SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Cast: 

Elijah: Florian Boesch (baritone)
Simona Saturova (soprano)
Christianne Stotijn (mezzo soprano)
Maximilian Schmitt (tenor)

After the two Basque operas offered at Quincena Musical this year we entered a short season of oratorios to end to the Festival. A few days ago we had Handel’s Israel in Egypt and now here was Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Although this is probably not the best time of year for religious music, the decision to present these works in excellent performing conditions seems a very good initiative by the Quincena’s organisers.

Felix Mendelssohn composed this important Oratorio in 1846, and the work was premiered at the Birmingham Festival in the same year: this was almost a commonplace event for the composer, much of whose work was premiered in England during his ten visits to the British Isles. Unfortunately, a year later Mendelssohn died in Leipzig. Such was his fame in his last days however that a medical report was issued every hour to the numerous well-wishers waiting near his home. Part of the composer’s popularity was due to his great love for Bach which had led him to dedicate much time to oratorio, composing St. Paul in 1834 and then, finally, Elijah.

Elijah is one of Mendelssohn’s most popular compositions. It has text taken from the Bible, the 1^st and 2^nd Book of Kings in particular, and relates a series of episodes of the life of the Prophet. In chronological order, it deals with a great drought, the resurrection of the widow of Zarephat’s son, a confrontation between the followers of Baal and Yahweh, the return of rain, a further confrontation between Elijah with King Ahab and his Queen Jezebel, the prophet’s time in the desert and finally, Elijah’s ascension to Heaven in a chariot of fire. Musically, this is an important work for large orchestra and chorus which needs no less than four soloists in addition to some minor roles taken by members of the choir. It’s a big romantic work, following on from both Bach and Handel, and containing some brilliant writing.

This time, the performance was in the hands of the Belgian conductor Philippe Herreweghe directing the Orchestre des Champs Elysées, the Collegium Vocale of Ghent and the Coro dell'Accademia Chigiana from Siena. The performance was generally satisfying, although a few points about need to be mentioned. I found Philippe Herreweghe’s reading generally more academically rigorous than romantic, and somewhat short on energy and strength here and there. The orchestra was an interesting group, with a bright sounding wind section but also showing some elements of poor ensemble which left an impression of a not too well balanced orchestra now and again. I also found the chorus of 40 voices slightly unequal to the demands of the score, with the women singers rather better than their male colleagues. As I say, the overall result was satisfactory rather than exceptional.

Curiously, three days earlier the nearby Santander Festival also ended withElijah. I was not able to be there but for that concert Victor Pablo Perez led his Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia (one of the very best in Spain), San Sebastian’s Orfeón Donostiarra and a quartet of soloists superior to those in San Sebastián. Judging by the reports, the Santander performmace was enthusiastically received and it is a pity that the timing of the two events did not allow direct comparisons.

The title role was sung by the German baritone Florian Boesch, who was probably not at his best. He certainly produced a powerful voice, but was weaker in the lower register and for some reason lacking in agility. The German tenor Maximilian Schmitt was no more than acceptable but the Slovak soprano Simona Saturova offered a beautiful light soprano and good musicality, although her voice may not be ideal for the demands of the score. Surprisingly too, the fine Dutch mezzo Christianne Stotijn who also had an attractive voice and fine musicianship, came over as lacking in volume. 

The Kursaal was sold out again. The audience applauded all the artists warmly especially the chorus, but without quite the enthusiasm they had shown for Israel in Egypt.

José M Irurzun