Hopetoun Alpha, Auckland
Review: Tara Werner
There is an essential paradox to Bach's motets. At the time they were written many musicians thought the motet was outdated, superseded by the cantata which allowed for vocal pyrotechnics by the soloists. And yet these choral pieces were the only ones out of Bach's vast output that stayed on in the repertoire of St Thomas' in Leipzig after his death.
Hearing the complete motets played in the manner that Bach intended is a rare event, and the people behind the project, James Tibbles and Karen Grylls, have proved to be a formidable partnership.
It must have been a tough task considering the difficulty of the music, which requires a disciplined mastery of the composer's contrapuntal challenges.
Two of the motets were convincingly presented last week at the School of Music by Cantus Firmus under the direction of Grylls. This second concert on Saturday night, consisting mostly of the remainder of the motets, consolidated that impression.
The choir clearly enjoyed the music and their enthusiastic yet accurate response to Grylls' conducting was obvious from the start. Each of Bach's interweaving musical lines came across evenly with clarity of diction throughout.
To add more authenticity, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied and Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit were accompanied by string players from University Baroque.
A good balance was achieved between choir and orchestra without one dominating the other. In fact the instrumental doubling provided a solid base to appreciate Bach's complex counterpoint.
Jesu meine Freude, conducted by James Tibbles, highlighted the skill of the choir soloists, but this motet and Komm, Jesu, Komm, sung by the full choir, were not as seamless and effortless-sounding as the others.
Finally, two partitas for solo instruments added variety to the programme, although adding a note of inconsistency. While Lara Hall made short work of the Partita in G for solo violin BWV 1001, the Partita in A-minor for solo flute BWV 1013, played by Sally Tibbles sounded quite uncomfortable in places and lacking in confidence.
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