Experimenting their way to success
The centerpiece of the evening was the world premiere of
‘ 7 n the Presence of Things Past'' commissioned from
Ballet Oregon
Perhaps it was the memory o f Yount*
Ju liu s Caesar that kept every seat from
being filled Yet it was the same sense
he Portland (iuy Men’s Chorus and Ballet
o f experimentation and willingness to clim b
Oregon presented “ Song and B a lle t" at the
new musical heights that produced both last
Chorus’ spring concert. Not since their perfor­
year’ s flawed concert and this year’ s suc­
mance o f Yount* Julius Caesar a year ago had
cessful presentation o f “ Song and Ballet.”
Those who stayed away simply missed the
Chorus at their musical best.
The centerpiece o f the evening was the
world premiere o f “ In the Presence o f Things
Past.” a ballet which had been commissioned
the Chorus received such a “ spate” o f pub­
by the Chorus from Ballet Oregon. As the piece
licity preceding an event. The presence
opened, the Chorus, dressed in black and
o f Ballet Oregon and its artistic director,
obscured by a transparent screen, appeared
Dennis Spaight, and a grant from the Oregon
as a ghostly presence behind the dancers. The
Arts Commission focused more attention on the
staging was a highly effective visual
Chorus than it had received in months. It was
presentation.
a public relations dream come true.
“ In the Presence o f Things Past,” a five
B Y
D R
T A N T A L U S
T
part dance, was set to the music o f Franz
Schubert; the Chorus’ performance o f this
d ifficu lt score was uniformly good. Set
against the romantic 19th century score
was a ballet that acknowledged the classical
underpinnings o f the music, but strove to imbue
it with elements o f modern dance. The
resulting choreography was effective and was
entertaining throughout.
In “ Liebe” ( “ Love” ), performed by
Thomas Teague and Denise Glines, the
lyrics present a traditional view o f soft, romantic
love, but the dance was more forceful and
powerful than those tender images evoke.
Another example came in the positioning o f
the dancers' arms and legs as they turned about.
While the men would hold their arms rigidly
forward from the shoulder, the women, lifted
up, might have their elbows Hayed out away
from their bodies as they were turned.
My only complaint about Schubert’s score
was that it could not be heard clearly enough.
Given the space requirements o f the dancers,
the Chorus seemed backed up to 23rd and Bum-
side on the cavernous Intermediate Theatre
stage. The effort o f singing through a screen,
past the layers o f curtains and out into the
audience sometimes resulted in music that was
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a little ghostly as well. W hile this may have
been the intent, the Doctor casts his vote for
turning up the volume in the future.
Another dance, featuring Dennis Spaight
and Pamela Hayes in a pas de deux from
“ Triptych” (which Spaight also choreo­
graphed), was the evening’ s dance highlight.
The chemistry between the pair o f dancers was
clearly evident and the sheer physicality o f their
performance was both compelling and
graceful.
On the musical front, the Chorus was most
successful in presenting Benjamin Britten’ s
“ The Ballad o f Little Musgrave and Lady
Bernard.” The piece required crispness,
clarity, sureness o f direction and a wide range
o f musical dynamics. It is a pleasure to report
that the Chorus was up to this challenge in
every respect. The piece, to be performed
well, requires a sure touch on the part o f the
conductor, and David York brought the best
out o f his Chorus on this occasion.
More troublesome was an uninspired boat
ride down “ The Blue Danube.” At best, this
piece o f music is a chestnut that requires inspi­
ration, a quick tempo, and lots o f verve. U nfor­
tunately none o f these elements were present,
and the piece could have been performed at an
Austrian funeral. By the time the Chorus began
departing from the original text and singing
“ Baa- baa- baa - baa- baa— Boop boop.
b(x>p boop” (or something to that effect)
one could only hope that Little Bo Peep would
come and take her lost sheep home. Just
because Strauss put words to the piece doesn’t
mean they have to be sung.
O f the remaining musical numbers, the three
Slovak songs were o f more interest than the
three English Madrigals which were performed
by Cascade, the “ group-within-a-group.”
The former permitted the audience to reap the
rewards o f difficult musical material while the
latter, although pleasant, seemed frothy in
comparison.
The audience also enjoyed some fine solo
work during the concert. As always, Steve
Fulmer provided some nice moments during his
solo in “ T rinklied” ( “ Drinking Song” )
during the ballet. Mark Steerking, M ike Pick-
rell, and Scott Tuomi also shone in more
limited roles.
I f the last two years are any indication, the
Chorus presents its more challenging and
experimental work during its spring “ classi­
cal” concert. As a result, the Chorus’ musical
talents are displayed in the best possible
fashion, and one suspects the process o f
learning more d ifficu lt material adds to its
overall musical growth. W ith that in mind, the
Doctor looks forward to next year’s program.
Remember the lesbian and gay
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See Vue
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95590 H ighw ay 101
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(5 0 3 ) 547-3227