{"id":11710,"date":"2013-04-19T07:47:11","date_gmt":"2013-04-19T12:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=11710"},"modified":"2013-04-19T07:47:11","modified_gmt":"2013-04-19T12:47:11","slug":"saturday-sunday-stephanie-martins-pax-christi-chorale-wont-stand-still-for-handels-solomon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2013\/04\/19\/saturday-sunday-stephanie-martins-pax-christi-chorale-wont-stand-still-for-handels-solomon\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday &#038; Sunday: Stephanie Martin&#8217;s Pax Christi Chorale won&#8217;t stand still for Handel&#8217;s Solomon"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_11712\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11712\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.courtauld.ac.uk\/gallery\/collections\/sculpturedec\/athoscross\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11712 \" alt=\"A carving of King Solomon in the top left section of a cross on the Island of Athos.\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/04\/athos-solomon.jpg\" width=\"720\" height=\"670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/04\/athos-solomon.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/04\/athos-solomon-300x279.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11712\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A carving of King Solomon in the top left section of a cross depicting various narratives from the Old and New Testaments from the Island of Athos dates from around the same time as Handel wrote the music for S<em>olomon<\/em> (Courtauld Gallery photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It&#8217;s standard practice these days to ask children to do some choreography while singing in a choir while most gorwn-ups still operate as a stock-still mass of blended voices. But Toronto composer, teacher and choral conductor Stephanie Martin is trying an experiment to change that with her Pax Christi Chorale this weekend.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The large and excellent community choir closes its season with two performances of <em>Solomon<\/em>, the 265-year-old masterpiece oratorio by George Frideric Handel, in the beautiful acoustics of Grace Church-on-the-Hill in Forest Hill.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a great excuse for Handel to write in all of the operatic styles,&#8221; says Martin. &#8220;It&#8217;s about the power of music &#8212; sad music and war music &#8212; and there is the play within a play,&#8221; she adds, referring to a masque in the final act.<\/p>\n<p>Most people know <em>Solomon<\/em> best for the Sinfonia (orchestral overture) that opens that final act: &#8220;Arrival of the Queen of Sheba&#8221; (heard here led by Harry Christophers):<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C66XCqWkhmw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>But the oratorio bristles with all sorts of other riches, including great arias and choruses &#8212; many of them written for double chorus, giving the music particular richness.<\/p>\n<p>The orchestra is larger than a typical baroque ensemble, too. &#8220;There are more wind players,&#8221; says Martin of a group that &#8220;approaches Haydn&#8217;s orchestra in size.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The oratorio also lends itself to a bit of dramatization &#8212; nothing elaborate, but more than just a stand-up-and-sing sort of concert. Martin enlisted the help of her York University colleague, theatre professor Gwen Dobie.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;She has been coaching the choir in theatrical gesture, so that the choristers can take on a character in the drama,&#8221; Martin explains.<\/p>\n<p>In Act I, as we celebrate King Solomon&#8217;s wise judgments and faithful love, the choir adds to the blissful mood. The act&#8217;s closing chorus, &#8220;May no rash intruder,&#8221; is among the most delicately evocative Handel ever wrote (performed here by the Colombian ensemble Iuventus under Juan Carlos Mari\u00f1o in Bogot\u00e1):<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yfngXbp9E64?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Things get much more dramatic in Act II, where King Solomon is called on to settle a dispute involving two women (called harlots in the libretto) over ownership of a baby. Here, the choir takes on the role of a Greek chorus. But instead of a unified response, each Pax Christi singer has been asked to provide an individually authentic reaction to the text.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;ll look like the choir is misbehaving,&#8221; quips Martin, who says that this particular choir will have &#8220;entered in to the drama,&#8221; rather than simply singing about it.<\/p>\n<p>The final act, a big pomp-and-circumstance affair, starts with the arrival of the Queen of Sheba, who heralds a succession of gorgeous airs by the guest and Solomon &#8212; like &#8220;Thus rolling surges rise,&#8221; (sung here by Andreas Scholl and the Gabrielli Consort under Paul McCreesh):<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ei7DRu1_Gas\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As we chat, Martin finds a quick description: &#8220;Think opera chorus.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We want to play with their boundaries,&#8221; says Pax Christi&#8217;s artistic director of this <em>Solomon<\/em>. &#8220;It&#8217;s a trend in choral music. Engaging with the body in choral singing is more important now than it was 25 years ago. That&#8217;s because audiences are expecting more action.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Martin stresses how the choral traditions from other cultures wouldn&#8217;t think of separating movement from the meaning of the text &#8212; &#8220;so we&#8217;re playing with that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This may be something new for a Toronto classical music audience, but it was also something unexpected for the choristers themselves. &#8220;This was outside most singers&#8217; comfort zone,&#8221; Martin admits. But it didn&#8217;t take long for people to warm to the idea once rehearsals started.<\/p>\n<p>I ask Martin, who will be standing on the podium, if she will be joining the action as well.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I am this axis of a crazy wheel,&#8221; she replies. &#8220;I have to be still and hold it all together.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There is a dramatic element to the way everyone will be dressed, though, with each soloist wearing a clearly identifiable clue or symbol about who they are.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It has struck me as strange that you can have this huge dramatic scene with a guy in a tuxedo doing nothing much,&#8221; says Martin.<\/p>\n<p>Pax Christi&#8217;s excellent soloists include soprano Teri Dunn, mezzo (and Classical 96 host) Jean Stilwell, tenor David Pomeroy and baritone Michael York.<\/p>\n<p>Martin has also invited 50 students from Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School to join in the singing in Act III. &#8220;We did a workshop at the school and they were amazing,&#8221; says the conductor.<\/p>\n<p>So far it has been a positive experience for the choir.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The feedback that I&#8217;ve had is that people are feeling liberated, that they can express what they are feeling in their hearts with their bodies, with the help of the director,&#8221; Martin explains. &#8220;I feel they sing better when they know the intent of the text. It&#8217;s something actors know all about but singers still need to figure out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It promises to translate into a special experience for the audience, as well.<\/p>\n<p>For all the details on Saturday and Sunday&#8217;s concerts, click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.paxchristichorale.org\/category\/2012-2013-season\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>+++<\/p>\n<p>Anytime is a great time to savour the gorgeous, dramatically rich music of <em>Solomon<\/em>. In that spirit, here is a very fine traditional concert performance of the oratorio recorded by Netherlands Radio 4 in Utrecht in December, 2011. The conductor is Kenneth Montgomery:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HULyNRpxfy0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p><em>John Terauds<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s standard practice these days to ask children to do some choreography while singing in a choir while most gorwn-ups still operate as a stock-still mass of blended voices. But Toronto composer, teacher and choral conductor Stephanie Martin is trying an experiment to change that with her Pax Christi Chorale this weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,74,11,19,29,36,37,62,63,1],"tags":[6451,331,1514,6459,2585,3056,3123],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/04\/athos-solomon.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-32S","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11710"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11710"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=11710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}