MUSIC REVIEWS : Choral Society Celebrates ‘Carmina’

A warm and stuffy church locked and latched against the sunny skies, a stewing audience, a local choral group, an overfamiliar musical standard--it might be a prescription for a bad time.

All the elements were in place Sunday afternoon in Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church, but the Choral Society of Southern California attacked Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” with such obvious relish and agility that the performance compelled a different reaction.

Although the driving vulgarities and primitive sentiments of “Carmina” do not require an interpreter so much as a traffic cop and tempo setter, guest conductor Guntar Einhaus, artistic director of the Nuremberg Symphony, made the most of the opportunity, leading a crisp, volatile and, where appropriate, sweet and gentle reading.

Orff’s work benefited as well from a streamlining of sorts, with the orchestral parts played by two pianists and five percussionists, and a choir of just 42: Things weren’t so heavy and overblown as they sometimes can be, and the quieter, more lyrical passages spoke with an added intimacy and grace.

The Choral Society, although an occasional rough edge could be noted, sang with fervor, power, sensitivity and finesse; its bright, pealing fortes especially impressed. The soloists proved equally strong, with baritone Andrea Martin deserving special mention for his full-throated, stylishly flourished contributions.

Music director Nick Strimple’s “Cuchulain’s Fight With the Sea,” a setting in three dramatic scenes of a poem by Yeats, received its premiere on the first half. Its evocative orchestration (including handbells and harp), imaginative tone painting and easy flow between solo and choir, action and commentary, served well in bringing the Celtic events to life. Einhaus and company performed it with vivid energy.