November, 2003

Mozart's "Requiem Mass in D minor"
Keith Kreitman, San Mateo County Times

Masterworks Chorale Society at age forty and associated with the College of San Mateo, has always been an admired choral group but, since the leadership has been assumed by Dr. Bryan Baker, it has taken a quantum leap upward. With a loyal membership that goes back as far as 35 years, it may now equal or exceed any other similar organization, anywhere.

This was re-established on November 9, with its concert at the United Methodist Church in Burlingame. Perhaps, it was inspired by the ecclesiastical venue. Perhaps, it was its growing popularity that packed the church with a standing room only audience. But from the opening phrases it was apparent that its presentation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Requiem Mass in D minor (K626)" was going to be a powerhouse.

Commissioned by a secret benefactor, this was the very last work Mozart undertook, just before his untimely death at age 35, and he wanted it to be his magnum opus. And even though he died before it was completed and others needed to finish it, to me he achieved his goal. This is not Mozart lite. It's not another "Marriage of Figaro" or "Cosi fan tutti." It is clearly his most dramatically emotional work. It is not only a tribute to God, but a testimony to his towering genius. It revives the speculation, what greater works would he have created had he lived longer?

Supported by the Solaris Chamber Orchestra, Masterworks gave it a stunning reading, filling the church to its bursting with its glorious timbre and intonation. It is clear that Mozart's ongoing innovative development of blending the musical instruments with the voices in his major operas bore fruit in this final work. No more practice. This was the real thing.

To put icing on the cake, Dr. Baker recruited four superb vocalists for the solo passages. Soprano Heather Antonissen, mezzo-soprano Wendy Hillhouse, tenor Brian Staufenbiel and bass Paul Thompson, opera performers all, sent chills up the spine.

To mix the new with the old, the Solaris Chamber Orchestra opened the program with "Adagio for Strings," by American composer Samuel Barber. It is a subtle, sublime and measured work that has since become a musical piece for mourning for some.

But, even more interesting, was the more recent work, the 1959 "Fern Hill" for singers and orchestra by the reigning American composing talent, John Corigliano. It is a great work, sung to the text of a poem by the same name, by the late Dylan Thomas.

Not only are the harmonies and lyrical structures unique, but the poem, itself, rings just as musically, with word combinations that evoke astonishing visual images of a happy and placid farm and fields. Wendy Hillhouse soloed with a rich mezzo-soprano voice that was just perfect for these dreamy sequences.

One left wishing for more.

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