On Tuesday, at the inaccurately named Noontime Concert at Old St. Mary's, I heard Schola Cantorum San Francisco perform Baroque music on texts about the crucifixion. The advertised program listed only Vivaldi's Stabat Mater, but this turned out to be incorrect. We instead heard Scarlatti's version plus 4 shorter works by Lotti, Gesualdo & Caldara. Schola Cantorum's 19 singers performed all the pieces with a gentle sway. They have an unforced sound with almost no vibrato. In the church acoustic, the long suspensions & sustained chords of the Lotti pieces floated nicely. The chorus executed some dramatic cut-offs in the Stabat Mater. I liked the piece. Each section has a distinct, often lively, character. Soprano Mara McMillan & tenor David Seigel seemed a tad nervous, but I'm sure they hit every note of their florid solos. The Old St. Mary's audience was very respectful & refrained from applauding until the end of the program.§ A Mother's Sorrow: Lenten Masterpieces of the Italian Baroque
Schola Cantorum San Francisco
Paul Flight, artistic director
Charles Calhoun, continuo
Crucifixus à 10, Antonio Lotti
Tristis est anima mea, Carlo Gesualdo
Crucifixus à 16, Antonio Caldara
Crucifixus à 8, Antonio Lotti
Stabat Mater à 10, Domenico Scarlatti
Noontime Concerts
A Concert for Holy Week
Tuesday, April 19 12:30 p.m.
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
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