On the Town
Met Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Heidi Grant Murphy, Susan Graham, Matthew Polenzani, John Relyea, vocal soloists
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Carnegie Hall, Seventh Ave. at 57th St. (212-247-7800); $39-$177
The Metropolitan Opera recently closed out its season with Stravinsky’s 1951 opera "The Rake's Progress," a paired-down, neoclassical gem that was understandably overshadowed by the big-ticket blockbuster stagings that dominated the company's season. Still, there’s time left this season to hear the masterful Met Orchestra and Chorus in a major Stravinsky landmark, as James Levine conducts the Symphony of Psalms.
Based on three Latin Psalms (Psalms 38, 49, and 150) the Symphony of Psalms
puts aside conventional notions of what angelic music should sound like in favor
of an alluring, ritualistic objectivity. Harmonies sound austere beneath the
chant-like melodies; orchestrations seem slightly awry. Yet the balance of serenity
and grandeur makes a powerful effect and should find Levine and his forces in
their element.
Also on the program is Brahms's glowing "Schicksalslied" ("Song of Destiny") and Mozart's masterful Mass in C Minor, the latter featuring a first-class group of vocal soloists. -Brian Wise
