Gachinger choir shines in the Mass

By Richard Storm for The Register-Guard.

What is a critic to say about a performance that was as near to perfection as is humanly possible?

Readers may harbor a suspicion that reviewers find it more interesting to discuss shortcomings than triumphs, but that is not really the case. Contrary to popular belief, we want a performance to succeed as much as we must insist that it measure up to accepted standards.

That said, Tuesday's performance of J.S. Bach's monumental Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) was such a triumph that it comes close to rendering an opinion superfluous. But, since one cannot simply say, "It was superb, the best I have ever heard," and leave it at that - a very short review indeed - the best solution may be a survey of the summits in an evening full of high points.

First "star" of the evening, the chorus: The Gächinger Kantorei sang with a unanimity of tonal color and rhythmic pulse that is rarely equalled anywhere. The singers have worked with their founder, festival artistic director Helmuth Rilling, for years, sharing his vision and meeting his rigorous standards of quality.

To hear their delineation of the "Kyrie" at the very beginning of the Mass, when chorus and orchestra begin together without any intro- duction, was spine-tingling. Out of nowhere, it seemed, came a huge statement of the text, "Lord, have mercy upon us," perfectly in tune, totally secure.

Similarly massive, yet transparent, moments came in the "Hosanna in Excelsis" movements, in the exultant "Et resurrexit" and in the final "Dona nobis pacem," a muscular peace prayer.

This is a choir that also achieves impressive transparency and blend in the quietest of passages, such as in the "Et incarnatus" and "Crucifixus" portions of the Nicene Creed sequence of the Mass. Here, the clean, straight tone of the sopranos was truly touching.

The ensemble of approximately 40 voices, balanced by an excellent orchestra of about the same size, brought the intricacies of Bach's symbolic counterpoint alive in ways that transcend the academic aspects of this miraculous work.

For example, the use of triple rhythms in the "Sanctus" movement, thought to be the composer's depiction of the Trinity, never seemed anything other than inevitable, a natural realization of Bach's instinctive use of numerological symbolism to express his faith.

The vocal soloists, too, touched perfection more often than not. Of particular note: alto Ingeborg Danz's consistent beauty of tone and impeccable diction, invariably placed at the service of the music, especially in the infinitely touching "Agnus Dei" and in the ingenious duet movement, "Et in unum Deum," for soprano and alto, in which the scriptural texts concerning Father and Son overlap symbolically.

Soprano Kirsten Blase handled her duets very well, using her light, clear voice with great skill and impeccable taste in ornamentation.

Tenor Lothar Odinius shone resplendently in the "Domine Deus" duet with Blase, and in a ravishingly lyrical rendition of his great solo, "Benedictus," greatly enriched by a supple flute obbligato.

Sanford Sylvan, bass, was perhaps not quite at the top of his form (his festival schedule was scaled back because of allergies). Nonetheless, he bestowed a fine lyric quality upon his solos, particularly the "Quoniam tu solus sanctus," in which the vocal line is surrounded by both corno di caccia and bassoon texture.

In that connection, it should be noted that all the instrumental obbligato parts were performed with notable precision and flexibility. Prime examples of many: Concertmaster Marc Destrube's dazzling violin embroidery on a very swift "Domine Deus" and Guy Few's stratospheric playing on both high trumpet and corno da caccia. Their work and that of all the instrumental soloists was indicative and typical of the sensitive delicacy and responsive power of the entire orchestra.

The center of this performance, of course, was Rilling, whose total command of the technical aspects of this challenging music is matched by his deeply considered interpretation of it. His energy and scholarship, his intensity and skill, provided both profound pleasure to the listener and a difficult assignment to the critic.

Richard Storm is a classical music reviewer for the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune.