Review by Charlotte Leamon
Artistic Director Madeleine Easton leads the Bach Akadamie orchestra and choir through the program ‘Music in the Castle of Heaven.’ The nights program marked 300 years since Bach was appointed as Kantor in Leipzig. This role and chapel of Weimar inspired Bach to write some of his most well-known music.
In this night of celebration, the City Recital Hall was full as Easton entered the stage. She began by mentioning how she had a dream in 2015 to be conducting Bach on this very stage. That vision propelled her to create a Baroque ensemble titled Bach Akadamie in 2016. A period ensemble featuring strings, woodwinds and trumpets, as well as harpsichord and the Klop chamber organ.
Beginning the program with Nathan Cox on the organ, the Prelude ‘In Dulci Jubilo’ is sounded. With the three cantatas that follow, Easton is beginning the night with a dedication to the upcoming Christmas season. The first cantata of joy and laughter pre-exists in a Bach work and is implied here as a cantus firmus. The ritornello form orchestrated with trumpets, timpani and flute is festive and cheerful. The punctuated rhythms and pulse drives the first movement and the ensemble are seamless in their delivery of accuracy. The following arias and recitatives featured soloists — Andrew O-Connor (bass), Timothy Reynolds (tenor), Susannah Lawergren (soprano) and Hannah Fraser (soprano). O’Connor brought expressiveness and emotion to Bach when he sang, blending well with Lawergren. The balance of voices between these two in the duet, as well as the orchestra was clear and even. These contemplative arias are a stark contrast to the previous festivities, and the melodious obbligato oboe d’amore is extremely lyrical in comparison.
‘Singet dem Herrn BWV 225’ is vibrant and difficult. Bach treats vocal melodic lines as he would for a violin, assuring difficult endurance for the vocalists. This motet is vibrant and the flourishes in this antiphonal writing is exciting. Even Mozart when travelling through Leipzig in 1789 was amazed by the motet.
BWV 78 titled, ‘Jesu, der du meine Seele’ depicts pain and suffering. Anna Sandstrom (soprano) and Stephanie Dillon (alto) sing a lulling duet, and O’Connor whisks the audience away in his sorrowful singing. Arguably Bach’s most popular cantatas are in the ‘Wachet auf’. The royal nature and context of this chorale is majestic. The interchange of melody between violin and oboe slowly builds an enormous scale. Easton leads this passionately, but her conducting was overdone and distracting more often than helpful. The love duet in this cantata was tender and sweet. Lawergren soared and had a great variation of dynamics which were flawless.
Overall, this concert persisted demanding upon the musicians. Adam Masters on the oboe and cellist Daniel Yeadon need special mentions. Their continuous runs and Alberti bass drove the orchestra, and the stamina was admirable. It was indeed a great night of Bach!
Image Credit: Noni Carroll