Milwaukee Symphony responds to COVID-19 grief with ‘Requiem’ concert

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra constructed a stunning program of reflection and luxury for this weekend, calling “Requiem & Track,” expressing the weariness and grief so many individuals are experiencing in what are hopefully the waning days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSO music director Ken-David Masur led the orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Refrain and visitor soloists mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor and baritone John Brancy in a program of stirring expressive music of the twentieth and twenty first centuries.

This system’s first half was constructed of three completely engrossing works that the MSO had not programed earlier than, starting with a compelling efficiency of Toro Takemitsu’s emotionally evocative, single-movement Requiem for Strings.

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The centerpiece of this system’s first half was Joseph Canteloube’s pretty “Chants d’Auvergne (Songs of the Auvergne),” that includes each O’Connor and Brancy.

The 2 vocalists introduced character and simply sufficient interplay to the piece to make it a completely partaking efficiency, together with the second Brancy stormed off the stage in a huff after his character’s advances towards O’Connor have been rebuffed, solely to look within the refrain gallery for the final motion of the piece, utilizing an finish of the gallery as form of a Juliet balcony.

Misato Mochizuki’s meditative “Musubi II” ended this system’s first half, full with some haunting, somewhat uncommon sounds similar to passages for bowed vibraphones.

This system’s second half was stuffed by a transferring, articulate efficiency of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem by the orchestra, refrain and two soloists.

Duruflé’s composition is a lyrical, fantastically orchestrated masterpiece. It strikes from exquisitely expressive solo instrumental strains and introspective choral passages to lengthy crescendos during which instrumental and vocal timbres are added in layers because the dynamic will increase, to create sweeping musical results.

Within the chorus-friendly acoustic of the brand new Allen-Bradley Corridor, listeners heard musical nuances and the smallest of refrain dynamics, which blossomed into huge, full-voiced sounds. Ready by refrain director Cheryl Frazes Hill, the ensemble created a wide variety of timbres and textures, from shimmering, mild, soprano strains to heat, cohesive sounds from the refrain males.

Masur and the orchestra gave an artfully balanced efficiency of the Duruflé, crammed with stirring enjoying from particular person part and mixed devices, some pretty solo strains, together with these provided by principal cellist Susan Babini.

Brancy provided targeted, fantastically crafted solo baritone strains, whereas O’Connor delivered a young, tug-at-the-heartstrings rendition of the Pie Jesu motion.

Because the piece ended, Masur and the performers stayed completely nonetheless, a cue the viewers adopted, applauding solely after Masur moved and breaking the spell the piece had solid.

The MSO repeats this program at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and a couple of:30 p.m. Sunday on the Bradley Symphony Middle, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. For ticket info go to www.mso.org, or name (414) 291-7605.