Instruments of grace—MacDowell Society concert at St. Joseph’s

The St. Joseph Center Chapel, 1501 S. Layton Blvd., provided a visually stunning and acoustically perfect setting for the MacDowell Club Milwaukee’s Feb. 21 “Organist’s Choice” concert. The chapel’s magnificent pipe organ was the centerpiece of the program and was heard both as a solo instrument and in ensemble with instrumental and vocal performers. Each of the five organists played with mastery, giving the audience an opportunity to appreciate the scope and power of the instrument.

The audience joined the performers in singing a well-loved hymn to open the concert, introducing the principal melody of the first piece on the program. The Partita on the Old 100th, composed by Sister Theophane Hytrek, is an elaborate variation on the original hymn in which the composer explores the range of melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic possibilities she is able to develop from the original melody. Organist Dennis Janzer’s sensitive interpretation of the piece highlighted the creative range of the variations without sacrificing the strong connection to the original melody that provides the essential coherence of the work.

The Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale joined Janzer in performing his own settings of two psalms, Celebrate and Sing and Who Shall Ascend. Director Enid Bootzin Berkovits lead a lively and spirited performance of the psalms and it is to the credit both of the members of the Chorale and the excellent acoustics of the chapel that the singers were not overpowered by the organ and that the psalm texts were clearly understood throughout. Janzer performed one of his instrumental compositions, the Toccata Fluide, between the two choral works. His Toccata is a miniature work of program music that conveys the effect of rippling or flowing water in the higher registers of the organ, supported by a more jagged bass line that suggests the uneven surface below.

Wallace Cheatham’s interpretation of John Carre’s Sonata for Organ was majestic indeed, in keeping with the allegro maestoso marking of the first movement. The rich harmonic texture and stately tempo was in many ways mirrored by the third and final movement, with the addition of passages of imitative polyphony in the established tradition of organ music. The second movement stood in stark contrast to its neighbors. The translucent, almost ethereal texture of this movement made it one of the high points of the concert. The pipe organ is such a ponderous instrument, yet as Cheatham demonstrated, it can be infinitely delicate in the proper hands.

Composer Calimario Soares’ Preludes are based on folk tunes from his native Brazil. In keeping with the nature of the original melodies, the settings are simple, at times even childlike. Organist Mariann Landa utilized a wide range of stops in her performance, giving each prelude a tone quality uniquely suited to its character. The use of the organ in a context that was neither ecclesiastical nor classical was refreshing and showed another, lighter side of the instrument’s complex character.

Ana de la Cuesta Gerlach’s exquisitely lyrical flute performance was well suited for the two works by French composer Jacques Berthier, Liturical Meditations and Pastorale. Organist Suzanne Pajunen maintained a sense of dialog between the instruments despite the disparity in their size and power, the two performers creating a sound that was always enchanting and often haunting. The fine acoustics of the chapel enhanced the full-bodied tone of the flute so that it seemed as if one were hearing a human voice rather than a wind instrument.

The acoustics of the performance space had similar benefits for the sound of Gail Hodkiewitz’s clarinet in her performance of Bernard Sander’s Ornaments of Grace, accompanied by Sheri Masiakowski on the organ. The rich, woody tone of the clarinet complemented the lyrical and moving nature of the composition, filling the aural space with the beauty of its sound.

The performance of 18th-century Spanish composer Antonio Soler’s Concerto for Two Organs was one of the true highlights of the concert. The chapel is fortunate to have, in addition to its main organ in the choir loft, a second smaller pipe organ located near the front of the church. It is one of the few places in the city where this work can be performed as intended.

The heart of the Concerto is a minuet with six variations. The variations are distinct units, unlike continuous variations of the Partita heard at the beginning of the concert, and are fairly conventional in terms of how they explore the original theme. The sense of conversation between the two instruments, played by Sheri Masiakowski and Suzanne Pajunen, was truly exciting. The contrasting tone qualities of the two organs along with physical separation of the instruments greatly enhanced the effect. The placement of the organs made it impossible for the two players to see one another, necessitating the slightly anachronistic use of walkie-talkies to synchronize the performance.

Sister Marion Verhaalen’s composition Summoned, performed by organist Sheri Masiakowski, was commissioned by her cousin, Father Charles Verhaalen, in connection with the dedication of the renovated St. Francis Seminary organ in 1999. The work is programmatic, depicting the internal conflicts involved in a religious vocation and has a meditative quality. The audience was once again encouraged to take part in the performance by singing the hymn Now Thank We All Our God to close the program, accompanied by the organ and the trumpet, played by Kevin Erickson.

The St. Joseph Center Chapel is one of the city’s unique treasures and offers events, tours, and religious services open to the public. Information about the chapel and a schedule of events is available on the School Sisters of St. Francis website, sssf.org. A listing of upcoming concerts by the MacDowell Club of Milwaukee may be found at macdowellclubmilwaukee.org.