The Audiophile Voice
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Children-Adam_Graves_11-1_master_color.qxd 10/16/2019 4:26 PM Page 2 George Graves Classical Mason Bates Children of Adam Ralph Vaugh Williams Dona Nobis Pacem Richmond Symphony; Steven Smith, Cond. Michelle Areyzaga, soprano; Kevin Deas, bass-baritone Reference Recording / Fresh FR-732 IWAS BORN in Richmond, A, and In the 1970s and early ‘80s, my northward in order to visit even though my family moved to college roommate was still attend - Washington, D.C. to hear the Northern Virginia when I was three ing the university in Richmond, National Symphony Orchestra per - years old (just outside the DC working toward his eventual doctor - form or to attend one of the many “Beltway”), my relatives remained ate in psychology, so my yearly visit weekly concerts of the President’s in Richmond, and we used to visit to my parents also included a visit Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air them often as I was growing up. to my ex-roommate. Force symphonic bands. I had heard When I graduated college and I had heard my “roomie” com - that Richmond had a civic sympho - moved to California, my father plain on the phone for a number of ny orchestra, and my friend started retired and he and my mother years about what a musical waste - to laugh when I asked him about it. moved back to Richmond. So, as an land Richmond was in those days. “They’re terrible,” was his reply. adult, when I visited my parents, it He often talked about having to “My high school band played bet - was there that I visited them. make the roughly 100-mile trip ter.” 00 the audiophile voice Children-Adam_Graves_11-1_master_color.qxd 10/16/2019 4:26 PM Page 3 One summer Sunday, while visit - operation with a fine feel for natu - ing full advantage of the old movie ing my parents, I noticed in the rally recording classical music. This palace’s exquisite acoustics. This paper that the Richmond Symphony Richmond Symphony recording was one’s a real keeper. was putting on a concert in the big recorded live at the Carpenter “Dona Nobis Pacem” by Ralph Richmond park called “Byrd Park” Theater in Richmond. When I was Vaughan Williams is another choral (after the famous political family of growing up, this venue was the work, written for the Huddersfield Virginia). The venue was an prestigious Loew’s State movie Choral Society on the occasion of amphitheater named Dogwood palace about two blocks from the its 100 th anniversary. Composed as Dell, in the park. Having nothing Virginia Statehouse. As a kid, I fond - Europe girded its loins for yet anoth - else to do, I decided to attend and ly remember seeing “Ben-Hur” and er world war, the second in a gener - hear for myself what the Richmond other MGM movies there. Being a ation, for the text of this work, Symphony sounded like. The first fancy movie palace, they had a Vaughan Williams chose a portion piece the orchestra played was huge “theater” pipe organ where the of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) Mozart’s “Overture to the Magic console rose magically from the from the Roman Catholic Mass, Flute.” I don’t know what the other orchestra pit to stage-level to play coupled with passages from the pieces on the program were, between features. Even then, I was prophets of the Old Testament, a because I left, totally appalled, in an audiophile, and I recall the speech given in the House of Soundmirror of Boston has a true talent for recording classical music. On these two works, they thrive. the middle of the Mozart! I did not acoustics of that theater to be excel - Commons during the Crimean War know that a symphony orchestra lent. I can’t imagine a better re-use by John Bright, and three stunning could play that badly. Well, I sort of for this theater than as a concert poems from the composer’s favorite did. A friend of mine had gotten hall. poet, Walt Whitman (“A Sea hold of a British recording of a Symphony”). group calling itself the “Portsmouth The Music Vaughan Williams was a master Symphonia.” This “orchestra” con - “The Children of Adam” is a col - at writing choral music, and he cut sisted of players picked up on the lection of “celebrations of the cre - his teeth on revising the English C of street, and handed instruments that ation” for orchestra and chorus and E hymnal which, according to him they had never played before (at was written specifically for the “Contained some of the best and least that’s how the liner notes on Richmond Symphony’s 60 th worst tunes in the English musical the record described the group). anniversary. The texts come from tradition.” This gave him ample Anyway, they were almost as bad as various American poets and Native experience at arranging for chorus. the Richmond Symphony, but American folklore. The title comes Again, the Richmond Symphony because their lousy playing was all from a Walt Whitman poem and is and Chorus are in great form. They in fun, the Portsmouth group was repeated throughout the piece in the are joined here by soprano Michelle much more entertaining. form of choral “fanfare intermez - Arezagaya and bass-baritone Kevin Fast forward more than 30 years zos.” Between the intermezzos, Deas. Again, Steven Smith conducts to the present. I went to my mailbox each of the seven movements offers the orchestra and Erin R. Freeman is one day and found a package from a different perspective on creation. the choral director. San Francisco’s Reference Normally, this reviewer is some - This composition is not as free - Recordings. Opening it, I was flab - what wary of modern, contempo - wheeling was the Bates “Children of bergasted to find a CD of the rary compositions because they Adam”, but it — like most of RVW’s Richmond, Virginia Symphony tend to be quite avant garde and not music — is a showcase for both the Orchestra playing works by com - very accessible by a concert-going orchestra and the chorus and is lots posers Mason Bates and Ralph audience. I’m happy to say that this of fun. Vaughan Williams! “Oh, this I gotta composition by Mason Bates (who hear,” was my first reaction after was born in 1977) is simply delight - Conclusion regaining my composure. ful. While fresh and original, Bates Add this CD to your shortlist to music is very tuneful and the purchase! You won’t regret it. The The Recordings orchestration is at once exotic with performances are excellent, spirited This recording was undertaken lots of percussion and lush with and the sound is among the best by Soundmirror of Boston. This East great string sound and a wonderful - I’ve heard on any recent recording. Coast organization has recorded ly wide sound stage with great I’m sure that this is, in part, due to most of Reference Recordings’ image specificity. The orchestra the excellent acoustics in the old “Fresh!” series since its inception. (somewhat to my chagrin) plays Loews State theater, but I must also While most of the parent label’s superbly and the Richmond tip my hat to producer/recording recordings are made by Professor Symphony Chorus is extremely pro - engineer Ed Thompson, mastering Keith O. Johnson, the Fresh! series fessional and sounds as good as any engineer Mark Donahue and all the is farmed-out. This reviewer has recorded chorus that I have ever folks at Soundmirror for another job found Soundmirror to be a first-class heard. The sound is sumptuous, tak - well done. Highly recommended. Volume 19, Issue 4 00.