Sunday evening, the new Magnificat Center for the Performing Arts in Rocky River was the venue for a concert of sacred music of Anton Bruckner, J.S. Bach and Heinrich Schutz, as performed by The West Shore Chorale & Orchestra, all conducted by John Drotleff.
If you’re unfamiliar with this organization, some 70 singers form the non-professional but well-trained chorus. The orchestra, on the other hand, consists primarily of local professional musicians, whose names will be familiar to Cleveland concert/opera attendees. Even in reduced numbers, as for this performance, they provide a sturdy foundation for the less-experienced singers. However, the singers have their own secret weapon—soprano soloist Judy Fesko, who has perfect pitch, serves as a human pitchpipe, and helps to hold the pitch steady when singing a cappella works.
Bruckner’s Mass in E minor was the main work on the program, for full chorus and seventeen instrumentalists—woodwinds and brass. Written in 1866, it was performed for the first time in 1869, with the composer conducting, and he thereafter revised the work at least twice more. At times it sounds like Bruckner, at other times it doesn’t. Then again, there are those segments in which the mini-forces sound like an organ, which is typical of this composer’s work. It seems almost strange to have what is almost a chamber work done by Bruckner, whose work usually resembles a Cathedral.
There were gorgeous harmonies played by the four horns or the three trombones. The Chorale sounded full and robust where needed, with confident entrances and splendid attention to dynamics. Mr. Drotleff set a brisk but not rushed tempo and maintained it with ease. A particularly lovely bassoon obbligato highlighted the Gloria. The English text was provided in the program book, as the Mass was sung in the original Latin.
The relatively short Motet V: “Come, Jesus, Come” by Bach, followed, in an a cappella version. It begins in dramatic fashion, then seems to accommodate most emotions one finds in life.
The version of Psalm 100 performed here was arranged by the conductor for choir with four winds (oboes and bassoons) and four brass (trumpets and trombones). This set up interesting dialogues between voices and instruments in ever-changing combinations. Again, too, the Chorale was confident, vibrant and marvellously attentive to both diction and dynamics.
Membership in the Chorale is open by audition to all singers in the Cleveland area; they perform several times a year, with varying admission fees. For more information call (216) 556-4368 or visit their web-site at: http://www.westshorechorale.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net (:divend:)