Adelaide Baroque Orchestra presents Cathedral Bach
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Date Reviewed: 19/10/2019
Review written by Barry Hill
Cathedral Bach brings together the talents of the Adelaide Baroque Orchestra, the Adelaide Chamber Singers and Perth born soprano Bonnie de la Hunty all under the grand edifice of St Peter’s Cathedral Adelaide.
Adelaide Baroque’s aim is to excite contemporary audiences with the power of baroque music. Judging by the reaction of the audience at the end of the night, they more than achieved their goal.
St Peter’s Cathedral was packed to the rafters with an audience of all ages, all united with one purpose, to hear baroque music played authentically.
Most music lovers would recognise Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major. It has been played many, many times so Adelaide Baroque chose to present the 4th and 5th Concertos.
From the florid passages of harpsichord in the first allegro, to the violin and flute ‘singing to each other’ in the affettuoso to the playful, jaunty almost teasing final allegro, the 5th Brandenburg Concerto is a delight to the ears.
The Brandenburg 4th is well known for its use of recorders and solo violin; the joyful allegro section, the almost competitive nature of the andante between the violin and recorders to the presto featuring the virtuosic sections of solo violin and the reunion of all sections of the orchestra at the conclusion.
Backed by violone and chamber organ, the Adelaide Chamber Singers directed by Carl Crossin OAM presented the moving Motet, ‘Jesu, meine Fruede’ BWV 227 as a conclusion to the first half of the evening.
Featuring sections of counterpoint, chorale, impressive soprano, tenor and bass sections, close harmonies and that iconic ‘Bach’ sound the Motet is a triumph unintentionally punctuated by the Moon Lantern Parade firework display at Elder Park.
The evening concluded with Bach’s Cantata for the 15th Sunday after Trinity ‘Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen’ BWV 51 featuring the soprano Bonnie de la Hunty.
A vehicle for the solo voice and baroque trumpet, it is so many things – plaintive, haunting, sad, joyous and full of bravura sections.
De le Hunty’s voice soars above the orchestra with clarity and long flowing passages that would tire a less experienced singer. The timbre of her voice perfectly matches Bach’s music and the Aria ‘Hochster, mache deine Gute’ stood out for me as the perfect marriage of voice and cello.
The applause from the audience at the conclusion of the evening was deafening and well earned. The program was carefully chosen and featured some of Bach’s lesser known works.
Cathedral Bach transports us back to the baroque drawing rooms and theatres with sublime melodies floating upwards to the heights of St. Peter’s Cathedral. If you close your eyes you can almost see Bach himself sitting at the harpsichord overseeing the evening!