Nagasaki memorial symphony debuts

St. Paul's O'Shaughnessy Auditorium was the scene of a remarkable event Saturday night with the world premiere of "Ah Nagasaki: Ashes Into Light" (Symphony No. 10) by American composer Robert Kyr.

The Minnesota Chorale was joined by the Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo along with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Bel Canto Choir and Mu Daiko taiko drums in this commission by the Nagasaki Peace Museum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb. The museum goal is to ensure that Nagasaki is the last city to be devastated by nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately, the circumstances of the commission proved more moving than the results. Kyr had the best of intentions, but didn't fulfill his goal of creating a journey from suffering to reconciliation.

Much of the problem lay in the text of Japanese poet Kazuaki Tanahashi and Kyr. It was so spare it verged on superficial. The language was overly abstract and even the first movement, quotes from survivors, proved unmoving.

The performances of the massed forces were universally strong, but the dense orchestral textures made distinguishing many of the individual details difficult. Too often, the results were simply loud, with little substance.

A lament in the second movement, ably sung by Susan Sacquitne Dsruck, was effective in its simplicity. But the final movement's hope was not earned. The massed voices may have sung "Bring forth miracles of peace," but there was nothing miraculous in the noisy setting.

The concert opened with the Metropolitan Symphony performing "The Bridge" by Minnesota Orchestra artistic director Osmo Vänskä, whch follows a similar emotional trajectory to Kyr's symphony.

It began with a percussion-heavy orchestral tutti that gave the sense of something breaking, like the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. A jaunty folk melody was evocative of the frantic pace of everyday life. And it ultimately achieved a sense of peace and connection using a lush Romantic vocabulary.

The performances by the Japanese choirs were the highlight. This was some exquisite a cappella singing, with transparent sound and absolute clarity of harmonies.

The works by composer/conductor Ko Matsushita were remarkably diverse. Some featured Western harmonies, while others used non-Western vocal techniques. His settings of sacred Latin texts forged a connection between Eastern and Western traditions that accomplished what Kyr was unable to.

William Randall Beard is a Minneapolis writer.