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EARLY MUSIC REVIEW
Brisk Bach with Panache November 30, 2001
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By Kerry McCarthy
Friday's Mass in B minor, performed by the Philharmonia Baroque under the direction of Andrew Parrott, was an evening of spare, elegant, finely-chiseled Bach, with much to delight minimalists and little to disappoint those who prefer more traditional interpretations.
The modern image of Bach's choral music was given an unexpected twist two decades ago by the conductor and musicologist Joshua Rifkin. He put forward the theory that pieces such as the B-minor Mass were not intended for a choir, however small, but for a group of trained solo singers who performed both choruses and arias. Andrew Parrott and the Philharmonia Baroque gave a modified version of such a performance this weekend, with five soloists and a “backup” of ten additional voices from the Philharmonia Chorale.
Most of the choruses were introduced by the solo singers, who gave way after the opening fugal exposition to the equally precise and professional ripieno group. All through the concert the vocal texture was held back to a maximum of ten voices. The effect at the final “Dona nobis pacem,” when all fifteen singers finally joined together, was no less than overwhelming.
Parrott mentioned in a pre-concert lecture that one benefit of using solo singers was increased flexibility in choosing the tempo. A number of choruses unfolded at almost breakneck speed. The result was generally quite effective, above all in the brilliant, light-as-a-feather “Sanctus” for six voices. The “Cum sancto spiritu” was a dazzling high-wire act, though it occasionally faltered and threatened to lose coherence. The only real victim of Parrott's preferred tempi was the transition from the “Confiteor” into “Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum.” This passage (marked Adagio in the original manuscript), Bach's evocation of the floating world of the dead, is full of bizarre, poignant modulations and dissonances. Sung lightly and at a good clip, it lost some of its dramatic effect and made a less convincing foil for the joyous “Et expecto” chorus that followed immediately on its heels. The instrumental ensemble of the Philharmonia performed well throughout this difficult piece. They played with a good deal of caution, one assumes to avoid overwhelming the singers, but their accuracy and beauty of tone rarely faltered (though a few climactic trumpet flourishes seem to have gone missing in the name of discretion.) All five vocal soloists fulfilled their demanding duties with panache. Especially noteworthy was first soprano Barbara Borden, whose crystal-clear tone and intelligent phrasing made the ensemble a joy to hear. (Kerry McCarthy, a Ph.D. candidate in musicology at Stanford University, is a performer, conductor, and student of early sacred music.) ©2001 Kerry McCarthy, all rights reserved |
