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The audience of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and Chorus filled the Lyric to near capacity Friday night to hear them join the dramatic mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke in a concert of Brahms, Beethoven and Prokofiev.

The somber Brahms Rhapsody for Alto, Male Chorus and Orchestra, op.53 led the program with the story of a lost and rejected lover wandering in a Winter landscape. Featuring the ultra-rich voice of the mezzo soloist, Sasha Cooke, the piece was a heart-wrenching, lovely work based on a trio of verses from Goethe’s poem, “Harzreise im Winter.”

I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Cooke’s Lied Center recital last year and was looking forward to her resonant ease again.  Even with the additional physical demands of recently having a baby just four weeks ago, she nurtured the long phrases, articulated the German and Russian texts with precision and gave each line deep feeling and luminous beauty.

The men of the Kansas City Symphony Chorus joined her for the transcendent last stanza in C major which evoked a four-part chorale. It was a plea from the poet to aid the lost soul, “If there be on your psaltery, All-loving Father, one tone that we may reach his ear, then reawaken his heart!” The symphony, chorus and soloist blended well, although the arrangement of the chorus in the back of the stage made understanding the diction at the back of the hall difficult.

The orchestra continued in C major for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 1. Obviously a favorite, Stern moved the podium out of the way and conducted off-score, freely conveying his intentions to the orchestra. Sadly, they didn’t always meet the maestro’s expectations, particularly during the dramatic dynamic shifts when a fortissimo was obviously being called for and a mezzo forte was being delivered.

Beethoven’s first symphony has many of the compositional elements that would later become hallmarks of his style. The strong rhythmic punches, the unexpected beginnings, winding transitions and the surprising dynamic shifts are all there. Particularly notable contributions were made by the double reeds. There was something just a bit precious about the second movement. The orchestra held back and seemed to tiptoe around it. Even the trumpet entry sounded overly controlled and understated. The third movement featured impressive string embellishments that were played with group precision.

Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky Cantata, op.78 began with the same lonely sadness of the Brahms but instead of a wandering scorned lover, the scene features the bank of the River Neva overlooking fields littered with dead bodies and ransacked villages. The orchestra was magnificent throughout this piece and seemed to pour their hearts into creating the atmospheric beauty necessary for a soundtrack while also lifting listeners to a place of Nationalistic fervor. Unfortunately, the balance between the orchestra and chorus was off leaving this listener wishing for microphones to amplify the voices.

Prokofiev used a wide variety of styles and expressive percussion elements to tell the story of Nevsky for the film produced in 1938. He juxtaposed sinister sounding militaristic rhythms and plainsong against bright carnival-like tunes, Russian folk music and anthems.

The chorus had been painstakingly coached in Russian diction by alto section leader and native Russian Svetlana Mitchell. The chorus’ contribution was, unfortunately, obscured by the dynamic strength of the orchestra. Ms. Cooke’s diction was flawless and her interpretation showed a strong understanding of her text. Her solo in “The Field of the Dead” was so achingly rendered that I long to hear it again. In it, the singer wanders the killing field searching for the young men who died so nobly for Russia betrothing herself to the memory of their bravery. Sasha Cooke embodied her role with every breath and muscle.

The repetitive motive that drove the final movement, “Alexander’s Entry in Pskov” cast a mesmerizing spell. Every phrase was retrospective, reviewing the story and coming to the end. Finally, the 15-foot-tall ladder obscuring the alto section was put into use as the percussionist climbed to the top and crashed the long chime like instrument hanging from the rack. The unison choral statements were strong and clear ending the evening in triumph.

The Kansas City Symphony and Chorus had an opportunity to rehearse this piece in the new Helzberg hall and according to more than one member the acoustical and logistical challenges of the Lyric stage will soon be a memory. Kansas Citians will hear their orchestra in a completely new and exciting way. I hope Sasha Cooke will be able to join them again.

REVIEW:
Kansas City Symphony and Chorus with
Mezzo-Soprano Sasha Cooke
Beethoven, Brahms & Prokofiev
Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21, 2011(May 20 reviewed)
Lyric Theatre
11th St and Central Ave, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Yardley Hall at Carlsen Center
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS
For tickets, call 816-471-0400, or online at www.kcsymphony.org.

Top Photo: Sasha Cooke (Photo by Dario Acosta)

By Megan Browne Helm

Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor

Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting.  Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC.  At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.  She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy. 

 As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent.  She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science.  She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience.  She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.