21st Century Music - October 2001
Gerald Finzi Centennial
MARK PETERSEN
The Esoterics celebrate the centennial of Gerald Finzi’s birth by presenting the composer’s entire a cappella repertoire. Soloists from the group also perform Finzi’s song cycle Before and After Summer, accompanied by pianist Kevin Johnson. July 13, Pilgrim Congregational Church, Seattle, WA. Repeated July 14 and 15.
The Esoterics call themselves "a cappella addicts." An addiction is defined as "a compulsive physiological need for a habit-forming substance. With many addictions, even a brief exposure to the substance can result in altered states of body and mind, as well as a life-long dependency. A brief Friday the 13th examination of the group’s condition yielded strong evidence that the Esoterics’ self diagnosis is correct.
I have also come to the conclusion that, under the right conditions, this "a cappella addiction" is highly contagious and could soon reach epidemic proportions. Let’s see how well the Esoterics’ dependency fits the textbook definition...
Example 1. Compulsive behavior. The recent examination revealed very few symptoms that could be considered compulsive. One exception would be the compulsion to present more programs each season than originally scheduled. Each year the group presents a series of concerts based on a conceptual idea or theme. Last year they presented The Elements. Their 2001 series is entitled Cælestis; with music which commemorates the sun, moon, and stars. But each calendar year also seems to yield a number of "compulsive" performances such as the Finzi centennial in July. Previous centenarians have included Francis Poulenc, Randall Thompson, Carlos Chávez, and Lagos Bárdos in 1999, and Aaron Copland in 2000. Each centennial celebration presents not only the choral repertoire of the composer; but also subtle insights into the life, thoughts and motivations of each artist. The listener comes away from the performance as if s/he had just made a new acquaintance, rather than listened to a concert. At the Finzi celebration, excerpts from the composer’s journal and correspondence with his wife Joy provided an introspective glimpse into the philosophical and physiological battles with which Finzi struggled during his short life.
Example 2. Physiological need. Finzi composed feverishly in the five years between his initial diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease and his death. In a similar vein, The Esoterics zealously delve into their choral performances--it seems they have an intrinsic (or addictive) physiological need to sing. Each of the choral works: Three short elegies (1926), Thou didst delight my eyes (1951), Seven part-songs (1931-37), White-flowering days (1953), and All this night (1951) were presented with resolute intensity, stunning dynamic variation, and empathetic sentience toward text and music.
Example 3. Altered states of mind and body. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to come away from an Esoterics performance "unaltered." Even though Finzi’s music is somewhat obscure, he definitely had that "Englishness" which pervades the music of many composers from the United Kingdom. His settings of texts by Thomas Hardy, William Drummond, Robert Bridges, Edmund Blunden, and William Austin instantly transport the listener to a summer landscape, the sounds of war, the angst of one near death, the songs of lovers (accepted and rejected), and the glories of the sunrise. Especially notable in the "transporter" category was the performance of Before and After Summer, a ten-movement song cycle for voice and piano. A different soloist was selected for each movement -- all were magnificently accompanied by the picturesque, yet perspicuous pianism of Jeff Johnson.
Example 4. Life-long dependency to a habit-forming substance. The Esoterics are now in their ninth season -- a reasonably long life for a group that specializes in contemporary music. They continue to collect accolades; including a 2001 ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. They continue to delight their audiences with treasures from the literature --- the celebrated works, the unexplored, and especially the brand new. The group’s energy is infectious -- be on guard -- the next performance you attend could make you an "a cappella addict" as well.