Youtube of Marin Alsop's M8 from Sau Paulo, Brazil

[barryguerrero]

Not bad; not bad at all.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk4kXF7-4zg

[erikwilson7]

This is really good, Barry, thanks for sharing.

I just attended Alsop's M8 with the CSO at Ravinia. It was a rather exemplary performance. Ravinia doesn't have a real organ, and most of the tones were drowned out by the miked choirs and soloists. The pedal tones could be easily heard, and felt. A mixed children's choir was used instead of just boys.

Part II was pretty amazing. Alsop's vision was quite unique; she had the soloists enter from all different areas of the Pavilion—in costume—and only stay on stage for their respective arias. The whole thing felt very theatrical, and it worked; Alsop made Part II feel like a one-act opera. Paulo Szot was the baritone, just like in the São Paulo performance. I was highly impressed by Ryan Speedo Green's Pater Profundis, and Jeanine de Bique's Mater Gloriosa was probably the finest moment of the night, as she rose from behind the choirs to deliver her exquisite lines. Michelle DeYoung and Kelley O' Connor were also fantastic. The ending of Part II was not as revelatory as it would be in a traditional concert hall, and a lot of the percussion was drowned out by the massive forces of the choirs. For this I blame the outdoor acoustics of Ravinia, as we can see that Alsop paid good attention to the percussion just a few weeks ago in São Paulo.

Erik

[barryguerrero]

Since Naxos already has the Antoni Wit M8, I doubt if they'll want to issue this on CD. Maybe it'll come out on dvd by somebody.