Amal Choucri Catta soars on the wings of a metamorphosed orchestra Johannes Brahms "Ein Deutsches Requiem", Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conductor Christoph Mueller, "A Capella Choir", director Maya Gvineria, soloists Gabriele Hierdeis (soprano), David Wakeham (baritone). Venue: Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, 26 February 8pm Champion of the past, pioneer of the future, Johannes Brahms has inspired hugely contrasting reactions in audiences both during his lifetime and beyond. Difficult for some, "too cozy" for others, the great German composer remains, until this day, a controversial figure. Hugo Wolf, another important German composer, proclaimed: "Everything Brahms has ever done, is just one gigantic variation on the works of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schumann; while Tchaikovsky, Wagner and Benjamin Britten made fun of his "traditionalist approach", his "lack of spontaneity" and his "repressed personality". Modern musicians however, suspect that behind the mordant criticism lies a grudging respect for this great figure of Western music. It was Maurice Ravel who remarked "Brahms's superiority is clearly seen in one respect, namely his orchestral technique, which is extremely brilliant," while Igor Stravinsky surprisingly confessed in 1939 "You always sense the overpowering wisdom of this great artist, even in his least inspired works." Johannes Brahms's "overpowering wisdom" was undoubtedly predominant last Saturday, as Cairo's Symphony Orchestra, under Christoph Mueller's brilliant bâton, gave a perfectly splendid performance of Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), Opus 45, at the Opera's Main Hall, with the "A Capella Choir" and soloists Gabriele Hierdeis (soprano) and David Wakeham (baritone). It is a difficult work, requiring as much passion and love, as intelligence and concentration. Dedicated to the bereaved and to the departed, the Requiem 's seven movements are a reassuring message of joy and a consolation to all who live in sadness and pain. It opens with the choir precluding the first movement pianissimo, in a soft, sombre tone, while violas, cellos and basses delve into the meditative melody: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted". The German Requiem 's text is not that of the Catholic Liturgy; it consists of passages selected by Brahms from Martin Luther's translation of the Bible and was created as "funerary music" between 1857 and 1868. In 1867 the work was performed in a six-movement form by "Gesellschaft fuer Musikfreunde" in Vienna and a second performance took place at Saint Peter's Cathedral in Bremen, Germany, in 1868. That same year Brahms inserted a new fifth movement for soprano solo and choir -- "Ye are now sorrowful" -- in memory of his mother who died in February 1865. The Requiem 's first complete performance finally took place in Leipzig, Germany, in1869, and has become henceforth part of the standard repertoire. The first and last movements, sung by the choir, are filled with harmonious serenity -- "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord" -- while the second movement for choir and orchestra-- "For all flesh is like grass -- is reminiscent of a funerary march, leading however, to an exultant end, with the choir's beautiful Fortissimo : "They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sadness shall fly away." "Lord let me know my end" opens the third movement for baritone and choir, splendidly interpreted by British baritone David Wakeham, who is enjoying an international reputation with acclaimed performances at La Scala, Milan, and the Berlin, Leipzig and Munich opera houses, among many others. His numerous engagements comprise Falstaff, Macbeth, Rigoletto, Trovatore, La Traviata and many more. His strong voice, enchanting timbre and perfect diction are fascinating. German soprano Gabriele Hierdeis earned her degree in opera and concert singing at Frankfurt's University for Music and Performing Arts. As an Oratorio and Lieder singer, she has given numerous concerts in Germany and abroad and has held leading roles in several Baroque opera productions. She appeared in Macbeth at the Frankfurt Opera and the Lincoln Centre Festival in New York, among other operatic performances. Her interpretation was brilliant, her voice captivating. The Fifth Movement "Ye are now sorrowful", dedicated to the memory of the composer's mother, was filled with anguish and a rather mournful mood, bearing, nevertheless, a message of hope while the radiant soprano sang: "I shall see you again and your heart will rejoice and no man will take your joy from you..." The choir tuned in superbly and the Maestro poured his heart into his bâton; conducting the Requiem was a tremendous feat Mueller executed magnificently. His orchestra was particularly captivating: docile and compliant, musicians, choir and soloists followed their master's command with remarkable spontaneity. Watching the performance was a real joy, for Brahms is no easy composer, and nor is the Requiem his easiest work. It must be said that in the past few months Cairo Symphony Orchestra has come a long way under the enormous efforts of Maestro Christoph Mueller. His authority succeeded in turning the rather shabby ensemble of last September into a motivated, disciplined and grand orchestra. Today all female instrumentalists are wearing black and there is no more laughing and talking among the musicians on stage. Today the first violins are singing again, while cellos are solemnly rumbling along and the winds have regained their purity of sound. Today Cairo Symphony Orchestra is once again on its way to glory. Mueller organised the "Brahms cycle" for the current season -- starting on 23 October 2004 with the First Symphony in C-minor, and continuing with the Second Symphony on 30th October, followed by the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra for the third cycle on 13 November -- and finally decided it was time to grant Cairene audiences a vision of his orchestra's capabilities, giving them The German Requiem, an impressive event by all means. The choir, under the excellent direction of Georgian Maya Gvineria, sang beautifully in German -- another feat when one realises that the majority of the singers do not speak any foreign language fluently. The soprani were perfect, though the tenors sometimes seemed to be lean on the weak side. They were, nevertheless, all responding to Mueller's formidable bâton with extreme sensitivity and extraordinary precision. Needless to say, this concert was a masterpiece Egypt's musical world should be proud of.
