Stravinsky stated thathe preferred children’s voices in the soprano and alto chorus parts. As a nodto that intention, members of the Milwaukee Children’s Choir joined theMilwaukee Symphony Chorus. There was a noticeably airier, lighter choral toneas a result, an interesting contrast to the orchestration, which excludes violins,violas and clarinets. Conductor Edo de Waart stressed clarity and structure.Though the chorus delivered a good performance, there was some tentativeness,possibly due to limited experience working with de Waart.
In Brahms’ A German Requiem the less than completeconnection between chorus and conductor was more pronounced. The chorus,probably accustomed to a much more extroverted Andreas Delfs in the piece,sounded unsure at times. Its restraint helped to blend, but shortchangedclimaxes. As romantic as the music sounds, there is plenty of classicism inBrahms. De Waart brought out objective aspects, with tempos on the fast side.The performance was not as warm as oneexpects. A young baritone, Luca Pisaroni presented his solos with presence,resonance and wonderful diction. Soprano Lisa Larsson’s lovely voice was not asfree and creamy as it promised to be.
It’s hard to believethat the Prometheus Trio has just completed a 10th season. The well-playedconcert last week at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music was surely one of itsbest. The group’s strength has always been in building interesting programs.This concert featured a fascinating mix of pieces. I had never heardShostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 1, written at 17, unselfconsciously moving from styleto style. Edouard Lalo’s Piano Trio No. 3 (1880) was a revelation, with fieryexcitement and long-lined French romanticism. It was a joy to hear LiliBoulanger’s fresh, exquisite and energetic D’unmatin de printemps. Pianist Stefanie Jacob shone bright in Mendelssohn’sTrio in D minor, Op. 49.
