This is how Scherzo headlines this piece of news, written by Michael Thallium, about the second concert of the second week of the season Roots of the Orchestra and Choir RTVE, ie the concert on Friday -which was also broadcast live by La2-, which included, in the words of the critic, a masterpiece, the Glagolitic Mass of the Hungarian composer Leoš Janácek.
Thallium tells us that “Pablo González conducted with rhythm, strength and ease; the orchestra was stupendous; Silvia Márquez Chulilla, embroidered it with a virtuoso organ solo; and the choir -oh the choir! – achieved exquisite sonorities in the pianissimi, powerful contrasts, and proved to be in full shape. In fact, at the end of the concert, one, who tends to stick his ear, heard some comment: “This choir has improved a lot”. Without a doubt, the choir director Marco Antonio García de Paz had something to do with it. In fact, the binomial of these two Asturians, Pablo and Marco, seems to work wonders, which is reflected in the orchestra and the choir. So much so, that one dares to claim that God raises them and Chanácek gathers them… Fortunately!”
In the digital publication “El compositor habla“, Ismael G. Cabral describes the work: “González, on the podium, was right with a tone between fervent and pagan accentuating the fanfare (Intrada) and pampering with arrobo passages such as the appearance of the choir in the Kyrie or the contributions of the serious string in the Creed. It is a singular and even unusual piece this Mass, in which its author, late, imposes his own voice but in which, wanting or not seeking it, we seem to hear some Stravinsky (some or some of those who incarnated) and even, from the perspective of the current auditor, loans that would then pass to the imaginary of the unrecognized Carl Orff. Silvia Márquez, organ soloist, caused a deep commotion in her final single (Varhany only) before the RTVE and González attacked again the Intrada-Exodus, the composer’s way of closing his creation with the most recognizable melodic motif of the Mass. The RTVE Choir, directed by Marco Antonio García de Paz, made an inspired and meaty contribution, not circumstantial. And the vocal soloists saw them and wished to make their way into the convulsive panorama, with a tenor, Ludovit Ludha, who had difficulty projecting and became somewhat loud. Best bass Wojtek Gierlach and competent Marie Luise Dressen and Ludovit Ludha“.
As it was expected, also Codalario has pointed to the unanimous thought of the work well done, and published this criticism, written by Óscar del Saz: “The Glagolitic Mass has always been among the most interesting musics among those programmed, for its rare beauty and overwhelming force connatural to its spirit always close to a paganism -that of the forces of nature- that takes us back to our ancestors and makes us feel that placebo of the archaic form, reminiscence and authenticity, which rarely occurs in other works.” And Del Saz continues: “The RTVE Choir, prepared by the master Marco Antonio García de Paz, with 68 members, showed a very complete mastery of the work, with a very clear diction in all sections and a very valuable filling, applying strong doses of the commented dramatism or -when applied- a purity of singing very well crafted in the chords of the Slavic script in which also appear the corals without orchestral intervention, with meritorious pianos and well built crescendi”.
To read the full publications, here you have the links:
https://scherzo.es/madrid-ortve-dios-los-cria-y-janacek-los-junta/
El compositor habla – «Swarms, or the vertigo of symphonic writing»
