Outstanding Performance of Colossal Choral Work
By GEORGE B. PAROUS
Johannes Brahms said it best – “Study Bach. There you will find everything.”
And in his Mass in B minor, Johann Sebastian Bach managed to add a little touch of just about all things musical. “Classically musical,” of course, but it’s hard to imagine that just about anyone might fail to find impressive spots in the colossal mass heard last night. It’s a work that requires great stamina on the part of all performers involved, and that Resonance Works is performing it once, much less on three consecutive evenings, is quite remarkable. But, again, the ensemble proved that if remarkable is required, that’s what it will deliver. The chorus, orchestra and vocal soloists last night, under the direction of Maria Sensi Sellner, gave a highly commendable performance that left a large audience recalling the conductor and soloists with genuinely hearty applause.
L-R Matthew Scollin, Maria Sensi-Sellner, Joe Hernandez, Timothi Williams, Charlene Canty
Bach composed the first part of his Missa in 1733, dedicating it to Augustus II, the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, who had died earlier in the year. As the program notes, Bach, a Lutheran Protestant, continued (for reasons unknown) to add to the eventual full Roman Catholic Mass, for over a decade. The mass in its entirety wasn’t performed until 1859, more than a century after Bach’s death, although sections were heard during his lifetime and beyond, making it the choral standard it remains till this day.
No attempt will be made to comment on each section of the one hundred plus minutes of music heard last night. Again, borrowing from the program: “Johann Sebastian Bach’s profound and magnificent Mass in B Minor is the summation and culmination of a life’s work. The Resonance Chamber Orchestra, Festival Chorus, and an impressive cast of soloists bring this magnum opus to three inspiring spiritual spaces across the Pittsburgh region – a fitting and triumphant note to close this tenth anniversary season and welcome Resonance Works’ future.” If the writer of these words steps forward, due credit will be added.
There are too many parts, truthfully, to break down individually; but what cannot be pre-printed in a program or on a website is the performance of the orchestra, chorus and vocal soloists. If the impression has been given that the work is overly long, this isn’t the case, but the stamina required throughout on the parts of all is quite remarkable. The Resonance Chamber Orchestra, under Maria Sensi Sellner’s guiding hand, can always be counted on for a sterling performance, and last night’s was no exception to the happy rule. Ms. Sellner, resplendent as usual and in fine form, calmly led the orchestra through the remarkable score. Barely a note went awry, and the few that did might have been acoustic related, since moving to various pews mellowed the orchestra’s tone significantly.
The chorus of about thirty voices was well balanced in numbers of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. The tone was well balanced also, with the sopranos and altos only occasionally displaying a slight advantage over their darker voiced companions. Again, this may have been location related, since the group had clearly rehearsed their parts thoroughly. Any time a chorus can keep such time and tune the results are thrilling. The most remarkable detail of their performance was the fact that “Et resurrexit” (He rose again), well into the program, was one of the livelier passages of the evening, and “Et expecto” (I believe), quite near the finish, was some of the most beautifully done ensemble work to send a thrill down a spine in quite some time. It seemed as if, when the chorus should have been running out of steam, they sounded as if they were just getting warmed up.
If one were to find fault with Bach’s mass, nearly all the solos are too short, but a remarkable list of artists makes for an impressive lineup, with some familiar faces and voices on display and some new ones, too. It was a treat to hear Matthew Scollin again, his resonant bass-baritone voice and crystal-clear diction as fine as ever. Lara Lynn McGill, soprano, was another unforgettable voice heard too briefly, as was Katy Williams, another gifted soprano. Pittsburgh Opera patrons will remember tenor Javier Abreu, heard in a solo and duet. Two mezzo-sopranos, Timothi Williams and Thespina Christulides, are making themselves familiar to local audiences. Charlene Canty, soprano, was another voice we would happily have listened to more of, as was soprano Amelia D’Arcy.
Last night’s performance took place at the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. Tonight’s performance begins at 7:30 at the Coraopolis Methodist Church, and tomorrow’s, same time, at the Heinz Chapel in Oakland. The program is highly recommended, and tickets for either of the remaining performances may be purchased online by clicking either of the links included or by visiting the beautifully designed Resonance Works website.
“Study Bach. There you will find everything.”
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