sung by men

The Vespers is dotted with all the unexpected touches that distinguish great composers from their less creative rivals. In the Magnificat, for example, Mary's first words are sung by the basses, not by the women. In the third section, the tenors join with the altos and create an effect that resembles a chorus of male altos from the Baroque era.

Other sections suggest the tolling of bells or associate a sense of mystery with words that would normally be given joyful music.

The Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on the Parkway initiated a concert series last season, and the Vespers made an ideal opener for the new season. The Cathedral hasn't been a major concert site in the past, but it provides an optimum venue for liturgical works composed for big churches with long reverberation times.

The Cathedral's visual ornamentation reflects the Latin, rather than the Eastern, Christian tradition. But its carvings and sacred spaces placed the Vespers in an appropriate context.

Lost in translation

Still, a setting is only a framework. The Vespers requires a conductor with a sensitive understanding of liturgical music and a chorus staffed by skilled vocalists who are willing to invest the work it demands. Under Matthew Glandorf's leadership, Choral Arts Philadelphia once again proved that it can provide both elements.

The Vespers is primarily a choral work, but it includes brief parts for two solos. Jennifer L. Smith contributed a beautiful, flowing alto to the solo that dominates the second movement Bless the Lord o My Soul. David Price had a more limited role, but his dark, intense tenor always adds extra shading to everything he sings.

The Russian language presents problems for choristers who normally sing in Latin and Western European languages. Although I'm told that the chorus members devoted significant time and labor to their Russian diction, I still had trouble hearing the Russian texts. That can be a frustrating problem when you're trying to correlate the music with the English translation.

Cheat sheet

Fortunately, Glandorf provided a concise description of each section that helped those of us with easily confused minds stay oriented. You knew you were in Section Three when you heard recurring Alleluias because Glandorf's cheat sheet advised you that each verse from the First Psalm would be followed by an Alleluia from the whole chorus.

One should always give thanks, in or out of church, for managements that provide such thoughtful extras.