Acoustic Gem Aids Fervant Performance
The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University presented the Verdi Requiem last Wednesday night at the Auditorium Theatre. A well known maestra led forces made up of a student orchestra and chorus complimented by well known faculty members taking the soloist roles.
The concert was grand and the setting was grander! Conductor Jane Glover urged the chorus on feverishly and obtained a towering wall of sound from the brass in the crucial moments of this requiem for a beloved poet. Soprano soloist Jonita Lattimore stole the show with the ending of the Requiem. Her sure pitch, gorgeous soft legato singing and powerful high notes were the stand out of the evening.
The other soloists, mezzo Tracy Watson, tenor Roy Smith and bass Samuel Ramey were good although Ms. Watson has neither the low notes nor the power required for a Verdi soloist. Ramey's hair was perfect, the voice less so--a wide vibrato reigned. Still it's a wonder to hear the bottom held so nobly!
Conductor Glover fashioned a full sound from the well prepared orchestra.
The glowing warm acoustics of the Auditorium helped the orchestra sound and enabled the un-microphoned chorus to bloom and its sound to spread to every part in the 4000 seat hall. The only mis-steps from the conductor were an inability to cue brass entrances so that horns and trombones came in together. This happened several times including the critical moment at the end of the Tuba Mirum.
One was left with the impression that Roosevelt takes its showcase performance opportunities seriously and, thereby, moves another rank upward in its goal to be a premier Chicago conservatory.
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Suzanne (not verified) | Fri, 04/21/2006 - 2:02pm
What a nice review. Thanks for sharing it.
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