February 8, 2010

Review: Songs of a Wayfarer

Ensemble grasps interplay of life, death
By Jennifer Hambrick
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

We struggle through this earthly life. Will we truly rest in peace? And if so, when?

These questions shared the stage late night with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, baritone Christopheren Nomura, ProMusica Music Director Timothy Russell and compositions by Mahler, Bach and Mozart at the Pontifical College Josephinum's St. Turibius Chapel.

The chiaroscuro of life and death is a trope in Mahler's music, one that makes so much of his music so achingly beautiful. The musicians captured every nuance of this light and shadow in their performance of Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer, with Arnold Schoenberg's arrangement for chamber ensemble.

Nomura's rich, supple voice conveyed the despair of unrequited love in Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht, the joy of spring in Ging heut' Morgen uber's Feld, and the passion of jealousy in Ich hab' ein gluhend Messer.
Story continues below
Advertisement

In the cycle's final song, Die zwei blauen Augen, Nomura, Russell and the ensemble captured the heartache that takes hold when hope dies, and the conclusion of Mahler's song text -- that death can release one from that pain -- through beautiful phrasing and a shimmering kaleidoscope of color.

Bach's cantata Ich habe genug picked up where the Mahler left off. In performing this work, composed for the Lutheran Church, Nomura gave impeccable dramatic shape to the protagonist's journey in faith: from his contentment with salvation through faith, to his disavowal of earthly strife, to his longing to be taken in death to the promised land of the heavenly kingdom.

After so much pondering of death, the orchestra embraced life with Mozart's ebullient Symphony No. 29. The first movement, Allegro moderato, bubbled with lightness and beauty. The orchestra sang the great lyric composer's melodies in the Andante with simplicity and grace, danced through the jaunty Menuetto, and skipped through the lilting finale -- sounding glorious all the way.