Portland Symphonic Choir delivers soothing, radiant Brahms Requiem

by James Bash on November 16, 2009

The Portland Symphonic Choir under the direction of Stephen Zopfi delivered a soothing Brahms Requiem at its concert in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Sunday afternoon (November 15). Each section of this seven-movement work, all in German with texts from the Bible, challenges choral voices to the utmost with long, expansive lines and cohesive phrasing. I know this first-hand because I have sung this work a number of times as a member of this choir, and this performance was very rewarding.

The 120-plus voices of this choir crafted a finely-honed style excelled in diction and intonation that lifted the reassuring message in the text. The choir soared with power and gracefully descended under Zopfi’s command. From my perch in the balcony, I would’ve preferred a stronger sound from the tenor section. In all fairness, they were fewer in number than the other sections and placed in the upper right area of the risers. I heard, secondhand, that their sound had plenty of presence for audience members on the main floor.

The soloists were also impressive. Richard Zeller’s bass-baritone had a burnished, warm quality that was perfectly suited for his featured solos in the third movement (“Herr, Lehre doch mich” and the sixth (“Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt”). Contributing to Zeller’s delivery was his outstanding breath control and clear pronunciation. He was so into the music that sometimes he would mouth the words of the choir when he wasn’t singing.

In her solo (“Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit”) Georgia Jarman poured out a radiant soprano tone that was comforting as well. In truth, it was so gorgeous that I didn’t want it to stop. I had just heard Jarman a week ago in Portland Opera’s “Orphée,” but lines that she sang in that performance always seemed too brief. The Brahms performance gave Jarman a chance to show more of her abilities, and she made the most of it. I hope that she will be back in Portland to sing again in the near future.

Zopfi commanded his forces very well. None of the tempos were out of the ordinary. Aside from a couple of glitches (the organ got out of bounds briefly in the second movement and the woodwinds squeaked right at the beginning of the fourth), the orchestra, consisting of some of Portland’s best freelance professionals, enhanced the performance with sensitive playing.

Extra note: Cameras from Oregon Art Beat were at the concert; so there may be a chance to hear snippets of this performance on TV.

James Bash

James Bash writes articles for a variety of publications, including magazines such as Opera America, Open Spaces, Opera, MUSO, International Arts Manager, American Record Guide, Symphony, Opera Canada, and PSU Magazine. The newspapers include Crosscut, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Oregonian, The Columbian, The Portland Tribune, The Register-Guard, and Willamette Week. James has also written a number of articles for the Oregon Arts Commission. James was a fellow to the 2008 NEA Journalism Institute for Classical Music and Opera. He is a member of the Music Critics Association of North America (mcana.org) and lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Kathy.