Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte (1899-1974):  Molto Sostenuto (1938/52);
Judith Shatin (b.  1949):  Ruah (1985); Thea Musgrave (b.  1928):  Three
Women:  Queen, Mistress, Slave (1998, based on opera excerpts from 1976,
1984/5, and 1993/4).  Apo Hsu, Women's Philharmonic, Herbst Theater, San
Francisco, January 23, 1999.

Three composers, three soloists, a piece and a concert called "Three
Women"-threes were magic numbers for the Women's Philharmonic for their
first concert of '99.  And third was the charm for the third work on the
program, Thea Musgrave's trio of scenas, "Three Women," which earned her
an enthusiastic standing ovation.

The three composers and performers provided plenty of variety.
Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte was a Bachophiliac Russo-Frenchwoman whose
final reputation emanated from Winnipeg.  Her Molto Sostenuto for string
orchestra, though completed just before she moved to Canada from Vienna,
was appropriately brooding for the sun-deprived winters she was to
experience there.

Judith Shatin is an amiable American whose exposure to lots of fresh air
in Wyoming's Grand Teton Music festivals must have inspired her to write
Ruah, the Hebrew word for wind, or breath.  A flute concerto with ample
unaccompanied passages in each of three movements, Ruah, with little
brouhaha, was a generally contemplative showpiece for Shatin's instrument.
The first two movements, "Soaring" and "Serene" were most effective, with
tunes of Asian affinity counterbalanced with breeze-depicting tremolos on
the strings.

Thea Musgrave, a canny Scot, cobbled together scenes for soprano from
three of her operas to give the Women's Philharmonic a "world premiere."
These three old wines in a new bottle were corked with the artifice of
a non-singing Narrator, who could provide background and play additional
characters where necessary.  The first of Musgrave's Three Women was the
title role from her 1976 opera Mary Queen of Scots, music written from a
period when Musgrave re-explored tonality.  Some of the regal flourishes
even recalled Vaughan Williams.  The second woman was Simon Bolivar's
mistress.  The music seemed more cohesive, with Spanish turns of phrase
here and there.  The third woman, Harriet Tubman, from Harriet, the Woman
Called Moses, was accompanied by effective, frantic music portraying wild
horsemen and their dogs tearing slave women from their children.

There is no question that Musgrave has a flair for developing dramatic
situations.  It is regrettable, however, that the extraction from the
operatic context and presentation of concert scenas necessarily focuses
attention on the words to be sung.  And in Musgrave's case, her serviceable
but pedestrian librettos do not match the quality of her music.  Queen of
Scots:  "Can I stand alone? Ah, yes!  This is my kingdom and I must stand
alone, and after me, my son.  I must stand alone; I alone shall reign; that
is my heritage, that is my right." Yawn.

As for the three soloists, Renee Siebert, stunning in her emerald
sequined gown, was equally so in her performance of Ruah.  Amy Johnson did
a terrific job as Musgrave's three women.  Less satisfactorily, actress
Vonetta McGee underplayed her all-too-wordy role as the Narrator.  The
Women's Philharmonic on the whole had one of its better outings, doing
a fine job with works that played to its strengths.

Three thumbs up!

Jeff Dunn
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