A talking point is creative fuel in any artistic venture. The point of difference in Lindy Hume’s direction and contemporary take on St Matthew Passion (originally created for the Perth International Arts Festival) was well publicised. Even so, seeing the conductor Graham Abbott informally lounging on stage and the Camerata and Opera Queensland’s Chorus dressed in a medley of comely casual gear and faded denims was intriguing and piqued interest – the kind of surprise that can add zest to a production.
J.S. Bach’s score for the story of the events leading to the betrayal of Jesus and his execution is full of wonderful twists and turns with sublime solos and dreamy chorales for massed voices admirably sung by Opera Queensland’s Chorus. The role of narrator and The Evangelist sung by Leif Aruhn-Solen in a consistently persuasive tenor and Sara Macliver’s sweet and silvery soprano were a delight.
Paul Whelan (Jesus) made a strong contribution although he laboured under awkward direction, for instance when his tortured frame is required to squirm and judder on the ground and later, carrying an imaginary cross into the audience. A well-respected critic found it uncomfortable to watch a few of the cast ‘pretending to act’. Others bemoaned the unconvincing, informal staging. Were they comparing Hume’s direction to Opera Queensland’s formerly lavish presentations of operatic hits?
Countertenor Tobias Cole’s emotionally charged contributions heightened the tragedy and his aria with exquisite and heart-breaking soloing from Brendan Joyce, the leader of the Camerata, was meltingly beautiful. The success was due to superb musicianship but also because the duo performed in close proximity.
Another memorable highlight was the duo ‘So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen’ between Macliver and Cole in which the soloists sing long and stretchy marbled phrases with the Chorus interjecting violently clipped phrases, ‘Leave Him’ and ‘Find Him Not’, as cruel and biting as lashes of the whip.
In other solos, the singer and Camerata were physically distanced and musical connectivity and balances suffered. While it was refreshing to witness a break from formal Oratorio traditions – regimented soloists standing with their backs to black-garbed orchestral players – some deliveries suffered from the placement of soloists, apparently driven by theatrical rather than musical concerns.
In one episode, chorus, soloists and the Camerata came adrift due to tricky acoustics and minimal rehearsal presumably driven by Opera Queensland’s squeezed finances. Conductor Graham Abbott expertly navigated the assembly away from this disconnect. Yet, how possible is it to perform all of Bach’s lengthy score distinctively with scant rehearsal? Presumably, some of the musical stretches were, through necessity, sailing on uncharted waters.
After interval, I shifted closer to the stage wanting to be more engaged. It worked. Perhaps, the event was better suited to a non-traditional stage and circular seating in a smaller venue. For this reviewer, the highlights hailed from specific choruses and arias, Camerata’s lovely woodwind obbligatos, and Bach’s glorious music. The production’s coherence was ultimately challenged by insufficient rehearsal and well-intentioned yet flawed staging strategies.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
St Matthew Passion
Opera Queensland and The Camerata of St John’s
Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Concert Hall
21 – 23 March
