Word: chorused
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Matt Chiorini as Matt (Bette and Boo's Ivy League son) and Sophia Fox-Long as Emily (Bette's extremely Catholic and self-conscious younger sister) are both finally given the well-deserved chance to shine after multiple chorus roles in previous A.R.T. productions. Chiorini gives Matt just the right amount of nervous intellectualism, endearing earnesty and Oedipal anxiety, and Fox-Long utilizes multiple effective tactics to move her character back and forth between pouting brat, self-conscious bookworm and self-sacrificial saint...
...second half of the program, mezzo-soprano Paula Rasmussen, tenor Richard Clemont and bass Nathan Berg joined Christine Brewer along with the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus. The work, Beethoven's Mass in C, was definitely the highlight of the evening. Written in 1807 on a commission from Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy II, this was Beethoven's first setting of the Mass, and was a complete failure in the prince's eyes. Perhaps he did not appreciate Beethoven's extensive text painting (creating musical pictures of the text), and his application of personal feelings to the various parts of the mass...
...sharp contrast to the almost mournful Kyrie, the Gloria began in an exuberant burst of energy from the entire chorus and orchestra. Celebrating the glory of God, Beethoven managed to represent this feeling of joyful gratitude through a wide variety of tonal colors and a quicker tempo. It was in the solo sections of the Gloria that the audience first got to really hear the warm, haunting voice of mezzo-soprano Rasmussen, a good match for Brewer's soprano...
...Credo best exemplified Beethoven's gifts for text-painting. In a description of Christ's resurrection, the chorus vividly repeated the word "descendit," (he descended) in a motif that alternated between the orchestra and chorus. The forceful repetitions ended with a descending solo clarinet figure. This line, which was unfortunately marred by a bad note, fell, as if from the heavens, to the pure tones of the unaccompanied quartet intoning the "Et incarnatus..." The Credo ended on a lighter note with a playful fugue on the text of "Et vitam venturi saeculi," (and the life of the world to come...
...Benedictus, the concert closed on the final part of the Mass, the Agnus Dei. Antony Pay's flawless clarinet solos blended well with the alternating vocal sections, and a distinctive period horn sound, in some very well played passages, filled out the instrumental solo sections. The combination of orchestra, chorus, solo vocal and solo instrumental lines in this final piece created a very pleasing sense of unity to end the concert. The only real problem with the program was that with only 60 minutes of music, it was not enough...