Symphony brings songs of tribute, lamentation

by Judith Reynolds
Special to the Herald

November 17, 2009 - When Arthur Post programmed one of Johannes Brahms' warmest choral pieces between two chilling, high-voltage fantasies, he must have been possessed. Like the darkness that lurks beneath many European folk tales, Sunday's San Juan Symphony concert, "From the Old Country," held its share of danger - musically and emotionally.

The second concert under this season's banner, "Once Upon a Time," turned to the shadow side of musical storytelling. The concert opened with a rarely heard Russian work about a devilish little kitchen witch, then turned to a gorgeous lament about untimely death and concluded with an excerpt from an enormous cantata based on the theme of fratricide. Heavy lifting.

Well, Arthur the sorcerer's flight of imagination paid off. Fresh to most ears and musically challenging, Sunday's program was not only mesmerizing but also definitely for grown-ups.

Anatoly Liadov's "Kikimora" served as an overture. Composed in 1909 by a troubled, neurotic Russian, it was destined to be part of a large-scale fairy-tale opera, but the big work never materialized. Still, "Kikimora" remains a miniature gem. Full of sonic flashes and bare-knuckle stops, Liadov's piece featured many soloists in high-wire flourishes. The nine-minute piece flew by like the malicious little spirit it described and ended with a dash of piccolo spit high in the air.

In contrast to this full-of-beans bit of musical mischief, Brahms "Nänie" filled the hall with long soaring lines and lush colors. Post dedicated the piece to the late Durango Herald Chairman and Editor Morley Ballantine and led the orchestra and Durango Choral Society, ably prepared by Linda Mack-Berven, as if the piece was a prayer.

The German title derives from a Latin reference to ancient Roman songs of lamentation. But this late Romantic work brimmed with warmth and celebration, reminiscent of the composer's great German Requiem. Like that formidable piece, sadness turned to exaltation.

Given Brahms' rich orchestration, the orchestra easily could have submerged the singers, but Post maintained a clean balance.

Credit the singers for clearly articulating Schiller's German text throughout, not to mention all those pesky Brahmsian transitions - smooth as waves on a quiet beach.

After intermission, Post drastically changed the mood with a gigantic work by a youthful Gustav Mahler. Composed when the magician of late Romanticism was only in his teens, "Forest Legend" may be labeled a cantata for large chorus, soloists and an extended orchestra, but on Sunday, it became a 32-minute dream of grand opera. When did you last, or ever, see a concert version of a Mahler opera at the Community Concert Hall?

Post chose to perform only Part I of the composer's three-part cantata, "Das Klagende Lied" ("The Song of Lamentation"). Based on various European folk tales, the text was written by Mahler himself and essentially centered on fratricide.

Post warned the audience that the concert would end on a dark note yet told the full story for context. In summary, there is a challenge, a quest and an act of murder: An evil man kills his innocent brother - Cain and Abel all over again.

The work began with a barely audible timpani pulse beneath seemingly distant horns, the call of fate as storytellers would have it. By the time the full orchestra came in, a sonically ominous atmosphere established a tragic mood. Alternating as narrators, tenor Christopher Bengochea, bass-baritone Steven Meredith, soprano Gemma Kavanagh and the chorus sang the tale forward.

It was not all darkness; Kavanagh's elegant soprano illuminated a beautiful dream section where the young brother falls asleep in the forest. But that was followed quickly by Mahler's gift for menacing music, symbolizing the evil brother's approach and a climax exploding with violence.

Post guided the musicians through all these drastic changes, keeping a firm control over the tempi and recharging everyone after dramatic retards. The piece came to a mournful close as the dead man lay under a willow now weeping - a quiet, low communal cry sung by male chorus.

To say this concert was unusual is an understatement. To say it was musically rich is more accurate.

http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/A&E/2009/11/17/Symphony_brings_songs_of_tribute_lamentation/