Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Ed Frazier Davis: Mother and Child. Mozart: Symphony No. 40. Fauré: Requiem. Amadeus Choir. Sir Andrew Davis, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, Nov. 9, 2023. Repeats Nov. 11 (8 p.m.); tickets here.
Fauré’s Requiem is widely known for its peaceful outlook on mortality and the hereafter. The seven-movement score has its active interludes, however, which were by no means overlooked on Thursday by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis. This performance, the second of three in Roy Thomson Hall, proved to be moving in a few senses.
Far from a sleepy sequence of Adagios, Andantes and Moderatos, we heard a Requiem with an element of drama. One arresting highlight was the “dies irae” affirmation that punctuates the Libera Me movement. The day of wrath might be deeply embedded in Fauré’s vision, but it is given full value.
After a somewhat scattered start, the 100-odd voices of the Amadeus Choir coalesced nicely the Offertoire. As prepared by Kathleen Allan, these singers came across as consistently human. Diction was excellent.
TSO strings were also on form, producing a warm, almost heroic sound in the Agnus Dei. It helped that Sir Andrew had arranged the orchestra with violins to his left and lower strings to his right, the way it used to be, and the way it ought to be. The benefits of this configuration were particularly apparent at the beginning of the Offertoire, as violas and cellos interacted naturally, as neighbours.
The British soprano Nardus Williams — flown in for about three minutes of singing — produced a radiant sound in the Pie Jesu. Also making a TSO debut was Ed Frazier Davis, son to Sir Andrew. He does not possess a baritone of operatic weight but made it clear through phrasing and articulation that the Lord would indeed come to judge the world by fire. Worth more than a footnote was the positive work of organist Jonathan Oldengarm, whose role at points rivalled that of the orchestra.
In sum, this was a fulfilling performance that balanced the essential qualities of apprehension and calm, with the latter of course prevailing. The final, quiet iteration of the word “Requiem” left the audience in a state of respectful — one might say stunned — silence. Fear not. An ovation ensued.
Before intermission, Sir Andrew (who, in his 80th year, walks briskly to the podium but uses a stool) led a version of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 that successfully captured the agitation of the outer movements. No adherent of historical (or pseudo-historical) practice, the TSO’s conductor laureate decreed a monumental Menuetto, strings digging in. The courtly trio made a suitable contrast.
But back to Ed Frazier Davis, who is a composer as well as a singer. The program began with Mother and Child, a nine-minute tribute to his mother, the late soprano Gianna Rolandi, who was also his father’s wife. Starting in fanfare mode, the piece becomes more sombre as it recounts the illness of the subject but does not abandon hope. Tubular bells and tuba are among the interesting colours evoked.
By reading the composer’s program notes we learn that the high sustained note for violins at the end is meant to leave open the possibility of a reunion. It works on a purely aesthetic plane as well. The performance was, not surprisingly, authoritative.
It was no coincidence that the Requiem was programmed in conjunction with Remembrance Day. I am told that musicians will be given poppies before the repeat concert on Saturday and encouraged to wear them.
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