Corpus Christi weekend began last night with an exquisite concert by the Camerata Di Sant’ Antonio, an acclaimed professional chamber orchestra under the direction of Christopher Weber. This concert, entitled “Slavic Soul,” featured pieces by Polish, Czech and Bulgarian composers from the early Romantic era in the eighteenth century through the present day. Highlights included the world premiere of “Bulgarian Suite for Violin and Strings (A Day in the Life) by Petar Petrof, written specifically for Camerata violinist Nadeja Nigrin, and two pieces featuring the dramatic, evocative voice of guest soprano Colleen Marcello. The program, which is thoroughly described and contextualized in this Artvoice article by Jan Jezioro, was varied and exciting.
The program began with a pre-concert presentation by the Chopin Singing Society under the direction of Dr. Thomas Witakowski. Their selections included “Gaude Mater Polonia,” a national hymn that was first composed in the Middle Ages and is still an unofficial national anthem; “Kleszczymy rękoma,” a setting of a poem by seventeenth century Polish writer Jan Kochanowski; Otton Mieczysław Zukowski’s “Boga rodzica dziewica,” a hymn to the Virgin Mary written in response to Poland’s series of failed nineteenth century uprisings against Prussian, Russian and Austrian rule; and “Jak dobrze nam,” a lively mountaineer folk song skillfully arranged by the Society’s conductor. This choir’s performance was very well executed, but I was particularly impressed by the strength of the tenor and bass sections. In contrast to what is typical of community choirs, the male sections stood out as considerably more resonant and expressive than the female ones. Perhaps some sopranos or altos reading this might consider joining the Society next season!
Camerata Di Sant’ Antonio’s program began with a lovely piece by Michał Kleofas Ogiński, which was written in 1794 soon after, like many other Polish intellectuals, this composer emigrated to France following one of many uprisings against the occupying powers. “Polonez a-moll: pożegnanie ojczyzny,” or “Farewell to the Fatherland,” is melancholic but also grand and stately, expressing hope for the future as well as nostalgia for the past.
The next piece, contemporary Bulgarian composer’s “Bulgarian Suite for Violin and Strings,” consisted of four movements meant to correspond to the different parts of the day, but also the different stages of a person’s life. The opening movement, “Morning Song,” truly seemed like a translation of sunrise into music; it was followed by “Balkan Dance,” a lively piece with a folk sound evoking the cheerful raucousness of youth. The third movement, “Small Toccata after Dinner,” had a similar structure but more dissonance, suggesting the complexity and challenges that arise in later life. Finally, the suite concluded with “Evensong,” a contemplative, reflective piece with low, sustained bass notes and a gentle plucking of strings. It was a privilege to hear the world premiere of this suite, and Nadejda Nigrin’s passionate solo truly brought out the composer’s intention to offer us a succinct but powerful musical metaphor for our progression from youth to age.
The Camerata was then joined by guest soprano Colleen Marcello, whose performance of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s “Mamo, nie płacz, nie” from the “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” was, for me, one of the peak moments of the evening. Based on a prayer written by an 18-year old woman in a Gestapo prison in Zakopane, Poland during World War II, this intense piece takes the listener to a deep level of pathos. Marcello truly embodied the despairing, pleading spirit of this prayer to the Virgin Mary in the face of human cruelty, not only with her expressive control of dynamics, but also with her stage presence and empathy for the speaker of this piece’s poetic statement. She followed this performance with Camerata member Greg Docenko’s string arrangement of “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák, and she dedicated the performance to her Czech tutor, whom she told us was giving birth to a baby at that very moment!
After a short intermission, the Camerata concluded the program with Serenade for String Orchestra op. 6 by Czech composer (and student of Dvořák) Josef Suk. While this piece was, in my opinion, somewhat anticlimactic after a very intense first half, it offered the audience a gentler sound with a dreamy mood suggesting beams of light and quiet evenings.
All in all, I appreciated the diversity of the program, the skill of the musicians, and most of all, the passion that all of the performers put into this music, a palpable enthusiasm that brought the audience to its feet again and again. We are very fortunate to have an ensemble like the Camerata in Buffalo, and it was wonderful to hear them perform in what is arguably one of Buffalo’s most transcendently beautiful churches. I hope that we will see more such performances on the East Side in the near future and that we will continue to witness such a supportive response from the community.
