Word: orchestra
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...poems. Debussy’s orchestration plays with texture and tone just as impressionist painters manipulate light and color, and the ensemble demonstrated a remarkable talent for this tonal experimentation. From the mystic wind and high string introduction to offbeat trills and pizzicato sequences in the second movement, the orchestra adeptly drifted in and out of various keys and tonalities without losing its crucial sense of rhythmic grounding...
...instrumental use of female voices in the third movement complemented the ebb and flow of orchestral sound, adding yet another textural layer to existing pentatonic harmonies. The tonal color of the choir was concentrated in the high sopranos, whose vocalizations meshed seamlessly with the full orchestra to personify a tempestuous...
...reintroduced frequently throughout the piece. A lilting second theme showcased the ensemble’s nuanced sense of musical line, though its dynamic palette leaned to the conservative side. The high strings led the vibrant third movement waltz with a perfect dose of rhythmic momentum, propelling the orchestra into a finale whose measured, yet stirring, execution never came close to risking the melodramatic...
...only thing that detracts from this production is that, at times, the pit orchestra overpowers the vocalists. Although this is an infrequent occurrence, it distracts from the action on stage and causes the lines in certain scenes to be lost...
Written by John Eccles, the piece itself is an archetypal example of Baroque opera. Each character sings recitatives (narratives that serve the purpose of advancing the story) and arias (songs that do not move the plot forward). Characters are accompanied by a small pit orchestra of strings and a harpsichord. Eccles’ “Semele” is a more sexually graphic version than the better-known Handel opera of the same name. Because the Early Music Society shifts the setting of the story, however, the raunchy nature of the opera does not seem as out-of-place...