Courtesy of the BSO.
This concert, the first in a series of holiday-themed programs, features soloists Sherezade Panthaki (soprano), Diana Moore (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Cooley (tenor), Enrico Lagasca (bass), and the Handel Choir of Baltimore (Brian Bartoldus, artistic director). The program consists of a cantata, a concerto, a concerto grosso, and a multi-movement musical setting of a popular hymn.
Maestro McGegan is a wonder to behold.
A cantata is a musical composition for voices and instruments that typically includes solos, duets, recitatives (sung similarly to speech), and chorus. First on this program was Cantata No. 1 from German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio.” Composed in 1734, this piece is subtitled “Jauchzet, frohlocket! Auf, preiset die Tage” (“Shout for joy, exult, rise up, save the day!”) The cantata starts with a long choral introduction followed by two scenes of three movements and a reading, reflecting the Biblical story of the Nativity according to the Gospel of St. Luke. For this program, the readings were omitted. The sung texts are in German. Translation is provided by surtitles on a screen above the orchestra. The Handel Choir, on risers behind the orchestra, projected very well and was attentive to the conductor. The members were well-rehearsed in their parts, especially as German is a difficult language to sing. All four soloists had parts in this piece. The male parts were small and required no scores held. Mr. Cooley’s bright tenor started the Nativity story. Ms. Moore, dressed in a blue sparkling gown, followed, entreating Zion to prepare for Christ’s birth. Mr. Lagasca’s solo was most impressive. His voice has a deep, warm, rich quality further enhanced by expressive facial and hand movements. Regretfully, both male soloists performed only in this first selection, which featured a noteworthy trumpet solo by principal Andrew Balio.
The next piece on this program was Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3”, one of six Brandenburg concerti he composed in 1721. A concerto is a musical composition for solo instrument(s) usually accompanied by an orchestra. The three movements use the tempo titles “allegro” (brisk) and “adagio” (slow, deliberate). In this case the three violinists, cellists, and violists, with the conductor on harpsichord, played without orchestral accompaniment. The players demonstrated exceptional technical and expressive skill, playing so rapidly that Maestro McGegan had to jump up at one point to turn a page of the score for the violinists. Concertmaster Jonathan Carney and Associate Concertmaster Holly Jenkins deserve special mention for their part in the “back-and-forth” playing against the other string players. Audiences may remember the opening movement as the theme for the original TV series “Antique Roadshow.” This movement was also used as a theme for the movies “Die Hard,” “Moll Flanders,” and “Hannibal.”
The second half of the program began with the “Concerto Grosso (Christmas Concerto)” of Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli, one of his 12 concerti grossi written in the 1680s but published posthumously in 1714. A concerto grosso is simply a concerto written for a larger number of instruments and contrasts soloists with ensemble playing. This concerto grosso has five movements titled with tempo markings, in this case the aforementioned “adagio” and “allegro” as well as “vivace” (very fast, lively), “grave” (very slow), and “pastorale” (evoking the beauty and tranquility of rural life). Featured soloists were Concertmaster Jonathan Carney, Associate Concertmaster Holly Jenkins, and Principal Cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski, all playing with skill and energy. Maestro McGegan is a wonder to behold. It is no small feat to conduct a choral group, instrumental soloists, and an ensemble while playing the harpsichord and referring to the score!
The final piece was the “Gloria” by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi. It is based on the fourth century A.D. Latin hymn “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” praising God and the birth of Christ, the title of which forms the chorus of the familiar carol “Angels We Have Heard on High.” It was written around 1715 for soloists, chorus, and orchestra and consists of 12 movements with Latin titles. The Handel Choir performed with gusto and impeccable pronunciation of Latin.
Their diction and enthusiasm for the music was remarkable. We were treated to a duet between Ms. Moore and Ms. Panthaki, both showing skillful attention to text and music. Ms. Panthaki, dressed in a full and flowing blue ball gown with lace shoulder shawl, sang “Domine Deus” with a gorgeous upper register, luscious and beautifully expressed in tonal quality. Audiences may also have heard this piece used in many films, e.g. “Pretty Woman”, “Shine”, “Runaway Train”, “Indecent Proposal”, and “The Hunter.”
The BSO has a full schedule of performances for the holidays. On weekends there is often delicious catered food of various kinds available for purchase as well as beer, wine, cocktails, and soda. Musical entertainment is often provided in the lobby before and after performances. It’s a lovely way to relax and enjoy your holiday!
Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.
“Spirit of the Season: Bach, Corelli, and Vivaldi” was presented on December 7, 2024, at The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda MD 20852, and on December 8, 2024, at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral Street, Baltimore MD 21201. For information on upcoming events and to purchase tickets, please call the Box Office in Baltimore at 410-728-8000 or in North Bethesda at 877-426-1444. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon – 5 p.m. The Box Office is also open for one hour before each performance and through intermission for walk-up sales.
