The Passion season is already behind us, countless orchestras, choirs, soloists and conductors have exerted themselves over the last few months to rehearse and perform especially the two most famous passions, the Matthew Passion and the John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach, but also totally unknown work came up for discussion.
On Good Friday, Klara (the Flemish classical radio station of the VRT) broadcast the Matthew Passion by Bach. It was a performance conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken with La Petite Bande in a presentation by Bart Stouten. Whoever knows Bach's passions 'ordinarily' or (still) didn't know them and listened, has in any case (very) much learned.
A so-called 'soloistic' performance has many supporters and opponents. Personally, I am not a big fan of the soloistic performance, but am not necessarily against it, although I rather follow the position of Ton Koopman who opts for orchestra, soloists and choir. But well, to each their own opinion and vision. Both parties have arguments that are strongly defensible, rather than breakable. A fortunate circumstance that gives everyone the chance to enjoy or participate (and thus also to enjoy) a performance as they like it best.
As long as the overwhelming content, those rich texts of both passions, come into their own. That is of immense importance. Especially the role of the evangelist should not be underestimated. If you have an evangelist who sings his text with emphasis, the passion gets much deeper content and meaning, then it changes, whether it is the Matthew or the John, in terms of musical depth. It goes deeper than an ordinary beautiful musical performance.
John Passion by Hildebrandt Consort
Thus I come to the performance of the John Passion by the Hildebrandt Consort conducted by Wouter Dekoninck. I listened in the Sint-Geertruikerk in Leuven. A church in an environment that in itself already inspires with the remaining abbey buildings and that beautiful small beguinage – where has the time gone when it was a slum?
It was a mistake on my part to sit in the front row. I rarely do it, rather not, and the reason why became clear to me once again. You hear the part of the musicians you are sitting right in front of much louder than the others, so the balance is not in equilibrium, and that is not the fault of the performers' arrangement, but the fault of sitting on the side of the front row. Yes, I also make mistakes... But not complaining too much, I heard everything, the instruments, the soloists, and especially the evangelist. He did what he had to do. Interpret the text literally, act, declaim and sing very clearly with great emphasis on the syllables where it was required to further emphasize the drama. What a strong role the audience heard! Yes, for a second time in a number of years I heard again an evangelist who knew where content and music meet each other as rarely happens. Bach's genius comes to light this way.
Remember the name of this tenor: Lothar Blum. He gave this passion such an ideal approach that I cannot shake the impression that he also, unconsciously, determined the musical line as completely as possible. The soloists kept themselves somewhat more restrained than we are used to and I suspect that this is precisely because of the soloistic arrangement where the singers are both soloists and choir singers. Here my doubt about such an arrangement comes to the fore once more, if you'll excuse me. However, this in no way means that the performance in this or that respect was not musically justified, quite the opposite. At moments it was gripping, sharpened your insight into Bach's work, made you at times suffer with what happens to Jesus. A non-believer could have converted himself. Perhaps it did happen, I'll leave that between us. I'm not completely converted to the soloistic performance, but if I say I didn't enjoy it for one second, I'm lying.
Let that unknown passion become repertoire!
Few of you will have heard of the Italian composer Gaetano Veneziano (1655-1716). Once I heard something of it on the radio and I think I discussed a small work by him on some cd, a number of years ago. Please don't ask me which cd, I don't remember. And had you ever heard of Antonio Lola (1643-after 1715)? Neither had I, until Leonardo Garcia Alarcon programmed work by both composers and brought it in a renewed world premiere in the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.
As usual, he could call upon his young Millenium Orchestra – don't think I regret that Klassiek Centraal gave it a Golden Label Debut, quite the contrary, I am even more convinced that it was the right choice – and the Choeur de Chambre de Namur with their own soloists and as an extra the soprano (say better this than countertenor or altus) Valer Sabadus, Fransisco Javier Manalich Raffo (tenor) and the baritone of 'the house' Philippe Favette.
The largest part for the soloists falls to the evangelist, just as with Bach, but know that Bach was born at the moment the 20-year-old Gaetano Veneziano in Naples composed this passion. The passion also does not have the somewhat operatic character like many German passions, including Bach's. It is much more oratorio and less elaborate with extensive arias.
Conductor Alarcon tells us, an hour before the concert, more about this passion and the two composers on the programme. We learn that the older Scarlatti applied for the same post as the young Veneziano who was awarded the position. It led to rivalry and Scarlatti also wrote a passion to prove who was really the best. But unfortunately, Scarlatti came across as outdated, still clung too closely to Monteverdi and thus very early baroque and late renaissance. The young Veneziano, on the other hand, was modern and that proved more appealing. Perhaps he was also much more attractive and that played a role, but we can only speculate.
Be that as it may, Alarcon did not conduct research into these scores himself. Yet we know that he likes to have his nose in old scores to bring things to light, but this time it was someone else who had already dusted off the scores, namely the Liège musicologist and harpsichordist David Glückmann (virtually completely unknown in Flanders). In 2014, he contacted Leonardo Garcia Alarcon via Facebook (as is increasingly common these days) to ask if he was interested in a couple of older baroque works he had found in Naples in a library, where they had been lying untouched for a few hundred years and in poor condition. Alarcon looked at some pages and immediately knew what to do. Glückmann put the 200 pages back together, they were quite carelessly mixed up, and Alarcon refined them further. Once everything was put back together nicely into a coherent whole, rehearsals could begin.
It would not stop at that passion alone, as from Antonio Nola a Stabat Mater emerged and it turned out to fit beautifully with the passion. A concert programme was immediately ready. Alarcon whispers in my ear that Nola composed more than 2,000 works and that to this day not a single one has been recorded. This premiere will also be credited to him, for yes, the Stabat Mater by Nola and the passion by Veneziano will be released on CD. The recordings are being made in Versailles.
Choir, orchestra and soloists performed to the best of their ability and that best ability is top-notch. I can only express praise and praise and more praise. What a beautiful evening I was able to enjoy together with my elderly mother (who unfortunately fell at home late that same evening, but fortunately suffered no fracture or anything else, she is doing well now!). You should know, although it has nothing to do with the concert itself, that my mother has been my listening ear since I was a toddler discovering Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner, but also Händel, Haydn and Vivaldi, and encouraged me throughout my life to continue with 'the music'. Even then, as a small boy, I would comment on the music and the performances on why they were good or not good enough. And it is still the same today, only I no longer tell it only to her...
Just as with the performance of the St. John Passion, the evangelist also stood out this time with his unimprovable interpretation. The story was easy to follow even though I don't know Latin (the text is in Latin). However, Valer Sabadus is much more than an evangelist for this passion. He has a magnificent voice colour, soft, full, carrying, charming and he combines this with brilliant technique and especially with a musicality that makes him world-famous – his career is in full gallop – and will make him one of or the successor to Andreas Scholl. The voice is different and yet you immediately have to think of that emotion that Scholl always brings forth. Graceful, stylish, elegant and refined. That is how you can describe Sabadus's singing. You should (yes, should!) definitely listen to him if you get the chance and let me know if I gave you wrong advice.
Two new repertoire works by composers recently forgotten. They are back on the agenda and I suspect, quietly, given Antonio Nola's more than 2,000 works, that we will certainly hear much more from him, and also from Veneziano, in a renewed world premiere. Will you come and listen in that case?
- WHAT: St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach, Passio del Venerdi Santo by Gaetano Veneziano, Stabat Mater by Antonio Nola
- WHO: conductor Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, Valer Sabadus (soprano in the role of evangelist), Francisco Javier Manalich Raffo (tenor in the role of Christ) and Philippe Favette (baritone in the role of Pontius Pilate), Choeur de Chambre de Namur and Millenium Orchestra
- WHERE & WHEN: St. John Passion: Sint-Geertruikerk, Leuven, 24.3.2018 and Veneziano/Nola: Bozar, Henry Le Boeufzaal, Brussels, 28.3.2018
- PHOTOS: mt
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