Above: composer Sergei Taneyev
Friday July 15th, 2022 - Leon Botstein's American Symphony Orchestra presenting the US premiere of Sergei Taneyev’s cantata, At the Reading of a Psalm; this was the composer's final work.
The performance had originally been scheduled for last season, but was postponed due to complications arising from the COVID pandemic. As time passed, I began to wonder if the performance might never come to fruition; but tonight - at long last - this Taneyev masterpiece proved worth the wait. It is thoroughly engrossing, making me curious as to why it is so rarely heard. To me, it stands in the same echelon of such great choral works as the Verdi Requiem, Britten's War Requiem, and the Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony.
The Psalm referenced in the work's title is No. 50 in the King James Bible: ‘The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken’. God appears through a storm to chastise those who believe that superficial sacrifices and ritual offerings are of more value to faith than prayer and thankfulness. The poet and theologian Alexey Khomyakov wrote his poem At the Reading of a Psalm in 1856. The poem tells us that the outward trappings of religion are as nothing compared to simple truths, and that brotherly love and goodness of heart -‘a heart purer than gold’ - are the attributes God values. Khomyakov’s poem inspired the composer Taneyev, who used it for the cantata he completed in 1915, in the last months of his life.
Above: the America Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Botstein; performance photo by Matt Dine
Taneyev's epic work unfolds in three movements. The first movement, in three parts, is a choral feast, served up this evening by the excellent Bard Festival Chorale, under the direction of James Bagwell. A deep drum roll and a bass clarinet solo set the mood for "The Earth is Trembling", which comes alive with driving energy and brass fanfares. The chorus sings fervently in great dramatic outbursts: this is big, thrilling music.
By contrast, part II of the first movement - "Israel, You Build Temples for Me" - commences with a gentle theme for female voices; later, the men join in the flowing melody. The harp chimes in, and there is a sense of the ecstatic. Then, a wonderful passage for cellos and string basses leads on to a gorgeous finish.
The first movement concludes with "What Good Are Magnificent Temple Vaults?"; with glorious brass phrases. The music is forward-moving and affirmative, in celebration of God's creation. The string basses provide a deep undercurrent, leading to a march-like refrain. Drums sound as the music builds to a grand finale.
The cantata's second movement has a rather ominous start. The poem begins "What Good Is Gold To Me?", and the music is full of drama and strife; it actually gets quite wild before a sudden ending.
Above, the evening's soloists: basso Christian Zaremba, tenor Terrence Chin-Loy, Maestro Botstein, soprano Mané Galoyan, and mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti; photo by Matt Dine
At this point, we finally hear from the vocal soloists, who til now have been sitting patiently onstage. Armenian soprano Mané Galoyan, who I heard in a 'Russian evening' at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 2019, has a full lyrical sound, with a charming gift for colouring the vocal line, and a soaring high range. Eve Gigliotii, whose performance in Nico Muhly's Dark Sisters, given by Gotham Chamber Opera in 2011, first drew me to her as a passionate and alluring singer, sounded superb tonight (more about her later...) while Jamaican-American tenor Terrence Chin-Loy put me in mind - both physically and vocally - of the young George Shirley with his poignant timbre and lovely dynamic shadings. The tall, handsome basso Christian Zaremba, who made a distinct impression as Angelotti in Tosca at The Met in 2018, sang clearly, with a pleasing expressiveness. This vocal quartet passed melodies from voice to voice to fine effect, and harmonized beautifully.
The soloists and the chorus join forces in "Wherefore The Lights?" which ends the cantata's second movement. Here the principal vocalists had many opportunities to delight us, most notably as their voices entwined during the sustained final passages. A special bravo! to Mr. Chin-Loy for some wonderfully sustained phrasing here.
An orchestral interlude opens the final movement of the cantata. The music has a sense of urgency, and there's an oboe solo which Keisuke Ikuma phrased to perfection.
As the interlude came to its end, Eve Gigliotti (above, photo by Matt Dine) rose to sing the cantata's only extended vocal solo: "There Is a Precious Gift that God Needs". As the aria begins, a sense of calm and reassurance fills the Hall. Ms. Gigliotti's rich, expressive singing is so perfect for this music, and her voice meshed perfectly with the sound of concertmaster Cyrus Beroukhim's spun-out phrases. The mezzo's sense of the text - "I Need a Heart Purer Than Gold, and a Will That is Strong in Labor. I Need a Brother that Loves His Brother..." was underscored as she seemed to shape the phrases with her expressive hands. The voice came forth in a wondrous outpouring of warmth and beauty, the singer's face aglow with the power of love.
For the cantata's finale, the chorus take up the words "I Need a Heart Purer Than Gold" in a marvelous hymn, with a shimmering obbligato from Mr. Beroukhim s violin. As the work comes to its mighty finish, the four soloists joined the chorus: a powerful end to an extraordinary evening.
Above: during the bows, ASO concertmaster Cyrus Beroukhim, Mr. Zaremba, Mr. Chin-Loy, and Maestro Botstein; photo by Matt Dine
Special thanks to Maestro Botstein for bringing this rarity to us in all its glory; it reminds us, in these chaotic times, what religion is really all about.
At the Reading of a Psalm (1915)
First Movement
i. Chorus (Allegro tempestoso)
ii. Double Chorus (Andante sostenuto)
iii. Chorus. Triple Fugue (Fuga a tre soggetti, Andante – Allegro molto)
Second Movement
iv. Chorus (Allegro moderato) – Fuga. (Allegro tenebroso)
v. Quartet (Andante)
vi. Quartet and Chorus (Adagio ma non troppo)
Third Movement
vii. Interlude (Allegro appassionato)
viii. Aria (Alto Solo) (Adagio piu tosto largo)
ix. Double Chorus (Finale) (Adagio pietoso e molto cantabile – Allegro moderato – Allegro molto)
American Symphony Orchestra/Leon Botstein, Conductor
Mané Galoyan, Soprano
Eve Gigliotti, Mezzo-Soprano
Terrence Chin-Loy, Tenor
Christian Zaremba, Bass
Bard Festival Chorale/James Bagwell, Director
Performance photos by Matt Dine.
~ Oberon