Thursday, February 11, 2010

Renaissance Resoundings @ CMU

[The unfortunate consequence of my attending Missionfest was me missing the CMU concert "Renaissance Resoundings".  Fortunately some of my friends did go.  What follows is a one perspective of the concert by my friend Beth. -- Edit]

Right!  I recently attended a concert of Renaissance at CMU and subsequently spent a great deal of time and energy trying to convey to my good friend David just how magnificent it was.  This struggle to overcome my awestruck speechlessness got me commandeered into writing the little tidbit you are now reading.  So, here is my opinion on the grand affair.  Some of my descriptions may be a little abstract for some but hey, it was a renaissance concert; expect the artsy. 
            The concert consisted mainly of songs in Italian, but there were also some in Latin and maybe two in English.  There were two singers: a lady mezzo soprano, and a gentleman somewhere between tenor and baritone.  The concert began with a second lady performing on the harpsichord.  Now, if you have never heard a harpsichord…you are missing out.  All ravings aside about how fantastic this woman was (like how her fingers seemed to dance over the keys while she herself remained completely serene and reverent in her playing) the sound of this instrument was nothing if not stirring.  It sounds…like sparkling raspberry and apple pie.  Warm low tones that seemed to wrap around you and hug you, and ringing high tones that made you tingle, all sprinkled over with a refreshing twist on the tonal precision you get from a piano.
            The mezzo soprano singer was absolutely moving.  Thirty seconds into her first rendition I was in tears.  That has never happened to me before, so don’t ask me to explain it, but something about the way she sang just tugged at the heart-strings.  A word often seen on vocal sheet music is expressivo; that’s her to a tee.  Her facial expressions were so full of conviction that I felt I could understand everything she said, even though I don’t speak Italian or Latin.  I won’t rant about how flabbergasting she was technically, but let me assure you most emphatically that she did some UNBELIEVABLE things with her voice.  The runs she executed without ever muddling the sound, the way she married the head and chest tones to make the richest sound possible, or how her high notes seemed to dance in the ceiling… each could be a blog entry all their own.  The gentleman who sang was equally impressive, and once again, I could talk for ages about his technical abilities.  Both singers seemed to perform with a poise that spoke volumes more than I could about their obvious years of experience and study.  I felt very blessed and privileged to be sitting in the auditorium listening to them.
            Accompanying the singers were a flautist and a cellist.  I cannot begin to tell you how delicious the sound is when an airy, shining flute, a warm fuzzy cello, a harpsichord, and two pro-grade singers join forces to tackle the musical genius that was the Renaissance.  Think of the last time you had your favorite food for the first time in ages, or somebody gave you a piece of fantastic news; that kind of thrill is exactly what resulted.  On top of all these wonders, one of the university’s many distinguished choirs graced us with a performance.  The song I found particularly wonderful contained this line, “Here my prayer, and let my crying count.”  The harmony of the voices echoing this plea… it made you want to pray.  It was one of those songs that just gets under your skin and reminds you what a great and awesome God we serve; One who is ever present.  I would close with the suggestion that God was deeply pleased to hear the music He inspired so many years ago brought back to life with such tender fondness as it was Friday night.  Cheers!

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