Weekend’s Emily Norman Davidson Memorial Concerts an Aural Delight
By George B. Parous
The Chatham Baroque ensemble and their guest artists made good on the promise of a pair of lovely concerts this weekend, when they presented as the main attraction Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s musical setting of Stabat Mater, the 13th century Christian hymn to Mary. A sure sign of a well chosen and arranged concert program is providing listeners with ninety minutes of musical pleasure that passes in seemingly half that time. And that was the impression made on the large and appreciative audience in the magnificent East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Saturday evening.
Many composers have set the piece to music, with perhaps Gioachino Rossini’s being among the better known today, but entirely different in style. Pergolesi (1710-1736), an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and organist, accomplished a great deal in his short and difficult life, creating the music heard this weekend in the final months of his battle against tuberculosis. In his Stabat Mater, Pergolesi shows that, despite his youth, he was a master of the Italian baroque durezze e ligature style, “characterized by numerous suspensions over a faster, conjunct bassline,” as the music scholars would have it. The popularity of the style kept the piece continually in print throughout the 18th century, and is by all means worth revisiting in this, the 21st.
Chatham Baroque welcomed a number of guest artists for the concerts. Joining Andrew Fouts (violin), Patricia Halverson (alternating violone and viola de gamba), and Scott Pauley (archlute), were Cynthia Black (violin), a very much in demand performer and teacher from the Bay Area; Kristen Linfante (viola), who started working on her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Julliard at 14, and who has played with orchestras from San Francisco to Sicily, and Adam Pearl (chamber organ), an award-winning early keyboard specialist with an extensive and impressive resume. The guest vocalists were acclaimed Canadian operatic and concert soprano, Pascale Beaudin, and countertenor Reginald Mobley, an American with extensive opera and concert experience at home and abroad.
The program was arranged so that the soloists might be introduced before the main event, an excellent idea made even better by ideal selections for that purpose. Esteban Salas y Castro’s Taedet animam meam (“My soul is weary of my life”) was first up, serving as a fine example for the display of Mr. Mobley’s rich alto tones, and even a brief hint that support in his lower register appears to be solid as well. His voice rang through the vast spaces of the church quite effectively through the rest of the evening. Ms. Beaudin then sang a lovely rendition of Purcell’s The Blessed Virgin’s Expostulation. Her voice has a silvery bell-like quality, and both singers met with applause that rang with quite an echo through the colossal expanses of the church.
Marini’s Passacaglia à 4 – Op. 22 followed, an arrangement for instrumentalists only – and it must be said that the virtuosity of the Chatham Baroque ensemble and their guest artists came like a breath of the spring that simply won’t get here and stay. The playing of all provided enchanting support throughout the evening, and, as is always the case with this group, while most of the pleasure is absorbed through the listening ears, it’s impossible to miss their enthusiasm, their skill, and their sheer joy which occasionally flashes in a facial expression, or a particularly bravura gliding of a bow. They are a pleasure to watch as well as to hear. Their guests Saturday evening seemed perfectly at home, playing with the same delightful dexterity and devotion.
The Latin text of Stabat Mater has been credited to Jacopone da Todi, an Italian Franciscan friar, or possibly Pope Innocent III. The title comes from its first line, “Stabat Mater dolorosa,” or “the sorrowful mother was standing.” Ms. Beaudin and Mr. Mobley gave splendid renditions of the twelve movements of the work, each named after the first few words of the text, and consisting of seven duets, three alto arias and two soprano arias. All were delivered with great beauty of tone, but Cuius animam gementem (“Through her weeping soul”) by Ms. Beaudin, Eia Mater, fons amoris (“O Mother, fountain of love”) by Mr. Mobley, and Inflammatus et accensus (“Inflame and set on fire”), by both singers, especially caught my attention. The audience remained in total silence until the final “Amen” had sounded, since the performance, fortunately, was being recorded. Then there was resounding applause and a couple of recalls for the performers.
The evening had started with some welcoming remarks from WQED’s Anna Singer. She reminded us that the final concert of Chatham Baroque’s season will come on the last day of this month, when East of the River Hamsa will receive two performances at Chatham Baroque’s new “home” – Hicks Memorial Chapel, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, East Liberty.
She also reminded us that the glorious music we were about to hear was dedicated to the memory of violinist Emily Norman Davidson (1967-2003), a co-founding member of Chatham Baroque, who helped establish the ensemble in 1990. Cancer tragically claimed her at the age of 36. The concert was repeated Sunday afternoon.
We will wish Chatham Baroque the best of luck in their new home – and be there on April 30.
Categories: Reviews
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