Acclaim
RPO, choir deliver powerful performance

Throughout the season, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has done a remarkably good job of presenting quality concerts amid budget squeezing and salary cuts...Verdi's Requiem, which was the one and only selection on the program and performed without an intermission, is a heated work that ends in an uplifting manner — exactly how the RPO's performance left the audience on Thursday night....The concert, which ends the RPO's Philharmonic Series season, also included the best four vocal soloists I've heard perform choral repertoire with the RPO. Soprano Arianna Zukerman, the daughter of virtuoso violinist Pinchas Zukerman, intensified and hushed her high notes on command for stunning shapeliness in phrases. Mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby, with her thickly textured voice, showed a range that easily stretched from floating operatic statements to the deepened realm of an alto range. Scott Ramsay, the tenor, had a shimmering upper register and a clear, expressive voice. The Norwegian bass Gustav Andreasson sang with burliness and explicit diction that added punch to his darker lyrics.

While the soloists sang with individuality, they blended surprisingly well. Notably, Zukerman and Maultsby, who had such varying vocal textures, found a way to combine their voices in duet spots. In a short section of the 'Dies Irae,' they locked in their breathing and movement for unison phrasing. In the 'Agnus Dei,' they both adjusted to chant-like singing without orchestra for a chilling effect."

Anna Reguero, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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