Was it a risk to attend a third Irish Baroque Orchestra Matthew Passion in as many years, given that previous indelible interpretations had come from Helen Charlston, Hugh Cutting and Nick Pritchard? Not really, because the shaping hand of Peter Whelan, musicianship incarnate, was bound to give us the connected dramatic arc in Bach's greatest of masterpieces as usual. And as ever he had several equals among the instrumental and vocal soloists.
The revelation this year was the Christus of Frederick Long, supported by hyper-expressive work from the strings of Orchestra 1. He lives the passion with youthful intensity, its anguish etched into his face as well as the fully-fledged bass-baritone voice, stepping out from perfect work in the four-strong Chorus 1 and back again with inspirational adaptability. He also gives us the joy and release of “Mach dich. Mein Herze, rein” with the right sort of evangelical zeal, the nearest we get to the resurrection in Bach’s Good Friday narrative.
His Evangelist was a late replacement for Sebastian Hill: light, high tenor Christopher Bowen (pictured above with William Gaunt and Sarah Anne Champion in the ripieno choir, plus violinists of Orchestra 2 Anita Vedres and Conor Gricmanis), who nevertheless mustered the bite and vigour for the more angry sequences, and matched the climactic anguish of Long’s “Eli, Eli, lama asabthani” with an equally lacerating “O God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
New glories this year came from mezzo Rebecca Leggett, who’s already gleaned highest praise from Boyd Tonkin for her “Es ist vollbracht” in Whelan’s London St John Passion, and the known radiance of soprano Anna Dennis. Leggett went to the edge of expressive emotion, still perfectly controlled, in “Erbarme dich”, ideally supported by Whelan and first violin Matthew Truscott, only for Dennis to match her in “Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben“ with equally moving tones from flautist Miriam Kaczor and the two players of the oboes da caccia, Emma Black and Agnes Glassner. Is this Bach’s greatest miracle of instrumentation in the Matthew Passion? It felt like it.
There was a unity of textual projection from the other excellent singers, outstandingly so in the rich tones of bass William Gaunt and soprano Charlotte O'Hare (another late replacement). One-per part choral work, enhanced by the choristers of St Patrick’s Cathedral in the outer numbers of Part One, alternated crisp, turbulent whirlwinds with perfectly phrased chorales. Whelan as ever ensured dramatic continuity as well as the right breathing spaces and some thunderous emphasis from the harpsichord in tandem with cellist Aoife Nic Athlaoich and bass player Alex Felle. Again, as near perfection as this searing masterpiece is likely to get. Next year, can we have the St John Passion in Dublin, please?
- A second performance tonight in St Luke's Hall, Summerhill North, Cork
- More classical reviews on theartsdesk
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