The Esoterics sustain perfect pitch, perfect penitence in Kanon
Written by CASA NewsLink
Sunday, 03 February 2008
A two-hour-long meditation on death and repentance is a hard sell for anyone. Yet a cappella choir The Esoterics not only sold Arvo Part’s “Kanon pokajanen” Saturday night at Tacoma’s Christ Church Episcopal, they turned it into a serene, trance-like experience, with a thoughtful twist thanks to the choral memorial that preceded it.
“Kanon” was an unusual step for this Seattle-based group that for 15 years has mastered polylingual, polytonal and polyrhythmic avant-garde music with aplomb. For a start, the only languages involved were Russian and Church Slavonic, with a smattering of Latin and English. Secondly, and importantly, the major work—the Arvo Part—is highly tonal and rhythmically simple. No pyrotechnics needed, just a whole lot of mood.
