David Chesky’s The Agnostic is an oratorio that grapples with questions of God, loss of faith, Ego, surrender, and the ascendancy of man. The work is in 11 sections, many of which follow without a break. Early on Chesky goes for the gut to make his argument–Todd, a young boy (sung poignantly by Andrej Mackovich) who has died after a long illness, questions the existence of God. The scene, while evoking memories of Tippett, pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The music begins with somber, gloomy meditations that move into angry declamations, and finally resolves in the closing transcendental passages, where a ray of hope shines through. Actually it’s all quite listenable, with some of its very singable melodies resembling popular-style or show tunes. Unavoidably, there are reminiscences of earlier oratorios–glints of Britten and Verdi, and particularly Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. Conductor Steven Somary and the Slovak Phiharmonic perform the music with much care and enthusiasm, as do the soloists and Slovak Philharmonic Choir, who handle the English quite well.
The recording, typical of this label, is powerfully vivid and natural. To be honest, I found this work far more enjoyable without the text, being more interested in the composer’s music than his theosophical ruminations. However, others may find themselves in agreement with Chesky’s life view; it’s clear he’s at least to some extent trying to provoke, and there’s certainly no harm in that. In any event, this is a well constructed work of a highly-skilled composer, one that merits the attention of all who seek out new offerings in this genre.
