Today Carl Loewe is
almost exclusively remembered as a composer
of songs and ballads, many of them settings
of Goethe. He wrote more than four hundred,
thus challenging even his almost contemporary
Franz Schubert. But he wrote a lot more:
operas, oratorios and other choral works,
chamber and piano music and two symphonies.
Even in his lifetime his fame rested
primarily on his songs – being an excellent
singer he often performed them himself.
Those who have heard his songs know
that besides a nice melodic gift he
also possessed a natural feeling for
drama – his setting of Erlkönig
is worthy of a place beside Schubert’s.
Thus it came as no great surprise to
learn that he also turned to oratorio
as a means of expression.
In Stettin, where Loewe
spent most of his life as organist and
musical director, he conducted Bach’s
St Matthew Passion in 1831, only
two years after Mendelssohn had revived
it, and it is obvious that the Passion
Oratorio is influenced by ‘the fifth
evangelist’ with recitatives, arias,
chorals and choruses. Where he differs
from Bach is that he doesn’t employ
an evangelist, instead the narrative
is allotted to different soloists. The
tonal language is very much of its time,
mid 19th century but there
are baroque influences as well: several
choruses are fugues. He also avoids
‘big’ numbers. There are no heavenly
long choruses as the final one in St
Matthew Passion and the arias are
rarely more than 2–3 minutes.
The oratorio was written
for fairly modest forces: a handful
of soloists, a chorus (moderately sized
– the group here has 22 members) and
a string orchestra and an organ. Whether
Loewe intended the orchestra to be of
chamber music size I don’t know – here
it is a string quartet + double bass.
The lack of wind instruments lessens
the possibilities to colour the music
but it works surprisingly well with
this pocket-size, too. The string group
is balanced well forward with the chorus
at some distance and the soloists seem
to be somewhere between. Whether this
was the sound the audience at this recorded
concert experienced I don’t know, but
it is good to hear so much of the strings
and the inventive use of them: sometimes
playing with mutes, sometimes tremolo
effects to heighten the tension and
also some pizzicato playing. In a few
places there are obbligato solos behind
the vocal proceedings, notably in the
Chorus of the Daughters of Sion
in Part III (CD2 tr. 3), where the cello
provides some dramatic comments. Generally
speaking Loewe achieves much with little
and there is no lack of variation. The
strings even have a little Larghetto
on their own (CD1 tr. 7). Since this
is a live recording there has to be
some intrusive noises. These occur mainly
when the chorus stand up or sit down.
At a live performance this is part of
the concept, for repeated listening
it may be annoying to some. I noticed
it and got used to it. The presence
of an audience is noticeable only in
the shape of applause after the final
chorus.
Udo Reinemann, well
known as a singer and teacher - some
of the singers have studied with him
- has picked a group of young musicians
and singers for this occasion. It doesn’t
say anywhere whether the Ensemble Instrumental
and Vocal is a permanent group or a
pick-up gang for this festival. Some
rough edges in the choral singing leads
me to think that they may not perform
together on a regular basis. There is
enthusiasm a-plenty, though and the
dramatic choruses are done with nerve
– and verve. The string group is really
excellent. Always when hearing a piece
of music for the first time, not spoilt
by alternative readings or recordings,
one has to trust that this is the way
the music was intended – unless there
are obvious mistakes and miscalculations.
Knowing quite a few of Loewe’s songs
I think that Reinemann and his forces
have caught his intentions well and
the overriding impression is one of
sorrow, drama and contemplation in a
varied score.
Of the soloists the
bass, Henk Neven, has the heaviest burden
and he also seems to be the most accomplished
singer. He has a splendid bass-baritone,
expressive, steady and his declamation
is lively and involved. He becomes ever
better the further the oratorio proceeds
and the agitated recitative and bass
aria in Part II (CD1 trs. 18, 19) show
him at his very best. He is one to watch
in the future. The tenor, Jacky da Cunha,
has less to sing but his is an eager
and lively delivery. The soprano, Nathalie
Gaudefroy, has a light and bright and
possibly fairly small voice, if the
microphones can be trusted, but it can
also be that she is positioned further
away from the microphone than the others.
Anyway she makes a nice impression and
she has some of the most beautiful solos.
Contralto Christianne Stotjin is equipped
with a big vibrant voice; at first I
thought it was a size too large and
unwieldy with a vibrato one expects
from a well-versed Wagnerian mezzo but
it turned out after a while that the
voice was under control and once she
had settled she sang her part with feeling.
Her Part II aria (CD1 tr. 15) is a fine
calling card.
More experienced soloists
and a more homogenous chorus might have
given us an even stronger performance
but there is something to be gained
with this smaller scale as well and
the obvious enthusiasm of all involved
brings a lot of compensation.
The booklet gives us
all the information we need, bar the
complete texts, which as usual have
to be downloaded from the internet,
to a cost that goes beyond the impecunious’
means, but Keith Anderson’s detailed
synopsis is a good substitute.
A rarity no doubt and
probably not a forgotten master-piece,
but a pleasing version of the passion
story, enthusiastically performed by
young musicians. I don’t regret having
heard it and will certainly give it
the occasional hearing in the future
too.
Göran Forsling
Ensemble Vocal des Heures Romantiques 
