Review: Chicago Sinfonietta Celebrates Dia de Los Muertos

By Marielle Shaw in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 16, 2013 7:00PM

DePaul University Singers. Ocken Photography

This past Monday, we wandered over to Symphony Center to check out the Chicago Sinfonietta’s Dia de Los Muertos event, which featured a concert, a wine tasting, and a great pairing with site-specific theatrical production company Redmoon. There was much to look forward to and we were excited to see how it played out.

Upon arrival, we were ushered up to the Grainger ballroom to sample our first wine of the evening, Red Guitar’s Tempranillo Garnacha. The Garnacha turned out to be our favorite of the night. The event was well-organized and staffed that we were able to enjoy the robust wine and still have plenty of time to get back to our seats.

The first half of the Dia de Los Muertos-themed concert was meant to reflect on the European approach to death. The Preludio and Balada from Ainadamar was a nice piece to open with—and the Sinfonietta started strong, playing the piece with great emotion.

Redmoon added a somber flair to the entire affair with a creeping fog that slowly enveloped the musicians. That piqued our curiosity for where they’d take us from that point. When DePaul’s University Singers filtered into the balcony above the stage as skeletons, it at first garnered a chuckle from the crowd. But when the dark and mourning music matched the mood in a place like the Symphony Center, it started to have a different effect on the audience.

One of the things we most looked forward to was the performance of selected parts of Mozart’s Requiem. It’s a massive piece of music that should shake the floorboards and easily send shivers down the spine. We especially enjoyed the University Singers here- though the piece is demanding, it never seemed apparent.

Lacrimosa is a particular part of the Requiem we enjoy for its delicate melody underscored by full power voices and collective symphonic sound. In particular, we thought that movement in particular was a little more toned down than we’d hoped in regards to the Sinfonietta. But the vocals were true to form. Redmoon’s collaboration was very evident in the Requiem, with changing skeleton faces whose subtle, yet creepy movements got under our skin and wholly amused us.

At intermission, we mulled over Diseño’s Malbec and got ready for “a party on stage.” The Chicago Sinfonietta really sparkled playing Las Cuatrao Estaciones Porteñas by Astor Piazzolla. It’s a beautiful piece, and they showed depth and great expression. It was at this point Adé Williams was introduced, and she was a thrill to watch. She has all the technique you’d expect from a prodigy and plays with great emotion and contrast. At 17, she’s on par with many other violinists who are years her senior. The audience agreed and she received a roaring standing ovation.

The Sinfonietta rounded out the night with El Sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) by Manuel de Falla. It was a spirited, fun way to end a great night of music. Overall, we really enjoyed this event, especially the collaborations involved. If we wanted for anything, it was more of Redmoon. We enjoyed their part in the first half so much we were disappointed not to see their presence in the second half, which we thought would lend itself well to such things.

We love Chicago Sinfonietta’s approach to classical music: it really opens it up to a new audience and makes it approachable and interesting. We recommend checking out the rest of their events for the 2013-2014 season.