GSA: Lirum, Lirum Dr. Stephen Coxe designed a musical evening around the 16th century madrigal Lirum, Lirum. Arranged by David Giardiniero (2007) after English Composer Thomas Morley (1557-1602), it has a modern text that retains the ancient meaning)—praise to the Christ Child and to the cast of characters around his birth. The lightness, even joy of the word lirum is the focus here. Dr. Coxe built a program of seldom heard music related to the holiday season. "Lirum" refers to a lyre; some say it refers to a hurdy gurdy (a Medieval stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings.) and some say it's equivalent to the phrase "fa, la, la." Some twenty-eight student instrumentalists played violin, viola, cello, bass, oboe, bassoon, trumpet and timpani. A chorus of thirty-eight offered an experience of wonderful music at the Monticello Arcade. Singers ringed the second floor balcony above the orchestra at floor level. Coxe conducted from the harpsichord. The arcade has a lively, open acoustic reminiscent of a small cathedral with the first floor area behind the orchestra all decked out with trees and lights. The opening was Sinfonia to "La Statira" in C Major (1726) by Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751), whose themes were later used by Bach. With high spirits the opening Allegro movement was followed by the quiet, measured tread of the Andante that led into the grand outburst of the Allegro that gave full voice to the trumpets, oboes, bassoon and timpani. Coxe seemed to levitate from his seat at the harpsichord, bouncing in time. Without pause the strings burst forth O Praise the Lord with One Consent HWV 254. The singing was glorious in G.F. Handel (1685-1759) Chandos Anthem No. 9. GSA alumnus Ted J.C. Thomas added those rich, deep tones. Next came O Come, O Come Emmanuel arranged by Paul Langford (1991) with the tender, youthful voices, delicate like spring water for a thirsty afternoon. The featured soloists were Riah Lubansky, Savannah Stephens, with Sophia Bourcier, Sophie Hill, Nalani Las Marias, Morgan Mottley, Jolie Ragin, Aurora Sauer. These young women also sang Lirum, Lirum reviewed in my opening paragraphs. Cicut Cervus (1604) was composed by Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina (c.1525-1599). More very old music with a very brief text: "Like as the hart (young, female deer) desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God." (1611 KJ Psalm 42:1). Abigale Bodvake, Olivia Lawrence, Avery Eure and Sienna Dennis joined Sophia Bourcier, Sophie Hill and Jolie Ragin, with Robert Evans, Xavier Thomas and Devin White creating the vocal balance in this refined musical style that offered us a comforting melody. Al HaNisim (2006), a prayer for Hanukkah and Purim by Rochelle Potak and Bob Emerman, offers thanks to God for miracles, mighty acts, victories and past wonders for this time of year. The excellent soloists were Morgan Mottley and Jolie Ragin. Then followed a World Premiere of a song by conductor Coxe written in 2023: Rise up, my love, sung by sixteen, young female voices to text from Song of Solomon 2: 10-13: "For lo, the winter is past...flowers appear...singing of birds is come..." We heard "beautiful" spoken by an audience member seated behind us. A perfect response! Next came Myn lyking (1912) a fifteenth-century text set as a folk tune by Richard Terry (1865-1938). Terry was an English organist, conductor, composer and scholar who raised standards of choral singing to new heights. He was knighted in 1922. The chorus and chamber orchestra with soloists Sophia Bourcier, Nalani LasMarias and Aurora Sauer sang the song baby Jesus' mother sang at his birth: "Lullay my dere herte, myn own dere derling," joined by angels. The strings were beautiful. The grand finale included an original choral song from 1567, Psalm 2 "Third Tune" by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585). This was followed by Ralph Vaughan Williams' well-known Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1919) for chamber orchestra. The closing songs were from Handel's Messiah (1741) If God be for Us and the most glorious Worthy is the Lamb/Amen. The Hallelujah Chorus comes at the end of Part II and Handel composed an equally marvelous closing piece for Part III: "Blessing and honor, glory and power...for ever and ever. Amen." It was powerful music with the most sublime strings with soprano voices. The sound expanded, then solo violin spoke and the chorus rumbled with the orchestra, building layers of excitement and we were bathed in the spectacular sound.
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Conductor Eric Jacobson conducted an orchestra that included instrumentalists from the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Old Dominion University Symphony Orchestra and the Governor's School for the Arts Symphony Orchestra. In a one-hour performance we heard Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No. 4 without pause. The symphony's fourth movement includes a musical setting of a poem Das Himmlische Leben (The Heavenly Life) from Das Knaben Wunderhorn (The Young Boy's Magic Horn). The three earlier movements were designed around this long and joyful folk song, sung in the fourth. The light mood of this fourth symphony is in contrast to Mahler's three earlier symphonies. It is more refined and subtle in expression and techniques and lacking barnstorming climaxes and extremes of emotion. Mahler expressed beauty through nature with sleigh bells and bird calls through his flirtatious melody. He uses all the instrumental voices in chamber-like statements woven together with full orchestral sections, always creating something new and enticing, like a delicate dance on a perfect spring day. The two themes in the first movement are pure lyricism, like Schubert with spontaneity. The first theme is heard on violins. The second, preceded by a horn call, is given to cellos. The orchestration begins simply and moves into more complexity. Sometimes it sounds impressionistic when over the piccolo and bases the flute plays a serene melody. Then the melody develops in a dissonant fashion with high notes in clarinets that are answered by muted trumpets and cymbals. The second movement opens with a horn call followed by an eerie tune in the violin like a village fiddler heard at a distance. The middle trio is in a merry mood. In the third movement we get a broad, stately theme in low strings. In the fourth movement there were moments of urgency by the full orchestra that were soon replaced by the overall joy expressed in the song text found in the program booklet. It is a playful take on heavenly pleasures. Without tumult there is dancing even though the little lambs "go to the butcher Herod." Wine, good vegetables, apples, pears and grapes are there with deer and rabbits and on fasting days the fish swim up to us with joy. Saint Peter catches them and Saint Martha is the cook. Whimsical! Cecilia and her relatives are court musicians and angelic voices bring joy. The bows at the end included the three conductors: Amanda Gates, GSA; Paul Sanho Kim, ODU; Eric Jacobs, VSO; as well as singer Kathryn Kelly of voluptuous voice and sweet, sunny disposition. In this most important community outreach program titled a "Side-by-Side" concert, the students of GSA and ODU had the thrilling experience of one-on-one contact with professional players on their chosen instrument. The Ludwig Diehn Fund at ODU made possible the use of the acoustically excellent Sandler venue. The program booklet's cover was four vividly colorful portraits of Gustav Mahler in the style of Andy Warhol's famous lithograph of Marilyn Monroe. Who could ask for more? |