The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff’s “The Sacrifice of Isaac” with, from left, baritone Joseph Lattanzi, countertenor Cody Bowers, conductor Robert Spano, and tenor John Tessier. Photo by Rand Lines.
In Saturday’s (5/18) EarRelevant (Atlanta), Mark Gresham writes, “Thursday’s performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus brought orchestra’s music director laureate Robert Spano to the podium for the second time in as many weeks for a program that paired Igor Stravinsky’s iconic ballet The Rite of Spring and the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff’s oratorio The Sacrifice of Isaac. Each of these works explores the theme of sacrifice, but they do so in markedly different contexts and dramatic arcs…. In Thursday’s impressive iteration of The Rite, with Spano at the helm, the musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra were unquestionably at the top of their game. It was a tautly-energized, thrilling performance … Composer Jonathan Leshnoff’s oratorio, The Sacrifice of Isaac, explores the biblical story found in Genesis 22:1-19, focusing on its emotional and spiritual complexities. Leshnoff faced the challenge of expanding the brief biblical narrative into a substantial musical piece…. He incorporated texts from Jewish tradition, including the Talmud and Midrashic commentaries….The three soloists for the evening all ably executed their roles, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus did a fine job … The music itself carries the chosen texts well … Leshnoff builds a structural arch with the music that hangs together.”
