Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir delivers choral masterpiece at WSO concert

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This article was published 02/04/2023 (891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Out of heartbreaking loss came a choral masterpiece, with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in partnership with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir presenting Brahms’s “A German Requiem,” last performed on this stage in 2015.

Its final offering in the “Beyond Classics” series notably trumpeted the Phil’s 100th anniversary being celebrated all season long, with the venerable choral ensemble led by maestro Yuri Klaz since 2000 performing alongside its kid cousin, the 75-year young WSO.

Saturday night’s 130-minute program (including intermission) also featured two of Canada’s premiere soloists proud to call our fair city home: soprano Lara Ciekiewicz and now Toronto-based baritone Gregory Dahl, whose soaring voices regularly send listeners into a swoon.

The late-Romantic composer penned the (now) seven-movement work sung in German in response to the death of his beloved mother in 1865, as well as dear friend and mentor, composer Robert Schumann in 1856. As a staunch humanist, Brahms chose his texts from the Lutheran Bible to offer a balm for the living during times of grief, rather than adopt the traditional Latin text from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead.

Truthfully, several uneven moments during the performance marred what could – and should – have been a transcendent experience. The strings fought hard against the chorus during the opening movement “Selig sind, die da Leid tragen,” however eventually found their equilibrium. The sopranos in the ensemble did not always sing with bull’s-eye intonation, particularly in their uppermost range when notes fell uncomfortably flat.

The second movement, “Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras,” albeit still infused with grave solemnity and meticulously prepared by Klaz, felt oddly laid back and even lacklustre until the singers hit full throttle, now showing their power and might particularly during the climactic fugue which enthralled. It’s also just plain weird to have orchestra members stamp their feet to cue the audience of 1,310 at the end that it’s time to applaud – however that’s what happened after the final, hushed tones of “Selig sind die Toten” slipped into the ether.

Nevertheless, the fine homegrown soloists mitigated these rough edges, each shining like a beacon in the sea of voices during their respective movements that truly stirred the soul.

We first heard Dahl during third movement, “Herr, lehre doch mich,” his robust vocals commanding the stage with operatic intensity as he offered his personal prayer: “Lord, teach me.” He later dazzled during the penultimate “Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt,” now spitting out his words with the chorus providing forceful accents that riveted.

Not to be outdone, Ciekiewicz held the audience rapt during fifth movement “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit,” artfully shaping her phrases that displayed her natural lyricism and finely honed dynamic palette in ostensibly this tender ode to Brahms’ mother; as she sang of a “mother comforting her child” that became an evening highlight.

The 74-voice strong choir under Klaz’s passionate conducting approach performed with gusto throughout, with another highlight being their lilting fourth movement “Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen.” Their swells of overlapping sound crested like waves during this perennial crowd-pleaser, as they intoned “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!”

The program also notably included the WSO premiere of Dvorak’s “Te Deum, Op. 103,” premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1892, and frequently paired with the Brahms for its use of the same soloists. After the timpani’s bone-rattling bombast that launches the four-movement work, Ciekiewicz once again enthralled with her voice full of shimmer and shine, singing the liturgical-based piece with palpable relish throughout.

Dahl unleashed his own powerhouse vocals with fully rounded tones, skillfully navigating his large leaps with ease, until joining with Ciekiewicz and the chorus during their final “Alleluias!,” that pealed like joyous bells.

Last but not least, the evening opened with a haunting a cappella performance of Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshynky’s “The Moon Creeps Across the Sky,” that began this celebratory concert in hushed reverence.

As expected, the audience rose to their feet at the end for the performers, as the Phil now proudly begins its second century of song.

Holly.harris@shaw.ca

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