Auckland Choral performing the St Matthew Passion at the Auckland Town Hall 15 October 2023. Anna Leese sings soprano. Photo / Supplied by Hazel Thomas
Auckland Choral performing the St Matthew Passion at the Auckland Town Hall 15 October 2023. Anna Leese sings soprano. Photo / Supplied by Hazel Thomas
One could feel drama in the air at Auckland Choral’s St Matthew Passion before a note was sounded, with the young Cantare Westlake Girls Choir dressed in red between the two adult choirs and orchestras informal concert black.
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Bach’s great opening chorus was a powerful launch for this choral monument, conductor Uwe Grodd skilfully laying out the composer’s rich musical tapestry, with its weaving chromaticisms and floating chorale theme.
Auckland Choral performing the St Matthew Passion at the Auckland Town Hall. Photo / Hazel Thomas
Less successful, however, was having Iain Tetley’s Evangelist, a subtle performance of cool distinction, not so easily visible, undercutting the effectiveness of his interactions with James Ioelu’s nobly sung Jesus.
Much of St Matthew Passion’s drama lies with the choir, which made the most of its many spirited outbursts, the shortest being a blood-chilling call for Barabbas. They were also in fine form for the work’s punctuating chorales, meticulously phrased by Grodd; and sensitively shared some pages with Andrew Grenon’s impressive tenor.
Come December, Auckland Choral’s annual Messiah will be treating us to the more straightforward tunefulness of Handel. But Bach asks more of us, writing complex vocal lines, often entwined with equally complex accompaniments, which, incidentally, were rendered with unfailing grace tonight by the musicians of Pipers Sinfonia.
Anna Leese, from her very first aria, against the ripple of flutes and strings, asserted her authority, projecting her musicianly lines with absolute clarity.
Sarah Court, a mezzo with a deep feeling for Bach’s special requirements, provided one of the evening’s highlights with her Erbarme Dich, joined by Alexander Pilchen, standing for his lithe and shapely violin obbligato.
Following this, violinist Simeon Broom offered similar services for an aria that showcased the agile Australian bass David Greco.
The evening ended with that magnificent Bach chorus used so effectively by Martin Scorsese in his 1995 movie, Casino. Tonight, the choristers may have been singing of tears and grief, but, after the mighty journey we had undertaken, there was also a palpable sense of joy in its fulfilment.
