Bach Collegium Japan
Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
Gerd Türk (tenor) -
Evangelist
Peter Kooy (bass) - Christus
Yukari Nonoshita
(soprano)
Robin Blaze (countertenor)
Makoto Sakurada (tenor)
Jochen
Kupfer (bass)
Tuesday 8 April 2003
Isaac Stern Auditorium,
Carnegie Hall, New York City
Bach: St. Matthew Passion, BWV
244
To those who don't know about the group, the very idea of the Bach Collegium Japan may seem odd. But this Baroque orchestra and choir, founded by Masaaki Suzuki (a student of Ton Koopman) in 1990 and based in Kobe and Tokyo, has been gathering admirers worldwide in recent years with a series of recordings for the BIS label, among them both Bach Passions, Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610, Handel's Messiah and, most notably, a consistently fine series of the complete Bach cantatas (now at volume 20). The BCJ's many American fans had been eagerly anticipating April 2003 and the ensemble's first U.S. tour.
This concert made clear, first of all, that the recordings don't lie: the Bach Collegium Japan is as skilled and musical as any period-instrument band in the world, with bright, attractive string tone, warm and characterful woodwinds, and technical polish on a level with that of any of their European counterparts. (Okay, as The New York Times pointed out, there was one brief instance of sour oboe tuning at the start of an alto recitative — a single blemish amid generally exemplary execution.) Best of all was Suzuki's choir: here 23 voices strong, with marvelous clarity, blend and enunciation, and a warm, glowing sound.
The soloists were more variable. Yukari Nonoshita's light, unfussy soprano has been among the most consistently satisfying of the solo voices in Suzuki's cantata series, so it was a surpise to find her sounding underpowered and a bit quavery here; perhaps it was nerves. The usually reliable Peter Kooy sounded unfocused and out of sorts, especially early on, rising to the occasion only during the confrontation with Pilate and the crucifxion. How odd to hear this veteran, who for most of the past two decades has arguably been the best Bach bass before the public, be overshadowed by the focused, vigorous singing of Jochen Kupfer in the bass arias. Makoto Sakurada gave a professional if not very characterful account of the two tenor arias, and Gerd Türk was a fine Evangelist, with excellent diction, a light, slightly reedy tone well suited to storytelling and a good sense of narrative timing. Best of all was countertenor Robin Blaze, whose bright, flexible voice and confident, musical delivery had all the star quality of his more famous colleagues Andreas Scholl and David Daniels.
Generally good singers, an excellent choir and orchestra — yet all this talent and skill made a somewhat underwhelming impression in this most monumental of Bach's vocal works. The opening chorus had a gentle grace but little tension, anguish or grief; many of the arias seemed pensive rather than emotive; the choral cries of "Lass ihn kreuzigen" ("Let him be crucified") perked up a bit but hardly had the ferocity that others have brought to Bach's jagged lines. Certainly many in the audience loved the performance, giving the musicians a hearty standing ovation, but others found it overly reserved and even tepid. Why did this St. Matthew seem understated and calm rather than towering and impassioned?
The answer, I think, is that Suzuki's approach to this work is quite literally worshipful. He was born into Japan's small Christian community and speaks frankly of his deep Protestant faith. Where some conductors treat Bach's great Passion settings as sacred opera and others as a communal re-enactment of a central myth, Suzuki seems to approach them as acts of prayer — in which, he feels, overt histrionics would be out of place.
This tended to shift the center of gravity of the score, unusually, to the chorales, many of which had a devout radiance, especially the chorale fantasy "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross" that ended Part I. The arias, choruses and even the Evangelist's narration, for the most part, offered occasions for devout contemplation rather than intense emotion or powerful drama. If the latter qualities are what you want from your Bach Passions, then Suzuki and the BCJ are not the artists for you.
To judge from their recordings, interestingly, these musicians can really cut
loose in Bach's jubilant trumpet-and-drum works; on their next visit they should
bring a program of Easter and Pentecost cantatas. And let's hope that next visit
is at Carnegie Hall: if memory serves, this was the first time in well over a
decade that a Baroque-instrument orchestra appeared on Carnegie's main stage as
the featured artists (i.e., not as Cecilia Bartoli's backup band),
and the BCJ sounded terrific in the space. The powers-that-be at the hall should
engage more such groups, the sooner the better.
