On Sunday afternoon, March 19, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, in partnership with the Buffalo Chamber Players and the Alzheimer’s Association of Western New York, will present a concert starting with J.S. Bach’s moving “Magnificat” and Robert Cohen’s 21st-century work, the emotionally powerful “Alzheimer’s Stories” which shares the words, history, and experience of Alzheimer’s disease.
The 3 pm concert at Holy Trinity, 1080 Main Street is called “This Is Our Story: An Afternoon of Hope and Healing.” I had a Zoom conversation with Dr. Adam Luebke, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, which you can listen to here.
When asked how he came to choose Bach to pair up with the modern work by Robert Cohen, Luebke said that he’s always looking for interesting programming that’s both exciting and that appeals to a wide variety of listeners. Both of these pieces pair up well as they’re both about 30 minutes long. The Bach is a Baroque (early 18th century) piece with a lot of melismas (a lot of notes sung very fast), counterpoint (again, a lot of notes), and three trumpets! It was the first big festive work Bach wrote after he took his new job in Leipzig, Germany. At the end, themes are piled on top of each other to build the excitement.”
Janz Castelo de Armas is the Artistic/Executive Director and Founder of the Buffalo Chamber Players who will accompany the chorus. He told us that Bach’s Magnificat uses a more traditional and typical Baroque ensemble, with a full string section, two flutes, two oboes, and three trumpets. And, let’s not forget Holy Trinity’s organ, which underwent a major renovation in 2016.
He continued to say that Cohen’s “Alzheimer’s Stories” calls for fourteen musicians, but only a single violin and cello which is unusual for an orchestra but common in chamber music. On the other hand, Cohen uses a large brass section, with two trumpets, two horns, a trombone, and a tuba. And a lot of percussion! Three percussionists are needed to play the piece (which includes marimba, vibraphone, chimes, bell, and drums plus another percussionist to cover the timpani part.
Luebke agreed that the “Alzheimer’s Stories” piece has a unique instrumental accompaniment that’s all about colors and creating atmosphere. Why so much percussion? He told us that the orchestra is not playing a lot of long melodies. It’s very rhythmic and the percussion instruments add all sorts of colors of sound and layers of sound. The ensemble depicts what’s going on in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s where things are disjointed.
“Alzheimer’s Stories” is divided into three sections or “movements.”
I. The Numbers: The first movement of three introduces us to Dr. Alzheimer and his first patient who said of her own condition: “I have lost myself.” Now, the number of people who have been afflicted worldwide is in the millions.
II. The Stories: This section talks about real-life situations, such as the grandfather telling the same stories over and over or the conversation with mom when you have to take her car keys away. These are real stories and, Luebke said that here melodies take over and “the music is set just poignantly.
III. For the Caregivers: “Sing anything, because love and music are the last things to go.” The last movement to me is most exciting because the chorus sings the words of people who have lived through the experience. This section provides hope and optimism. The words will be projected so that you don’t have to stare at your program, you can be part of the immersive experience of the concert.
The Buffalo Chamber Players have presented operas as well as vocal performances. So I asked their Music Director what special skill does a musician need to accompany a chorus or a soloist?
Castelo de Armas said “Working with singers is a little different than working with instrumentalists. The human voice and breath have their own unique quirks and characteristics that require a different approach. Instruments have an immediacy to their sound, especially strings and percussion, which is different from the voice. Having said that, we often talk about imitating the human voice with our instruments so this is a familiar concept for us. But this is why there are choral and orchestral conductors. While some can do both, each requires its own skill set and approach.”
Both Leubke and Castelo de Armas agree that it is amazing that we are still performing and enjoying Bach’s Magnificat 300 years after it was written. They feel that it’s a testament to Bach’s music, which offers unparalleled contrapuntal mastery to stimulate the mind and exquisite beauty that nourishes the soul. There is a Bach piece for every facet of the human experience, from deep despair to ecstatic bliss.
Robert Cohen’s “Alzheimer’s Stories” also appeals to us on a very human level, with a libretto (text)al that is both powerful and relatable. And it’s great music too!
This concert is an opportunity to experience these works, separated by centuries yet sharing common emotional threads that resonate across time.
General admission tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased online at www.BPChorus.org or by phone at 716-980-5701. The Sunday, March 19, 3:00 pm concert will be at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church located at 1080 Main Street in Buffalo.
