Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750)
St John Passion (BWV 245)
Jan Kobow (tenor) - Evangelist, Stephan MacLeod (bass) - Jesus
Les Voix Baroques, Arion Orchestre Baroque/Alexander Weimann
rec. November 2010, Grand Séminaire, Montreal, Canada. DDD
ATMA ACD2 2611 [31:54 + 74:40]
Bach's St John Passion is available in many recordings. The differences
regard the interpretation, but also the version which is used. Scholars distinguish
four versions. The first dates from 1724 which can be reconstructed with the
help of the material from the version of 1749. It is this version which is
mostly used, and that is also the case here.
The tutti - the opening and closing choruses, the turbae and the chorales
- are performed with three voices per part. For reasons which I don't understand
the B section of the closing chorus 'Ruht wohl' is sung by four solo voices.
The solo parts are sung by members of the ensemble, with the exception of
the parts of the Evangelist and Jesus.
The tutti sections are the best parts of this recording. The turbae
are particularly impressive and the excitement of the crowds comes across
very well. These choruses also contribute to the dramatic character of this
performance. That is also due to the fact that there are very few breathing
spaces between the recitatives, choruses and arias. I found the opening chorus
'Herr, unser Herrscher' a little disappointing. Its depth fails to come across
mainly because of the swift tempo. That is especially regrettable as it sets
the tone for the whole work, underlining the role of Jesus as the real director
of the story as it unfolds.
The chorales are often the weak spots in performances of German sacred music.
Here they are surprisingly good: much attention is paid to the text, the stressed
syllables are clearly marked and the articulation is excellent. Undoubtedly
these features are the result of Alexander Weimann being of German birth and
having a thorough understanding of the German language and culture of Bach's
time. He is probably also responsible for the pronunciation of the soloists.
That is mostly remarkably good, although in some cases it is notable that
the singers are not native German speakers.
The exception is Jan Kobow, a seasoned interpreter of the role of the Evangelist
in Bach's Passions. He delivers an engaging account of this part here, in
a truly speech-like manner. His interpretation is not devoid of emotion, but
never goes overboard. The tempo of the recitatives in the first part is a
little too slow; that obviously is the choice of the performance's director,
though. Stephan MacLeod is of Swiss birth, and I don't know if German is his
first language. However, his pronunciation is flawless, and his performance
of the role of Jesus has just enough authority. I don't find his voice particularly
attractive, but that is a matter of taste. I regret the slight tremolo which
often mars his singing, and does so here too. The arioso 'Betrachte meine
Seel' is beautifully sung, though.
In comparison to the generally impressive performances of the tutti sections
the arias and ariosos are a mixed package. The best of the soloists is Shannon
Mercer who shines in 'Ich folge dir gleichfalls'. The articulation is perfect
and the dynamic shading effective. Agnes Zsigovics has a very nice voice,
and she sings 'Zerfließe, mein Herze' very well. However, she shows
little sensitivity to the text and the performance is too straightforward.
That also goes for 'Von den Stricken' in which Matthew White is a bit too
loud and falls short on expression. Jeremy Budd does considerably better in
the short aria 'Ach, mein Sinn'. Lawrence Wiliford delivers a convincing interpretation
of the other tenor aria, 'Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken'.
The dynamic shading on the long notes is especially good.
'Es ist vollbracht' is sung by Meg Bragle, who has a rather dark and strong
voice; she sings with a good amont of expression. Unfortunately the performance
is harmed by an incessant vibrato. It is not very wide and obtrusive, but
clearly noticeable and definitely not required here. There is a strong contrast
between the A and B section which fits in the overall dramatic character of
this performance. I don't quite understand, though, why the repetition of
the text of the A section, "Es ist vollbracht", is sung piano.
The role of Pilate is taken by Nathaniel Watson who is not entirely convincing.
I find his singing too pathetic and not very speech-like. That also damages
the performance of the aria 'Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen' in which the balance
with the choir is not ideal. The same goes for 'Mein teurer Heiland, laß
dich fragen'. Joshua Hopkins, who gives a rather good account of the role
of Peter, is miscast here. He shows a complete lack of sensivity to the text
and his voice is rather harsh and loud. I sorely missed the tenderness and
warmth this magnificent and moving aria requires.
The pros and cons of this recording keep each other in balance. The main virtues
are the performances of the tutti sections, in particular the turbae.
The dramatic character of this Passion comes off very well. However, despite
some good performances, the weaknesses in the solo parts prevent this recording
from being unequivocally recommendable. Even so, it is definitely a performance
which belongs in the better than average category. As such it should be considered
by those who look for a recording of Bach's St John Passion.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
The pros and cons of this recording keep each other in balance.
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