At eight o’clock on Saturday evening, the beginning of more than two hours of an exquisite musical journey began. The Mahaffey Theater bulged as the packed house, sold out in advance, awaited an expected treat that began in Tampa at the Straz Center on Friday and will continue today, Sunday, at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. The feast began with a delicacy of Mozartian zest, the Overture to the Abduction from the Seraglio, which was performed with artistic precision in tone and dynamic contrast thus embodying the whole selection with the sultry seductiveness and lascivious lavishness that was suggested in the very theme.
The Haydn Symphony 100 (The Military) marched through all four movements with powerful bravado tempered with provocative simplicity accentuated by impeccable tonal quality from strings, winds, brass, and timpani. The movements flowed synchronously with the mind and spirit of Conductor Markus Huber gently but firmly weaving the fabric of a solidly memorable symphonic performance that was flawless in its execution.
After the intermission, the main course was served as a musical buffet of full-bodied, resounding bursts of vocal resonance ranging the gamut from basal depth to the sweetness of sonorous sopranos echoing the oft-replicated theme of O Fortuna, which explodes from the opening beat to its ultimate reprise in the finale, thus framing in its simplicity a most profound collection of sensuous, suggestive, and sensitive songs that pervade the humanity of man.
Martha Guth gave an unmatched performance punctuated with her boundless range from gutsy earth tones to the heights of insuperable purity as her heavenly voice reached beyond the range of human expectation peaking at breathless elevations that would make Stradivarius squeal with delight. I have heard a dozen renditions and none have touched on her purity and strength in Dulcissime which pierced the breathless silence of the theater which awaited this crowning moment of vocal excellence with incomparable anticipation. They were not disappointed. Ms. Guth sliced the air with faultless virtuosity even at such seemingly unattainable levels of musical achievement.
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Weston Hurt’s baritone voice flowed from raspy lows to spirited falsettos highlighting his uncanny ability to demonstrate his incredible vocal resiliency. His portrayal of the inebriated Abbot of Cucany barely able to verbalize his existence to his duet partner seated next to him added an air of levity to what in essence might have gone unnoticed since the Latin text did not readily lend itself to immediate understanding of the subtle implications. The audience immediately reacted favorably to his antics, but he did not let that lead him into temptation to upstage any of the other soloists or the orchestra. The combination of his humor and his talent contributed to the overall impression of the kind of character he was intended to portray.
Noel Espiritu Velasco gave a sterling impression of the depraved black swan roasting on the spit. His interpretation clearly elucidated what meaning could not be understood without his passion.
No sensual production can exist without the proverbial drinking song and Carmina Burana is no exception. The mood and attitude of the conviviality in the tavern was accentuated lustrously as the full chorus chanted about all the drinkers from the mistress to the mother and all family members in between, not excluding even the deacons and bishops of the church.
The hour and fifteen minutes of non-stop musicological genius left no one seated at the end. All begged for more as the audience expressed its deepest appreciation for such a musical feast that engorged every willing soul that came famished and left them all quite sated. The Florida Orchestra and accompanying choruses have outdone themselves once again. They are a tribute to the arts community and a valuable asset to the Tampa Bay area.
Source by Larry Lynn
