Classical Concert Reviews Cinci

What a FABULOUS DMA lecture-recital by @sergey.o.tkachenko this evening exploring the music of perhaps the least-known Russian romantic choral composer active in the first half of the twentieth century, Nikolai Golovanov (1891-1953). The lecture portion of the program was insightful and engaging without being too overbearing in regard to the depth of analysis included in the presentation. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of it was the fact that even after the Russian Revolution deprived Golovanov of the opportunity to serve as director of the Moscow Synodal School (the most famous institution promoting the performance of sacred choral music in Russia until the revolution in 1917) he continued to write music in essentially the same style for the rest of his life.
This style was built on large choral textures drawing on techniques gleamed from his work as an orchestral conductor while incorporating more modern sounds reminiscent of French Impressionism and/or jazz.
The choir of @uc_ccm students assembled for the recital portion of the evening really demonstrated how blessed we are that Cincinnati is known as the City That Sings. I feel sometimes people forget CCM has become such a hotbed of choral singers and conductors the last few years, and this recital was one of the best examples of its importance in the choral music world. Performing Golovanov’s music as a chronological exploration of his career, the sound presented was beautifully balanced, spectacularly resonant and wonderfully communicative. Tkachenko interpreted each work with tender, loving care for each choral voice and the singers exceeded every expectation in how they interpreted every gesture and phrase. Standout highlights included gorgeous performances of an Opus 38 choral concerto, the opus 5 score Glory…. Only Begotten Son and his most famous work, his Opus 9 setting of The Lord’s Prayer. How rare it is indeed to hear a student choir that includes bass oktavists who are able to sing the lowest possible bass notes without breaking a sweat. Bravos and flowers to everyone involved in this amazing program.