Student singers from both Montclair State University and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia bolstered NJSO's latest performance
Unfinished business is always messy. The Requiem Mass in D-minor by Mozart, containing some of the most beautiful and best-known music in the classical repertoire, was left unfinished at his own death–meaning just how much of it is indeed his remains disputed. New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Music Director Xian Zhang addressed this in two ways on Thursday in the first performance of this weekend’s series of concert’s titled “Mozart’s Requiem.”
First she addressed it directly: stopping for a 20 second pause after the “Lacrimosa,” the final section that Mozart wrote–he died on the night of December 5, 1791 after writing the music to the words: “That day of tears and mourning when the ashes shall arise and all humanity to be judged.” This let the audience know roughly when Mozart’s creative work ceases and where the editorial (if not compositional) work of his friend, Franz Xaver Sussmayr comes into play.
The other way Zhang addressed this is by programming the commonly used Sussmayr version of the Requiem with three other choral works (including an earlier one by Mozart) to show that sacred music is usually more about the group rather than singular genius.
On hand to help Zhang make this point were student singers from both Montclair State University and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Zhang even shared podium duties: for Rheinberger’s 1855 “Abendlied” for a cappella chorus, the NJSO Maestra let Heather J. Buchanen, the Montclair Chorus director lead the concert. Under her baton, the brief, six-part a cappella number sounded both immediate and lovely. Buchanen also led the 70-strong chorus through Ben Parry’s 2012 “Flame” for a cappella chorus. In this piece, the lights in Prudential Hall were dimmed at the start of the five-minute work. As the vocal line (in English, but evocative of Gregorian chanting) progresses, the chorus members light individual candles until eventually the full group is holding one. Then as the piece neared its end, the singers began spreading from the back of the stage out towards the audience. Finally, as they sang the last notes and words, “So to light the world,” each singer raised the candle above their head. This theatrical element of the concert may have been why the diction was slightly less articulate and the phrasing not as crisp, but the effect was impressive–and made one want to hear more of Parry’s music.
After “Flame,” it was time for the Requiem–and regardless of how many people contributed to the version we hear today, it’s 48 minutes of first-class music. Zhang and her band employed no new playing techniques (special period instruments or wild tempi weren’t rolled out) or other interpretive elements, instead preferring a straight-forward approach that served the music and the student singers just fine. The opening “Introit” opened strong with the chorus in rich, clear voice. The “Kryie” chugged along, becoming a bit of an orchestral and vocal stew–but what what a stew! The “Dias Irae” was frenzied and genuinely hair-raising. The “Tuba mirum” featured fine singing from baritone Dogukan Kuran, and the titular trumpet was pleasant, if not perfect.
Kuran and his three other soloists were good throughout. Roy Hage’s light tenor was right for the role, but felt a bit pinched; but both Emily Pogorelc and Kendra Broom possessed voices with nice Mozartean gleams.
In introducing the concert, Zhang mentioned that the chorus and orchestra didn’t have much time rehearsing together. If this is true, one section that sounded like it got the lion’s share of practice was the aforementioned “Lacrimosa.” This passage showed sensitive phrasing by Zhang, beautifully articulated Latin sung by the chorus, and the balances of levels was nearly falwless: the symphonic and the vocal meshed together so that the best of each element could be heard in full.
As good as it was, it made this listener recall the brief Mozart motet that opened the concert: “Ave verum corpus.” This piece was written the same year as the Requiem, but has never been played by the NJSO before. It was sung and played as beautifully as was the “Lacrimosa.” Its five minutes could have been repeated and I doubt the NJPAC audience would have minded. Hearing this piece along with the unfinished Requiem made for good listening–and it also made a good point. Most music is collaborative, so its good to remember that good curation can be as important as great composition.
James C. Taylor can be reached writejamesctaylor@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.