Music Review: Los Angeles Master Chorale: Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter)

    This was my first show at Krannert Center of the Performing Arts.

    I fell in love with the place the first time I stepped into the lobby for orientation. It was everything I can hope for for a performance arts venue in a school. Maybe even in a city. I doubt I have ever seen any other place that is better than this. Subsequently, I couldn’t stop myself from looking through the schedule and bought tickets to many performances ranging from symphony orchestra to theatre productions. I want to spend all my time there. Krannert Center of the Performing Arts is probably my favourite place on campus, or second to Main Library; I haven’t quite decided yet, but it is definitely a grand building with 4 wonderful theatres.

    To be honest, when I arrived at Foellinger Great Hall for Los Angeles Master Chorale: Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter), I did not even know I was about to watch a choir performance of spiritual music; there were priests in the audience. Earlier that afternoon, I was at Champaign Pride, and so now, with everyone else around me all dressed up, I immediately became very self-conscious of my casual wear and rainbow flag sticking out of my backpack.

    Still, I sat back, and enjoyed my view of Los Angeles Master Chorale on the balcony, and …

    It was astounding.

    I always find choir performances moving because it is amazing to witness what human vocals are capable of, and their voices transcend me into a whole new world of pure peace and calmness. In this performance, the singers were in grey. Though of different shades, the clean, solid, grey clothes were not at all distracting.

    Lagrime di San Pietro is a choir piece of 7 voices by Orlando di Lasso, with 20 madrigals of poems by Luigi Tansillo, and 1 Latin motet. There were English supertitles projected, but the singers were so expressive that it was hard to take my eyes off them and look up at the translations. There might not be much need to look up, since their performance already told so much about the story. What was amazing was that at times, the singers were rolling on the ground, moving about, and still managed to sing smoothly. I also love how they had 3 people doing the same voice, so there were a total of 21 people on stage, expressing agony, seeking redemption, radiating life so intensely that it was compelling to watch. They could be lying on the floor, standing, walking, or sitting in a chair. The visual choreography definitely made the audio enjoyment even greater. [15 Sep 2018]