Music Review:
Jennifer Gall
Images courtesy of Peter Hislop
Bach on
Sunday is a fine combination in the tradition of the Canberra International
Music Festival. As Roland Peelman wrote in his introductory notes, the
repertoire chosen for the concert celebrated Bach’s ‘ear for characteristic instrumental
colour and uncanny ability to extract both subtle and strikingly original
effects from the instruments and players at his disposal’. Actus Tragicus BWV
106, ‘Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit’ presented a glorious interweaving of
the voices of tenor- Richard Butler; bass- Andrew O’Connor; soprano – Susannah Lawergren
and alto – Tobias Cole directed by Madeleine Easton. The blend of cello,
recorder and organ continuo created an underlying web of intricate supporting
accompaniment.
The Bach
Akademie Australia’s interpretation of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 began at
rather too cracking a pace – prestissimo
rather than a lively Allegro, but
equilibrium was restored in the Andante
and more-or-less maintained in the final Allegro
Assai. Baroque Trumpet player Richard Fornison made some swift and effective
manoeuvres with ornamentation to accommodate the pace and remained hero of the day,
finishing with pure triumphant final notes. The distinctive presence in the
ensemble of recorders instead of more commonly heard flutes gave a fresh sound
to this well-known work.
Daniel Yeadon’s
performance of the Sonata in G minor for Viola Da Gamba No.3 BWV 1029 tested
the acoustic of the Fitter’s Workshop, with the delicate voicing of the solo
instrument masked by the harpsichord in the first movement. In the Andante a better balance was achieved and
the exquisite melancholy theme soared and the even sound was maintained to
bring the final Allegro movement to a
satisfying conclusion.
With the
addition of Andrew Fysh singing bass, the vocalists returned to the stage to perform
Kantate BWV 175, ‘Er ruftet seinen Schafen’. It was pleasing to hear Tobias
Cole perform the aria, Komm, leite mich,
his male alto providing a strong and distinctive voicing in the work. The splendid
Chorale: ‘Nun, werter Geist, ich folg dir’,sparkled at the conclusion of the
Kantate, lingering like a blessing from the composer at the end of the concert.
