Fine performance of Beethoven Mass

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 14

Fine performance of Beethoven Mass

The Royal Christchurch Musical Society, conducted by Robert Field-Dodgson, gave a highly praiseworthy performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in the Civic Theater on Saturday evening.

The soloists were Elizabeth Hellawell (soprano), Dorothy Hitch (contralto), George Metcalfe (tenor), and Grant Dickson (bass). The Christchurch Civic Orchestra, led by Louis Yffer, played the accompaniment extremely well. Mr Yffer’s immaculate

solo playing was much appreciated. The “Kyrie” is a confident appeal for forgiveness and was uttered in strong tones by the choir, and by the soloists singing as a quartet. The opening of the “Gloria” provided the first arresting thrill of the performance with a joyous uplifting of spirit, and with the inherent grandeur that belongs to it as an angelic salutation. The penitential sections were sung with nicely contrasted tonal shadings by both the quartet and the choir, and the orchestra created a telling atmosphere. Both in writing and in performance the “Credo” was a tremendous work making blazing affirmation. There was no place for a niminypiminy liberalism here: the Church went forth to battle and knew where to land its blows. The singing of the awesome music set to “passus et sepultus est” created an impressive atmosphere, and the “et resurrexit” flared forth in triumph. The fugal writing had massive dignity and security, and was so interpreted. The Mozart "Coronation” Mass, heard last Wednesday, and Beethoven’s earlier Mass in C, performed earlier this year, both have an affinity for buildings of baroque design and embellishment —and how very exciting and lovely such can be. The . Missal

> Solemnis,, however, is [ Gothic—sometimes Cister- , ian in austere plainness, and often with sweeping magnii ficence rising to crowning : pinnacles. In the "Benedic- . tus” there were flashes of colour which suggested the glory that is Chartres. All this Mr Field-Dodgson brought from his singers, the quartet and the orchestra with secure confidence and understanding. The choir ’ sang with its unfailing tech- . nical correctness and care , for detail. The great effects came off with splendour, but there was polish in the little things also. The orchestra : played with clarity, precision, ‘ and appreciation of colour and balance. It fully played its part in an interpretation which had both dignity and dramatic finesse. The singing of the quartet had all the virtues and some of the deficiencies encountered when strongly individual soloists have to perform as an ensemble. In this work Beethoven often’ treats the quartet as though it were another choir, making very heavy and dramatic demands upon the voices. To such demands all four soloists were able to rise satisfactorily. There was very little actual solo work, but Mr Dickson’s singing of the opening of the “Agnus Dei” was impressive and the expressive singing of the quartet in this part of the work created an atmos-! phere of dark and mysterious ■ shadows. The singing of the opening of the “Benedictus” was very beautiful and 1 showed Beethoven’s realisation that he was handling. holy things in his writing. It was sad, when a great, choir puts on a superb work and does it in a way that would receive favourable attention anywhere, that there should be some unsold seats < in a small theatre. There will have to be better audiences when we have a town hall. —C.F.B. I