Janelle Gelfand. Gabrieli’s “Magnificat à 33,” written for the vast spaces of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, was an inspiring opening to the new tenure of Juanjo Mena, the festival’s new principal conductor.
The piece fit the celebratory mood in Music Hall, which included toasts of Spanish Cava for concert-goers and a pre-concert performance in the lobby by a traditional Basque octet, Otxote Txanbela (o-CHO-te chan-BE-la), from the Spanish conductor’s homeland.
For his debut, Mena’s eclectic program included Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” Ravel’s gorgeous “Daphnis et Chloé” music from the 1912 ballet and the North American premiere of James MacMillan’s “Credo.”
There was some drama behind the scenes when announced countertenor David Daniels canceled on Friday due to illness. Somehow, the festival found the superb countertenor John Holiday, whose plane reportedly touched down at 6 p.m. and he performed the famous solo in “Chichester Psalms” about two hours later without a rehearsal.
“Chichester Psalms” of 1965 is one of Leonard Bernstein’s most engaging works for chorus. Consisting of settings in Hebrew of excerpts from the Psalms, it is melodic and warm – an accessible departure from his avant-garde explorations of the time.
Prepared by Robert Porco, the chorus’ sound was vibrant, and Mena carefully coaxed a wide dynamic range in the joyous, syncopated opening from Psalm 102. “Awake, psaltery and harp.” The chorus has never sounded so refined as it was in the swaying finale, “Adonai, Adonai” (Lord, Lord), with gorgeous contributions from CSO cellists.
In the lovely second movement, a setting of Psalm 23, Holiday, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and winner of the 2017 Marian Anderson Award, soared easily into the soprano range, displaying a voice that was expressive, pure-toned and powerful.
In contrast, “Credo” – “I believe” – by Scottish composer MacMillan never quite came together. It is a setting of the Latin “Credo,” an affirmation of the church’s foundation in the Holy Trinity. Mena led its world premiere at the 2012 Proms Festival in London.
It was a pastiche of many different musical styles, from edgy modernism to moments of tonal beauty. The work included dramatic tone painting by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with frenzied strings, dissonances, pounding timpani and outcries in the brass. It’s unfortunate that the lovely theme by the violas in the Crucifixion section couldn’t be heard. The chorus seemed less prepared than usual – there were unsure entrances and a few rocky moments of coordination.
But Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé,” the ballet music for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballet Russes, which concluded the evening, was deeply satisfying. Mena swept up the strings in some of the most shimmering sonorities I have heard in this hall since it reopened after the renovation.
For the maestro, it was a meaningful choice, having made his Cincinnati debut with it in 2012. Mena was in command and every gesture was musical. He took his time and allowed each phrase to breathe, evoking all the mystery and color of the ancient Greek love story. Yet, tempos were animated, and he never lost sight of the full arc of the work. The final climax, with chirping flutes and a beautiful theme for the low strings, was meltingly beautiful.
There were extraordinary contributions from orchestral soloists, including a virtuosic flute passage for Randolph Bowman and superb playing in the brass. Not least, the chorus added a lush, velvety sound in its wordless contributions. The audience approved with extended ovations.
The May Festival closes on Saturday with Juanjo Mena conducting the complete Handel’s “Messiah.” The 120-voice May Festival Chorus will be joined for the first time by the 170-voice May Festival Community Chorus. Information: mayfestival.com
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