{"id":1307,"date":"2018-03-14T12:25:08","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T16:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/?p=1307"},"modified":"2020-08-16T23:23:12","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T03:23:12","slug":"review-musical-journey-ends-on-another-high-note","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2018\/03\/14\/review-musical-journey-ends-on-another-high-note\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Musical journey ends on another high note"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-asset-masthead\">\n<header class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-asset-header\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_1310\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1310\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1310\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2018\/03\/14\/review-musical-journey-ends-on-another-high-note\/bloomington-symphony-orchestra\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/BSO_031118_0687-e1521044611937.jpg?fit=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"500,333\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark IV&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, March 11, 2018 in Bloomington, Ind. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1520790348&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;2500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Bloomington Symphony Orchestra&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bloomington Symphony Orchestra\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Cecilia Duarte and the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra at Epic &amp;#8211; Motion and Grandeur (photo by Jeremy Hogan, March, 2018)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/BSO_031118_0687-e1521044611937.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1310\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/BSO_031118_0687-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1310\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cecilia Duarte and the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra at Epic &#8211; Motion and Grandeur (photo by Jeremy Hogan, March, 2018)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-headline\"><span class=\"il\">Peter Jacobi&#8217;s wonderful review of our March 11th concert appeared in the Herald-Times. Read the original <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heraldtimesonline.com\/entertainment\/review-musical-journey-ends-on-another-high-note\/article_b42d2218-2642-11e8-bfc8-4b858dd8415d.html\">here<\/a>.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-meta\">\n<ul class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-list-inline\">\n<li>By <span class=\"il\">Peter<\/span> Jacobi | H-T <span class=\"il\">Reviewer<\/span> | <a href=\"mailto:pjacobi@heraldt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pjacobi@heraldt.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-row\">\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-main-content m_7811170292594603gmail-col-lg-8 m_7811170292594603gmail-col-md-7\">\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-main-content-wrap\">\n<div id=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-asset-content\">\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-row\">\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-col-lg-12 m_7811170292594603gmail-col-md-12 m_7811170292594603gmail-col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-asset-body m_7811170292594603gmail-has-fixed-share\">\n<div class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-asset-content m_7811170292594603gmail-subscriber-premium\">\n<p>The six-performances-in-six-nights journey has ended for me, and here is the third installment of coverage, reactions to the final two events presented on Saturday and Sunday evenings.<\/p>\n<p>The self-chosen project proved a somewhat taxing deal but gratifying. It wound up with a concert by students, faculty and alumni from Indiana University\u2019s Historical Performance Institute and one by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n<p><strong>16th-century German music<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-tncms-region-article_instory_top\" class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-tncms-region m_7811170292594603gmail-hidden-print\"><\/div>\n<p>The IU chapter of the music student organization Gamma Ut sponsored a Saturday program at the Monroe County Courthouse of works by four German composers who flourished artistically in the 17th century.<\/p>\n<p>Musically, the concert was quite a delight, as authentically played. Students \u2014 those still in school and those continuing their studies as established professionals \u2014 who specialize in the historical performance of Early Music, as these were, tend to be zealots. So are their teachers. Put 17 zealots together in the courthouse rotunda, and the music that results should be a winner. It was.<\/p>\n<p>Focus was on Heinrich Schutz, a long-lived composer who twice visited Italy and became enamored of that land\u2019s musical styles, inviting those styles into his otherwise Germanic work and into the compositions of other Germans influenced by him. Saturday\u2019s performers offered six of Schutz\u2019s songs-with-accompaniments from the 24 that constitute his magnum opus, \u201cSymphoniae sacrae I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The words for these beautiful items come from the Bible, mostly Psalms and Song of Solomon. Each was scored for one to three singers and up to a handful of instrumentalists (chosen from strings, recorders, theorbos, sackbuts, dulcians and organ). Biblical subjects covered included: \u201cMake a joyful noise unto the Lord,\u201d \u201cMy son, Absolon,\u201d \u201cO Lord, open thou my lips\u201d and \u201cMay my beloved enter into his garden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Among the 13 instrumentalists in the aggregate of 17 performers were three who also sang. The other four musicians are singers. The seven singers split into singles, duos, trios and six, this for a radiant a cappella sextet by Johann Schein. Dietrich Buxtehude, better known for his organ music, contributed a pleasing song. And a little-known German, Matthias Weckmann, provided a charming instrumental sonata that concluded the concert in fine form, thanks to an instrumental ensemble.<\/p>\n<p>The participating vocalists, all well-chosen, were sopranos Paulina Francisco and Elijah McCormack, tenors Gregorio Taniguchi and Danur Kvilhaug, baritone Christopher Armijo, and basses Luke Robinson and Jonathan Wasserman.<\/p>\n<p>Though this student-prompted concert was admirably and professionally prepared musically, in planning, improvement was needed. Publicity that should have started three weeks early came about three days before the event. An ill-timed pre-concert lecture by a knowledgeable Chelsey Belt faced feet-shuffling from incoming concertgoers and noise from the floor below as she stood behind a music stand, reading her lecture, her soft voice often lost to echoes and inaudibility while speaking without microphone. The hand-out program would have been more audience friendly with identifications of which musicians were performing what.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BSO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alejandro Gomez Guillen is accomplishing much of importance with and for the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. As its artistic director and conductor for last season and this, he has given its musicians a sharper sense for unity, a heightened energy, a more joyful presence and a deeper understanding for the repertoire given to challenge them.<\/p>\n<div id=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-tncms-region-article_instory_middle\" class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-tncms-region m_7811170292594603gmail-hidden-print\">\n<div id=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-tncms-block-602072\" class=\"m_7811170292594603gmail-tncms-block\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>During the ensemble\u2019s concert Sunday evening for what seemed to be a house-filling audience in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, the BSO bent to its maestro\u2019s artistic wishes, the result being a highly praiseworthy concert for a community orchestra working in a town that offers an unimaginable level and amount of competition. Sunday\u2019s BSO was well situated in that competition.<\/p>\n<p>The fare Gomez Guillen assigned his players covered a wide range of ages and styles, from a U.S. premiere of very recent vintage to ethnic songs by late 19th- and early 20th-century European composers, from a slice of the Baroque to Beethoven. An impressive guest vocalist, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, came from Houston and the Houston Grand Opera to enrich the occasion. The whole was much for the orchestra to achieve, but achieve it certainly did.<\/p>\n<p>A young British composer, Dani Howard, supplied the premiere piece, \u201cArches,\u201d first performed two years ago in London to honor William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. The music, lyrically and lushly orchestrated, blends what the playwright so famously realized with his words: the union in our lives of the comic and the sad. A short piece, Howard\u2019s composition made its mark, and the orchestra played it expressively and impressively.<\/p>\n<p>Soloist Duarte took over for an engaging lesson on how to successfully deliver a repertoire of songs, turning to items in three languages. Edvard Grieg\u2019s \u201cFra Monte Pincio\u201d (\u201cFrom the Pincian Hill\u201d) is set to a Norwegian text that supports Italy\u2019s search for independence. \u201cBut, like a beacon,\u201d sing the words, \u201cwill Rome one day waken, brighten the darkness of Italy forsaken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gabriel Faure\u2019s gorgeous \u201cAurore\u201d (\u201cDawn\u201d), in French, follows a viewer watching the stars give way to a rising sun. Manuel de Falla\u2019s \u201cSeven Popular Spanish Folksongs,\u201d linguistically comfortable for the Mexican-born Duerte, allowed her to display a host of emotions about love and loss. She was terrific. The last song, \u201cPolo,\u201d berates love and lover as \u201cwretched.\u201d For that, the mezzo\u2019s voice passionately poured out anger and heartbreak, as an operatic tragedienne.<\/p>\n<p>After intermission, the brasses, split in two at balcony level, burst into a thrilling salute from Giovanni Gabrieli. And the concert concluded with more of the thrilling, a performance, thoughtfully and rip-roaringly led by Maestro Gomez Guillen, of Beethoven\u2019s vivacious Symphony No. 7. The piece was executed with accuracy and gusto through the BSO\u2019s muscle, mind and heart.<\/p>\n<p>With the Beethoven, six consecutive days of concert-going ended as it began: on a high note.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Peter Jacobi&#8217;s wonderful review of our March 11th concert appeared in the Herald-Times. Read the original here. By Peter Jacobi | H-T Reviewer | pjacobi@heraldt.com The six-performances-in-six-nights journey has ended&hellip;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9cNEX-l5","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1410,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2018\/05\/22\/a-compellingly-sweeping-performance-review-of-masterpiece\/","url_meta":{"origin":1307,"position":0},"title":"A Compellingly Sweeping Performance: Review of Masterpiece","author":"Donna Lafferty","date":"May 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Review: Local residents lucky to have Bloomington Symphony Orchestra By Peter Jacobi | H-T Reviewer | pjacobi@heraldt.com They\u2019ve found each other. After listening to a season of Bloomington Symphony Orchestra performances under its artistic director and conductor Alejandro Gomez Guillen, I deem the relationship a winner. Sunday evening\u2019s concert, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5236,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2025\/02\/28\/open-house-at-the-aaamc\/","url_meta":{"origin":1307,"position":1},"title":"Open House at the AAAMC","author":"Donna Lafferty","date":"February 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"At 5:30 pm on Friday, March 7th, the Archives of African American Music and Culture will host a free open house, featuring live music, and a talk by visiting artist Dr. William Banfield. Please join us at IU Wells Library, West Tower, Suite 305 for an enlightening evening, and get\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AAAMC-open-house-flyer_rev-pdf-796x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AAAMC-open-house-flyer_rev-pdf-796x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AAAMC-open-house-flyer_rev-pdf-796x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AAAMC-open-house-flyer_rev-pdf-796x1024.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1972,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2019\/03\/21\/2019-youth-concerto-competition-winner-alice-ford\/","url_meta":{"origin":1307,"position":2},"title":"2019 Youth Concerto Competition Winner Alice Ford","author":"Donna Lafferty","date":"March 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"16 year old Alice Ford is a violist in the Indiana University String Academy Virtuosi. Originally a violinist, she began her studies at the age of 5, studying with Indiana University professor Dr. Brenda Brenner for five years before switching to viola at the age of 14. Since then, she\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2048,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2019\/04\/14\/program-for-chamber-concert-wednesday-april-17th\/","url_meta":{"origin":1307,"position":3},"title":"Program for Chamber Concert Wednesday, April 17th","author":"Donna Lafferty","date":"April 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sonata from Die B\u00e4nkels\u00e4ngerlieder Anonymous Bloomington Brass Quintet Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon, WoO 27, no. 3 Ludwig van Beethoven Catherine Marchese, bassoon, Carl Weinberg, clarinet Questa o Quella from Rigoletto Giuseppe Verdi Bloomington Brass Quintet Terzetto for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 74 Antonin Dvorak Introduzione: Allegro ma non\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5370,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2025\/06\/11\/productions\/","url_meta":{"origin":1307,"position":4},"title":"Job Posting &#8211; Production Stage Manager needed starting August 2025","author":"Kira Gartell","date":"June 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Production Stage Manager Needed We all know Bloomington is an amazing place to live and work. We\u2019ve got great weather, a fine University, a vibrant community, and access to all sorts of leisure activities. In its 56th season, the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra is one of Bloomington\u2019s most enduring arts organizations.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1388,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/2018\/05\/13\/ht-preview-of-masterpiece-intensity-and-passion\/","url_meta":{"origin":1307,"position":5},"title":"HT Preview of Masterpiece: Intensity and Passion","author":"Donna Lafferty","date":"May 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bloomington Symphony closing book on 48th season By Peter Jacobi H-T columnist Once again, we come to a \u201cnext Sunday\u201d event you should know about ahead of time, not on the morning of the performance. So, I cast the spotlight on next Sunday evening\u2019s concert by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Purchase Tickets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Purchase Tickets","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/category\/purchase-tickets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1307"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1311,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions\/1311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}