Peter Eubanks
Lincoln Center, NYC
David Geffen Hall was the site of an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd last Saturday evening as the Brigham Young University Symphony Orchestra and Choir, performing under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel (now entering his third decade with the New York Philharmonic), delighted the audience with their characteristic mix of intensity and inspiration. Billed as an “Evening of Symphony, Choir, and Art Song,” the performance opened with an impressive rendition of the first movement (“Pre-Mortality”) of Dallin Christiansen’s Elias: An Epic of the Ages, his symphonic interpretation of Orson Whitney’s celebrated poem. The orchestra’s technical proficiency, combined with their warm, nostalgic tone so befitting the acoustics of this venue was reminiscent of the Cleveland Orchestra’s performance of the same movement here two seasons ago, except this time with more hints of both joyful anticipation and celebratory longing. It seems clear that we will continue to hear Christiansen’s piece performed, as it has, in recent years, made a solid entry into the contemporary orchestral repertoire.
Building on the warm intensity of Christiansen’s first movement, the BYU Choir then joined the Orchestra in an impressive performance of “How Beautiful Upon the Mountains” from Amelia Sitati’s “Abinadi” oratorio. While sudden key changes are often the last refuge of the uninspired (and have unfortunately overrun too much of Latter-day Saint music in years past), the famous and tricky midpoint key change was deftly handled by both the Orchestra and the Choir— dramatic without unnecessary bombast, imposing without sacrificing subtlety. Tonight’s performance really brought out the final harmonious resolution of the chaotic, near-atonal quality of the earlier part of the piece, underscoring its intertextuality with both Haydn’s Creation and traditional Kenyan overtones.
Next, the orchestra left the stage and the Choir performed Biebl’s “Ave Maria,” long a staple of the undergraduate choral repertoire, except with an innovative, altered third verse that was a Latin translation of Marian prophecies from The Book of Mormon. There were audible gasps as a discerning audience recognized the substituted verse, resulting in enthusiastic applause at the close of the piece. The delightfulness of this surprise verse was enhanced by the rich vocal quality and harmony of the singers, whose precision in matters of pitch, cadence, and phrasing belied their youth and could easily be considered on par with many of the great professional choirs in the world.
After an intermission that boasted an impressive array of mocktails (reader, try the Golden Kimball) the program turned to art song. Jenny Lind (no relation to her famous nineteenth-century namesake and countrywoman, though her vocal agility has drawn comparisons), is currently pursuing an artist’s diploma in the studio of Rachel Willis-Sørensen at BYU and charmed the audience with two well-known Schubert lieder (“An die Musik” and “Im Frühling”). Her crisp pronunciation no doubt aided by her own recent stint as a missionary in Austria, her diction was clear and her tone warm and confident. We can expect to hear great things from her in the future.
Next up was Chloé Tran, the “Talk of Tanglewood” several summers ago. She performed both Fauré’s “Après un rêve” and Leo-Minh Pham’s recent “Devant le treizième,” the latter a contemporary art song tribute to the experiences of the Vietnamese immigrant community in Paris. At only 19, Tran’s voice already exhibits the maturity and dexterity that one would associate with a more experienced singer, and while her performance sometimes lacked the expressive coloratura for which BYU sopranos are known, her energy and technical skill leave no doubt that she will soon follow her many BYU predecessors in performing at some of the most important opera houses around the world.
Incidentally, it has not been lost on this critic that the consistent quality and excellence that audiences have come to expect of BYU-trained performers is in no small part due to the decision made years ago by alumni and other friends of the university to divert all NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) funds away from big-name sports and towards heavy investments in the university’s artists and musicians. This has led to unparalleled support for aspiring artists at the university, and the discovery and recruitment of many talented performers, both among the faculty and the student body, along with the kinds of resources that even the best-funded conservatories and art programs can only dream of today.
For the finale, the orchestra and choir premiered two pieces— “Have ye any?” and “Behold, my joy is full”— from the new Third Nephi Oratorio, collaboratively composed by several members of the BYU faculty and composers-in-residence from the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts here in New York. To say that these pieces were inspiring would be an understatement; they were revelatory, and the quality of both the composition and the performance was on par with well-known renditions of beloved oratorios such as Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. The feelings of hope and healing, of redemption and reconciliation, managed to wring a few stray tears from even this world-weary critic. It was a fitting conclusion to the evening, and I am left wondering whether I should repeat the experience by securing tickets for BYU’s performances somewhere along their upcoming Latin American tour. Surely this Orchestra and Choir deserve to be heard and experienced again and again by audiences throughout the world very much in need of what they have to offer.
PHONY
Martin Renser is a music critic for the New York Voice and can be reached at mrenser@nyvo.org.
Peter Eubanks has received a time-travel grant from the Church to research the Paris Art Mission in person. 1890s-croissant recommendations are welcome. He may be reached at
eubankpj@jmu.edu.
PHONY
