Fauré, Bernstein and Vaughan Williams and others: Ferdinand Rex (treble), James Rutherford (baritone) Philharmonia Orchestra; The Bach Choir; David Hill (conductor) Royal Festival Hall London 11.5.2008 (CR)


This was a varied and interesting programme, which brought together the forces of The Bach Choir and the Philharmonia, under the expert leadership of the Choir’s director, David Hill.

Opening dramatically with Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, the quality of the Philharmonia’s percussion section was immediately obvious. This was a reasonably fast-paced performance, which showcased the orchestra’s brass section and was clearly enjoyed by the audience.

Chichester Psalms by Bernstein followed; this is a beautifully written work with original Hebrew text, first performed in 1965. Bernstein’s music could easily have been written in recent months, such is the freshness of his musical language. The opening movement was given a driven and energetic performance, with the Bach Choir producing a marvellous sound. The solo treble part in the second movement was skilfully handled by the young Ferdinand Rix, who sang with confidence. The movement as a whole was deeply moving; the choir produced a wonderfully warm sound and the effect of antiphonally placed altos was striking. The strings provided a rich tapestry of sound, sensitively accompanying the choir. The final movement further demonstrated the abilities of the Philharmonia’s players, with Bernstein’s lush harmonies served well by the strings. There were some well played solos by a quartet of cellos, as well as by the harp and muted trumpet, and the orchestra as a whole gave some dramatic and beautifully judged dynamic contrasts, providing an engaging juxtaposition of sensitivity and aggression. This was a spell-binding performance, with some truly magical moments.

Next, to the amusement of both the audience and orchestra, came Sousa’s legendary march, The Stars and Stripes Forever, heard in the version with chorus. A perhaps unusual addition to the programme, it was an excellent performance, which served as well-received palate cleanser after the emotional depth of the Bernstein. The orchestra clearly enjoyed the performance, and there was some stunning piccolo playing from both members of the flute section.

The orchestra was joined by baritone James Rutherford (a last minute stand in for Roderick Williams) for the Five Mystical Songs by Vaughan Williams. Rutherford’s diction was excellent throughout, and the rich, sumptuous tone of his voice was captivating.  There were, once again, some excellent solo moments from the orchestral wind players, most notably a magical moment in the third of the songs, where the choir and a solo flute provide a plainsong melody, interspersed with the solo Baritone line. This was a poetic performance, with a wide range of expression holding my attention throughout.

The second half began with Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden angekommen (I have lost touch with the world), an unaccompanied setting of a Rückert text for choir, composed at the same time as Mahler was working on his fourth symphony. Originally composed for solo voice with orchestra, the version heard this evening was an arrangement made in 1982 by Clytus Gottwald for sixteen part chorus. There was much to commend in this performance; the choir sang with warmth and there was a good balance between the sections. The men of the choir are a particular asset, and are capable of producing a strong sound where necessary. There was also a notable soprano soloist, who performed the demanding high Ds and Cs with conviction. Mahler’s harmonic language is complex in this work, and despite a few brief moments of uncertain intonation, the choir handled the demands of performance very well.

The final work in the programme was Fauré’s magnificent Requiem, composed in 1887 and one of the works performed by the Bach Choir on their recent tour of Australia. A celebrated work in the repertoire, Fauré displays his compositional genius through well thought out orchestration, making use primarily of low strings and horns to create a dark sounding timbre in all but two movements. This was an excellent performance throughout, with expressive and confident singing from the choir, sensitively and expertly accompanied by the orchestra. Rutherford’s solo line was first rate, and Hill’s rapport with the choir was clearly evident.

Carla Rees


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