Critical Acclaim

GREAT MUSIC IN OUR TIME
GREAT MUSIC FOR OUR TIME

Audience Reaction:

“Unsurpassed interpretation of the great choral works.”

“…A marriage of the finest musicianship with personal inspiration”.

“Choral music that will inspire and delight you.”

“Musica Sacra performances are certainly distinguished by the rapport that the conductor has with both singers and players, which results in precise and beautifully-crafted performances.”

“Transports me to place of elegance and ethereal beauty.”

REACTIONS FROM THE CRITICAL PRESS

In addition to the appreciation of audiences new and old for Musica Sacra’s performances,  Musica Sacra receives many positive responses from the critical press.

Here are a few excerpts:

“Musica Sacra…just this side of perfection” The New York Times

“This chorus is easily the best in this city if not in the country…” The New York Daily News

“The composer could not have asked for a more elegant performance.” The New York Post

“Musica Sacra’s last concert was all gold” The Village Voice

“. . . Mr. Westenburg clearly paid attention to the sense of the words: the ways, for example in which the incarnation and crucifixion are portrayed in sound.  He also relished the contrasts provided by a full-scale chorus and the use of trumpets; there were times when there was an exuberant thrill to the sound. . . . .  And by the end of the [B Minor] Mass there was no question that something was being said with conviction and faith.  That can make a greater difference than almost any performance practice.” The New York Times

“Westenburg is one of the great choral conductors of our time.  His Musica Sacra singers are outstanding, every word not only understood but crafted.” The Star-Ledger

“Conceivably [Bach’s St. Matthew Passion] has the most thrilling opera libretto ever written, and Westenburg’s forces performed with all the drama that could be wrung from it.  The orchestra and the choral singing. . . were technically flawless, often incredibly wide-ranging in tone and almost demonically inspired.” The New York Daily News

“The Musica Sacra Chorus, twenty-four strong, met the challenge.  It is an expert body.  Its tuning was impeccable.  The harmonies sounded without fuzz.  Words were clear, rhythms precise.” The New Yorker

“Endearingly, Richard Westenburg’s annual presentation of Handel’s `Messiah’ with the Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra appears to resist the dead hand of routine….The interpretation seemed freshly imagined: lively, spontaneous and often unpredictable…” The New York Times

“It’s a joy to hear the Musica Sacra chorus…it’s a sound that could change one’s perception of choral singing forever.” The Record

“…it’s no secret now that every member of Musica Sacra, whether singer or instrumentalist, is a first-desk performer. The chorus is easily the best in this city if not in the country, while every member of the orchestra is a virtuoso player.” The New York Daily News

“There are period-instrument ensembles and choruses that favor fleet tempos, crisp rhythms and light textures; and modern-instrument ensembles that value full-bodied choral sound and richer orchestral textures.  Richard Westenburg’s performance . . . combined the best aspects of both approaches.  His work was informed by qualities that are prized in period-instrument groups.  The orchestral playing was lithe, articulate and rhythmically incisive.  The modest-sized chorus (35 singers) kept the contrapuntal textures clear; yet the choral sound was resonant and unforced. . . At the same time, in the manner of modern-instrument interpretations going back to Thomas Beecham, Mr. Westenburg conducted a spacious, richly textured performance.” The New York Times

“Mr. Westenburg’s highly professional ensemble performed the complex program with precision.  [His] approach incorporated modern means in search of an older style.  The famous [Christ lag in Todesbanden] elaborations were as beautiful as ever.” The New York Times

“Nothing was bland; the composers were Hildegard von Bingen, Meredith Monk, and Libby Larsen. . . I found it [Hildegard] chantingly beautiful, directly emotional in swift responses to text and shrewdly spaced for antiphonals.  Six pieces demonstrated the superb tone, balance, and diction of Westenburg’s 16 choristers. . . Musica Sacra’s last concert, June 15, was all gold.  Gregorio Allegri. . . was richly served with a dramatically performed Miserere. . . Magnificent performances of masterpieces by Monteverdi and Bach, including the latter’s Christ lag cantata, completed the concert.” The Village Voice