A Rare Concert In a Sacred Space

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The New York Sun

Shearith Israel is the oldest Jewish congregation in North America, and it has continuously provided spiritual guidance since its founding in 1654 by Spanish and Portuguese immigrants. It moved into its resplendent building on the Upper West Side in 1897. Until Wednesday evening, however, it had never presented a concert to the public.

That lacuna was closed in an elegant manner with an appearance by the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble that surveyed the Baroque period from one end to the other. Modular units of instrumentalists from the excellent main orchestra grew and shrank as appropriate.

With a nod to its surroundings, St. Luke’s began with three pieces by Salamone Rossi. A contemporary of Monteverdi, Rossi was the first Jewish composer of note in the history of Western secular music, and was also innovative in the art of religious cantillation. This concert contained three of his instrumental works, beginning with the very interesting Sonata Settima sopra l’Aria d’un Balletto, in which a septet of musicians states and then elaborates upon a beautiful and airy theme. The section in which the two violins, this night Eriko Sato and Krista Bennion Feeney, are let loose was highly entertaining. Following this with a slower Sinfonia Garve and a rapidly dancing Sonata Duedecima sopra la Bergamasca created a de facto Concerto Grosso effect.

The featured composer of the evening was Georg Frideric Handel, with several excerpts from his works, which mostly centered on Jewish themes. There was a bit of a trade-off hearing overtures and incidental music from such extravaganzas as Joseph and his Brethren and Solomon. Some of the heft of the music was simply absent with such a small group, but St. Luke’s nimbleness and dexterity, as well as an enviable lightness of sound, more than carried the day. The very familiar Queen of Sheba music was especially well-balanced; oboists Stephen Taylor and Melanie Feld were not only precise and propulsive, but also easy to hear above the small ensemble.

Countertenor Daniel Bubeck was on hand for three Handelian selections. The first, “Thou Shalt Bring Them In,” from Israel in Egypt, was quite lovely, especially when accompanied by violinist Mayuki Fukuhara. “Vivi Tiranno,” from Rodelinda, showcased Mr. Bubeck’s talent for melismatic ornamentation. One could consider these punishing runs a bit stiff in his rendition, but it was so gratifying to hear them actually delivered on pitch that stylistic considerations paled before technical artistry.

The highlight of the evening was Mr. Bubeck’s realization of “Father in Heaven” from Judas Maccabaeus, often referred to as the “feast of lights” aria. Here, this young singer dazzled with purity of tone, and the unique setting within a temple added a level of poignancy. The crowd felt this, as well, and Mr. Bubeck was deservedly accorded the one curtain call of the night.

C, glorious C was explored in a rousing version of Franz Benda’s Sinfonia No. 3, and all ended with a toe-tapping reading of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, with Carl Albach keeping a reasonably tight rein on that pesky E Flat trumpet.

The synagogue turned out to be a surprisingly good space for chamber music. Built in the Orthodox style, it has a spacious second floor. The stained glass windows and interior design are by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The acoustics are warm and deeply resonant, especially pleasing for the lower instruments in vibrato. The space is relatively small, just the right size for musical intimacy. Musicales in the future would be highly desirable. Let’s hope that we don’t have to wait another 350 years.


The New York Sun

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