Folks, Here is a review from today's (May 15) nytimes.com that I would like
to share with the list.
May 15, 2000
MUSIC REVIEW
Evoking Gloires of Heaven in a Rare Messiaen Opera
By PAUL GRIFFITHS
Rapture. The Brooklyn Philharmonic's presentation of three scenes
from Messiaen's opera "St. Francois d'Assise," at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music on Saturday night, was a triumph for all concerned:
the enormous orchestra spread out on a large stage, the chorus (the
Westchester Oratorio Society) that brought celestial glory and strength
to the close, the magnificent central soloists (David Wilson-Johnson
as the Saint and Heidi Grant Murphy as the Angel), and the conductor,
Robert Spano, encouraging them all to shocks of brilliance, strangeness
and warmth.
Every expectation was fulfilled by a performance that had long been
awaited, for more than a decade has passed since any of this music
was heard in New York. One has to hope the appreciative audience
included some with the power and authority to bring the city a stage
production of the complete work. If so, there will be no need to
look far in casting the two principal roles. Mr. Wilson-Johnson
not only was supremely sure throughout but also made gentleness --
which one easily takes for a quiet quality -- speak with a big, strong
voice. His phrasing was smooth, beautifully paced to the orchestral
performance and his sound glowed.
True to the nature of Messiaen's music, he did not try to exaggerate
the different emotional conditions of Francis in the two scenes of
his included here: his dialogue with the Angel and his departure
for heaven. (The other scene performed was that of the Angel's
appearance at the young Franciscan monastery.) Everything was calm
and certain, and alive.
Ms. Grant Murphy was also beautifully, serenely and wonderfully
consistent. And she, too, shone. Undeterred by her part's slow
tempos, generously taken by Mr. Spano, she produced phrases that
were finely sustained, and yet each note seemed to have a shape of
its own, floating out from or into silence.
Often those shapes would be defined by the vowels and consonants, as
if the language itself were singing. But all of them were sweet and
clear.
Among those in smaller roles, John Aler repeated his unaffected and
touching portrayal of Brother Masseo, familiar from the Salzburg
recording. Lawrence Long, singing superbly, was warm, wise and kind
as Brother Bernardo. Randall Scarlata brought out a nice naivete in
Brother Leone. Michael Lockley was Brother Elia.
The score is a hugely complex one to put together for one evening,
and in the orchestra there were occasional marks of anxiety and
indecision. But they mattered very little.
Mr. Spano spurred his players to marvelous feats in the gigantic
bell sounds and in the shrieks and warblings imitative of bird song.
He also gave the music a strong expressive force, as at one point in
Francis's opening monologue in the final scene, in which a kind of
barbaric funeral march is suddenly followed by swooping, inward,
blended music.
Filling the air above the orchestra with azure light and dangling
reflective patches was a bright idea that failed. The work is a
drama and needs to be seen and heard as such, soon.
Ron Chaplin
Iselin, NJ, USA
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