The Anchorage Concert Chorus’ production of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass was held this weekend in the Atwood Concert Hall of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. For a town the size of Anchorage to have a chorus ambitious enough to put on this piece is a triumph in and of itself. To be able to pull it off to the extent that the audience on Friday night was on their feet as the concert came to its conclusion was a testament to the talent, ambition and dedication of the members of this stellar organization.
The stage for the concert was set simply with tall risers for the nearly 200 members of the Adult Choir, (members of the Anchorage Concert Chorus minus the Street Singers), and a central staircase leading from them to the stage front. The staircase was used effectively by the Celebrant in his role of clergy leading his faithful, and by the Street Chorus during solo and duet numbers.
Additionally, simple props were used throughout the concert; including a make-shift alter for the dramatic climax of the Communion, and ‘protest’ signs carried in by the Street Singers during their first appearance. The simple staging allowed the focus of the audience to be on the performers and the music, just as Bernstein intended, leaving the interpretation of the Mass’ message to the individual.
The Mass is appropriately subtitled ‘A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers,’ as it required collaboration with the Anchorage Children’s Chorus, the Alaska Dance Theatre, a 50-piece orchestra, guest stage director Dr. Gerald Moshell, and the talent of singer/performer Steven Alvarez in the central role of the Celebrant.
Each of these groups and individuals brought an added element to the show. The dancers from the Alaska Dance Theatre helped set the mood, whether it was celebratory, as in the beginning of Act I, or showing rote obedience just before the “Dona nobis pacem” protest scene. The Anchorage Children’s Chorus helped emphasize the innocence of faith, with the Boy Soprano part being played by Rohan Silbaugh. Silbaugh’s clear, high voice rang through the sometimes chaotic sound of the Street Chorus and orchestra, bringing a voice to the return to faith and shared joy of renewal for both the Celebrant and his ‘congregation’ at the end. The Mass is intended to be dramatic in scope and production and the Concert Chorus was resoundingly successful in this by combining their talents with these other equally talented groups and individuals.
The performance of the many difficult vocal numbers by the Anchorage Concert Chorus clearly showed the many months of rehearsals it had taken to get them to the staged production this weekend. The Latin Mass numbers were performed by all of the various singing groups and individuals in the show, but the stand out numbers were the more contemporary ones written by Bernstein to emphasize the modern believer in conflict over his or her faith. One of these, the opening number “A Simple Song,” was performed beautifully by Alvarez and showcased his strong high base voice. The Street Chorus performed most of the more modern pieces and the numbers were harmonious and understandable when sang by the group. Unfortunately, whether due to microphone problems or untrained soloists, some of the individual singers in the Street Chorus were difficult to hear and understand during their solo numbers. This technical issue was the only standout flaw in an otherwise enjoyable and complicated concert performance.
Congratulations to the Anchorage Concert Chorus for having the courage and ability to pull off such a massive undertaking.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. All comments are reviewed for content to ensure that dialogue is relevant to the purpose of this blog. Any inappropriate comments will not be approved for posting.