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A showcase for organ, soprano and choir Zurich
Tonhalle
12/08/2009 -
Francis Poulenc : Organ Concerto
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Exultate, jubilate, K. 158a [165]
Gabriel Fauré : Requiem, opus 48
Malin Hartelius (soprano), Detlef Roth (baritone), Naoki Kitaya (organ)
Zürcher Konzertchor, André Fischer (chorus master), Zürcher Kammerorchester, Muhai Tang (conductor)
M. Tang
The initial outburst on the Tonhalle’s magnificent organ shook the entire audience out of its pre-concert chatter. Naoki Kitaya, fresh from his success with the Concert champêtre for harpsichord and the Gemischter Chor under Joachim Krause in the Tonhalle on November 28th, gave a stirring performance of Poulenc’s Organ Concerto which thundered above our heads with physical directness. Kitaya conjured up magnificent sonorities and subtleties from the mighty organ, always keeping the organ centre stage. Then out came Malin Hartelius, a Swedish born soprano, who gave us a rendition of Mozart’s motet Exultate, jubilate, secure expressive low and middle register coupled with a thrilling and sparkling top register, very fine indeed.
And finally, after the interval, the Zurich Konzertchor was centre stage to sing Fauré’s Requiem. It was composed in 1888, probably just after his father’s recent death. Shortly after its first performance, Fauré’s mother also died, which gives the work an added poignancy. In 1900, under some pressure from his publishers, he reluctantly agreed to the release of a revised version containing additional instrumental parts designed to broaden the work’s appeal. Today the work is such a firm favourite that it comes as a surprise to learn that it did not gain widespread popularity until the 1950s. In its sequence of movements the Requiem departs significantly from the standard liturgical text. Fauré included two new sections, the lyrical “Pie Jesu” and the transcendent “In Paradisum”, with its soaring vocal line and murmuring harp accompaniment. He also omitted the “Dies Iræ” and “Tuba mirum” – for most composers these present an opportunity to exploit to the full the dramatic possibilities of all the available choral and orchestral forces. Consequently the prevailing mood is one of peace and serenity, and the work has often been described as a “Requiem without the Last Judgement.” In comparison with the large-scale masterpieces of Verdi, Brahms and Berlioz, Fauré’s setting seems gentle and unassuming, yet it is this very quality of understatement which contributes so eloquently to the work’s universal appeal.
The Zurich Concert Choir sang with admirable plangent tone in the quieter passages and good ensemble throughout. The tenors could however benefit from greater numbers (I think I counted just 9). A nice touch was the new leader of the orchestra Natalie Chee delicately playing the angelic solo in the “Sanctus” from the side balcony. Baritone Detlef Roth sang with firm tone and clear diction, though lacked expressiveness. Malin Hartelius however captivated the audience with “Pie Jesu” and the choir serenely lifted us into paradise in the final movement with celestial levity. Muhai Tang with his Zurich Chamber Orchestra was always the perfect accompaniment to all three of the evening’s works, never stealing the limelight but always with perfect tempi and dynamics.
John Rhodes
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