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For immediate release: April 22, 2002
Contact: Dean Travalino (914)763-5393,
r5fuego@aol.com
HAROLD ROSENBAUM PRESENTS BACH'S ST. MATTHEW PASSION IN RYE
The Westchester Oratorio Society concludes its 5th Anniversary Season with a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion on Sunday afternoon, May 5, 2002, at the Rye Presbyterian Church on Boston Post Road in Rye, New York. Under the direction of its renowned choral conductor Harold Rosenbaum, the volunteer chorus, whose members are predominantly from Westchester and Fairfield Counties, was founded in 1997 with a commitment to perform choral masterworks in Westchester with full professional orchestras and soloists. In addition to performing two local concerts a year, WOS has performed with such premier organizations as the Westchester Symphony Orchestra at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase, The Brooklyn Philharmonic at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Of the group's appearance at BAM, The New York Times noted that the chorus "brought celestial glory and strength to the close." Exceptional for its musical richness and grand scope, St. Matthew Passion calls for a double orchestra and double chorus, with actually three choruses at one point. By the Baroque period, the Medieval form of the Passion had grown from simple chant into a near operatic form with orchestras, choirs, non-scriptural choruses and arias. Leonard Bernstein said of the work, "The contrapuntal combination of the three choruses is thrilling. There is nothing like it in all music." While grand in scope and intensely moving, the music ranges from complex counterpoint to simple hymns. St. Matthew Passion makes clear Bach's profound influence upon Felix Mendelssohn, who triumphantly revived the piece in 1829, crystallizing a revival of interest in Bach that continues today. Harold Rosenbaum, the oratorio society's Artistic Director, is looking forward to performing the masterpiece at Rye Presbyterian. He noted, "the acoustics are wonderful, and the beauty and grandeur of the building make it perhaps the best venue in Westchester for presenting Bach's most profound and profoundly moving work." A truly special event for Westchester audiences, the performance will be an exceptional undertaking featuring the oratorio society's 90-voice chorus, joined by the young singers of the Westchester Boys and Girl's Choirs directed by David Graf and the South Salem Presbyterian Church's Youth Choir. Five renowned soloists will also be appearing: Neil Farrell, tenor (Evangelista), Terrance Barber, countertenor, Richard Lippold, bass (Pilatus, Judas, Petrus, Pontifex I), Lawrence Long, baritone (Jesus), Mukund Marathe, tenor, and Judith Pannil, soprano. Individually, all have appeared in major venues with the country's premier orchestras, opera companies and choral organizations. Also appearing will be the oratorio society's acclaimed professional orchestra comprised of some of Manhattan's finest Baroque musicians led by Louise Schulman, a founding member of the Orchestra of Saint Luke's. The project was made possible through a grant from the Arts Alive program of the Westchester Arts Council with funding from the Decentralization program of the New York State Council on the Arts, and additional support from The Louis Dreyfus Property Group and Frank & Camille's Keyboard Centers of Hartsdale. Tickets for the concert may be purchased in advance by calling (914)763-9389 or through the group's web site listed below (credit cards accepted). General Admission is $20, seniors and students are $15. Limited VIP seating is available for $40, or $65 including a post-concert artist reception at a private home in Rye. For more information about WOS call (914)763-3453 or visit the group's web site at www.westchesteroratorio.org.
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