Gallery 8 - Leonard Bernstein's Mass

Leonard Bernstein's Mass
May 20 & 22, 2005

Photos: Pat Johnson

	"Are heroes extinct? Their species on planet Earth has seemed alarmingly sparse since the turn of the 21st century. But after taking in the magnificently absorbing - yes, even mightily inspiring - production of Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" by the Oakland East Bay Symphony Friday in Oakland's Paramount Theatre, one of that endangered species emerged into full view. It was Michael Morgan." OAKLAND TRIBUNE
		"For my birthday, my wife and I flew from Utah to Oakland to see the Bernstein Mass at the Paramount Theatre. Experiencing this work live as opposed to recorded is the difference between looking at a great cathedral with both eyes open as opposed to one eye shut - it's three-dimensional at last, and oh the difference it makes. As the song says, "I never noticed that," not until this performance, in which I had tears filling my eyes or rolling down my cheeks during nearly every bar. A revelation."
"The Bernstein Mass was truly a magnificent experience! My husband compared hearing it to the first time he viewed a Van Gogh at the Los Angeles Museum of Art, such was the impact on him. We congratulate Maestro Morgan, the staff and the board of directors of the Symphony for the vision, hard work and dedication that made the presentation possible. Bravo!"
	"Thank you more than I can say for the wonderful musical experience you gave us last weekend. The Bernstein Mass performed by OEBS has joined my all-time list of best musical memories. This list includes live performances by Elvis, Ray Charles, and Yo-Yo Ma/The Silk Road Project, so I'm sure you realize how much I enjoyed the performance."
		"We went to the Bernstein Mass concert last Friday night. We enjoyed everything about it. The musicians (of course), the dancers, choirs, singers…it was incredible! Oakland is a great city for many reasons but you are definitely contributing by providing admirable quality concerts and your support to young children with music is also wonderful."
	"We went to Mass both times, and I'm so glad we did - I got so much more out of it the second time. The members of our group loved it too. What an absolutely impressive accomplishment! I had goosebumps and was close to tears at the end."
"Throughout the performance, Morgan conducted with tremendous dynamism, bringing all the parts together into a smoothly integrated whole. "Mass" was a triumph for all concerned, but the lion's share of the credit goes to the conductor, who began planning this production when he arrived in Oakland 15 years ago. These performances were a testament to his vision, his tenacity and his talent for tapping the East Bay's always remarkable pool of skilled performers." CONTRA COSTA TIMES		"There's more to be gleaned from "Mass" than mere '60s revivalism. The music, for all the compulsive stylistic variety that Bernstein packed into its two-hour course, stands proudly with all its splendors and weaknesses, from the easy-listening ballads to the gospel numbers to the most arcanely modernist orchestral interludes. More important, perhaps is its willingness to re-examine the issues of faith, spirituality and social responsibility… Morgan, who conducted and was credited with the "stage concept," oversaw a performance that was rhythmically crisp and assured throughout, sweeping the audience along with Bernstein's over-arching narrative….The result was a theatrical blowout greater and more provocative than the sum of its parts." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

	"The most impressively large-scale finale this orchestra has ever put in front of an audience. There were more than 240 performers in all, and under Morgan's direction, they raised the roof and covered themselves in glory….The orchestra sounded full and well-rehearsed, and the vocalists were superb, beginning with Hector Vasquez in the pivotal role of the Celebrant. Vasquez, a frequent performer with Morgan's Festival Opera, is always an assured stage presence, and he brought the right combination of warmth, strength and swagger to the character. Standouts in the 14-member Street Chorus included tenor Trente Morant as a charming Preacher and mezzo-soprano Lori Willis in the "Secret Songs" of the final "Communion." Boy soprano Andy Gutierrez contributed pure tone and a sense of wide-eyed wonder. CONTRA COSTA TIMES