A glorious Requiem commemorates Mozart

The hosannas of Mozart’s Requiem rose gloriously to the heavens last night when the University of Maine Oratorio Society and the St. Petersburg “Mozarteum” Orchestra celebrated the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death. Conductor Ludlow Hallman, who organized the cooperative concert of American and Russian musicians, delivered a praiseworthy evening of excitement and song in honor of one of music’s greatest masters.

More than 200 performers lined the MCA stage and offered a full-bodied rendition of this valedictory choral work. Four soloists (two American and two Russian) were a well-matched quartet. However, UM soprano Nancy Ogle was particularly bright and luminous. Her pleasant voice never lacked clarity, nor was it marked by the strain that was sometimes present in the voices of the other soloists.

The UM Oratorio Society gave a powerful reading of the Lacrimosa section of the Requiem. Mozart is said to have been moved to tears when he and a group of friends performed this section on the eve of his death, and the UM chorus was white-hot with intensity during this all-too-brief segment.

The group also showed its strength during the lugubrious opening section, and with lovely and angelic harmonies during the Offertorium.

In addition to the boundlessly beautiful Requiem, the orchestra presented Mozart’s Symphony in G minor, which was somewhat commonplace in character. The small orchestra performed the piece competently, but fell short of capturing the panache that an incisive reading of this rich and vivid symphony can create.

The concert also included the very brief choral piece “Ave verum corpus,” which was delightfully joyous and uplifting, though only a few minutes long.

This celebration of Mozart’s life, on the anniversary of his death, was a commendably successful event — not just because Mozart’s music is of immortally wonderous quality, but because two countries, and a full-house of concertgoers, were reminded that truly artful music has a universal quality.

The St. Petersburg “Mozarteum” Orchestra, under the direction of Sergei Kalagin, will perform an all-Mozart program 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Maine Center for the Arts. For tickets, call 581-1755.