Tonight is my last choral performance in Ann Arbor. For the past several years, I've been singing with the UMS Choral Union, a large community group that is probably best-known for annual concerts of Handel's Messiah and performances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. There have been wonderful experiences – being part of Leonard Slatkin's debut as principal conductor of the DSO (Carmina Burana), singing Mozart's and Verdi's and Brahms' Requiem, performing On the Transmigration of Souls under the baton of John Adams himself – and plenty of frustrations. I'm assuming that I won't be singing in a regular capacity next year, what with the awkward transition to New York and getting settled into the new job. So I want to go out with a bang tonight!
Tonight's performance is intellectually interesting to me. It's an operatic version of Aeschylus' trilogy of tragedies that we call the Oresteia. It was composed by Darius Milhaud, a friend of Stravinksy's, in Paris between 1913-1927. This is the first full performance of the full cycle outside of Europe and will be recorded live for commercial release by Naxos. Some of Milhaud's choices I love (Athena is played by a trio of women, so there's always a halo of sound around her words); some I find baffling (when L'Agamemnon begins, Clytemnestra has already killed Agamemnon).
This piece is hard. The French moves quickly, the intervals are challenging, and even when we get it right, it sounds weird. And the pressure's really on! Milhaud's son has come to Ann Arbor for the show, and whatever we can't get right will be immortalized on the recording. The last time this group of choirs/orchestra/conductors were recorded by Naxos for a different project, in 2005, they won four (obscure) Grammy awards! Hopes were high for this project as well, I think, until rehearsals this week began. Not to put too fine a point on it, we were unprepared, and everyone became discouraged. We've redoubled our efforts, so I hope it goes well tonight. Wish us luck!
This piece is hard. The French moves quickly, the intervals are challenging, and even when we get it right, it sounds weird. And the pressure's really on! Milhaud's son has come to Ann Arbor for the show, and whatever we can't get right will be immortalized on the recording. The last time this group of choirs/orchestra/conductors were recorded by Naxos for a different project, in 2005, they won four (obscure) Grammy awards! Hopes were high for this project as well, I think, until rehearsals this week began. Not to put too fine a point on it, we were unprepared, and everyone became discouraged. We've redoubled our efforts, so I hope it goes well tonight. Wish us luck!
wow, talk about going out with a bang! when will we get a chance to listen to the recording?? :D i love that your last performance with the group is based on classical texts-- so fitting! really a special memory. break a leg!!
ReplyDeleteyes, so fitting! and so exciting :)
ReplyDeletei miss you already though we saw each other just a few weeks ago, which is a blink in katie-julie time! *hugs and kisses*
I hope all the hard work pays off in a great recording!
ReplyDeletePost-concert aftermath: well, it wasn't exactly a stunningly perfect performance. Actually, a ton of people left at intermission. HAHAHA! I think we were probably too ambitious to take on this project with mainly amateur/student musicians/choirs. However, I do think it was really neat to try something so different and so challenging. It's only BECAUSE we're students/volunteers who don't have to sell out every performance to avoid bankruptcy that we're able to take these kinds of risks. Fortunately for the recording (though not for my sanity), we have 19 hours of recording sessions this weekend to "patch" the entire thing. ;)
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA! you seriously crack me up...
ReplyDelete