The ensemble’s uniquemagic was undiminished in a program of primarily medieval carols in Latin andMiddle English. Many of their custom arrangements are three-part to begin with,but surely the situation required musical adjustments. I kept listening for amissing fourth part; its absence was amazingly inconspicuous.
Anonymous 4’s mostperfect blend and balance of any vocal ensemble is its calling card, along withunerring taste and creative programming. Easy fluency with varying styles isanother strength. In solos the voices of Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer andJacqueline Horner-Kwiatek had individual color that disappeared when singingtogether.
The medieval sounds werespelled with lively and refined arrangements of American folk carols, some ofthe most memorable selections on the concert. The singers sang with charmingstyle that grew organically from bluegrass roots, more evidence of whyAnonymous 4 has sold 1.5 million recordings over its long career.
Earlier in the weekPrometheus Trio presented a rich concert at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music,including the rarely encountered Trio in C Major (“Lovisa”) by Jean Sibeliusand Trio 1, Op. 3 by Alan Hovhaness. Both are early works, full of fresh energyand, as is the case with the best young composers, unconventional takes onconvention. Sibelius, known for his symphonies, wrote relatively little chambermusic, which makes this early trio even more interesting. Though not profound,its haunting folk-like melodies are signature for this composer. Hovhaness’compact trio is a better piece, combining neo-Baroque with folk-inspiredharmony. Though there were occasional tuning concerns, the Prometheus playersgave illustrative, enlightened readings of these and two additional works,Mozart’s Trio in E Major, K. 542, and Schumann’s Trio No. 3 in G Minor, Op.110.
