Classical Concert Reviews Cinci

mayfestivalcincy continued its 2024 season with a program exploring the deeper meanings of anthems and the power to inspire and connect audiences, including two new scores by Festival Director Julia Wolfe (@juliawolfemusic) and an underrated masterpiece by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Wolfe’s All That Breathes, commissioned for this years’s festival, opened the program in a most of hazy minimalism. Opening and closing with collective breathing sounds from the choir and incorporating short phrases from the Biblical book of Genesis, the piece was dreamy in its own way, yet felt somewhat lacking in its in its use of a small amount of text and melodic material.
The national anthems, by New York-based composer David Lang, served as a unique introduction to his own distinct style of minimalist writing. Composed on a commission from the Los Angelas Master Chorale, The May Featival Chorus and strings of @cincysymphony gave a reading which was sensuous and trancelike, yet always longing for something more profound to come after the last notes.
In a rare solo moment in the spotlight, the CSO followed with the local premiere of Pretty, one of Julia Wolfe’s newest instrumental scores. Partially inspired by the sounds and rhythms of rock and roll, particularly in its use of metallic percussion and a drum set, the orchestra’s reading was steely and hard-driving without losing its relentless energy.
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ cantata Dona Nobis Pacem might count as one of his most under-appreciated choral-orchestral works, even though it has been part of the May Festival’s repertoire for many years. Written in 1934-36, the piece explores the horrors and suffering of war mixed with a hint of optimism. The assembled chorus and orchestra (along with the May Festival Youth Chorus) under guest conductor Stephanie Childress gave a deeply moving, evocative performance. Baritone Daniel Okulitch sang with a wonderfully rich tone and velvety, plush timbre. Soprano Camilla Tilling’s solos, though brief, were strong and tenderly relaxed. Maestra Childress’s conducting throughout the program was inviting and sweeping while maintaining a flexibly relaxed sense of timbre and rhythm. Bravo to all!