Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-10
NEWS OF MUSIC
Choral Music Features Concerts
By IRVING LOWENS
Star Music Critic

By IRVING LOWENS
Star Music Critic
Among the many worth
while concerts on this weeks
list Of AZ there are two in
particular - both concerned
with baroque choral music
which are especially intri-
guing.
Tomorrow evening, the ESQ
voice Washington and Ca
thedral Choral Societies,
aided by the combined glee
clubs Of the two Cathedral
schools, a septet Of fine solo,
lists, and an orchestra made
up Of members Of the Ma
tional Symphony, will give a
rare performance of Claudio
Monteverdi's "Vespers Of the
Blessed Virgin" under the
direction Of Paul Galloway.
And on Friday evening in
the Coolidge Auditorium,
Noah Greenberg and his
superb New York Pro Musica
ensemble return to town to
present a program Of music
by the same composer and
his Italian and German con-
temporaries.
Sharply COntrasted
Both should be extremely
enjoyable nevertheless.
more sharply contrasted per-
formances would be difficult
to conceive.
Mr.. Galloway and his army
Of musicians follow in the
tradition Of the 18th century
monster chorus characteristic
Of English musical life. The
big thrill is the ocean Of
sound, the overwhelming i'm
pact Of hundreds of voices.
Mr.. Galloway is an acknowl-
edged master within this ira
dition.
Mr.. Greenberg, on the
other hand. adjures such an
approach. He and his in
credibly gifted small band of
singers and players try to
recreate the music they per-
form in terms Of the era in
which it was written.
In effect, Mr.. Greenberg
follows a 20th-century canon
of authenticity which he
himself has been instrument
tai in establishing.
Wide Range
No one who has been pres
ent at a New York Pro Mus
lea performance leaves with
out marvelling at the strength
and vitality Of the music.
at It's wonderful range Of
color. What Mr.. Greenberg
presents is near an exercise
in musical archaeology-it is
always completely alive and
exciting.
But Just because the New
York Pro Musica puts on a
lively and enjoyable show,
no one should think for a
moment that there is no
solid historical basis for
what Mr.. Greenberg is doing.
The reconstruction of the
early works in the New York
Pro Musica repertory is based
on the most painstaking in
vestigation Of sources con-
temporaneous with it. The
use Of such instruments
(Which sound so exotic to us)
as shawms. recorders, bells,
lutes, royals and dozens of
others-with voices-can be
documented from pictures,
statues. theoretical writings,
and church records of the
time, all Of which have been
carefully considered and
studied beforehand.
One example of Mr.. Green
berg's methodology should
make the process clear.
Cantigas
In the previous New York
Pro Musica concert at the
Library Of Congress, several
l3th-century "Cantigas" by
Alfonso the Wise were pre-
scented by various combina-
lions Of singers and instru-
mentalists, and some skep-
ticism about this procedure
was expressed.
In actual fact, the original
manuscript In which these
songs were preserved happens
10 be heavily illustrated, con-
tanning over 40 miniatures
depicting dozens OF Spanish
and Arabic musicians playing
many kinds Of plucked and
bowed string, wind, keyboard,
and percussion instruments.
It Is especially interesting
that the painting which goes
with the first song In this
manuscript shows Alfonso
debating the music 10 a
scribe while seven singers
and four instrumentalistS
stand by.
This was exactly the en-
semble used for the Can
tigas' by Mr.. Greenberg at
the Library concert.
I do not mean 10 imply
that Mr.. Greenberg Is slav-
ishly following the known
indeed. he Is a pathbreaker
and q pioneer by necessity.
Just what and when the four
natFstunantnlinta aiavad IN