The World of Arts:

Stabat Mater’s score under Lalanath de Silva

Reviewed by Gwen Herat

St. Michael stood at watch, leaning against a pillar with his wings curled up as though in guard when The Camerata Musica - Chamber Orchestra presented Handel and Pergolesi in an evening of glorious music at St. Michael’s Church, conducted by Lalanath de Silva, over the weekend.

Playing right under the crucifix, the sacred atmosphere was created by the solemn surrounding of the stone-walled church as the silence of the audience fell upon the Cemerata Musica as the full-throated choire opened up with Handel’s Coranation Anthems. Bursting with energy, they woke up the expectant audience with surprise. With very strong, powerful voices, they related to the high-profile scores.

The soloists were immaculately voice-supported by the choir rose to the intricasies of the scores, not an easy task but done with virtue and intensity to the very up-front conducting of Lalanath de Silva.

Sabat Mater reveals the anguish and sorrow of the Virgin for her son crucified at whose feet she weeps unable to help him the pain he is going through hanging on the cross.

In his scores, composer Pergolesi has immaculately captured the spirit of the sacred scene with strings dominating which may have been written for voice which Lalanath de Silva so accurately and professionally conducted tonight to a responsive ensemble gathered right under the crucifix of the Lord.

It was gracious of Lalanath de Silva to have chosen the scores of Stabat Mater which is not very popular with Sri Lankan music lovers. By doing so, he introduced the lesser known Pergolesi.

George Fredrick Handel I keep asking this question all over again? Why not the Messiah inside the church. Why the Camerata Musica opted for 4 Coronation Anthems. Said and done, once again Lalanath de Silva rose to the occasion and did Handel proud along with the choral backing of a great ensemble. It was appreciated by one and all.

A great evening, well spent to the memories of young twenty six year old Pergolesi and the immortal Handel who rubbed against King George I and was reconciled after he composed the now famous Water Music for the king.

In selecting the scores tonight, Lalanath de Silva has revealed his passion for sacred music and done with glory to the Lord.

Credits Lalanath de Silva - Commencing early his conducting career, succeeded the late Dr. Earl de Fonseka as the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka in 2000 for two years until he was called by the UN in Geneva. He has also appeared as a guest conductor with several orchestras. Lalanatha’s last performance with the SOSL was Haydn’s Creation with a choir of 50 singers.

Tonight, he appears for the second time with Camerata Musica since his 2004 Mozart’s Requiem. Obviously Lalanath is enamoured by choral works with a passion for sacred music.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)

For a life so young dedicated to music with ill health such as tuberculosis and troubled with a deformed leg, Pergolesi died at the age of twenty six, the year, 1736 he composed Salve Regina and the Stabat Mater that was performed tonight. A composer never recognised during his lifetime, may be due to some of his scores were in doubt.

Whether he really scored them or were partly adapted, a doubt that has never been cleared. However, he was a prolific composer who never ceased a moment to produce some score. The speed of composition appeared to have obstructed against the lasting influence. But today few of his works are regularly performed with success.

From the time Pergolesi entered the Naples Conservatory at the age of fifteen, until his death which was eleven years later, he fully dedicated himself to score a stream of orchestral works, church cantatas, instrumental sonatas as well as comic operas.

Almost two centuries later, Pergolesi’s music was given a big boost when Stravinsky adapted several of his pieces, including some of doubtful authenticity, for his witty ballet, Pulcinella. It was Russian, Leonide Massine who choreographed this ballet in 1920 to Stravinsky’s scores.

George Fredreric Handel (1685-1759)

There is no music lover who would not have heard the Messiah, especially christians. Essentially a composer of church music, he rose to be the greatest in the sacred scene, even up to date.

He was sent off to study law. But when his father died in 1697, he made up his mind to be a composer and went to Berlin to persue a musical career. It took him little time to obtain an orchestral post as violinist/ harpsichordist with the Hamburg Opera in 1705. Thus began his magnificent career that had a spectacular rise. His first opera Almira was performed with the Hamburg Opera in 1705.

The following thirteen years he travelled until he became Kepellinester to Elector George of Brunswick. He was allowed an years lease to visit London where he mounted Rinaldo in 1711 and Ilpastor Fido in 1712. When returned to Hamburg he became restless and was permitted to go toLondon again where he saw his spiritual home.

He overstayed his leave and when Queen Anne died in 1714, his Hamburg employer came to England as King George 1. At the beginning King George resented and was hostile towards Handel for deserting Hamburg post and was reconciled later when he wrote the spectacular, now famous Water Music for the King’s royal procession down the Thames.

Handel dominated the English opera scene producing a multitude of scores. But he lost his popularity with the scoring of the Begger’s Opera which was based on a libretto by John Gay. It drew his audiences away and caused his company to lose 50,000 pounds and went into liquidation.

This worry took years for him to recover but had an everlasting effect. In 1738, he wrote the ontarios Saul and Israel in Egypt. In 1742, he wrote his immortal and spectacular Messiah, the success of all in any genre. Messiah was first performed in Dublin which in a short time became and remained the world’s most popular ontario.

This was followed by some of his most famous and high profile scores. His failing eyes were unsuccessfully operated and he became blind. Yet, he produced and conducted annual performances of Messiah. It was after one of these performances that Handel collapsed and died. Over three thousand people attended his funeral at Westminster Abbey where he was buried.

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Chamber Orchestra
Chorus Master - Asitha Tennakone

Violin I
Satish Casie Chetty

(Concert master)
Nilupul Silva
Sulara Nanayakkara
Eshahantha Pieris

Violin II
Amal Abeysekera
Shanali Petyiagoda
Patricia Purves
Nipun Wijegunasekera

Viola
Mangala Abeysekera
Avanthi Perera

Cello
Tamara Holsinghe
Prajapa de Silva
Double Bass
Nilanthi Weerakoon

Oboe
Hashitha Pathirana

Flute
Dilrukshi Wiratunga Bassoon

Organ
Neranjan de Silva

Trumpet
Naveen Fonseka
Kalum Nishyantha
Hemage Samaraweera

Timpani
Neomal Weerakoon
Repetteur
Radhika Watson

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