If I were forced to choose just one work by Johann
Sebastian Bach to take to the proverbial desert island, or on a trip
to another planet, it would have to be the
Saint Matthew Passion.
It’s arguably Bach's most "complete" work, one that tells a story,
but also one that contains a great deal of music that is representative
of Bach’s many styles. While I love his keyboard pieces, and other
instrumental music, it is in the sacred works that Bach set down the
most accomplished music.
The
Saint Matthew Passion is not an easy work, being around three
hours long, but it holds my attention each time I hear it, much more
than any opera. It contains some of Bach's finest arias - such as
Erbarme
dich - and some of his best choral writing. You find some of the
same qualities in Bach's 200-odd cantatas, but this, and Bach's other
completed passion, the
Saint John, are the epitome of his sacred
works. It's a shame that we don't have the other three passions that
Bach reportedly composed.
The
Saint Matthew Passion is a work for large forces. It’s
scored for two choirs and two orchestras though the instrumental ensembles
are not very large. Bach uses the choirs constantly, and a good performance
depends on having excellent choristers. There is a great deal of interplay
between the choirs, the soloists and the Evangelist, who sings interpolated
texts throughout the work. Add to these elements a number of recitatives
by the other soloists.
Some listeners and viewers may find these texts a bit redundant, but
they make up the structure on which the work is built.
For this recording, John Nelson leads the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris,
divided in two groups, and two choirs: the Schola Cantorum of Oxford
and the Maîtrise de Paris. Performed in the Basilique de Saint-Denis,
just outside Paris, this performance benefits from an excellent setting.
Fortunately, the director of this film does not spend much time lingering
on the interior of the church. The feeling when watching this is more
of attending an intimate performance, as much of the camera-work involves
close-ups on a single person. We see, among others, Nelson conducting,
a soloist singing, or an instrumentalist playing during an aria.
While the
Saint Matthew Passion is on a large scale, most of
the arias are performed by a single singer together with a small group
of instruments, often with obbligato flute, violin or oboe. Nelson has
a good selection of soloists at his disposal. The two women, Lucy Crowe,
soprano, and Christine Rice, mezzo-soprano, are both cut from the strongest
yet finest cloth. I felt Rice was overdoing her vibrato at times, though
in
Erbarme dich, she is excellent. Crowe's voice struggles to
be heard over the instruments at times, but when she is at the right
volume, her light voice fits the music very well.
Tenor Werner Güra has the key role of The Evangelist, and is admirable
as the one whose singing holds the work together. He brings sturdy dramatic
tension to the table. Bass Stephen Morscheck, as Jesus, is firm and
solid in his singing and recitatives, sounding more flexible than many
performers in this role.
As for the other male soloists, tenor Nicholas Phan puts a great deal
of emotion into his singing; too much at times, because he is much louder
than necessary. In the lovely aria for tenor, solo oboe and choir,
Ich
will bei meinem Jesu wachen, Phan shows a mastery of the music,
but again, the sound gets muddled, detracting from the overall impression.
However, Phan's high register, in
Mein Jesus schweigt zu falschen
Lügen stille, is riveting. There he sings together with a viola
da gamba that beats out a rhythmic pulse, then plays an obbligato part
in counterpoint to Phan's melody.
The choirs in this performance are very good, though they sound a bit
blurred at times. The music comes through well, but not the words. There
is a general lack of definition when the choirs are singing, or when
the entire orchestra is playing. For example, there is a distinct feeling
of blurriness when listening to the final number of Part 1,
O Mensch,
bewein dein Sünde groß, with both choirs and orchestras.
Nelson uses relatively fast tempi in his reading, which helps give the
work a lot of energy, and keeps it from sounding overly solemn. As I
watched and listened I was struck by how many times the sound didn't
seem adequately balanced. If there's a weakness in this film it is that:
singers are too soft or too loud, the choir can sound vague and the
overall audio image can lack sharpness. The instrumentalists are outstanding,
especially when one or two instruments accompany a singer during an
aria, but when everyone is playing, the definition of the sound suffers.
I watched this on a Cambridge Audio 651 BD, played through a Yamaha
RX A-1010, and Focal Chorus speakers, and listened to the stereo mix.
A second disc, called
The Journey, is a 52-minute documentary
about the work, and about Nelson's approach. Nelson points out how complex
the work is, because of the forces, the solo instrumental parts, and
the multiple choirs. As is typical of this sort of ‘making of’
piece, there are interviews and films of rehearsals. It gives an interesting
insight into what it takes to perform this work, and helps you understand
how difficult it can be.
Overall, this is a visually appealing performance, with first rate musicians,
and very well directed for the screen. My enjoyment was slightly marred
by the lack of aural crispness. Whether this is due to the church itself,
the microphone placement or the mix, better sound would have made this
a superb disc.
Kirk McElhearn
Kirk McElhearn writes about more than just music on his blog
Kirkville.
[177:00 + 52:00 (bonus)] 
