American Symphony Orchestra Performs U.S. Premiere of Sergei Taneyev's at THE READING OF A PSALM

The American Symphony Orchestra celebrates its return to Carnegie Hall and its 60th anniversary season in 2021-22 on Friday, January 28, 2022 at 8 PM. The program, part of the Orchestra's Vanguard Series conducted by Music Director Leon Botstein, features the U.S. premiere of Sergei Taneyev's final work, At the Reading of a Psalm. Conceived as a massive statement of Russian Orthodox faith at the onset of WWI, this large-scale cantata for full orchestra, double chorus, and vocal soloists showcases the dramatic effect of Taneyev's contrapuntal mastery.

All of the singers are Metropolitan Opera artists: soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer, a graduate of the Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, appeared in the Met's HD broadcasts of the Ring Cycle and The Magic Flute; mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti, whose voice has been described as "powerful and agile" (The New York Times), sings this season in The Rake's Progress and Rigoletto; tenor Joshua Blue made his 2021 Met debut in Porgy and Bess; and bass Harold Wilson, returns to the Met this season in multiple productions including Boris Godunov and The Rake's Progress, and has performed more than 30 roles with Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Also part of the Orchestra's Vanguard Series at Carnegie Hall, the next concert will be Duke Ellington + Marcus Roberts Trio, an all-Ellington program on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 8 pm.

Sergei Taneyev's At the Reading of a Psalm, U.S. Premiere
Friday, January 28, 2022, 8 pm
Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage)

Wendy Bryn Harmer, soprano
Eve Gigliotti, mezzo-soprano
Joshua Blue, tenor
Harold Wilson, bass
Bard Festival Chorale

First Movement
i. Chorus (Allegro tempestoso)
ii. Double Chorus (Andante sostenuto)
iii. Chorus. Triple Fugue (Fuga a tre soggetti, Andante - Allegro molto)

Second Movement
iv. Chorus (Allegro moderato - Fuga. Allegro tenebroso)
v. Quartet (Andante)
vi. Quartet and Chorus (Adagio ma non troppo)

Third Movement
vii. Interlude (Allegro appassionato)
viii. Aria (Alto Solo) (Adagio piu tosto largo)
ix. Double Chorus (Finale) (Adagio pietoso e molto cantabile-Allegro moderato-Allegro molto)

Tchaikovsky famously described Sergei Taneyev as "the finest contrapuntist in Russia." This is clearly demonstrated in At the Reading of a Psalm, comprised of three main movements, each subdivided into three sections. The repeating melodic motifs, as well as a refined set of harmonic connections between the individual sections, give the cantata a deep sense of musical architecture and Taneyev's command of counterpoint can be heard throughout. The work is based on a poem by the 19th-century poet and religious philosopher Aleksey Khomyakov, and is dedicated to the memory of his late mother, who often read the poetry of Khomyakov to him. Offering moments of grandeur as well as passages of contemplation, the cantata is a testament to the composer's genius. Serge Koussevitzky conducted the premiere in 1915 wartime Petrograd, a few months before Taneyev's death.

Tickets: Priced at $25-$65, tickets are available at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or visiting the box office at 57th St & 7th Ave. Ticket holders will need to follow the venue's guidelines and show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 using a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to enter the building.