Powerful JS Bach

[kaergaard]

As my friends know, Kirchenmusik is not among my preferred entertainment, not even my comfort music; twelve convent years overfed me of it. But when I read that Peter Sellars has inszeniert Bach's MATTHÄUS PASSION into a Meditation I was curious, especially because it was performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. It is not really an opera, but has the form of an opera with soloists acting, chorus members acting, nothing static, everybody in fluid motions all over the stage, including the conductor. Three orchestra soloists from the woodwind section move slowly, sedately from their seats to open space on the stage for their performance, beautiful solo by the cellist, seated on one of the many cubes scattered over the stage as seats for chorus and soloists. The entire stage with it's performers left with me the impression of  a body of water being swamped, like ebb and tide, comforting, exciting, as the mood of the composition requiers.
Tenor Mark Padmore as the Evangelist, gives a gripping performance and Thomas Quasthoff does the Bassrezitatives and Arias strong and moving. The two female soloists Camilla Tilling and Magdalena Kožená are also acting and singing, most of the time without the direction of the conductor.   
It is very difficult to describe the overall effect of Sellar's reconstruction of Bach's work, but I assure you, Kirchenmusik it is not! 

[Mandryka]

I saw this in London earlier this year and was also impressed. You may be interested in the Jonathan Miller staging made for the BBC, which used to be on youtube. I think the evangelist, Rufus Mueller, is even more profound than Padmore. And I think the staging is even more revealing than Sellar's.

[Karl Henning]

Cheers, Lis!

[kaergaard]

Spasibo - oder: Danke schön!

[Marc]

Yeah, I'm on a search for sponsors, too, because I'm planning to produce Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium on stage, with a donkey and an ox, and a 9 months pregnant Mary who gives birth 'life' and then sings "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh".

If performances like these are helping people to 'accept' and even enjoy good church music, like Bach's, well, bless them.
To each their own, that's what I always say, but I'll pass on this Sellars thing.

I've been acolyte for many years when I was young, and had to go to church during my entire childhood, singing hymns and/or listening to them, but I'm still thankful that, despite losing faith and the belief in its one-sided views, I'm still able to enjoy 'Kirchenmusik' just as it is: music to listen to. No frustations and traumas here.

I saw the BBC Miller production on telly in the 1990s, I even tried it a second time, and I thought it was - at its best - hilarious. The performance (Paul Goodwin et al) didn't impress me either: hasty, hectic, emotionally superficial, and with a terrible countertenor as the 'weakest link'. Thank (the non-existant) heaven I forgot his name.

[knight66]

_{http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,4877.msg727231/topicseen.html#msg727231}   

Lis, Here is my review of the discs.

Mike

[jochanaan]

As my friends know, Kirchenmusik is not among my preferred entertainment, not even my comfort music; twelve convent years overfed me of it. But when I read that Peter Sellars has inszeniert Bach's MATTHÄUS PASSION into a Meditation I was curious, especially because it was performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. It is not really an opera, but has the form of an opera with soloists acting, chorus members acting, nothing static, everybody in fluid motions all over the stage, including the conductor. Three orchestra soloists from the woodwind section move slowly, sedately from their seats to open space on the stage for their performance, beautiful solo by the cellist, seated on one of the many cubes scattered over the stage as seats for chorus and soloists. The entire stage with it's performers left with me the impression of  a body of water being swamped, like ebb and tide, comforting, exciting, as the mood of the composition requiers.
Tenor Mark Padmore as the Evangelist, gives a gripping performance and Thomas Quasthoff does the Bassrezitatives and Arias strong and moving. The two female soloists Camilla Tilling and Magdalena Kožená are also acting and singing, most of the time without the direction of the conductor.   
It is very difficult to describe the overall effect of Sellar's reconstruction of Bach's work, but I assure you, Kirchenmusik it is not!

Sounds lovely!  Technical point: Did the instrumental soloists appear to have their parts memorized?  I'd think they would have to, to move as you described... And contrary to popular opinion, it is NOT impossible for instrumentalists who play other instruments than piano to memorize.  I played the Mozart Oboe Concerto's first movement from memory, including a cadenza that I wrote myself, for my college senior recital. (If I played it again now, I would do the HIP thing and improvise the cadenza! )

[knight66]

Yes, as is fairly clear from my link.