Recent reviews by Jim Ruggirello, Long Beach Grunion Gazette
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February 27, 2008 (Jim Ruggirello, Long Beach Gazette)
Long Beach Chorale Exceeds in Selection, Execution
Classical music is a country for old men.
Face it. We love the classics, and that usually means the provenance of guys who lived and worked
in Europe about 200 years ago, give or take. So the latest concert by the Long Beach Chorale covered
some pretty familiar territory.
Music by Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms. It doesn’t get more meat and potatoes than that. So
what made this concert so special?
Well, the repertoire, for one. Bach’s Cantata No. 118, the Haydn Te Deum, a wonderful piece by
Brahms called “Nänie” and the Beethoven Choral Fantasy make up a solid but varied program that
showcases, in turn, the brass, the chorus and the piano in a lively, deep and life-affirming way.
The Bach, actually more motet than cantata, moves in a single movement from light to dark and
may actually have been intended to be performed in a graveside ceremony. The brass parts were
originally written for instruments that no longer exist, and their modern counterparts showed a bit of
strain. Still, the underlying sentiment came through in a sincere, beautifully executed performance.
And that’s the second thing that this concert had going for it. The execution.
From the opening Haydn Te Deum, as sunny an allegro as ever was composed (and didn’t I date a
Sunny Allegro back in college?), through the complex emotions of the Brahms to the grand finale of
the Beethoven, the Chorale sounded absolutely fabulous. Only part of this can be ascribed to the
acoustics in Los Altos Methodist, the venue for this particular outing. I really think that this chorus,
under the direction of the amazing Eliza Rubenstein, consistently makes a truly beautiful, flexible,
blended sound that is a wonder to behold.
To make the shift from Bach to Haydn to Brahms to Beethoven is not so easy. Each composer
made particular demands upon the chorus he had in his head. And what is incredible is for a chorus
to do honor to each composer’s demands, and at the same time maintain an artistic integrity, a basic
sound that the group can call its own.
Throughout the afternoon (I went to the second show, at 4 p.m. on Sunday) I was continually
astonished at how lovely the Chorale sounded, how terrific the blend was, and how everything they
and the pick-up orchestra did served the specific piece of music at hand. This concert didn’t so much
take place as it did unfold, one masterpiece after another being laid out for our delectation.
And, once again, I have to say something about Bob Gunn. The regular accompanist for the
Chorale, here he was the featured soloist for the Beethoven, playing the part that the composer
himself played, and partially improvised, at the work’s premiere.
Gunn is a pianist at the highest artistic level, his reading of this demanding piano part one of the
best I’ve ever heard, and his artistry deserves a wider audience. The only quibble I have is a wish that
the piano lid should have been raised, but that might have played havoc with the church’s acoustics,
which admittedly favored the instruments over the voices.
Whatever. There wasn’t much wrong with this concert. And there was a whole lot right.
February 27, 2008 (John Farrell, Long Beach Press-Telegram)
Beethoven's Genius Receives an Encore in Spirited Performance
There was a bit of Beethoven's spirit in the air Saturday night at Los Altos First United Methodist
Church in Long Beach, where the Long Beach Chorale and Orchestra, under the baton of Eliza
Rubenstein, performed with pianist Bob Gunn filling in for the composer [at the piano].
It was the first of two concerts (the other was Sunday afternoon) that featured music by Beethoven,
Bach, Brahms and Haydn, the second of three series of concerts by the chorale this season.
Gunn, the group's regular pianist, doesn't look a lot like the wild-haired, wild-eyed Beethoven, but
he has the fiery technique that the showy, not-quite-sophisticated work demands: lots of pounding
and passion, a fierceness and unbridled joy that kept bringing smiles to chorale members every time
the main theme, which sounds a lot like the Ninth's “Ode to Joy,” would come crashing in.
Close your eyes to shut out the modern decor of the church and you could imagine you were
hearing Beethoven himself at the keys. Rubenstein matched Gunn's vigor with orchestra and chorale,
and the result was 30 minutes of joy.
The evening opened with Haydn's brief and equally joyous “Te Deum,” full of the bubbling good
humor and contentment that marks so much of Haydn's work.
Here, the chorale swayed to Haydn's rhythmic dynamics, full of passion hardly restrained, praying to
God with a smiling, light-hearted spirit.
There was joy, too, in Bach's Cantata No. 118, written as a funeral work. Bach, though, saw death
as a transformation and not as sad event, and the cantata is energetic and balanced, with the 50-
voice chorale singing against the orchestra's brass instruments.
Occasionally, the brass came on too strong or the church's sanctuary was overwhelmed by the
noise level, giving the performance an uneven feel.
Brahms’ “Nanie,” a setting of a poem by Friedrich Schiller, ended the first half of the concert with a
breathless and exquisite beauty, a delicacy and balance of forces that simmered and lingered in the
church's vault.
April 26, 2007
Chorale Collaboration Makes Great Music
More, please.
I want to hear many more concerts like the one that took place the other day at the Carpenter Center.
It featured, for the first time, the Long Beach Chorale performing jointly with the Camerata Singers of
Long Beach and choruses from California State University Long Beach. The program, entitled
“Kindred Spirits,” consisted of two major and one minor 20th century choral masterpieces. These are
all good things.
First, the collaboration. Eliza Rubenstein’s Chorale and the Camerata led by Jonathan Talberg (who
also directs the university groups) sound great together.
The Camerata has a tad more weight, the Chorale a shade more beauty and clarity of tone. Both
benefit from the added numbers. Throw in some well-drilled college kids and you’ve got a fine,
flexible 150-plus voice chorus that can do just about anything.....
And the music was wonderful. The program consisted of Igor Stravinsky’s somber, spare and
dissonant “Symphony of Psalms” paired with Francis Poulenc’s splashy, exuberant “Gloria.” For good
measure, the concert opened with a work by the prodigious Lili Boulanger, who died tragically young
at 25. Her “Psalm 24” gives a tantalizing glimpse of what she might have accomplished had she lived
longer.....
The conductors, Rubenstein and Talberg, both demonstrated once again that they are two of our
most valuable and talented local musical personalities. Rubenstein’s conducting (with stick) was
more aggressive and tightly controlled, while Talberg’s (no stick) was more laid back and expansive,
but those approaches suited their respective works. Both were entirely in command of both chorus
and instrumental ensemble.
The orchestra, a professional pick-up ensemble, provided solid if unexceptional support. The group
lacked the ultimate in refinement and precision that these pieces, especially the Stravinsky, demand,
but made a splendid noise when called upon to do so.
So call it “Kindred Spirits” if you want to. I call it, a la “Casablanca,” the beginning of a beautiful
friendship.
November 30, 2006
Spacious Venue Provides Better Acoustic for Chorale
Ah, the open road.
Never been there. I’m usually stuck on the freeway. But that elusive yet oh-so-desirable open road
provided an apt, if somewhat loosely defined, theme for the latest concert by the Long Beach Chorale.
This was a rare opportunity to hear the Chorale outside of the friendly confines of St. Luke’s
Episcopal, its traditional home. The Saturday concert was at St. Luke’s but the Sunday event, which I
attended, was at Los Altos Methodist, known for its organ if not for world-class acoustics.
As it turned out, Los Altos Methodist was a thoroughly successful venue. It’s more spacious than St.
Luke’s, so the sound has a chance to bounce around without creating the omnipresent reverb for
which the older church is so renowned. And, since this concert also featured instruments and a lot of
piano, I suspect balances were actually better. Instruments have been known to get clangy and
overwhelming at St. Luke’s.
The Chorale was its usual terrific self, clear as a bell, expressive, colorful and impeccable in
intonation. And artistic director Eliza Rubenstein once again devised a clever, original and altogether
spiffy program.
We began with a spiritual, the infectious “Walk Together, Children,” featuring a joyous, totally
committed solo by Denise Parleman. That got things off to a good start. Bob Gunn was again the
excellent accompanist, performing the gospel-tinged spiritual with authority and style, and bringing
real distinction and character to the more extensive and varied piano part in Charles Ives’ picturesque
“Walking.”
The centerpiece of the afternoon was Norman Dello Joio’s “Song of the Open Road,” a great piece
that received a stellar performance from Rubenstein, the Chorale, Gunn and trumpeter Alfred Lang.
This is an example of truly fine American music that nobody would get to hear if it were not for our
local choruses.
I remember singing Cecil Effinger’s “Four Pastorales” with my college choir, and thinking that the
poems were really dumb. But the texts by Thomas H. Ferril (who, Rubenstein noted in her pertinent
and entertaining remarks, is as obscure today as is Effinger) are actually pretty neat, full of enchanting
imagery and a colorful use of language. Jonathan Marzluf’s oboe provided a well-played obbligato to
the choir’s delicate, balanced enunciations.....
.....The Chorale [came] back, as did oboist Marzluf, for Gwyneth Walker’s setting of three traditional
American tunes. The set is called “The Rose, the Briar and the Bicycle,” and it’s a delight. The oboe
and piano offer piquant commentary, and the oboe has a couple of solo interludes that nicely frame
the songs. The Chorale sang with verve, clear diction and an engaging enthusiasm.
One is compelled, when confronted by yet another superb performance by an ensemble as
consistently excellent as the Long Beach Chorale, simply to say that they’ve done it again.
I fear I have to do it again.
April 6, 2006
Chorale's Reputation Grows Rapidly
Word is getting around.
St. Luke’s Episcopal was packed the other day for the latest Long Beach Chorale concert. It wasn’t
that long ago at these things that the performers almost outnumbered the audience.
Part of the attraction this time around may have been Bob Gunn as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto
in D minor, K. 466. Choruses will occasionally put an instrumental piece on the first half of a program.
This accomplishes two things: it brings in an audience that otherwise wouldn’t go to choral concerts
and allows the chorus to concentrate on the second half, usually a challenging masterwork.
Gunn, the Chorale’s accompanist, deserved the spotlight. He has fabulous fingers, and a profound
musical sensibility. K. 466 is one of the great Mozart concertos, and Gunn gave it a really
distinguished interpretation. Are you listening, Long Beach Symphony?
Alas, the acoustics at St. Luke’s, the Chorale’s longtime ally, proved to be somewhat of a liability in
this case. The piano was overly reverberant, blurring much of the counterpoint and making much of
the delicate Romanze sound sluggish and slow. It is a tribute to Gunn that his fine performance
shone through the sonic haze.
And the Chorale’s artistic director, Eliza Rubenstein, demonstrated that she is not only a terrific choral
conductor. Musically and technically, she has it all, and the Mozart showed her total command of
conducting technique.
Her leadership was even more remarkable in the second half, Haydn’s “Mass In Time of War.” Every
tempo change, every subtlety of articulation, every artistic nuance and dynamic was clearly shown in
her conducting, and the Chorale responded with a bright, confident, joyous performance.....
The vocal soloists were excellent. David Stoneman’s sonorous bass had the most to do, and he did it
very well. The sparkly soprano of Mary Jo Wiedey and Kalil Wilson’s smooth tenor also fulfilled their
duties admirably. Mezzo Deborah Winsor Williams reinforced the strong impression she made in
Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” last year.
And, after a somewhat tentative start (the opening Kyrie is written rather strangely), the Chorale
sounded great. The women especially hurdled Haydn’s various vocal demands with aplomb. The
soprano sound was glorious. The men were fine, the tenors just a little raw and the basses a tad
undernourished. As an ensemble, they gave an accomplished, professional-level performance of one
of Haydn’s greatest masses, capped by a jubilant “Dona nobis pacem.”
If you go to the Chorale’s next performance, an opera program on June 11 at Rancho Los Alamitos,
get there early. The way things are going, you might have trouble finding a seat.
November 24, 2005
Long Beach Chorale Performance Full of Magical Moments
I’m still recovering.
There were moments in the Long Beach Chorale’s concert the other day at St. Luke’s Episcopal
Church that were so beautiful, so magical, so (dare we say) perfect that my poor feeble ear and brain
are still processing them.
The entire concert was excellent, maybe the best this group has ever given in terms of consistency.
Thanks to music director Eliza Rubenstein’s carefully paced programming and authoritative direction,
Long Beach Chorale has chalked up yet another success.
It is heartening in this culture that prizes celebrity and wealth above all else, where degenerate is cute
and stupid is funny, to encounter a group that believes in excellence and intelligence. This was an all-
American concert, the music grouped by geographic region so that we moved from New England to
the West Coast with stops in between. The result was a somewhat selective survey of the rich
tradition of American choral music.
The tradition began in New England, and two pieces by Revolutionary era composers starting things
off on solid footing. William Billings’ stirring and familiar “Chester” was followed by Jeremiah Ingalls'
lesser known and much less serious “Complainer,” about a God-seeker who has trouble finding a
preacher to suit his fancy.
One of the aforementioned magical moments was the ensuing tune, Samuel Barber’s “Sure on this
shining night,” with poem by James Agee. The dynamic never rose above medium soft, the blend was
exemplary, the diction crystal clear. Great stuff.
Rubenstein usually features a couple of discoveries by women composers and arrangers, and
Gwyneth Walker’s “How Can I Keep from Singing” was as interesting and memorable as
Rosephanye Powell’s “The Word was God.” The obligatory Moses Hogan spiritual got things rocking,
with a lovely solo by Denise Parleman, although the resonant acoustics of St. Luke’s work better on
the softs than the louds. Things got a bit clangy.
The first half ended with “Meet Me in St. Louis,” a tribute to Rubenstein’s hometown. Tenor Joe
Burgos had as good a time as anyone, not only warbling with an infectious good humor, but also
contributing a mean hootchy-kootchy.
After intermission came the gem of the afternoon, James Erb’s setting of “Shenandoah.” This is not
only one of the great tunes of all time, but the arrangement is lovely and the choral sound would be
hard to improve upon. Every vocal part could be heard, each was beautiful in its own right, and then all
were blended into a seamless, iridescent whole.
Rubenstein is in control at all times. Her arms are as thin and supple as al dente linguine, and they
shape phrases that seem to have no beginning and no end.
A Copland group was not as effective as the rest of the concert. Vocal writing was never Copland’s
strong suit and this part of the program could have used more substance. One saving grace was Bob
Gunn’s strong, stylish accompaniment.
An interesting setting of the Lord’s Prayer from the Santa Barbara mission, and Kirke Mechem’s fine
arrangement of “Let Us Break Bread Together” brought us to the left coast, concluding this
entertaining, fascinating and inspiring musical journey.
Excerpts from “The Testament of Freedom” by Randall Thompson framed the concert at both ends.
The choice was apt, the text by Thomas Jefferson reading in part, “The God who gave us life gave us
liberty at the same time.”
A timely, and timeless, thought.
May 5, 2005
The devil is in the details
But then, so's the angel, or in this case, the saint. It was the attention to detail that made the Long
Beach Chorale's recent concert, "In Search of St. Cecilia," so enjoyable.
As cleverly assembled by music director Eliza Rubenstein, the program honored the patron saint of
music. Actually, the historical Cecilia had nothing to do with music, and how she came to be the fine
art's patroness made for an amusing tale.
Throughout the afternoon, Rubenstein's spoken introductions were fresh, natural and unpretentious.
One might wish she didn't speak so fast, especially in the resonant acoustic of St. Luke's Episcopal
Church, but her enthusiasm and friendly manner were undeniably engaging.
After a peppy opening piece by Purcell, the choir essayed two modern unaccompanied compositions,
a cool "Solfeggio" by Arvo Paert and the jazzy "Warm-Up" from Leonard Bernstein's "Mass." Both
displayed the Chorale's customary attributes: pure, clear sound, excellent intonation and impeccable
balance. Every note was well judged and in the right place.
The same could be said for the group of early American songs that followed, and the Daniel Pinkham
trifle "Piping Anne and Husky Paul," that closed the first half. One American song, "Amazing Grace,"
was sung by the male contingent of the group to lovely effect.
An excerpt from Handel's "Ode for St. Cecilia's Day" featured the light, pleasant tenor of Ben McLain,
along with some tasty violin playing by Rubenstein herself. Here and in several other selections, the
Chorale was supported by technically and musically distinguished accompaniment from pianist Bob
Gunn....
Bruckner's "Os Justi" proved the choir's adeptness at more substantial, complicated fare. The piece
received a remarkable performance that showed all of the color and expressiveness of the choral art
at its best.
A short piece by British composer Herbert Howells and a new piece by Joshua Shank were equally
impressive, and the choir displayed welcome power in the closing "How Can I Keep From Singing?"
This was business as usual for the Chorale: an interesting program, professional-quality
performances and a small but rapturous audience....the Long Beach Chorale, with or without
chamber orchestra, is well worth hearing.
December 23, 2004
Long Beach Chorale Back in Top Form
What a nice Christmas present.
As the latest evidence that Long Beach Chorale has recovered its former exalted status as our best
local chorus, one need look no further than a fully realized, impressive performance of Bach’s difficult
“Christmas Oratorio” the other night at St. Luke’s.
The group sounds better than ever, and that’s saying a mouthful....current music director Eliza
Rubenstein is doing a marvelous job. Long Beach Chorale is glorious.
And the “Christmas Oratorio” is no piece of cake. Actually six different cantatas that more or less tell
and comment upon the traditional story in chorus, aria and recitative, the work demands a proficient
orchestra, fine soloists and a crackerjack chorus.
All were in evidence the other night, basking in St. Luke’s resonant acoustics. The orchestra might
have even been a little too much in evidence, but not obnoxiously so.
The chorus dispatched their responsibilities with enthusiasm and clarity, knocking off demanding
counterpoint and hymn-like chorales with equal aplomb. The soloists were admirable.....
This was an impressive achievement for a volunteer group. The whole thing was sung in German,
which stretched the chorus and taxed the packed audience. That audience, by the way, was the
largest I’ve ever seen at a Long Beach Chorale concert — word must be getting around.
The opening night performance exhibited only the usual untidy spot or two, and the opening
“Jauchzet, frohlocket” took awhile to settle down. Otherwise, it was a polished, professional-level
display of choral excellence.
I hope that this group, and music director Rubenstein, are finally getting the recognition they deserve.
They’ve been good for a long time. Exciting things are happening these days at Long Beach Chorale
and their performances are worth checking out.
May 6, 2004
Chorale Music Alive, Well Locally; Recent Concerts Worthwhile
....If it's reverberation you're after, there's always St. Luke's Episcopal, where Long Beach Chorale
performed their spring concert.
Eliza Rubenstein put together a very creative program on the theme of "Wanderlust," The major work
was Brahms' set of Gypsy Songs, Op. 103. In these delightful songs the chorale demonstrated yet
again what makes this group special ‹ a wonderful blend and a beautiful sound.
And I think Rubenstein is even managing to improve on the work of founding director Mark Barville. It
sounds as though the sopranos are able to produce a more thrilling edge than I remember (in the
Brahms, especially) and the diction is decidedly better.
St. Luke's echo was actually too much for some stuff, particularly the pieces with piano. The church
rendered Bob Gunn's tasteful accompaniments often unpleasantly clangy, and the acoustic just
couldn't handle the louder sections.
But Ernst Toch's spoken "Geographical Fugue" was fun, the atmospheric excerpts from Brent Pierce's
"Travelogue" were magical, and two Scottish folk songs melted the heart. Long Beach Chorale just
seems to get better and better.
December 25, 2003
New Chorale Leadership A Musical Gift
Rejoice, a savior is come. No, silly, not that one. I'm talking about the new music director of the Long
Beach Chorale, Eliza Rubenstein. Her first concert, Wintersong 2003 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church
earlier in the month was impressive, and reassuring.
.....Rubenstein, who also directs a women's chorus in Orange County, is the real deal. Based on the
evidence of just one concert, she would seem to have our Long Beach Chorale back on track.
For one thing, the sound is glowing again, due partly but not entirely to the sumptuous acoustics of St.
Luke's. The beauty, blend and flexibility of this chorus make it a joy and a pleasure to experience.
Her programming is pretty sharp, too. After a brief and delightful opener by Mendelssohn, she offered
works for chorus, brass and organ by Gabrieli (which sound great in St. Luke's), a little Praetorius,
unfamiliar and modern a cappella pieces by Poulenc and David Childs, and an almost impeccable
performance of Daniel Pinkham's "Christmas Cantata."
The concert ended with some delicate Spanish carols delightfully arranged by Gregory Rose and
David Willcocks' sturdy versions of five traditional carols. A very smart, balanced program, a bit of a
stretch but well within the group's capabilities.
Rubenstein was friendly and natural in her spoken introductions, and the concert zipped along. A
large and lively crowd of all ages ate it up, and the chorus looked like it was having fun, too. The
audience's enthusiasm caused them to clap at the drop of a hat, often inappropriately, but that's an
okay problem to have.....overall, this concert gave notice that Long Beach Chorale is once again a
force to be reckoned with.
I can't resist a quote from "My Fair Lady": Bravo, Eliza.
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