Friday (11/18) on his Baltimore Sun blog Clef Notes/Drama Queens, Tim Smith writes, “Joan of Arc did not get a fair trial. But she did receive a pretty decent form of posthumous vindication—sainthood. Arthur Honegger’s 1938 oratorio about the hypocrisy and cruelty surrounding the 15th-century French heroine’s fate initially enjoyed a brilliant success for several years. But ‘Jeanne’ d’Arc au bucher’ gradually faded into rarity status, if not downright obscurity. Now comes Marin Alsop, bounding onto the scene, not with a sword, but a white baton, to give Honegger’s ambitious work a fresh hearing. … Her commitment could be felt every minute Thursday night at the Meyerhoff, where Alsop presided over a large assemblage. Joining the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra were the Morgan State University Choir, Peabody-Hopkins Chorus, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and Peabody Children’s Chorus; two actors; several solo singers; and an ondes martenot player (this early electronic instrument plays a valuable role in the prismatic score). … [Alsop’s] sensitivity to the most personal moments in the work paid off, and she built some of the most atmospheric moments, such as the opening of Scene VII with its tolling bells, with great care. She also tapped into the mix of drama and strange rapture of the finale to telling effect.” The BSO also performed the work at New York Carnegie Hall. Click here to check out SymphonyNOW’s coverage of the BSO’s Joan of Arc project.
Posted November 22, 2011
