Notes on the Arts

Falmouth Chamber Players Concert Tonight

[Originally published in the Enterprise on Friday, November 14, 2008.]

By MARILYN J. ROWLAND

The Falmouth Chamber Players, under the direction of John Yankee, will perform its first concert tonight [Friday, November 14, 2008] at 8 o’clock at the First Congregational Church of Falmouth, 68 Main Street. A second concert takes place Sunday [November 16] at 3 PM at the same location.

Mr. Yankee, who is also musical director of the Falmouth Chorale, has conducted professional orchestras here on the Cape, as well as in San Diego, Chicago, and Telluride, Colorado. His work with the Falmouth Chamber Players has been challenging because of the wide range in playing abilities and orchestra experience of the members. It was difficult, initially, for him to select a repertoire, not knowing the skill levels of the individual players. This caused some initial frustrations for him, and for orchestra members. “We have come a long way in a short time,” said Mr. Yankee.

“The Falmouth Chamber Players is a pretty diverse and remarkable collection of people,” said Mr. Yankee. “It is truly amazing that we can get together, put everything else aside, and work on a common cause—making music. There is a powerful, almost palpable, feeling of support for each other, and each in his or her own unique way has expressed appreciation to me, and encouraged me. I appreciate that very much.”

Mr. Yankee said that several members have taken on strong leadership roles. “The principal players have all been professional, generous, and helpful, and Hilde Maingay, our concertmistress, has been outstanding, constantly organizing and encouraging extra rehearsals and staying in communication with me. She has been a real partner in this process.”

When asked which piece of music on the program was his favorite, Mr. Yankee said, “I’m never good at that kind of question. My favorite piece is the one I’m doing—or studying, or listening to. They all fascinate, intrigue, and challenge me in unique ways. I suspect they do for the players as well—they should!”

The program is in keeping with the orchestra’s stated purpose, to perform “classical instrumental music, with an emphasis on historical chamber and orchestral works from the Baroque through the Romantic periods.” Works to be performed include: Overture from Water Music, by George Frideric Handel; Concerto in E minor for Recorder and Flute, by Georg Philipp Telemann; Scherzo from Symphony in C by Georges Bizet; Andante Cantabile by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Kamarinskaja, by Mikhail Glinka; and Overture to Rosamunde, by Franz Schubert.

Handel’s Water Music may be the most familiar music on the program for most audience members. A collection of 19 movements in three suites, it was first performed in its entirety on July 17, 1717, on the River Thames. Fifty musicians played on a barge floating on the river next to the royal party barge of King George I of England, who, along with his guests, was delighted by the music. It is said that he was so pleased that he had the musicians play the hour-long work three times that evening. The Overture is the first piece in the collection and provides a good representation of the work.

Bizet, who is best known for his opera “Carmen,” wrote his Symphony in C in 1855 when he was only 17 years old, possibly as a student assignment. He had entered the Paris Conservatory at the age of 9. The piece was lost, however, and not heard for 80 years. Discovered in 1933, the bright and effervescent work was first performed in 1935. The orchestra will perform the third movement of the symphony, the scherzo, which consists of a fast minuet contrasted with more airy passages, followed by a peasant-like dance trio over drones played by the lower strings.

Telemann’s Concerto features Jan Elliott on recorder, Suzie Dasilva on flute, and string orchestra. Written in the 1720s or ’30s, it combines two instruments rarely played together: the traditional instrument (the recorder) and the new (the transverse flute). Telemann played both instruments and was quite familiar with their features. The piece is written in four movements, the flute and the recorder mingling and taking flight, as the strings play a supportive role. Melodies from Polish folk tunes are featured in the final movement.

Ms. Elliott has been playing the recorder since she was 3 and is particularly fond of early music, as well as world music and dance. About the Telemann piece, she said, “It’s a charming concerto, alternately melancholy and playful. There are all kinds of interplay between the two soloists, and between soloists and orchestra. I get the sense that Telemann was in a good mood when he wrote it. Perhaps his patron was paying him well! He allegedly once said that his fast movements should ‘flow vivaciously, like champagne.’ ”

Ms. Dasilva has traveled and performed throughout Europe. She lives and teaches flute in Eastham.

Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile is the most famous movement from his String Quartet No. 1 in D Major. It is a melancholic piece, based on a folk song the composer heard whistled by a house painter. When the quartet was played for Leo Tolstoy, it is said that he was brought to tears by this movement. A chamber section of the orchestra performs this piece.

Described as the “father of Russian classical music,” Glinka was the first Russian composer to introduce Russian nationalism in music, and his work influenced future Russian composers. Written in 1848, Kamarinskaja is a fantasy on two Russian folk tunes, one a lyrical wedding song, and the other a fast-paced dance.

Schubert’s 1823 composition, Rosamunde, was written as incidental music for a play. The play failed, but the music was a success. The full composition, consisting of the Overture and 10 movements, takes more than an hour to perform, and is rarely performed in full. Starting slowly and dramatically, the Overture then moves into a more sprightly mood toward a thundering finish.

Falmouth Chamber Players, Premiere Concert

[Originally published in the Enterprise on Friday, November 7, 2008.]

By MARILYN J. ROWLAND
The Falmouth Chamber Players, a newly organized community orchestra under the direction of John Yankee, presents its premiere concerts on Friday, November 14, at 7 PM, and Sunday, November 16, at 2:30 PM, at the First Congregational Church, 68 Main Street in Falmouth. The concerts are free, but donations are encouraged.

Works on the program include Overture from Water Music by George Frideric Handel; Concerto in e minor for Recorder and Flute featuring Jan Elliott on recorder and Suzie Dasilva on flute; Scherzo from Symphony in C by Georges Bizet; Kamarinskaja by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka; Andante Cantabile by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky; and Overture to Rosamunde by Franz Schubert.

The concerts are the result of many months of hard work by orchestra members and organizers, led by president Joyce Gindra, who plays oboe in the group. Last winter when she and her neighbor, cellist Carol Knox, got together to play music, they talked about what fun it would be to gather a larger group of musicians together, perhaps a quartet or a quintet. Once the two of them began talking to their musical friends, the group of those interested grew rapidly. By spring, they and the others had decided to form a classical music orchestra for amateur musicians, and they scheduled three sessions in July to see whether local musicians wanted to join the group. They were. The sessions attracted 35 players who play violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, and bassoon. Ms. Gindra invited John Yankee to be the group’s conductor, and Mr. Yankee, who is also conductor and artistic director of the Falmouth Chorale, musical director of the John Wesley Methodist Church, and active in other musical endeavors on Cape Cod, agreed to work with the orchestra.

After the success of the summer session, orchestra members launched a fall season, culminating in the two performances next week. “It was a surprise, a nice surprise,” said Ms. Gindra, to see how quickly the small ensemble she had envisioned had grown into such a good-sized orchestra. She, like other members of the group, were pleased with Mr. Yankee’s direction. Laura Tutino, also a member of the orchestra’s board, said she was very impressed with Mr. Yankee’s “ability to select music appropriate for the group, interpret it musically, and bring out the best in the individual players.”

Ms. Tutino began piano and violin lessons as a young child and studied violin in college. She played with the Cosmopolitan Young People’s Symphony Orchestra and the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra and was concert mistress of her college orchestra at Lehman (now Hunter) College. Since then, she has played with many chamber music groups, and with her partner, Fritz Sonnichsen, also a violinist with the orchestra, frequently invites other musicians over to play. She is “excited about being in an orchestra again and having the opportunity to present good music to the local community.”

Orchestra member Liz Catapovic, a violinist, is also very enthusiastic. “I cannot say enough positive things about John Yankee. He has brought us a long way in a short time, with his infectiously cheerful attitude always present.”

Ms. Catapovic began violin lessons as an adult about 10 years ago, with her son. She says the orchestra has been a wonderful experience. “Everyone has been very supportive and welcoming. I have made some new friends and really look forward to each rehearsal. My confidence is growing as we are beginning to sound quite good as a group. There are a lot of very talented players and a great team spirit. The group is truly cross-generational and a mix of people with all different interests.”

Being in the orchestra is not easy, however. “The sheer quantity has been difficult for me,” she said, “but slowly, with a lot of extra work, it is coming. I know that it will become easier as I get used to the whole orchestra process. It has been great for my playing skills as well as my reading and counting. . . . I just enjoy each time I play and each bit of progress I make. I play purely because it makes me happy.”

Fran McLean plays flute in the orchestra, and this is her first orchestra experience, though she also plays in Falmouth Town Band and the Falmouth Flute Choir. “This is a learning experience quite different from either Town Band or Flute Choir,” she said. “It is more demanding, but the conductor is very encouraging. He has a great sense of humor.”

Ms. McLean took up the flute as an adult. “The best thing I did was to pick up my daughter’s long-unused flute and make a decision to find a teacher and learn to play. From duets with my teacher, Mary Sholkovitz [now a cellist in the orchestra], I went to Flute Choir, to Town Band, to orchestra. This is fun!” She also has appreciation for the work of the orchestra’s board members. “The unselfish work the organizers have put in to bring this orchestra to its premier performance is amazing. I thank them for their kind invitation to play.”

Board members include Ms. Gindra, Ms. Knox, Ms. Tutino, Mr. Sonnichsen, cellist Wendy Gabriel, violinist Hilde Maingay, and me (I play the cello). “A lot of effort has gone into the organization of the orchestra,” said Ms. Tutino. “We are lucky to have gathered together a great group of people who work together well and who are committed to a common goal.”

In addition to full orchestra performances, members have performed in smaller ensembles at local events throughout the summer and fall, including a fundraiser screening of the film “Radio Cape Cod,” the Falmouth ArtMarket, the Barnstable County Harvest Festival, and the West Falmouth Library. For more information about the orchestra concert or playing in the orchestra, contact Ms. Gindra at 508-540-1896.

Five Cellists

There are four local cello concerts coming up (one featuring two cellists) this month. A bonanza for cellists and non-cellists alike. Everyone loves the cello, or at least that is what they tell me when I mention that I play. I usually smile and agree that good cello playing is wonderful.

Once, though, as I was wandering through an art fair with a cello/case on my back, I just said, “thanks.” The cello-lover said, “I didn’t necessarily mean you, personally.” (He hadn’t yet heard me play, but it was a little disconcerting, nevertheless.)

If you also love the sound of the cello, you may want to attend one or more of these events:

Improvisational cellist Eugene Friesen will play with his jazz trio, Tre Corda, at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, on September 14 at 4 PM.

Bo Ericsson and Elizabeth Schultze, husband-and-wife cellists, will play at the Cape Cod Conservatory in West Barnstable on September 19 at 5:30 PM.

Savely Schuster will play with pianist Sharon Mann on September 26 at Falmouth Academy.

And Denise Djokic will play with the Cape Symphony Orchestra in Hyannis on September 27 at 8 PM and September 28 at 3 PM.

Growing an Orchestra

A small group of musicians at a recent gathering of the Falmouth Chamber Players, left to right, Hilde Maingay (violin), Laura Tutino (violin), Joyce Gindra (oboe), Fritz Sonnichsen (violin), Grant Mallett (violin), and behind him: Kate Housman (French horn), Jonathan Neufeld (viola). In front are Wendy Gabriel, Mary Sholkovitz (her arm only), and me (out of camera range) all on cello.

Ever since I took up the cello nine years ago, I have joined in discussions about what fun it would be to have an amateur orchestra in Falmouth, and those discussions no doubt precede my awareness of them. I was a member, for a semester, of a string ensemble at the Cape Cod Conservatory in West Barnstable. That was fun, but it was a long trip, and work tended to interfere with my attendance at rehearsals. And the end-of-semester concert was in Chatham. I also played flute in Falmouth Town Band for nine years, an energetic group of 100 or more musicians of all ages, under the direction of Lin Whitehead. I enjoyed that too, but I began to worry that my hearing was being compromised by sitting directly in front of a dozen trumpets every week.

Besides, I couldn’t play cello in Town Band. Clearly, we needed an orchestra. It seemed like a lot of work, to get an orchestra going, despite the plenitude of instrumentalists in and around town. There didn’t seem to be an available rehearsal space, a conductor, or available sheet music. Then, one day, pianist-oboist-singer Joyce Gindra and her neighbor Carol Knox, cellist-organist, got together for some piano/cello duets. In the course of their practicing, they thought, “wouldn’t it be nice to have more people, an ensemble, or maybe an orchestra?”

They both knew several musicians, and those musicians knew other musicians, and, in no time at all, there were about three dozen people (about nine of whom are cellists) interested in playing in the orchestra. Hilde Maingay found a place for the group to practice at Alchemy Farm in Hatchville, others located sheet music, and Joyce talked to John Yankee (who leads the Falmouth Chorale and the Greater Falmouth Mostly All-Male Chorus) about conducting the group.

The group, which calls itself the Falmouth Chamber Players, will meet three times in July (the last three Mondays of the month) to try out music and get to know each other better, before starting the season in the fall. Members value the group not only for the opportunity to play together in a chamber orchestra, but also for the chance to meet up with musicians with similar interests to play together on a continuing basis or for special occasions.

We met recently at Hilde’s house and played through some string quartets and quintets, doubling and tripling parts, as necessary. We had a wonderful time, and I was impressed by how good the individual players are and how musical they sound as a group. I am looking forward to the July sessions.

Amateur or professional musicians, young and old, who are interested in playing with the group should contact Joyce Gindra at jgindra at att dot net.

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival

Pianist Jon Nakamatsu wowed the audience last weekend with his dazzling performance of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto. He and conductor Jung-ho Pak, and an inspired Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra filled the 1440-seat hall at the Barnstable Center for the Performing Arts with beautiful, electrifying music. A number of those attending on Saturday evening bought tickets for Sunday’s performance on their way out, so eager were they to hear it all again. Sunday’s performance was a sell-out, and people were turned away from this classical music concert featuring the works of Verdi, Beethoven and Brahams. Nakamatsu and Pak clearly enjoy making music together, and audiences clearly enjoyed what they heard.

Cape Cod is lucky to have Pak as conductor and artistic director of the Cape Cod Symphony, and we can look forward to hearing a lot more from Nakamatsu this summer, when he serves, along with clarinetist Jon Manasse, as artistic director of the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (July 29 to August 17). (Both also served as artistic directors for the festival last year.)

We will have a chance to hear both musicians play together on May 25, at the Chamber Music Society’s Spring Concert in Wellfleet. Jon and Jon will play Brahms Sonata for Clarinet in F Minor, Opus 120 No. 1, which can be found on their newly released recording from Harmonia Mundi.

I talked to Jon Nakamatsu recently at the Music Festival office in Chatham. He won the prestigious Van Cliburn competition in 1997, which catapulted him to musical success, but his path to a musical career has not been easy. Unlike most professional musicians, he did not follow the conservatory route, but, rather, studied German and education in college and became a high school German teacher. He continued practicing and entered numerous competitions, but was told again and again that he didn’t have what it takes.

He persevered, despite a job which kept him from practicing as much as he would have liked. His job prevented him from entering more than one competition a year, and he was getting older and competitions were for young musicians. He was 28 when he won the Van Cliburn competition (others that year were 19 to 30), and almost ready to give up his dream of a profession in classical music. Since his win, he has performed all over the world, both as a soloist and as a chamber player, and is highly praised for his musicality. He is also very personable, passionate about music, and interested in his fellow musicians and the audience.

Nakamatsu said that he had made several changes to the Chamber Music Festival, including adding more woodwind chamber music and including tango and jazz violin ensembles. You can see the whole schedule at the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival Web site.

Here’s the complete program for May 25:

Sunday, May 25: “Piano & Friends,” First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, 8 PM, Jon Manasse, clarinet; Jon Nakamatsu, piano.

Program:

Saint-Saëns: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 167

Debussy: Premiere Rhapsody for Clarinet and Piano

Chopin: Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brilliante, Op. 22

Kovacs: Homage to J. S. Bach

Brahms: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F Minor, Op. 120, No. 1

The Nauset World Music Ensemble will perform at 7 PM.

Eugene Friesen, Cellist

Eugene Friesen Expresses The Multiple Voices Of The Cello

Posted in: Entertainment

By MARILYN J. ROWLAND
Apr 25, 2008 - 5:07:35 PM
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Contemporary improvisational cellist Eugene Friesen made his annual trip to Falmouth recently to perform at the Fishmonger’s Café Coffee House, entertain young school children, and teach some elements of jazz to a group of 25 student cellists of all ages and abilities.

Mr. Friesen, who lives in Vermont and teaches at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, is a master of the cello. He has recorded numerous solo and ensemble CDs. He has won Grammy Awards as a member of the Paul Winter Consort, and has performed all over the world. He blends traditional classical music with Brazilian folk melodies, wild improvisational jazz, and his own original compositions, demonstrating that there is no limit to the music that can be created with a cello.

One of Mr. Friesen’s missions is to make great music of all kinds accessible to audiences of all ages, especially children, and he has created an entirely different persona for this purpose, that of CelloMan. It was as CelloMan that he performed for children in kindergarten to third grade at the East Falmouth Elementary School last Wednesday morning.

Mr. Friesen opens each CelloMan show by playing the prelude to the first Bach cello suite, and concludes each performance by donning a mask of Pablo Casals and playing Bach’s “Air on a G String.” In between these tributes to the classical masters, he offers a wide variety of innovative, contemporary, and improvisational music to give students an introduction to the types of music that can be played on the cello.

In one amusing bit, Mr. Friesen wore a squirrel mask, becoming the squirrel that he claims broke into his house and discovered his cello. Using rapid, darting squirrel-like movements, he plucked the cello, tentatively at first, and then with abandon, as he (the squirrel) fell in love with the sound of the instrument.

One of the most memorable moments was “Humpback Harmony,” a duet between Mr. Friesen playing an electrified cello and a recording of the song of a humpback whale. The other-worldly sounds of the whales were echoed by the haunting sounds of the cello harmonics and Mr. Friesen’s unique reverberating plucking technique. The whole effect was mesmerizing, holding both children and adults spellbound.

That afternoon, Mr. Friesen joined 25 cello students of Nikki Garcia-Renart at the Woods Hole Community Center for a workshop on playing one rhythm against another. The students ranged in age from 5 to 60, including some who had been playing for only a few months and others who were quite accomplished musicians. Mr. Friesen easily adopted his teaching to make the workshop inspiring for all.

“He expands the horizon for all of us,” said Ms. Garcia-Renart. Mr. Friesen has been teaching these annual workshops for Ms. Garcia-Renart’s students for 10 years or so, and focuses on a different aspect of playing each time. In the past, they have improvised using the pentatonic scale, played 12-bar blues, studied different types of rhythm, and worked on improvisational ensemble playing.

At 8 PM, Mr. Friesen joined guitarist Freddie Bryant and pianist Tim Ray at Fishmonger’s Café in Woods Hole to become “Cello Nova,” a dynamic trio of outstanding musicians who effortlessly (it seemed) and passionately blended classical music, improvisational jazz, and Latin American rhythms and melodies.

Mr. Friesen opened the concert with a long, slow note, leading into a jazzed-up Brazilian version of Bach’s “Air on the G String,” joking afterward that it came from Bach’s “Brazilian period.” This was followed by three lively folk-style Brazilian pieces, a song he learned in Siberia, music from Colombia and Venezuela, and music by Brazilian composers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Ernesto Nazareth.

Playing the cello with a quiet elegance, Mr. Friesen often closed his eyes, as if transported by the music, but also provides whirlwind displays of cello virtuosity. Using an incredible array of original techniques, such as an earthy multiple-finger, double-handed pizzicato string plucking, a range of percussive techniques, visually and aurally expressive bowings, and dramatic slides up and down the fingerboard, Mr. Friesen produced both gorgeous slow warm tones on his cello, sometimes doubling them with his voice, and blurringly fast explosions of sounds, showing there are no limits to the types of music that can be created with a cello, at least with his practiced hands.

Mr. Bryant and Mr. Ray played brilliantly as well, each taking solos on their instruments, as well as playing duets with Mr. Friesen. Mr. Bryant recited Maya Angelou’s poem “Alone” (“Nobody, but nobody can make it out here alone”) while playing a guitar accompaniment he had composed for it. Mr. Ray played a catchy version of Duke Ellington’s “In a Mellow Tone,” on the piano.

Two of my favorite pieces were “Remembering You,” a beautiful, slow melodic tune written by Mr. Friesen, and one of the final pieces on the program, a piece called “Maracaibo,” after the city in Venezuela, because “we borrowed some of their rhythms.” This piece was electrifying , involving an incredible array of sounds and techniques, and extraordinary music.

Fishmonger’s Café was a perfect location for the concert, warm and intimate, like the music. Food and drink are available during the concert, and several tables are set up on either side of the chairs that make up the main part of the seating. Most seats have a good view of the musicians, and also of Vineyard Sound, out the windows.

The next concert in Tom Renshaw’s series of coffee houses at Fishmonger’s is on April 29 at 8 PM (doors open at 7) when the jazz group Downstreet Review will perform a blend of swing, blues, folk music and jazz. Members include Tom Renshaw, Joe Sutton, John Cullity, Bruce Millard and Geordie Gude. Tickets are $15 and are available at Under the Sun in Woods Hole and Eight Cousins Books in Falmouth.

Young Artist Awards

Congratulations to the winners of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists’ Concerto Competition. All four winners played their concerto competition piece at Barnstable High School last Sunday afternoon.

Sam Ericsson, cello, $1,000. Sam, the son of Bo Ericsson and Elizabeth Schultze, lives in Orleans, where he is a senior at Nauset Regional High School in East Orleans. He studies cello with Savely Schuster in Falmouth. Sam performed Davidoff’s Concerto for Cello No. 2 in A Minor.

Caroline Scharr, oboe, $750. Caroline is the daughter of George and Susan Scharr of Falmouth. A 2007 graduate of Falmouth High School, she is now a freshman at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She performed Haydn’s Oboe Concerto in C Major.

Sam Dunham, violin, $500. Sam is the son of Wendy Rolfe and Benjamin Dunham. He lives in Marion and attends Falmouth Academy, where he is a sophomore. He played Saint-Säens’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor.

Christina Huynh, clarinet $500. Christina is the daughter of Tina and Dan O’Brien of Falmouth. She is a junior at Falmouth High School. Her contest piece was Stamitz’s Clarinet Concerto No. 3 in B flat Major.

Mastersingers Celebrate “The Creation”

Mastersingers by the Sea, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, in Delightful Performance of “The Creation”

By MARILYN J. ROWLAND

Franz Josef “Papa” Haydn would have been proud to hear the performance of one of his masterpieces, “The Creation,” by the Mastersingers by the Sea and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra at St. Barnabas Church in Falmouth last week. It was a delightful performance, well orchestrated by David MacKenzie, who conducts both the Mastersingers and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra.

“The Creation” is the Biblical story of the first seven days of the world, beginning with chaos and ending with Adam and Eve optimistically setting forth.

It is an oratorio, which, like an opera, involves an orchestra, chorus, and soloists, but, unlike an opera, is presented as a concert, not as a theater piece. Oratorios have a basic story, but no acting, complicated plot, or scenery, and their subject matter is often, as in this work, religious.

Dr. MacKenzie, in his lively pre-concert talk, conveyed Haydn’s religious beliefs and his feelings about the significance of this piece well, and he seemed just as enthusiastic about the work, telling the story with humor and breaking into song himself at times to illustrate a point.

Dr. MacKenzie noted that the libretto, or text, for the oratorio was based on the Bible and on John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and had been offered to George Frideric Handel 50 years earlier. Haydn, who had been inspired to write an oratorio after hearing Handel’s “Messiah,” in England, brought the English text back to Austria and had it translated in German. He then wrote the music, and, finally, had the text translated back into English. The work took two years to write; Haydn finished it in 1798, having, by his account, prayed for guidance from God every day during that time period. It is considered the first bilingual work, written with the intention of being performed both in German and in English.

The Mastersingers performed the English version, a simple and elegant statement of Haydn’s strong religious beliefs, and his joy and wonder in the Creation. The work, in three acts and numerous recitatives (speech-like singing), arias (melodic singing), and choruses, is presented largely by three angels—soloists John Murelle, baritone; Rebecca Grimes, soprano; and Thomas Oesterling, tenor—accompanied by orchestra and chorus. The soloists represent the angels Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel, who tell the story of the creation with joy and childlike wonder.

The soloists were well-suited for their roles, particularly Mr. Murelle, whose angel Raphael told most of the story, and who also sung the part of Adam. His voice is warm, rich and powerful, but not overwhelming, and he sang with dramatic flair, using facial expressions as well as his voice to convey meaning.

Ms. Grimes sang her part, the angel Gabriel, expressively, and with a smile, her voice blending well with the chorus and orchestra, and with the other soloists. She did a particularly good job with the birds, her words echoed by the woodwinds. She also sang the part of Eve, harmonizing well with Mr. Murelle’s Adam.

Mr. Oesterling sang the part of Uriel, his voice strong and clear. I particularly liked his introduction of Adam and Eve, and his somewhat sad recitative on the “happy pair.”
Haydn’s work is cheerful and uplifting, and he uses the technique of tone-painting, using the music to illustrate the meaning of the text. The overture, “Representation of Chaos,” reflects this vividly, making use of vague and unresolved harmonies to represent the angel Raphael’s words, “the earth was without form and void.” Individual instruments attempt to establish a melody, but fall back into the churning chaos. Finally, powerful chords are played, “and then there is light.”

As the Earth is created, the orchestra provides the sounds of rain, hail, and “the light and flaky snow,” and, later, the moon and stars, the birds of the earth, and all living creatures, giving all the instruments: flutes, oboes, bassoon, cellos, and others, a chance to replicate the sounds of the lark, the “adoring coos of the turtle dove” (nicely expressed by Ms. Grimes), the nightingale, the roaring lion, the tiger, the “nimble stag,” the “fleecy gentle sheep,” and the “host of insects.” The last brought a laugh from the audience, as did Mr. Murelle’s slow, deep, dramatic reference to the creeping in, “with sinuous trace” of the worm.

The intimate setting, with the orchestra in the center and the chorus divided on either side, and the soloists in front, may have been a little crowded for the musicians, but it provided a lovely visual image for the audience, and the performers played and sang with spirit and professionalism.

The talents of the orchestra, consisting of 33 members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, were shown off well by “The Creation,” giving them opportunity to express the energy and vitality, the softness and expressiveness, and the reverence and majesty of the piece. The 29-member chorus was magnificent as well, especially in two fugal sections in the beginning and, later, when the choir creates a pizzicato-style accompaniment to the singers.

My only complaint, and this should be directed to Haydn, not to the Mastersingers, was that the chorus was not heard often enough. The chorus, either alone, or supporting the soloists, provided a powerful sound of its own, well conveying the work’s of awe and inspiration.

There will be more of the chorus in the fall. The Mastersingers by the Sea, which was itself created only this past fall, has provided the Upper Cape with an opportunity to hear a varied collection of outstanding choral and instrumental music this season, and next season’s schedule includes concerts on November 8 and 9 and February 28 and March 1; an Elizabethan feast on December 16; and another oratorio, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” on May 8, 9, and 10, 2009.

Those interested in participating in the chorus, may arrange for an audition on May 10, noon to 3 PM, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church by contacting Judy Willis at 508-548-3992.

Arts and Entertainment This Weekend

I’ve added a new page to Notes on the Arts called “This Weekend.” Click on the tab above to see details on what’s happening this weekend. Some highlights:

Theater:

 ”Inventing van Gogh” at the Cotuit Center for the Arts

“Enchanted April” at Cape Cod Community College

“Little Women, the Musical” at Harwich Junior Theater

“Wizard of Oz” at Barnstable High School Performing Arts Center, Hyannis

Music:

Mastersingers by the Sea, with members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Haydn’s “The Creation,” at St. Barnabus Church, in Falmouth, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon

Falmouth High School Evening of Jazz, Lawrence Junior High School, Saturday evening

Cape Cod Symphony’s Young Artists’ Competition, Barnstable High School, Knight Auditorium, Hyannis, Sunday afternoon

Festivities:

“Open Spaces II” art exhibit, Highfield Hall, Falmouth, through May 1. Opening reception Sunday, April 6, 2:30 to 4 PM.

Clownfish Rapper Sword Dancing fundraiser, Liam Maguire’s, Falmouth, Sunday afternoon, April 6, 3 to 5 PM at Liam Maguire’s, 273 Main Street, Falmouth.

Choral Music

There are a multitude of choral music groups in the Upper Cape, providing not only a range of options for listeners, but also opportunities for area residents to come together and make music. Notable auditioned and open groups include: the Falmouth Chorale, the Mostly All Male Men’s Chorus, Mastersingers by the Sea, Schola Cantorum Falmouth, Saints and Singers, and the Cranberry Shores Chorus.

Coming up this weekend are several performances by Mastersingers by the Sea, directed by David MacKenzie. He is also the conductor of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, which will be playing with the chorale, in a performance of Haydn’s “Creation” at Saint Barnabus Episcopal Church, 91 Main Street, Falmouth on Saturday, April 5, at 8 PM, and Sunday, April 6, at 3 PM. The chorale and orchestra will also perform on Friday, April 4, at 8 PM at the Fireman Center for Performing Arts in Marion. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at Eight Cousins Bookstore and the Inkwell Bookstore in Falmouth and at the Market Street Bookstore in Mashpee Commons, or online at Mastersingers by the Sea.

The performance will feature three soloists, Rebecca Grimes, soprano, Thomas Oesterling, tenor, and John Murell, baritone. The oratorio celebrates the creation of the world as described in the Book of Genesis.

Two sources of information on the “Creation” are Wikipedia and Music with Ease.