Classical Monday--Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex live performance at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Have I been hibernating since my last posting on December 14? Well, I haven't seen any live performances since then, so I may have been sleeping.

This weekend I attended an all-Stravinsky concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the largest piece on the program being the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex. I had never heard of this work, so was very curious about it. It is scored for strings, winds, percussion, piano, male chorus, six soloists and a narrator.

The most recognizable name among the guest artists was Sir Patrick Stewart. He was an amenable and communicative narrator, as you would expect from and RSC-trained actor. I was told after the event that he was amplified; it was very subtly done, and I heard every word and nuance. There were three primary singers--tenor William Burden, mezzo Michelle DeYoung, and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny (pictured). I have heard Ms. DeYoung sing live at the Lyric Opera; Mr. Burden has sung there often as well. Mr. McKinny was a new name for he, but he's clearly an up-and-comer--an attractive and dark-voiced singer who is just entering his thirties. These soloists performed well, although at times I thought they were over-powered by the orchestra. At times even the male chorus of 100 was over-powered by the orchestra. Did no one sit in the house during rehearsals to check the balance? Perhaps these were choices by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas; if so they did a disservice to the soloists in particular and the work in general.

The first half of the concert was also works by Stavinsky--a three-part Ode that was written as a memorial to Serge Koussevitsky's wife, and the music from the ballet Apollon musagete. Only bits of either of these pieces had ever been programmed on a CSO concert before, except when Tilson Thomas had conducted the Apollon music back in the early 80s. The works don't deserve to be repeated even that often.

Perhaps I'm proving my bourgeois background, but I have never understood the programming of ballet music on a orchestra concert. Isn't that like showing a film on the radio? Certainly there are many ballets where the music deserves to be heard outside the dance world--many Stravinsky ballets in particular--but Apollon is not on that list.

Oedipus Rex

Music by Igor Stravinsky

Text in Latin by Stravinsky and Jean Cocteau

First performed in 1927

Soloists: Michelle DeYoung, Ryan McKinny, William Burden, Patrick Stewart, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas

Showboat Recording

My listening pleasure today is a 1962 studio recording of Showboat by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The liner notes say it was recorded to take advantage of the new Stereophonic recording capabilities. John Raitt sings Gaylord Ravenal; Barbara Cook is Magnolia; William Warfield sings Joe. The rest of the cast are not familiar names to me.

Is there any Broadway baritone who can compare to John Raitt? This is how I dreamed I would sing once I was leading my life upon the wicked stage. There's such an ease to his upper register that I've never been able to achieve. I remember watching, I think it was an Ed Sullivan clip, where John Raitt sings the "Soliloquy" from Carousel. At the end he interpolates at high b-flat. Most operatic baritones don't have that note.

Barbara Cook's singing is luminous. I have to say that William Warfield's voice does not have the rumble I think is needed to sing "Ol' Man River". I have other recordings of his singing and I like his voice, but this song calls for a true bass.

The CD reissue that I have includes four bonus tracks, one of which is Paul Robeson singing a song which was written for the 1936 film version; I'd prefer to hear Mr. Robeson sing "Ol' Man River."

Who knew PG Wodehouse shared the lyrics credit with Hammerstein? I must investigate the Wodehouse connection. PS. I discovered that Wodehouse wrote the lyrics for the song "Bill"-- a good song, no doubt, but certainly misleading on the credits of this recording cover, especally since other songs in the show have lyrics by writers other than Hammerstein.

Showboat
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and PG Wodehouse and others
Columbia Broadway Masterworks recording
Recorded December, 1961; CD reissue 2000
Cast: John Raitt, Barbara Cook, William Warfield, Anita Darian, Fay De Witt, Louise Parker, Jack Dabdoub
With bonus material sung by Tess Gardella, Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, Jan Clayton