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Critics Corner 'Voices Of Light' Haunts Stage And Screen
ST. PETERSBURG - A silent expression can speak a thousand words, but music can make it soar. It did Saturday at Mahaffey Theater, when the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay offered a haunting tribute to "The Passion of Joan of Arc," the classic 1928 film that seared its stark and iconic images into the world of cinema. In closing its season, the 150-voice choir took up the challenge of Richard Einhorn's "Voices of Light," a dramatic oratorio composed in 1994 as a meditation on the life and death of the 15th-century French patriot and martyr. The group performs again today in Tampa, with the film shown in its entirety above the stage. Purists might scowl at the idea of "scoring" a silent film, especially Carl Dreyer's masterpiece that features Renee Falconetti's hypnotic portrayal in the title role. Her eyes alone could have halted the English ascendancy in France. It was never Einhorn's intention, however, to compose a soundtrack. His 85-minute work is more inspirational accompaniment, one that can stand as a concert piece in its depiction of the emotional, religious and patriotic turmoil of Joan's short life. Anyone who dislikes the marriage of old film and new music still can enjoy one without the other. Richard Zielinski, artistic director of the chorale, whipped his voices into what listeners have come to expect of this remarkable group: a cohesive and sublime sound. Here, though, they emerged as a force both raw and electric, of fleeting lights, shadows and textures, all pushed forward by the pulsating rhythms of a 35-piece orchestra. Chorus and orchestra had a tough assignment in their shifting trek alongside the movie, but they offered a minitour through music history. It began in the style of monophonic Gregorian chant - sung by women, no less - paid its respects to the mysticism of Hildegard of Bingen, touched on a 19th century Requiem Mass, and echoed the primitive modernism of Carl Orff. The production had a number of high points, such as concertmaster Carolyn Stuart's frenetic violin solo as Joan's hair is cut before her execution and the mesmerizing "Spirit of Joan" women's quartet. The Master Chorale performs "Voices of Light" at 4 p.m. today at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa; (813) 229-7827.
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