When the UCLA Chorale decided it was going to perform Giuseppe
Verdi’s “Requiem,” it comes as no surprise that
it needed to bring in reinforcements to take on a production of the
massive opera.
The chorus, under the direction of Donald Neuen, UCLA’s
director of choral activities, is teaming up with both the American
Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Angeles Chorale for the June 11
performance at Royce Hall.
UCLA’s choral collaborations with the American Youth
Symphony Orchestra and the Angeles Chorale is something the group
does every year because a large performance group is needed to
perform such pieces. The UCLA Chorale only has about 100 members,
and a good performance takes anywhere from 250 to 350 people.
Nearly 300 people are performing in this weekend’s show,
which should make for a spectacular sight to see.
“It takes 200 voices to perform these large works
well,” Neuen said. “We rotate orchestras with the Debut
Orchestra, the UCLA Orchestra and The American Youth Symphony, each
performing with us every third year.”
The American Youth Symphony Orchestra uses the UCLA facilities
every Saturday for free in exchange for playing with UCLA Choral
every third year.
Combining the Chorale with each orchestra has produced memorable
performances for past audiences.
“There are no negatives to the collaborations, and the
benefits with all orchestras are incredibly high quality
presentations,” Neuen said.
The Chorale chose to do Verdi’s opera because of
Neuen’s personal enthusiasm for the piece.
“It is my favorite major work for chorus and orchestra,
and it is the most dramatic and emotionally expressive work for
chorus and orchestra,” Neuen said. “It is a Catholic
liturgy from eternal life after death, set to music by one of the
greatest opera composers in the history of music.”
Verdi dominated the world of Italian opera from his first
considerable success in 1842 with “Nabucco” until his
final Shakespearean opera of “Othello” in 1887. His
“Requiem” is a lyric opera filled with memorable
melodies that demonstrate human emotions and is one of the 19th
century’s choral masterpieces.
This year’s performance is expected to be as good as in
past years. In the past, the Chorale has performed to a full house
and hopes this year’s production of “Requiem”
will draw the same numbers.
“This event is no different from our usual grand
performances of monumental works, which makes it a UCLA tradition
now,” Neuen said. “Past performances are best depicted
as having a jam-packed stage full of incredible singers and players
performing at the highest quality standards of music for a full
house, unlike anything else in the area.”
Neuen has been the director of the UCLA Choral activities since
1993 and leads one of the most respected graduate choral conducting
programs in the United States.
Neuen also conducts the Crystal Cathedral Choir at the landmark
Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove and appears on its
internationally televised “Hour of Power” every
Sunday.
He has also served as the conductor and artistic director of the
Angeles Chorale since 1995. This year, Neuen celebrates his 50th
anniversary as a choral conductor.
When asked which group he has enjoyed conducting the most, Neuen
remained neutral.
“I can’t choose between the two,” Neuen said.
“I thrive on the enthusiasm of the students and enjoy
teaching.”