Symphony delivers
By Elisabeth A. Crean
graceful ‘Requiem’
Special to the Star-BulletinIMMENSE tragedy struck Giuseppe Verdi in his 20s, when his wife and two children died in rapid succession. The catastrophe forged a composer whose intimacy with fate, death and sorrow produced history's greatest body of tragic operas and an epic "Requiem" mass for the dead.
Some listeners find requiems too sad to enjoy. But a good Requiem is like the path of the moon on the sea. Illuminating, reflective and serene, it reminds you that forces beyond human control ultimately overpower all petty, earthly concerns.
Yesterday at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra performed Verdi's "Requiem" with proper majesty and grace. Conductor Samuel Wong marshaled more than 200 singers and musicians for the concert-length work.
Augmenting the orchestra were the Oahu Choral Society, University of Hawaii Concert Choir and a quartet of vocal soloists from Korea, all working with a unity of purpose.
The text of Verdi's "Requiem" came from the Latin mass for the dead, a Christian liturgy sung in Gregorian chant throughout the Middle Ages.
Verdi rooted his interpretation in the dramatic conventions of opera. He exploited the emotional changes inherent in the Latin text to write a work of profoundly contrasting moods.
He also created a structural arc, as he did in his operas, to give the "Requiem" dramatic unity. It cycled from the peaceful hush of the opening "Grant them eternal rest," through fiery, joyful and mournful sections, and back to the final plea, "Deliver me."
Yesterday's performance boldly accentuated Verdi's contrasts. Volume went from almost inaudible pianissimo to deafening forte. Vocal parts ranged from an unaccompanied solo voice to a contrapuntal double choir. Instrumentation encompassed the delicate tremolo of strings, blaring trumpets and thundering drums.
The musicians played expressively and the choristers sang passionately as all responded to Wong's direction with sensitivity and vigor. They embraced the Requiem's considerable difficulty. Two hundred people hit complex rhythms right on the mark.
Choral conductor Timothy Carney prepared the 140 singers to within an inch of their musical lives. They articulated the Latin text with clarion diction. The more voices, the more difficult it is to get every consonant and note in the right place, but Carney seems capable of eliciting this from groups of any size.
The four soloists from Korea performed well individually and in ensembles. Of the four, mezzo-soprano Hyun Joo Chang had the most dazzling voice and elegant stage presence, singing with a supple, rich tone throughout.
In the lovely "Recordare" duet, Chang blended beautifully with soprano Young-Ae Cho Kim. They sang in dramatic octaves for the haunting "Agnus Dei."
Unfortunately, Kim lacked Chang's poise. She committed the cardinal sin of burying her eyes down in the music, which sometimes compromised her tone and projection. Her effectiveness as a soloist diminished sharply in the concluding "Libera Me," where she lost pitch on sustained notes and gained a harsh edge.
Tenor Young Hwan Kim and bass Yo-Han Kim both sang proficiently, with warmth, reverence and resonance.
On stage
What: Honolulu Symphony Masterworks concert, featuring Verdi's "Requiem"
Elisabeth A. Crean has bachelor's and master's degrees
in European history with an emphasis in music.
She has performed and taught music.
