Espressivo, which righteously calls itself a “small intense orchestra,”delivered the goods last month with a season finale that filled Peace United Church with edgy Romantic-era rarities led by guest conductor Daniel Henriks. Finessing a program of rarely heard music, Henriks was clearly at home with both music and the musicians, many of them regulars with other top ensembles.
At the heart of the finely curated program lay a spellbinding song cycle by Hector Berlioz, a setting of dark and moody poems by renowned poet Theophile Gautier. Interpreting six musical poems was soprano Emily Sinclair, who, after settling into the first Villanelle, came into ownership of the dramatic shapes and personalities of each subsequent song, clearly at home with the French verses. Sinclair’s soprano grew more intimately joined with the summer evening atmosphere of each piece until by the end she, the words and music were a single idea. It was a lovely and deeply felt performance.
Always sensitive to the singer, Henriks balanced his players with Sinclair’s phrasing, urging the instruments close to Berlioz as well as the soprano’s vocal work. Love, death, regret and the occasional flash of joy, all were celebrated in a selection reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe’s fantastical sense of doomed love. Berlioz’s maverick composition sounded strikingly modern, even as the poetry lay firmly in a pre-Raphaelite aesthetic. Kudos to Espressivo for gorgeous music and adventurous programming. espressorch.org.
In another season finale, i Cantori di Carmel came to Santa Cruz with an ambitious program of choral symphonic music that filled the UCSC Recital Hall with haunting themes and dazzling melodic color. Ravel, Debussy, an opening tone poem by Lili Boulanger, these were beautifully executed. Resident music director Daniel Henriks and his performers soared, the excellent chorus adding textural weight and dynamics equal to the instruments. The combined effect of 100 voices and instruments at points rose to overwhelm listeners, thanks in part to the brilliant acoustics of the hall.
The high points of this outstanding concert were without question two superb pieces by Johannes Brahms, a composer who essentially owns the Romantic movement. The second Brahms piece, Schicksalslied, a setting of a Friedrich Hölderlin poem, ebbed, flowed and swelled through an exploration of human longing and destiny. The ending resolution, huge chromatic chords shifting and settling into melting harmonies, was so beautiful that you could feel the entire audience holding its breath. Simply one of the most beautiful musical passages imaginable. An exquisite blend of voices and instruments. The entire concert was especially engaging since the raked seating of the Recital Hall allows full view of the orchestra. Ethereal obbligato passages, especially in the Debussy, were dispatched by Lars Johannesson’s magic flute. The harpwork by Vivian Hsu was both gossamer and tough. The only questionable move was programming anything after the transcendent Brahms. Even Vaughan Williams. Bravo maestro Henriks and company. icantori.org
The glamor of Salzburg without the jet lag, the mighty Carmel Bach Festival offers another season of great music in a setting of matchless charm. From Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite to Mozart’s majestic Jupiter Symphony, this year’s festival is packed with all-star gems. Led by Artistic Director Grete Pedersen and Andrew Megill, highlights include Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Mozart’s Vespers, Beethoven’s Symphony No.1 in C major, as well as an enchanting evening of Nordic traditional music. All concerts at the Sunset Center, save for Wednesdays in the Carmel Mission Basilica, where the offerings begin with Buxtehude and conclude with Lou Harrison’s Mass for Saint Cecilia’s Day. The 88th season of the festival runs July 12–26; visit bachfestival.org.
On Saturday, July 12, the organismic extravaganza known as Boomeria will dive into some soul-shaking music at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Even though math/music visionary Preston Boomer’s artisanal pipe organ was consumed by fire, his cult and spirit lives on in the church organ built with his own hands for the charming Ben Lomond church. For this Santa Cruz Baroque Festival fundraiser, all-star organists Vlada Moran, Jesse McMilin, Ann Thiermann and others will work the pedals and stops, and—flying in from Germany for the occasion—Jörg Reddin, the festival’s artistic director will perform his magic. The concert includes the Santa Cruz Brass Quintet, and many more ensembles. Do not miss this orgy of organ opulence (I can’t help myself). That’s July 12, 1–5pm, at St. Andrew’s, 101 Riverside Ave, Ben Lomond. Info: scbaroque.org. Remember, it’s a fundraiser. Join the cult followers channeling the late, great Linda Burman-Hall.
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music starts up on July 27 with guest conductor Daniela Candillari at the podium. Honoring 50 years of gay pride, this year’s composers in residence include Jake Heggie, Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Higdon and the dazzling Missy Mazzoli. Festival music director Cristian Măcelaru returns for the second weekend. Details and tickets at cabrillomusic.org.
