Reviewer: Connor S. Rousseau
Venue: The Temple Theatre
The Temple Theatre hosted the “Titans of Music” on the chilly afternoon of April 26. Two compositions by renowned composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were part of the afternoon’s program.
Understanding the meaning behind the movements’ Latin titles is necessary to appreciate the works themselves. The program included an insert with the English translations for the choir’s singing, which applied to Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy as well as Mozart’s Requiem. Beginning with Beethoven, his Choral Fantasy was a unique combination of solo piano mixed with the entire ensemble. In many places, the piano would play the melody, followed immediately by the orchestra responding in repetition, and this bouncing back and forth led the work to feel fast-paced at times and full of exuberance.
Catherine McMichael was the pianist, and she gave the music life. One of the lyrics from this piece is: “Then, ye lovely souls, accept with gladness the gifts of beauteous art. When love and strength are united, divine grace rewards mankind.” One could feel that divine grace mostly through the piano, which took the lead and guided the orchestra through the work. The piano was graceful and lively with each eager note. One of the most noticeable accomplishments of the orchestra was their ability to remain synchronized at all times. Musicians came in at the same time and finished each note in unison, making the orchestra sound like one unique instrument. This is especially commendable considering the diversity of notes, rhythms, and tempos seen in Beethoven’s and Mozart’s compositions.
After a brief intermission, Conductor Jeremiah Kraniak encouraged the audience to search for the parts of Mozart’s Requiem that were composed by Franz Sussmayr, for Mozart passed away before he could finish writing it. This was quite a challenge, for much of the Requiem completed by Sussmayr is based on Mozart’s own design and instruction, giving Sussmayr a template from which to work.
A requiem is, by definition, a religious mass for people who have died. Mozart’s Requiem not only takes listeners on a musical journey that pleases the ears, but one which tells a story that captivates the mind. The choir added a melancholic element to the “Lacrimosa” movement, which at times felt foreboding. The strings provided a steady pulse that seemed to keep the movement progressing one beat at a time.
Then there’s the choir, which complemented the orchestra in every way necessary for the Requiem. Without the balance of choir and orchestra, this level of emotion would not have been achieved, and the Saginaw Choral Society as well as the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra once more proved their musical prowess. Beethoven and Mozart were brilliant composers who only met once, and their work is far from easy. Achieving the level of emotion and immersion these composers intended for their compositions is no easy feat for any orchestra or choir, but Saginaw’s talent came through to prove once more that we have the ability to achieve such feats.
“Dies Irae,” Latin for “Day of Wrath,” gripped me the most. I am an avid video gamer, and one of my favorites is a game called Call of Duty: World at War. What does this have to do with Mozart? Well, one of the most intense battle scenes takes place in 1945 Berlin. You play as a Russian soldier on the front lines, where bombs fall all around and bullets whistle past. The world around you seems to be on fire and soldiers are killed on the battlefield left and right as Nazi Germany makes its desperate last stand. During this scene, the game plays “Dies Irae” from Mozart’s Requiem. The translations of this movement are: “Day of wrath, day of anger, will dissolve the world in ashes, as foretold by David and the Sibyl.” I couldn’t find this movement more fitting, and it brought back memories of playing that video game and hearing Mozart as the world went up in flames.
Mozart’s Requiem is a complicated mix of beauty, divinity, doom, and death. Throughout the movements, the audience gets a taste of each of these. In “Confutatis,” I heard elements of some kind of divine beauty, which was immediately juxtaposed by a dramatic feeling of impending doom. I have to commend the orchestra for their strong use of dynamics, which are necessary for Requiem. The work was a rollercoaster with highs and lows, and the dynamics are necessary for the full experience, reminding me that playing the correct notes at the right times is only half the battle of making a great performance.
Overall, I was impressed with the concert and the selection of music. The Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra never fails to pick the best of the best to perform. Mozart and Beethoven are timeless, treasured composers. The local talent we boast in Saginaw did Mozart and Beethoven, the titans of classical music, proud.