Musica offers a great shout of joy
Trios of soloists give a deliciously teasing performance, moving in and out of the musical swell
Could one imagine a more cheerful welcome for Bach Musica NZ’s first concert of the season than Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto? With a lively Rita Paczian on harpsichord, surrounded by her string players, this most mercurial of the Brandenburgs spun its magic most agreeably.
Our aural perspectives were deliciously teased as trios of soloists moved in and out of the musical swell, adeptly led by concertmaster Yanghe Yu.
The contentious two-chord slow movement, variously elaborated in performance, was extended by Paczian with a shapely Sarabande from a Bach French Suite.
In 2019 this ensemble presented Bach’s Mass in B minor without its Credo section and it was jolt, with much beloved music falling on the cutting-room floor.
Sunday night’s pairing of just the Kyrie and Gloria made more sense, both being written around the same time and then used by the pragmatic composer as a testimonial for future employment.
The shorter Kyrie is a more formal affair, and Paczian instilled appropriate gravitas into both choir and orchestra for two movements that flanked Elizabeth Mandeno and Christie Cook’s shapely duetting.
After interval, the substantial 37-minute Gloria reminded me of why other composers, Vivaldi particularly, have been drawn to set this great shout of joy to music.
This drew on all four soloists, with tenor Iain Tetley joining Mandeno in a beautifully sculpted Domine Deus, although bass James Robinson’s Quoniam tu solus sanctus did not quite create a convincing melodic narrative out of Bach’s craggy lines.
This was the achievement of alto Christie Cook whose two arias were models of phrasing and articulation. She worked well with Yanghe Yu’s almost fiery virtuosics in Laudamus Te and, in her later Qui Sedes, blended smoothly with Alison Dunlop’s expressive oboe d’amore.
Flautist Luca Manghi made his own special impact, his solos floating over the choral plea, Qui tollis peccata mundi.
Bach’s Gloria opened with a blast of high celebration and ended with another, chorus and full orchestra giving their considerable all, crowned by the spectacular trumpet of Jake Krishnamurti.