“St. Matthew Passion” Performed With Feeling

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 15

“St. Matthew Passion” Performed With Feeling

The Civic Theatre was filled on Saturday evening for the performance, by the Royal Christchurch Musical Society of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion.” Mr R. FieldDodgson conducted, the John Ritchie String Orchestra played the accompaniments.

Dr. Michael Toovey played the continue part on the harpsichord, ar<d the soloists were Anita Ritchie, Honor McKellar. Edmund Bohan, Lucas Bunt, Anson Austin, and Nindan Walden. The choir, as was to be expected, sang with precision, good balance, clear en.unciac.jton. telj.ng ilhytamac movement, and delicately expressive response. Mr Field-Dodgson has trained the choir so that it has not only a technical security in this work but also an undersending of the inner meaning o( the music. The chorus work therefore created deeply moving atmospheres. In the Quietly reflective choruses—and there are many of them—there was splendid control of soft tonal colouring expressing grief, tenderness, reflection, and repentance. Particularly to the chorales was this quiet control so very beautiful, but those choruses which make comment on what is being sung by a soloist were also extremely effective. This was sensitively expressive singing showing a nicety of balance between head and heart. The dramatic outbursts. and the robust choruses such as “The Lightnings and Thunders” and “Let Him be Crucified” and the other ” crowd” choruses had splendid fire and drive without being overpowering. Everything which the choir could do to create and maintain atmosphere was done in most praiseworthy manner and congratulations must be given to both the conductor and choir. In the “St. Matthew Passion” the choir cannot entirely carry the whole burden of maintaining atmosphere: and if atmosphere is lost through some ineffective solo work then unity—the most important artistic compound in a performance —is lost. Any choir wishing to put on great works must take care that the principle of unity is not lost: for many isolated virtues cannot make up for this. Full credit for musicianship must be given to Anita Ritchie who, at a few hours' notice, undertook the soprano work and gave a performance which was thoroughly reliable technically and imbued with deep feeling -nd meaning. She and Edmund Bohan showed realisation of stylistic singing of Bach. Mr Behan gave his customary polished performance of the Evangelist. Apart from an occasional blurring of some high notes his singing was beautifully clear and was a model of good recitative work. He conveyed dramatic sense without departing from the conventions of oratorio style or lapsing into the sentimental.

Anson Austin sang the tenor arias with clear

enunciation and shapelv phrasing. His voice had strength and attractive timbre and he has musical understanding Mr Austin is enveloping into a very promising tenor in a country in sore need of sucn A somewhat more relaxed approach to resonance would be helpful to him at times. Ninsan Walden's singing of the baritone arias had clarity but little variety, and his renderings of them were unconvincing. It is usually expected that the soloist whe sings these arias will also sing the small recitative passages containing the words of Peter. Piate, the High Priest and Judas. These had to be taken, at very short notice, by members of the choir. Their doing so kept up the continuity of the work. A solos’, has a right to expect ■ that he will be told, when

engaged, exactly what will be required of him; but it should not be too much to expect that a soloist would be able to manage such a few short passages even at first sight. As the whole problem of soloists is urgently in need of comprehensive review, a plea can be made that soloists should study musicianship in its wider aspects. Much of Honor McKelilar’s work was very pleasinig indeed. She has not the true contralto timbre needed for the “St. Matthew Passion” arias, and unsteadiness on some low’ notes—particularly the sustained F sharp at the beginning of “Ah, Now is My Saviour Gone”—was unfortunate. However. her singing was always alive with meaning. Lucas Bunt’s singing of the important part of the Christas raises problems which, unfortunately, must be faced. Full credit must be given to a young man for gaining such good clarity in a foreign language. There is much in has voice which shows excellent promise for the future when more workhas been done on vocal control. However, on bis performance on Saturday evening he seems not yet ready, either vocally or in interpretative insight, to sing such an important role in this oratorio. His lower notes lacked carrying quality and bis very quiet characterisation suggested an ineffective diffidence that bordered on the blasphemous. A society presenting major works has a duty to the public to make sure that its soloists are adequately fitted for such works.

The John Ritchie String Orchestra. and the four wood-wind-players, mode a highly competent interpretation of the accompaniments. The tone was of excellent quality: and in balance and expression the players were acutely responsible to Mr Field - Dodgson’s excellent direction of them. Dr. Michael Toovey’s realisation of the continue part was a continual source of interest and delight. It was stylistic, imaginative, of excellent technical accomplishment, and showed a high degree of musician'}’ insight. —C.F.B.