Briggs brings it
WSO, Mahler, DeMille
by Christopher Key
Journalists are skeptical by nature and when “they” say something, it is usually cause for a raised eyebrow. They say you really haven’t experienced Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in D Minor (The Resurrection) until you have heard it performed live. In this case, they are right and the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra deserves enormous credit for undertaking this ambitious project.
For those of you enamored of statistics, this was the largest production ever mounted at the Mount Baker Theatre. It involved well over 200 musicians, including a mightily augmented orchestra, the Western Washington University Concert Choir and the Bellingham Chamber Chorale. WSO Artistic Director Roger Briggs enlisted the help of WWU’s Leslie Guelker-Cone and BCC’s Timothy Fitzpatrick to help coordinate this musical equivalent of a Cecil B. DeMille spectacular.
It was well worth the effort. Mahler’s masterpiece is unusually demanding because the composer, who was also a renowned conductor, gave very exacting notes as to how this work is to be performed. Maestro Briggs brought it all off with his usual flair, but from my perspective in the sixth row, it was obvious that he was mopping his brow more than usual.
The Resurrection has moments when the sheer power of the music is enough to levitate you from your seat, but it is far from bombastic. This is a very measured work that Mahler assembled over many years from smaller compositions. The title comes from Mahler’s inclusion of a hymn by Friedrich Klopstock in the final movement. There are those who compare it to Beethoven’s Ninth, but that does a disservice to both composers. Apples and oranges, as they say.
Even those who are mostly unfamiliar with classical music can recognize Beethoven’s iconic Ode to Joy. It requires a somewhat higher level of musical appreciation to understand what Mahler accomplished. For example, his witty conclusion to the second movement evoked chuckles of appreciation from tonight’s audience. Something you’re not likely to hear at a performance of Beethoven.
Mahler also had a genius for paying tribute to other composers without actually stealing anything from them. This symphony quotes Mozart, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky and probably some others that I am too unsophisticated to recognize. But the effect is delightful and brings a welcome playfulness to the sometimes staid world of classical music.
There are some breathtakingly powerful passages in this work and they are made much more effective by Mahler’s subtlety. Maestro Briggs’ use of two offstage horn sections was inspired and contributed some truly ethereal moments to the concert. The two soloists, soprano Kimberly Giordano and mezzo Kathryn Weld, made me wish that they had more time to shine than they were granted by the composer.
As WSO board president Ken Harrison noted in his introductory remarks, times are hard for nonprofits. When a sponsor didn’t come forward for this concert, the orchestra, led by the horn section, raised the money themselves. That kind of commitment is what has made the WSO such an extraordinary community asset.
Yes, there were some glitches, but surprisingly few and far between given the overwhelming challenges of this production. The very fact that WSO had the chutzpah to take on this work is an indication of how far this orchestra has come from humble beginnings.
This concert was music fit to wake the dead and, in this case, it is a very high compliment.
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