Bernstein’s Legacy at Harvard Remains

If Thursday’s “Boston’s Bernstein” concert was a tongue-in-cheek look at Leonard Bernstein’s youth, this past Saturday’s gala was a profound summary of Bernstein’s catalog.

Sanders Theatre was all about Bernstein at the Gala Concert closing out the weekend’s festival in honor of the composer. The concert, entitled “Celebrating Bernstein,” featured Harvard’s finest musicians and performers, along with national talent, performing his diverse works for a full and enthusiastic audience. On the anniversary of Bernstein’s death, this was a chance to celebrate his brilliance and the legacy he left here at Harvard.

The concert opened with a Hebrew prayer, “Y’varech’cha,” sung by John D. Kapusta ’09. The singers and musicians emerged out of the darkness onstage and the focus moved from the mainstage up to the catwalk above where Arlo D. Hill ’08 sang the triumphant “A Simple Song.”

These two numbers established the tone for the evening—a serious look at Bernstein’s music with the utmost attention to detail and musicianship. All of the performers were clothed entirely in black; the stage was lit minimally to create a focused environment.

Bernstein’s three children took the stage to offer some words about their father and the music in the show. Unfortunately, the trio often resorted to campy shtick and poorly written jokes to try to loosen up the crowd, instead of giving a real impression of what it was like to be Bernstein’s child. By the time the three were listing off the projects they had each undertaken to continue their father’s legacy, the audience was ready to hear the next musical selection.

After the children’s introduction, the audience got its first taste of award-winning soprano Nicole Cabell, who sang “Kaddish” from Bernstein’s “Kaddish Symphony.” Cabell, who was phenomenal throughout the night, sang this long piece in a consistently high register but never showed signs of faltering. Backed by the women of the Bernstein Festival Chorus, as well as Yoshitaka Yamamoto ’08 on masterful organ and Carrie E. Andersen ’08 on percussion, “Kaddish” revealed the power of Bernstein’s music and left the audience stunned.

The intensity continued as able conductor Judith Clurman led the Chorus through selections from the “Chichester Psalms.” These diverse pieces featured young William Patrick Endicott as a boy soloist, adding pristine notes to the chilling harmony of the Chorus. The psalms went from peaceful to fierce, demonstrating Bernstein’s versatility and incredible classical foundations.

After the intermission Cabell returned to sing the five-song cycle “I Hate Music,” sung from the perspective of a ten-year old. Hearing the prominent soprano sing in a childish style was odd at first, but Cabell pulled it off with flair and ease. Nora I. Bartosik ’08 accompanied with fine piano playing.

The evening concluded with selections from Bernstein’s musicals. Again the impact of the music was diffused by unnecessary commentary, this time presented in near talk-show format from Jamie Bernstein and BBC veteran Humphrey Burton. The two spoke in between the eight numbers, offering occasional insight into the backgrounds of the pieces, but usually resorting to awkward jokes and forced interplay.

Karen J. Adelman ’07 began with “I Can Cook Too” from “On the Town.” Adelman lost her microphone in the midst of a frenetic dance routine in the middle of the number, so the audience could hardly hear her closing vocal lines. Evan D. Siegel ’07 restored quality to the show with “A Quiet Girl” from “Wonderful Town.”

A quintet then sang “The Best of All Possible Worlds” from the musical adaptation of “Candide.” This number shed some light on Bernstein’s goofy side, but still included difficult vocal parts. Cabell offered her last number in “Dream With Me” from “Peter Pan.” Kathy D. Gerlach ’07 performed a fine rendition of “Take Care of This House” from “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” “The Wrong Note Rag” returned to ensemble silliness, with off-kilter lyrics and jazzy lines perfectly executed by Derrick L. Wang ’06 on the piano and the rest of the capable instrumental ensemble.

The final two numbers sealed the show with style. “Some Other Time,” a quartet number from “On the Town,” set up “Tonight” from Bernstein’s crown work, “West Side Story.” With nearly a dozen voices in harmony, singing intertwining vocal lines in front of great music from the ensemble, the closer sent the audience into a nearly instant standing ovation.

The unbilled encore, “Somewhere,” was the perfect end to a fantastic show. The chorus, singing “There’s a place for us,” reminded the audience that there will always be a place at Harvard for Bernstein, and the legacy of his music remains grounded in Boston and Harvard despite the worldwide acclaim Bernstein has received for so many decades.