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Conspirare
May 7, 2012
Review: Conspirare & the Austin Symphony Orchestra
I hadn’t checked the program, so it was a surprise at first to see Conspirare’s director Craig Hella Johnson take the podium Saturday night to conduct the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
As it turned out, this swap was all planned in advance, with Peter Bay conducting Conspirare’s Symphonic Choir for Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms.”
But it was fascinating to see Johnson conduct an instrumental ensemble, one without voices. They played Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue,” probably the composer’s most famous organ piece, made famous in the 1920s, when it was orchestrated by the musical director of Disney’s “Fantasia.”
Johnson has always been an expressive conductor, and here he seemed to transfer his energy to the orchestra, with a very animated left hand — something more common to choirs — which he used to communicate Bach’s dramatic dynamics and counterpoint to the orchestra, and the audience.
It was an invigorating start, which was all the better, because up next was Stravinsky’s dark and haunting work with a hundred choral voices, under Peter Bay.
The choir was quite affecting, and make quite a presence lined up in a formidable wall, but the piece uses no violins, which left a gaping black hole in most of the stage. It was visually distracting.
More orchestrated Bach came after intermission, but it was Leonard Bernstein’s “Chinchester Psalms,” that left an impression. It has a boy soloist, which imparts a certain innocence to the work. The full orchestra and choir are both beautiful and entertaining, with stunning lyrical sections and unexpected surprises from the percussion section.
The young soloist, Lucas Revering, did very well, with a fine tone, though it was a strain to hear at times. We also heard some fantastic tenors and solos throughout the choir and orchestra.
Something else which caught my ear was the orchestra’s placement. Because of the hundred voice choir behind them, the ASO players, who are usually nestled inside the curtain line, were shifted out front, above the orchestra pit. I can’t say how it felt for the players, but in the audience, the increased volume was remarkable.
I’ve often said it sounds sometimes as though the orchestra is playing in a separate room, and for this concert, I was back halfway in the mezzanine, yet never had to strain to hear the strings. I don’t often hear orchestra patrons mention this topic, so I’m curious whether they discerned a difference or not.
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Luke Quinton in an American-Statesman freelance arts critic.
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April 11, 2012
Conspirare launches $2.2 million campaign with a $1 million gift
Five-time Grammy-nominated Austin choral group Conspirare today announced a $2.2 million major gifts campaign with a $1 million donation from the Austin-based Kodosky Foundation, the donation largest in Conspirare’s history.
Additional gifts from Austin donors the Still Water Foundation and the Mattsson McHale Foundation have already brought the total to $1.5 million.
The new campaign, called “A Legacy of Sound” is a five-year fundraising initiative aimed at supporting more recordings, commissioning and performance of more new works, development of innovative new approaches to choral performance and expanded touring.
Founded by and under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare useu professional singers from around the country for its chamber choir who then perform a season of concerts in Austin and elsewhere. It also maintains a volunteer symphonic choir and a children’s choir. Conspirare has toured nationally and internationally.
Since beginning in 1991, its been one Austin’s fastest-growing arts organizations. Its current budget is close to $1.5 million.
The campaign is intended to support. among other activities, more commercially released recordings. The group has recorded 22 CDs to date with four released on the distinguished Harmonia Mundi record label. Three of the CDs have been nominated for Grammy Awards, with two — “Threshold of Night,” featuring the music of Tarik O’Regan, and “Requiem” — receiving two Grammy nominations including Best Classical Album for “Threshold of Night.”
Monies will also be earmarked for the commission of new work from established and emerging composers. Conspirare has a history of commissioning choral music, in the past premiering new works by composers O’Regan, Robert Kyr and Eric Whitacre.
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January 23, 2012
Review: Conspirare's 'Whitacre & Lewis'
In January, when most of the city’s arts programs are waking up from a mid-winter’s nap, Conspirare is chomping at the bit, with fierce programs that take over entire weekends.
Last year, Craig Hella Johnson and company were racing out of the gate with a supremely ambitious mini festival of Renaissance and Baroque music, hours upon hours of material.This year the pace slowed only slightly. The choir’s weekend was booked with four concerts of Joby Talbot’s “Path of Miracles,” but they also managed to sneak in a single concert of U.S. premieres of work by American composers Eric Whitacre and Peter Scott Lewis.
Conspirare seem to have an affinity for Whitacre’s ecclesiastical music. Pensive, solemn, and generally very beautiful, Whitacre has a deserved following among choiristers. His music is at its best when tinged with a layer of darkness, as in “Five Hebrew Love Songs,” which pits the women’s bright, cheery tune against the men’s somber Greek-chorus.
Conspirare’s premiere performance of Whitacre’s “Alleluia” was a clear highlight. A spectral sustained note at the start folded into warm chords that were reluctant to resolve. Quite stunning.
The premiere of “Occuli Omnium,” a grace written for Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge, was of a similar mind, though somehow not quite as sublime.
If Whitacre’s work is heavenly, Peter Scott Lewis’ is more Freudian and self-conscious.
His work “The Changing Light,” was based on the words of the esteemed Beat poet, San Francisco publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
The poetry came from Ferlinghetti’s more recent, more naturalistic work, evoking the sunlight of San Francisco, the moon and birds in the underbrush.
But, to borrow one of the poet’s own lines, the music accompaniment felt “anchorless upon the ocean.” No real melody, little in the way of discernible structure or polyphony, Lewis’ work was like a palate cleanser that lasted a whole meal. Fans of the written word among the audience might have preferred the choir mount a poetry reading.
In any case, the afternoon ended with Whitacre’s “Sleep,” a stiff but welcome contrast that sent us away in a lingering meditative state.
Luke Quinton is an American-Statesman freelance arts critic.
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September 26, 2011
Review: Conspirare
Samuel Barber referred to himself as a “living dead composer,” explained Margaret Perry in her pre-concert lecture this weekend before the Conspirare concert. It’s a humble-brag: Barber felt confident he would be remembered, but his name never seemed to be on the tongue of America’s music lovers, even though the “Adagio” which cemented his legacy appeared in film after film.
So it was a pleasure to hear Conspirare’s voices open their 19th season with an all-Barber concert under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson.
The two halves of the concert pulled us much deeper into Barber’s repertoire, and revealed very different styles in Barber’s choral work.
These were fairly short works that had rhythmic intrigue, sometimes elusive harmonies against lyrics that were by turns abstract and poetic.
“God’s Grandeur” began with bold, goose-bumping chords, and outstanding tone from the tenor and bass voices. The hall sounded noticeably crisp and reverberant.
“Let Down the Bars, O Death,” was especially pretty, if dark; haunting in subject, key and its brevity.
The male and female voices refuse to intersect in “To be Sung on the Water,” a gorgeous work that implies a sorrowful distance between the two voices.
When the first notes of the “Adagio” came rolling slowly through the hall the choir was both chilling and uplifting.
Conspirare fans will impatiently await its recording.
Composer Robert Kyr, in attendance at the performance, did us the service of rearranging Barber’s “The Lovers” for a chamber orchestra.
It’s a long work, set to the poetry of Pablo Neruda.
There are some erotic lines, but most are quite chaste, and the music looks more to the sublime side of love: a vulnerability and sense of loss.
Some lyrics are quite ungainly in both translation and their placement in the line, turning soloist David Farwig into the role of a spoken-word poet, as he hustled to stay ahead of the music.
It’s a difficult work without easy melodies, the kind that rewards multiple listens.
Conspirare’s latest CD, “Sing Freedom!” came from last year’s opening concert, and that pattern will repeat with a recording of Barber.
All indications are that it should be a stunner.
Luke Quinton is an American-Statesman freelance arts critic.
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August 28, 2011
Conspirare launches new CD with a party
Five-time Grammy-nominated Austin choir Conspirare is celebrating the release of their latest CD, “Sing Freedom! African American Spirituals” with a party at Waterloo Records, 600 N. Lamar Blvd, on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m.
It’s the fourth CD the group has released on the prestigious Harmonia Mundi label. “Sing Freedom” was recorded last year at the Sauder Concert Hall in Goshen, Indiana, after a program featuring the same material was performed in Austin.
“Sing Freedom” includes 20th-century arrangements of spirituals and some premiere recordings of new settings by composers including David Lang, Tarik O’Regan and an original composition by Robert Kyr based on African musical traditions.
At Monday’s party, singer Charles Wesley Evans will be accompanied by Conspirare founder and artistic director Craig Hella Johnson.
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