On Sunday, the Master Chorale of Washington and the National Symphony Orchestra performed Mozart's "Requiem" in D minor as well as "Te Deum" in C major and "Ave verum corpus" at the Kennedy Center. Mozart's "Requiem" is one of his most famous works, both for its magnificence and the circumstances surrounding the writing of the piece.
Originally commissioned for an Austrian nobleman and completed by Mozart's widow when the composer died at age 35, the work is the subject of much discussion surrounding the mysterious circumstances of the commission and his death.
To assist the audience in fully appreciating the work, the playbill included an English translation of the Latin lyrics. The piece glorifies God and begs for mercy for the dead.
While the soloists were extremely capable singers, the real power of the work was most fully realized when the entire 125-member chorus sang. The solos seemed to be in competition with each other, rather than free-flowing. But the chorus, whose majesty was born out of their size and preparedness, trumped them all. They were truly synchronized. The orchestra was brilliant and the intersection of the instruments and the voices was impressive.
Going to a chorale of any sort is a unique experience. For those who find the symphony not engaging enough, the presence of the voices creates a stronger relationship between what is happening on the stage and those listening to it. The chorus becomes the common language between the instruments and the audience. When a chorus is not talented or ill-prepared it can be a miserable experience and ruin the orchestra. But, as is the case for the Master Chorale of Washington, they make the experience magical and enhance the experience of the music.
The matinee audience was primarily older, but there were a number of college-age students there as well. Many performances at the Kennedy Center offer a discount for college students. For selected shows, a student with ID can come to the box office and any tickets not yet sold on the day of the performance are sold at half price an hour before the show. And given the Kennedy Center's great acoustics, there is not a bad seat in the house.
If the symphony is not your cup of tea, the Kennedy Center offers other events to appeal to a wide audience, including jazz concerts, dance, opera, theater and musicals, popular music and children's shows. "Shear Madness," an interactive comedy show about a murder where the victim changes every night, is recommended for a fun evening.
The next performance of the Master Chorale of Washington will be the Christmas Candlelight Concerts at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21 to $55. The Kennedy Center is Metro accessible. Take the Blue or Orange line to the Foggy Bottom stop and, upon exiting, bear left. At the street is a sign for the free Kennedy Center shuttles, which run every 10 minutes.
