Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples
St Mathew Passion
Auckland Choral
Auckland Town Hall
October 15
Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples.
The St Mathew Passion tells the story of the of the last days of Jesus – his betrayal, trial, crucifixion and burial. . The major roles are that of the evangelist Mathew and Jesus. The other individuals and groups also have parts to play with singers given the various roles of Judas, Peter, a slave girl, hight priests and soldiers.
The work is monumental both in conception as well as in performance with two choirs, six major soloists as well as several minor soloists both singers and players. For the work to be successful it needs a great orchestra, experienced choirs, exceptional soloists and a conductor with an understanding of the work.
With the latest Auckland Choral production all of these elements were present resulting in an outstanding performance.
Central to the production is the role of the evangelist Mathew sung by Iain Tetley who was positioned in the centre of the stage between the chorus and the orchestra. His voice was initially uneven as he struggled to change register. However for the most part his voice which ranged from the soft and fluid to the forceful was able to convey the narrative of the story, giving emphasis to important moments.
Conductor Uve Grodd maintained a from control over Pipers Sinfonia and choirs, deftly directing the orchestral sounds, the intensity of the choirs and finely balancing the levels of the soloists and orchestra.
Providing the musical support for the performance and guiding the threads of the melodies were organists John Wells and Edmond Wong.
David Greco’s purity of voice served him well in his various portrayals and Andrew Grenon singing the role of Peter as he kept watch with Jesus showed the singers grasp of the music and later when he denies Jesus three times he was equally able to give a sense of the moment. There was a special moments when Polly Sussex accompanied Grenon playing the Viola da gamba her instrument providing a freshness which matched the singers intense voice
Jesus was sung by James Ioelu and his sharp chiselled voice gave a sense of Jesus, the man speaking to the audience.
Sarah Court’s well-modulated voice gave the recitative “Du lieber Heiland du”, (Beloved Saviour thou) a sense of grief while Soprano Anna Leese was able to express anguish in her aria “Blute nur, du liebes Herz!” where she gave urgency to the phrase, “Threatens to murder its guardian”,
The two of them sang the only duet in the work, “So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen,” where the oboe and flute wail their lament at the seizing of Jesus and the chorus cries out “Let him go.” The two women delicately shared the melodies before the choir erupted with their response, calling on lightning and thunder with a forceful clipped sound.
Another exceptional sequence was the concertmaster Alexander Pilchen accompanying Sarah Court as she sang the poignant aria “Erbarme dich,” where she seeks mercy for the world’s sins.
Alexander Pilchen’s playing was a delight. His performance was that of a more urgent contemporary violinist providing a skilful and moving account.
Some of the lesser roles were sung by members of the choir including John Mitchell as Judas.
The choirs, Auckland Choral and Cantare Westlake Girls Choir could not be faulted. From their full-throated raging to their gentle pleading they gave the words and emotion a genuine authenticity
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