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Philadelphia Singers: Haydn and Mozart
Tom Purdom
The spirit of the corps lives on
TOM PURDOM
The Philadelphia Singers finished their 35th season with two time-tested, sure-fire hits from the core of their repertoire-- Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Solemn Vespers.
The Mass’s association with Admiral Nelson’s victory at the Battle of the Nile is apparently based on a misconception, but it’s a piece that could certainly be used to celebrate a military victory. Haydn even managed to make the text that describes the crucifixion sound affirmative. The Benedictus— "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord"— clearly announces the arrival of a hero, complete with trumpets and drums. The Dona nobis pacem may express a soothing hope for peace in other masses, but in this one it’s another excuse to bring out the brass and the timpani. The pacem under consideration is obviously a peace in which the right side won.
This is the second time I’ve heard Mozart’s Solemn Vespers this season, the other occasion being an eminently satisfactory performance by Valentin Radu’s Vox Ama Deus. As far as I’m concerned, local choral groups can program it as often as they feel the urge. It begins with four exuberant “Praise the Lord” sections in a row and follows them with one of Mozart’s finest soprano solos, the Laudate Dominium that comes just before the final Magnificat.
Mozart’s serene proclamation
For a passage like the Laudate, “Praise the Lord all ye nations,” a lesser composer might have composed one more all-out big chorus. Mozart handed the job to the soprano soloist instead and turned the text into a serene proclamation floating across the world. Then he doubled the reversal in the Magnificat, which normally goes to a soprano or mezzo who sings Mary’s response to the angel. Mozart’s setting contains some good stuff for the soprano, but it’s primarily a choral passage. "My soul doth magnify the Lord" becomes a communal, congregational statement, and the Vespers ends with another exuberant outburst.
David Hayes conducted both pieces with knowledgeable authority and a brisk pace. Of the eight soloists, James Stieber’s melodious bass and Heidi Kurtz’s work in the Laudate both deserve special mention.
Surviving an adjustment
The Singers have undergone a remodeling period and seem to be emerging intact. Their partnership with the Philadelphia Orchestra has become an important part of their schedule and gives them a more secure foundation. Next season, they’ll do seven programs with the Orchestra. Two of the concerts on their own schedule will also involve collaborations— one with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and the other, interestingly, with the Tempesta di Mare period-instrument orchestra. For their season finale, they’ll continue Hayes’s emphasis on modern music with works by Britain’s William Walton and America’s John Adams.
When I interviewed the Opera Company’s Robert Driver several years ago, he noted that Philadelphia is one of the few American cities in which an opera company can field the kind of chorus and orchestra that his company works with. Our local corps of free-lance musicians is one of Philadelphia’s most valuable assets— and the core of the corps dwells in the two groups on display at this concert: the Philadelphia Singers and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. The fact that both have managed to survive important changes in leadership is a good indication they may be permanent additions to our cultural life.
TOM PURDOM
The Philadelphia Singers finished their 35th season with two time-tested, sure-fire hits from the core of their repertoire-- Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Solemn Vespers.
The Mass’s association with Admiral Nelson’s victory at the Battle of the Nile is apparently based on a misconception, but it’s a piece that could certainly be used to celebrate a military victory. Haydn even managed to make the text that describes the crucifixion sound affirmative. The Benedictus— "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord"— clearly announces the arrival of a hero, complete with trumpets and drums. The Dona nobis pacem may express a soothing hope for peace in other masses, but in this one it’s another excuse to bring out the brass and the timpani. The pacem under consideration is obviously a peace in which the right side won.
This is the second time I’ve heard Mozart’s Solemn Vespers this season, the other occasion being an eminently satisfactory performance by Valentin Radu’s Vox Ama Deus. As far as I’m concerned, local choral groups can program it as often as they feel the urge. It begins with four exuberant “Praise the Lord” sections in a row and follows them with one of Mozart’s finest soprano solos, the Laudate Dominium that comes just before the final Magnificat.
Mozart’s serene proclamation
For a passage like the Laudate, “Praise the Lord all ye nations,” a lesser composer might have composed one more all-out big chorus. Mozart handed the job to the soprano soloist instead and turned the text into a serene proclamation floating across the world. Then he doubled the reversal in the Magnificat, which normally goes to a soprano or mezzo who sings Mary’s response to the angel. Mozart’s setting contains some good stuff for the soprano, but it’s primarily a choral passage. "My soul doth magnify the Lord" becomes a communal, congregational statement, and the Vespers ends with another exuberant outburst.
David Hayes conducted both pieces with knowledgeable authority and a brisk pace. Of the eight soloists, James Stieber’s melodious bass and Heidi Kurtz’s work in the Laudate both deserve special mention.
Surviving an adjustment
The Singers have undergone a remodeling period and seem to be emerging intact. Their partnership with the Philadelphia Orchestra has become an important part of their schedule and gives them a more secure foundation. Next season, they’ll do seven programs with the Orchestra. Two of the concerts on their own schedule will also involve collaborations— one with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and the other, interestingly, with the Tempesta di Mare period-instrument orchestra. For their season finale, they’ll continue Hayes’s emphasis on modern music with works by Britain’s William Walton and America’s John Adams.
When I interviewed the Opera Company’s Robert Driver several years ago, he noted that Philadelphia is one of the few American cities in which an opera company can field the kind of chorus and orchestra that his company works with. Our local corps of free-lance musicians is one of Philadelphia’s most valuable assets— and the core of the corps dwells in the two groups on display at this concert: the Philadelphia Singers and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. The fact that both have managed to survive important changes in leadership is a good indication they may be permanent additions to our cultural life.
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