WITH DEEP EMOTION: One of Bach’s most deeply felt works was performed as a part of what is perhaps the worlds ‘rock concert’ of classical music.
by Patrick D. McCoy
Almost immediately, when one thinks about the great musical contributions of the Baroque master Johann Sebastian Bach-his towering Mass in B Minor, organ works and cantatas all come to mind. His settings of the Passion narratives of St. John and St. Matthew are no exception. For a brief understanding of BBC Proms, it is summer long festival of music with concerts held in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, England. We were granted official access as press for BBC Prom 40 back in August, experiencing a moving performance of the Saint John Passion. Conducted by Masaaki Suzuki, the Bach Collegium Japan presented a performance that was a mix of theatre and transcendent sacred reverence.
The outstanding soloists for the evening were tenor Benjamin Bruns who in the role of Jesus threaded the work together seamlessly like a narrator. With an evenly placed, bright tenor, there was a clarion urgency that created an emotional pathos throughout. Rounding out the roster of soloists that would take us on this probing journey was bass Christian Immler as Jesus, soprano Carolyn Sampson, countertenor Alexander Chance and tenor Shimon Yoshida. Each soloist were committed in rendering their accounts of the performance, but it was actually countertenor Alexander Chance who was the standout in more of a comprimario role. It was in the aria “Es ist vollbrach!” that Chance filled the room with a new found contour, which was highlighted by the lovely violin solo which partnered beautifully in tandem with the elegance of the voice.
Bach of course was particularly known for his chorales. Quite often, these four-part choral works are often heard again in his other works. In this performance of the St. John Passion, that was the case, especially with the use of the tune that most people know as “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.” Maestro Masaaki led the 22 or so singers and period orchestra with an elegant stateliness that was involved, but never a distraction from the serious nature of the work. Bass Benjamin Bruns certainly shined in another of the vocal gems of the work. “Betracht, meine seele” was like being put at the foot of the cross, This aria was the perfect segue into the tenor’s aria “Mein Jesu Ach” which carried the expression of angst and despair to a greater level of emotional depth. For those who get excited about the participation of a soprano in the cast, the appearance of soprano Carolyn Sampson was a welcomed addition. In the aria “Zerfliesse, mein Herze” the soprano sang with a pure, balanced tone, coupled with lovely unexpected dynamic contrast. Masaaki Suzuki let the performance to its towering close with the final chorale “Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein.”
The most special thing about this performance was the level of appreciation expressed for the performance by the packed audience. It was immediately felt and noted that the full house had an array of concert goers of all races, ages and musical interests. It is hard to describe fully, but attending the BBC Proms was an experience of a lifetime.
A native of Petersburg, VA, Patrick holds a BM in Vocal Performance from Virginia State University and a MM in Church Music from Shenandoah Conservatory. Formerly the Performing Arts Columnist for Washington Life Magazine, he currently is a freelance writer, publishing articles for several noted publications and organizations, including The Washington Post, Early Music America, Classical Music Voice North America, The Afro-American Newspaper, Prince George’s Suite Magazine, CBS Washington, Examiner.com and Washington Classical Review. He holds membership in the Music Critics Association of North America, National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., American Choral Directors’ Association, Association of Anglican Musicians, a former member of the Shenandoah University Alumni Board of Directors, a member of the Shenandoah University Black Alumni Network, a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a member of the Sigma Zeta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. As an alumnus of Shenandoah, he was named to the Dean’s Circle of the Shenandoah Conservatory Advisory Board. He enters his 7th year as Organist/Choirmaster at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Zion Parish in Beltsville, MD and is the host of “Across the Arts” both a live and virtual media platform covering the performing arts. Visit http://patrickdmccoy.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @PatrickDMcCoy, IG: PDM06. and subscribe to “Across the Arts” on YouTube.