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Passion and Charm London Royal Albert Hall 08/23/1998 - Johann Sebastian Bach : St Matthew
Passion Ian Bostridge (Evangelist), Franz-Joseph Selig
(Christ), Sibylla Rubens (soprano), Andreas Scholl (alto), Werner
Gëaut;ra (tenor), Dietrich Henschel (bass)
Schola Cantorum Cantate Domino, Chorus and Orchestra of Collegium Vocale,
Ghent, Philippe Herreweghe (conductor) The Proms have seen a range of Matthew Passions, from 'English' performancs
with massed choirs to Joshua Rifkind's performance in 1994 with total vocal
forces of eight, which was rough-hewn and exhausting, but often exciting.
Philippe Herreweghe's small-scale performance with original instruments
could be called middle-of-the-road.
This was definitely a concert performance, rather than a liturgical
one. It lacked a sense of the sublime, but brought out the detail and
suprising exuberance of the music. There were times, for example, the
almost operettaish lightness of the alto recitative, Ach, Golgotha
and the following aria with chorus, when it wasn't clear whether Bach used
musical techniques which have since acquired other associations, or whether
Herreweghe was lightening up too far.
But, in general, the charm of the intrumental performances (in particular)
suggested spiritual uplift and engagement. And the dramatic moments were
powerful in contrast. Sind Blitzer, sind Donner really sounded like
a force of nature, though sung by a smallish choir. Both orchestra and
choir were impeccable as ensembles. There was some fine playing from the
solists in the orchestra, especially the first orchestra oboes, the
continuo gamba and the leader of the first orchestra, Sirkka-Liisa
Kaakinen. They made the chorales, in particular the much repeated 'Passion
chorale' varied and interesting.
The solists were a premium selection. Andreas Scholl seems made to sing
this music, delivering the agility and lightness of the music in a way
which reminds you that it wasn't written for Kathleen Ferrier, but also
getting over its expressive force. Ian Bostridge is a natural Bach
Evangelist, conveying understanding of every word, though tonight he seems
just a little bit academic about it. Sibylla Rubens was accurate and
elegant, with a fine voice of the right weight, substantial but not big or
heavy. The tenor Werner Gëaut;ra was also fine.
Dietrich Henschel seemed less at home in the music than the other
singers. He started his first aria in a plodding staccato, and only
intermittently loosed up. In spite of his blond curls, he's a little
remniscent of Fisher-Diskau, which is a good thing in general but not
perhaps for historically informed performance of Bach. The appropriately
named Franz-Joseph Selig was not particularly expressive as Christ, though
he has a fine German bass voice, with the right liturgical sound for the
music. H.E. Elsom
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