Classical

It seems natural that most of the musical material that Karl Middleman chose for his program of "heavenly" music is of a gentle and poetic nature. It does not have to be so; Beethoven and Verdi, among others, evoked heaven as place of cataclysm, and man's relationship with the spiritual world as fraught with great struggle and even terror. Nevertheless, there is a rich lode of treasures to explore in Middleman's vision, and his program was remarkably eclectic and stimulating.

Two works by living composers were at the center. Aaron Kernis, a Philadelphia native, was represented by Musica Celestis, for string orchestra. As was the case for Adagio for Strings, by another local composer, Samuel Barber, the work was originally conceived as a slow movement for a string quartet. Kernis also borrows the central device from the Barber, swelling crescendos and rising pitch, culminating in a kind of sunburst of sound. It is a strong effect in both works, although the Barber achieves greater strength by virtue of a more concise construction.

One of Kernis' teachers was John Adams. Christian Zeal and Activity was an early work, from 1973, when the now famous composer was 23. It shows a formative interest in the language of American minimalism that he now champions. Intriguingly, Adams includes the use of tape loops of spoken words, a device he has rarely, if ever, used in his mature work, although his colleague Steve Reich has made spoken voice a key element of his own music. Adams uses the compelling, singsong cadences of a Southern preacher to mesmerizing effect, although the sound system used for the performance was over-modulating, producing annoying distortion.

Two delightful baroque masterpieces were also heard, a Motet by Vivaldi, and the sublime Canata No. 82a by Bach, Ich habe genug. The soloist for both works was soprano Julianne Baird. Baird sings so often with her Philadelphia musical friends that it might be possible to take for granted what an amazing singer she is. There is, first and foremost, her magnificent tonality, shimmering with color, which she seems to project far outside of her body and well into the hall. She is also an extremely elegant musician, finding an ideal balance of dynamics with the instrumentalists.

And what is the "new" Classical Symphony, anyway? There may be some players from the "old" band still here, but the main constant is Middleman himself, whose vivacious spirit and deep and sincere musicality is a comforting presence in the Philadelphia artistic community. The New Philadelphia Classical Symphony Oct. 21, The Church of the Holy Trinity