Reviews

Symphonicity: Of Love, Loss & The Divine
Featuring Music by Richard Moriarty
February 16, 2020, Sandler Center
Review by John Campbell

Conductor Daniel W. Boothe introduced the first piece, Little Fugue in G minor BWV 578 by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) arranged for orchestra. Originally written for organ, French-American clarinetist Lucien Calliet (1892-1985) set it so that the organ's role is taken by the whole orchestra. Structured around a simple G minor triad as the main melody, initially given to the clarinet, the counter subject is introduced later. This leads to a dance-like interplay as complexity builds. The main theme works through various keys contrasting with the second, displaying Bach's imaginative ability. Bach created music that was popular in his day and 300 years later, all of this in just four and a half minutes of glorious orchestral sound.

Next came music of loss, We That Wait, by Richard Moriarty (b. 1946), who chose poetry from the Civil War era, mostly by women writers and sung with clarity and emotional honesty by guest artist mezzo-soprano Emily Russell, embedded in music by this 90-member volunteer community orchestra.

When Dr. Rich Moriarty retired from his medical career he chose to honor his life-long love of music by completing an undergraduate and graduate degree in composition at Old Dominion University. He studied with Dr. Adolphus Hailstork who was recognized by Maestro Boothe when he introduced the composer. Moriarty currently works with the well-known American composer Richard Danielpour.

Ms. Russell was heard last year in Symphonicity's Verdi Requiem. A Norfolk native, Ms. Russell has been an active singer and teacher for over 15 years. She is currently Children's Chorus Master for Virginia Opera and performs there. The first song text was He Went as a Soldier by Emily Dickinson with texts projected above and behind the orchestra. The work opens with an ominous chord and closes with the same. Walt Whitman's Beat! Drums! Beat! with dissonant driven rhythms and grand brass moves to more lyrical passages then back to driven dissonances that underscore the sung text.

We that Parted, with text by Portsmouth native Ella Wren, states bleakly that memory cannot restore a happy past as the spare orchestration is filled with the chimes of a death knell. Her despair at the loss of her love is movingly expressed by Ms. Russell. Dickinson's poem They That Dropped Like Flakes likens them to rose petals in the seamless sea of grass in late spring. Only at the end is there a sense of arrival with God. After Great Pain (Dickinson) had stark musical images, grotesque but fitting the image of a person freezing to death: chill, stupor then letting go. It all ended on a long-held high note.

Somebody's Darling by Marie Ravenal de La Costa might have been overly sentimental but the composer used strident dissonance to evoke the moral horror of young men at war. Backed by the orchestra, the fierce passion in Ms. Russell's voice was amazing. In the closing song, Prayer for Peace, written by an anonymous lady of New Orleans, a sense of exhaustion permeates, with gentle music fashioned from weariness. In the final line the voice swells: “the land we dearly love” dies away and the music follows into stillness. Unfortunately the message of this music will always be relevant.

After intermission we heard music of love. Chorus master Dr. Nancy Klein and the 125 member chorus—Symphonicity Chorus and ODU Chorus—joined for Daphnis et Chloé-Suite No. 2 by Maurice Ravel. Daphnis was abandoned in the woods as a baby and raised by a kind goatherd as his own son. Chloé was also abandoned and raised by a kind shepherd. They meet and fall in love but she is kidnapped and Daphnis has to overcome many perils before they are reunited. Written as a Ballet Russe commission, we heard Suite No. 2 extracted by the composer from his complete score. The harmonies heard in the lush and perfectly crystal-clear orchestrations were glorious!

In “Daybreak” flickering woodwinds in upper registers suggest murmuring brooks as a melody rises from lower strings, swells then ebbs away. The colors become richer and deeper as we hear a harp glissando, a violin solo, celesta and woodwinds play rapturous music. The chorus intones “ahas” with great passion, as if brought forth from an ancient world of shepherds and nymphs. There are stunningly beautiful washes of sound celebrating human love. The music climaxes with full orchestra and chorus as the pair overcomes all hardships to unite in a glorious embrace.

The program closed with Gloria by English composer John Rutter (b. 1945) which allowed the chorus to shine in its dialogue with the orchestra. Brass and percussion offer an opening fanfare with sweet choral sound. In the program notes Lee Dise says: “Rutter likes using tiered entrances to build dissonances, only then to resolve them as quickly as they were built.”

In the Andante – Domine Deus woodwinds suggest birds singing in this meditative spring awakening section. As calm voices gain power they become a mighty force. A quiet soprano solo is added as the chorus continues in the “Miserere” with quirky orchestration. Sanctus begins, male voices and brass are added and with plucked strings a complex setting of “Amen” melts away and they sing again the opening "Excelsis” which repeats with intense high sopranos leading the mix of voices to a final Amen.

A most excellent musical afternoon!