Holy Trinity Cathedral, April 15
Review: Heath Lees
It was the French music-writer Charles Cantagruel who said that, "If anyone owes everything to Bach, it is God."
Similarly, if any of Bach's works represents the sum of his contribution to music and religion, it is the St Matthew Passion. With its inspired, theatrical music as a moving backdrop for the reverent contemplation of the events of Holy Week, Bach's masterpiece has stood the test of its 271 years, and remains a pinnacle of Western music.
For this performance conductor Rita Paczian brought together a large number of singers drawn from the Auckland Bach Cantata Society and other choirs - about 100 singers in all, perhaps three times the number Bach himself could count on, but only a quarter of the vast chorus Mendelssohn used when he brought the work back into public notice in 1829.
Apart from the large contingent of singers, Paczian opted for an authentic performance environment, with brisk tempi, contained dynamics, basic string tone, carefully articulated wind parts - even the player of an authentic oboe d'amore who came up from Christchurch and was caught in one of Auckland's authentic traffic jams, delaying the start of the concert.
Overall, it was the chorus that impressed most, especially with its dramatic interjections (their shriek for Barabbas struck terror in every heart) and in their highly expressive chorales.
Soloists were variable, but the contralto Anne Lamont-Low was outstanding, and David Griffiths gave a rich bass contribution, disappointingly obscured by the orchestra in his final aria.
As the evangelist, Richard Phillips had some lovely soft effects but was clearly overworked during the night, making his upper register highly unpredictable.
Pepe Becker displayed a soprano voice of fine quality and stature, but not always evenly placed, and Iosefa Henari sang the part of Christ with feeling but without clarity, so some of the immediacy of the events rubbed off.
Not a performance that added a great amount of lustre to the 271 years of performances already chalked up, but musical and effective just the same.
<i>Performance:</i> St Matthew Passion
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