November 16, 2009
Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” Makes San Diego Debut with La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
La Jolla, Calif. (November 16, 2009) — Grab your tie-dyes and your love beads and come back to the Age of Aquarius as La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents Leonard Bernstein’s stunning Mass, a San Diego premiere, on December 4, 5 and 6. Described as a theater-piece for singers, players, and dancers, the LJS&C production incorporates classical music, three choruses, two dance sequences, and jazz and rock ensembles. Ken Anderson, director of the UCSD Gospel Choir, performs the lead of the “Celebrant.” Other guest artists joining the orchestra and chorus include the North Coast Singers’ 30-voice children’s choir - Caprice, dancers Alison Dietterle Smith and Tonnie Sammartano, and members of the UCSD Jazz Ensemble.
“Almost anything you can think of to fit into a concert hall will happen in this concert,” says LJS&C Music Director Steven Schick, who conducts the three performances. Because of the theatrical nature of the work, Mass is being presented with the help of stage direction by Charlie Oates and lighting design by Alan Burrett. Both Oates and Burrett are faculty members in the UCSD Theater Department. Choreography is by Allyson Green, also of UCSD.
Mass is based on the Roman Catholic Mass as seen from the point of view of a Celebrant who is experiencing a crisis of faith. It follows the liturgy exactly, but the liturgical passages are juxtaposed against frequent interruptions and commentaries by the Celebrant and the congregation, much like a running debate, in supplemental text written by Bernstein and librettist Stephen Schwartz. The Celebrant’s faith is simple and pure at first, as shown in his wish to sing “a simple song” in praise of God. Yet that faith gradually becomes unsustainable under the weight of human misery, corruption, and the trappings of human power. In the end, the Celebrant, on the verge of renouncing his faith, finds that the loneliness of his doubt is no match for the joy of gathering together with other believers in praise.
Mass was commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy for the opening of The Kennedy Center in 1971. Considered by some to be controversial at the time, it has re-emerged in later years as a moving and visionary piece, with some critics calling it Bernstein’s finest work.
The excitement of Bernstein’s style comes from his combining classical and popular idioms. Mass is no exception, exemplifying his jazz-inspired energy and the theatrical panache that have made him one of the most widely performed 20th century composers.
LJS&C provides three performances of this rarely-heard theater-piece in Mandeville Auditorium on the UCSD campus. The Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5 performances begin at 8:00 p.m. The Sunday matinee, December 6, starts at 3:00 p.m. A pre-concert lecture will be given one hour before concert times. This concert is performed without intermission.
To purchase tickets, call 858-534-4637. Tickets are $36, $32 (senior), and $18 (students and youth).
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, San Diego’s oldest and largest community orchestra and chorus, is a non-profit musical performing group dedicated to inspiring San Diego with the joy of music. Its 110-person orchestra and 130-person chorus perform groundbreaking orchestral and choral music along with traditional favorites from the classical repertoire. During the 55th season, maestro Steven Schick shares the podium with Choral Director David Chase.
