New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini recently ranked the top 10 composers of all time, and while many might disagree with the rankings, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone arguing his No. 1 pick: Johann Sebastian Bach.
If Tommasini had taken his exercise further and ranked the Top 10 classical works of all time, surely Bach's Mass in B minor would win.
The Tucson Chamber Artists made a persuasive argument to that end Friday night when it performed the piece for a sold-out show at Green Valley's St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church. It was the first of three performances of the work last weekend.
Under the direction of TCA's founder and music director, Eric Holtan, the B Minor Mass exuded all the mystique and exhilaration that has earned it a reputation as one of music's greatest works.
This was the biggest undertaking in the professional choir's seven-year history: 26 vocalists and 24 instrumentalists - many of them spilling over into a space adjoining the stage, unseen by the audience but heard for all their splendid glory.
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The vocals soared, particularly when Holtan singled out one voice to one part. The technique, which is fairly common these days in performing Bach's Mass, creates a sonic layer that goes from one voice to another - alto starts, then is joined by soprano, tenor and baritone. The voices build on themselves until the entire coterie of singers joins in to create an amazing and beautiful wall of sound. But among all those joined voices, you can still pick out the soloists.
And what fine soloists - sopranos Erika Burkhart, Kathryn Mueller and Rachel Carson; mezzos Helen Karloski, Naomi DeVries Pomerantz and Thea Lobo; tenors Jeffrey Manns and Owen McIntosh; bass David Farwig; and lyric baritone Bryan Van Gelder.
The choir was not only well-prepared for this undertaking, but dug it like a rock star playing his biggest hit before screaming fans. Some of the singers swayed to the music; others seemed to rock on the balls of their feet. It was a joy to watch them having so much fun.
Holtan drew a wonderful performance from his chamber orchestra, under the leadership of concertmaster Aaron Boyd. In his short tenure with the TCA, Boyd has brought a passionate dynamic to the ensemble, which on Friday resulted in a performance that was nothing less than inspired. The orchestra was every bit a voice in Bach's Mass as the choir.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.
