Maestro Thomas Crawford conducting the American Classical Orchestra
featuring soprano Shelen Hughes Camacho
(photo by Matt Dine)
There were so many worthwhile things going on Thursday night at Alice Tully Hall that we scarcely know where to begin. First of all, the evening was musically satisfying. Secondly, we received a rather generous lesson in music appreciation from Maestro Thomas Crawford. And finally we had the pleasure of hearing one of our favorite sopranos taking part in Franz Joseph Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, along with three other fine singers.
We rarely review orchestral music, as much as we enjoy it, because we barely have time to cover vocal events, which is our main mission. Learning that Shelen Hughes Camacho was singing encouraged us to step out of our "fach", We began writing about this preternaturally gifted young singer when she was a student at Manhattan School of Music and have reviewed her often in the genres of opera and lieder, and witnessed her winning awards at several opera competitions. This was perhaps the first time we hear her singing sacred music in Latin.
Sacred music would never be our first choice in vocal music and it has only been Fauré's Requiem and that of Verdi that had any appeal for us. However, it was a revelation to us to hear Haydn's Mass in D Minor for the first time. What astonished us was his gloriously florid writing for the voice which put him right into bel canto territory. Regardless of what other folk consider spiritual, our feelings for what is greater than mankind are wrapped up in the glory of the human voice.
And so it was, to our astonishment, that we took enormous pleasure in the performance. There is nothing Ms. Camacho cannot achieve with her warm instrument, clear diction, apt phrasing, and skill with fioritura. The other singers were new to us and deserve highest praise. The alto parts were taken by Helen Karloski; the tenor was Steven Soph, and the bass was Edmund Milly. We would be happy to hear more of them.
For this first half of the program, we were focused mainly on the voices but in the second half of the program we were able to give our full attention to the orchestra and Maestro Crawford's expressive conducting. He used his arms and hands in a most specific manner and pulled from each section of the orchestra exactly what he wanted.
Before the concert even started he did a fine job as educator, teaching us audience members exactly what to listen for. We are accustomed to long academic program notes that fly way over the head of most concert goers. His verbal tutelage was, by contrast, relaxed and conversational; the level was just right for an audience that knows the basics like key changes and the difference between major and minor.
This wasn't the first time we listened to Beethoven's First Symphony but it was the first time we really heard it. We were well prepared for the composer's audacious and rapid travel through various keys in the opening bars and we understood why the third movement Menuetto can be considered a scherzo. Those were just a few of the many suggestions offered for what to listen for. We had only one cavil, as we always do. It would have been better to have discussed the Beethoven right before it was performed, rather than describing it at the opening of the concert when we were focusing on the Haydn.
Aside from that very small complaint we were completely satisfied with the program, the education, and the fine performances. Compared with some rather stuffy and pretentious nights at Carnegie Hall and whatever they are currently calling the Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center (sorry if that sounded snarky but we just cannot keep up with the "politically" motivated name changes), our night at Alice Tully Hall had us walking home in a state of bliss. We doubt that we were alone in our appreciation. The applause was thunderous and the audience left smiling and animated. We are happy to report that Maestro Crawford will be conducting all nine of Beethoven's symphonies!
© meche kroop
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