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The world renowned Vienna Boys' Choir performed at Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College on Saturday evening to a sold-out and appreciative audience.

Reactions to the Vienna Boys' Choir probably depends on the level of expectation one brings to the performance. If your ears are trained to hear the kind of mature vocal excellence to be heard in our community from many fine choral groups, then you will find the voices of these spirited but young singers to be too immature and untrained.

If, however, you realize that these are, after all, just boys, and appreciate clean-toned unison and simple two or four-part harmony, and don’t mind a few intonation problems here and there, then the Vienna Boys' Choir is just your cup of tea.

The Choir consists of twenty voices, the youngsters dressed in their traditional sailor’s suits, which according to the program were quite popular in 1921 when the choir broke from court patronage and became the current independent entity. The youngsters changed configuration for almost every number, reminding one of a constantly shifting football backfield. It got almost dizzying after awhile.

The concert consisted of a large number of short pieces. Since they were not performed in groups the audience applauded after each one, which grew unnerving and clearly broke up the flow of the performance.  Perhaps that is appropriate for youngsters needing regular encouragement.

The ensemble, led from the piano by Turkish choirmaster Kerem Sezen, started with a foot-stamping (in lieu of percussion) performance of “O Fortuna” from Orff’s scandalous Carmina Burana.  One hopes that the young boys were not taught the meaning of the more ribald verses from some of the other movements of this piece.

The youngsters progressed to a series of pure-toned religious pieces by such composers as Palestrina, Bruckner, and Fauré, finishing the first half of the program with a beautiful selection of four pieces from Pergolesi’s Stabat mater, which were the finest numbers on the program.

After the intermission the Boys' Choir performed a bit of Brahms, Schubert, and Kodály, then turned to music in a more popular vein and displayed a variety of talents, with different members of the group playing the cello and piano and even singing solos. The “Evening Prayer” from Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel should have been transcendent, but somehow never got off the ground and ended all too soon after the first verse. The boys really got into the swing of traditional Austrian yodeling songs, however, then clearly enjoyed a rendition of “We Are the World” of Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. They delivered their most spirited performance of the night in a wordless vocal rendition of Johann Strauss Jr.’s Pizzicato Polka. A waltz from Joseph Strauss finished the program and led to a standing ovation.

As an encore the choirmaster, Sezen, sang with the young men in a rendition of what sounded like an African song, complete with clapping and a fruitless attempt to get the audience to sing along.

A great musical performance this was not, but one can’t but admire the accomplishment of these young voices and hope that the experience and discipline of singing together and traveling the world will enrich these young peoples’ lives. And the full house probably did some good for Yardley Hall’s bank account as well.

REVIEW:
Performing Arts Series of Johnson County Community College
Vienna Boys Choir
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Yardley Hall
Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or online at http://www.jccc.edu/performing-arts-series/index.html

Top Photo: Vienna Boys' Choir (Photo by Lukas Beck)

By Don Dagenais

City Classics Music and Dance Columnist; Classical Contributor

A lifelong classical music fan, Don Dagenais is a frequent preview speaker for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and has taught classical music and opera courses at several Kansas City venues. He has served on the boards of directors of a number of performing arts organizations including the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Lyric Opera Guild, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, Opera Volunteers International, the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Octarium, and the Friends of the Symphony.  He has been the past president of most of these organizations and is current the president of the Friends of the Symphony. 

Dagenais co-authored a history of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, published on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (2007) and has written books on the histories of both the Lyric Opera Guild and Opera Volunteers International, as well as an introductory book for opera novices (Your Passport to the Opera).  He has received several local and national awards for outstanding volunteer work for the arts, including a lifetime achievement award from The Coterie Theatre in 2000, the Kansas City Musical Club's annual award in 2001, a Partners in Excellence Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2002, a Bravo Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2004 and a community service award from the Daughter of the American Revolution in 2008 honoring him for his community service to the arts.

In addition to his music interests, Don is president of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Ensemble Theater and has served on the boards of The Coterie Theatre and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, serving as president of each organization.  He publishes newsletters for seven arts organizations.  When not involved in the performing arts, Don is a senior real estate attorney with Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, where he has practiced law since 1976 after graduating from the Cornell Law School.