THE OLD AND THE NEW: MUSIC FOR ALL TIME

Orpheus charms with music from the 12th and 20th centuries.

By Larry Warkentin - May 25, 2010

It is not every day that one hears music of the twelfth century, nor does everyone care to hear music of the twelfth century on any given day. Yet it is important to know our origins musically and otherwise, and there is an intriguing beauty to this music of the past.

On Sunday in Wahlberg Hall on the CSUF campus the chamber ensemble Orpheus, under the artistic direction of Jack Fortner, presented a program half from the 12th century and half from the 20th century. The amazing thing about the program was that the two halves of the program, though separated chronologically by 800 years, seemed remarkably similar.

John Karr directed the San Joaquin Early Music Group in performances of music from the earliest period of European notated music. Before the development of a system of notation, music could only be transmitted orally. The music that survives from the 12th century still requires research and a bit of imagination to bring it to an audience. The early music group did a credible job of making the music come alive.

They performed songs that represented the village, the university, the cathedral, the court, the monastery and the tavern. Some were strictly vocal while others were accompanied by drums, oud (a type of lute), recorder and psaltery. Sarah Basiletti, Kevin Cooper and Leigh Murray provided skillful accompaniment, although at times the large drum tended to overpower the singers.

From an historical point of view the two most significant pieces on this half of the program were by Leonin and Perotin who wrote for the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Alleluia/Pascha nostrum was brilliantly performed by Mark Lanford and John Sorber. The two voices moved with confidence and clarity as musical lines floated in mystical harmonies. Haec Dies/Confitemini domino was sung by Jeanette Kitterman and John Sorber. The two singers, unaccompanied and alone on the stage, beautifully performed the complex polyphony. Quite likely, Kitterman would not have been permitted to sing in Notre Dame Cathedral since that was reserved for men only. And it would have been more effective to hear this music in a resonant space, rather than in a modern concert hall.

The second half of the program was devoted to Sarah was Ninety Years Old by the 20th century Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. This work was composed in 1977 and revised in 1990. Apparently Pärt had been significantly influenced by his study of early music and many aspects of late medieval music are evident in this composition.

The title and the long program notes retelling the Biblical story of Sarah who gives birth at the age of 90 would suggest that this is a work for singers. That would be a logical and correct assumption, except that the singers never sing words; they only vocalize on syllables. Visual symbols projected onto a screen at the back of the stage and a few hints in the music are the only things that tie the music to the title. The singers often present extended and repetitious unaccompanied passages in the style of the Leonin-Perotin works from the 12th century.

Matthew Darling handled the percussion with awesome simplicity. Tenors Corey Liggans and Aaron Burdick were well matched and musical. Sarah Josephian sang the wide ranging soprano part with confidence and beauty.

Readers who may have not heard this work of Arvo Pärt must imagine music that begins in silence, without fanfare, and then proceeds with very sparse textures. The audience at Wahlberg seemed uncertain that the music had begun, but after about five minutes, the sparse drumbeat gave way to the singers, and the slowly unfolding music drew the audience into this singular musical world.

The Pärt doesn’t end conventionally either. The audience seemed uncertain when it was over, and the polite applause grew gradually. Paired with the early music, the Pärt seemed an apt choice for the program, and a rare musical afternoon came to a hushed close.