‘Beautiful, captivating and compelling’: Kansas City chorus presents a masterwork
Haydn’s “The Creation” rivals Handel’s “Messiah” for its splendid solo writing and majestic choruses. However, live concert performances of “The Creation” are much more infrequent. That’s why it’s a special treat that the Summer Singers, with four outstanding soloists, will perform “The Creation” Aug. 20 at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral.
William Baker is the founder and director of the Summer Singers, one of the many choruses that are part of Baker’s Choral Foundation. He has extensive experience with Haydn’s “The Creation.
“This is my fourth time doing it in Kansas City,” Baker said. “The last time I did it was in 2015 in Atlanta. I’ve done it probably 20 to 25 times. There are composers I admire and there’s music I respect. I adore Haydn’s ‘The Creation.’”
Baker also took part in what is now considered a classic recording of “The Creation.”
“’My first experience with it was in 1992, when I had the privilege of singing in the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus with Robert Shaw, we recorded it” Baker said. “The soprano was Dawn Upshaw, who was young and whose career was just getting ready to blossom. I think it’s arguably one of the top two or three recordings Robert Shaw ever made.”
The Austrian composer Haydn made two successful visits to England between 1791 and 1795, It was on those visits that he heard Handel’s oratorios, like “Israel in Egypt,” performed by gigantic forces. Haydn was so overwhelmed that he was inspired to write “The Creation,” which was first performed in Vienna in 1799.
“Haydn once said that ‘Handel is the master of us all,’” Baker said. “The aria writing, the storytelling of the work is without peer. And the choruses are very Handelian.”
Haydn got the idea for the oratorio when the impresario Johann Peter Salomon handed him an anonymous English poem, “The Creation of the World.” But the verbose poem would have taken four hours to set, so when Haydn returned to Vienna, Gottfried van Sweeten wrote a libretto that drew on three sources: the Book of Genesis, the Book of Psalms and Milton’s “Paradise Lost.”
“‘The Creation’ was written at the height of Haydn’s powers and maturity,” Baker said. “There are tremendous explosions of joy. Haydn had such a command of the colors and sounds of the instruments. For example, the orchestral writing that depicts the creation of the animals is wonderful. There is a line, ’The ground is trod by ponderous beasts,’ and Haydn has a contrabassoon play this low F-sharp. Bwaaah. It sounds like the ground is opening.”
Like Handel’s “Messiah,” “The Creation” calls for virtuoso singers to perform solo arias between the show-stopping choruses. Baker is pleased with his lineup of singers for the task: soprano Victoria Botero, tenor Zachary Devin and bass Joshua Markley.
“Zachary Devin is a young man who just secured a teaching position at KU,” Baker said. “He’s a wonderful young tenor. Joshua Markley sang ‘Elijah’ with us last year, and just really lit the place up. He’s a big guy, young, strapping and impressive. And, of course, Victoria is radiant. I’ve worked with her now for years. I’m just in love with her voice and her capacity to compel an audience.”
“The Creation” uses three soloists through the entire work until the last movement, which uses four. Christine Freeman, the Festival Singers associate director, will be soloist number four in that final movement.
This is the 24th season for the Summer Singers. This large chorus is open to the community and allows singers of all abilities to take part in masterpieces like “The Creation.” In the past, the choir has performed Beethoven’s Ninth, Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” and Brahms’ German Requiem.
“The Summer Singers is almost like Brigadoon,” Baker said. “It appears for a time, and then it disappears. We start in June and have eight to 10 rehearsals of a masterwork, and then we perform.”
Baker says that his chorus, which this year has 130 members, draws on singing professionals who have doctorates in music, directors and music teachers. But it also has members who have little choral experience and a few who have never sung in a choir before.
“Back in the ‘40s, Robert Shaw called his Collegiate Chorale a melting pot that sings,” Baker said. “That’s the Summer Singers, a melting pot that sings. It’s delightful how the more experienced people lift up the less experienced people. It becomes quite a community, and, frankly, I think we’ve been blessed to give some performances that are on par with many symphony choruses around the country.”
At a time when destruction is afflicting the earth, from rampaging wildfires to the invasion of Ukraine, music that celebrates the grandeur and divinity of creation could not be more welcome.
“Everybody in their heart has a love of melody,” Baker said. “There is something in your spirit that loves melody. In ‘The Creation’ you will hear melodies that are beautiful, captivating and compelling. When the tenor is singing the story of creation of man you’ll hear melodies that are noble, inspiring and uplifting. It’s just a beautifully conceived work.”
2 p.m. Aug. 20. Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, 415 W. 13th St. $5-$25. festivalsingers.org.
You can reach Patrick Neas at patrickneas@kcartsbeat.com and follow his Facebook page, KC Arts Beat, at www.facebook.com/kcartsbeat.
