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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2015)
OPINION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 DWIGHT CASWELL — For The Daily Astorian Musicians at Astoria Music Festival’s performance of St. John’s Passion Saturday. Left to right: Hideki Yamaya. Leslie Green, Keith Clark and Adaiha MacAdam-Somer. Bach’s vision was realized perfectly St. John’s Passion resounded at The Liberty Theater A By DENISE REED t the end of many of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music manuscripts are three letters — SDG, for the Latin: Soli Deo Gloria: for God’s glory alone. J.S. Bach was a church musician and it really takes a full-time liturgical church musician to ap- SUHFLDWHWKHZRUNORDGDQGVDFUL¿FHRIWLPH involved in a position such as this. For three years, I worked in such a po- sition. The average CEO or executive di- rector’s deadlines were nothing compared to the church musician’s task of produc- ing and preparing music every week, as called for on the liturgical calendar. Many times I prayed for the coming Sunday to be pushed back a week as I endeavored to regularly prepare six choirs singing a va- riety of music for at least two services a week that were televised. No pressure, right? Bach was employed full time with the churches in Liepzig most of his life. The contract of his employment as the cantor of St. Thomas and the other minor churches of Liepzig began with “That my life will be a good example to the boys at the schools and be com- mitted loyally to teaching and informing them.” Today, this would constitute the terms of employment for one job. But DGGWRWKDWVSHFL¿FUXOHVDERXWKRZWKH boys were to be educated, performance and accompaniment duties and leading rehearsals and composing music that co- incided with the lessons and sermon of each week, in two major cities of 17th century Germany. “I will perform music is such a way that it will not take too much time and not sound like an opera, but rather to encour- age the listeners to pray and worship God.” That tall order is from Bach’s contract as Kappellmeister. Herein lies the statement of what Bach is required to do with the music he com- poses and performs. Not only was he re- quired to work for SDG, but also, IEA (pro ipsa elavatio anima) — to elevate the souls of the worshipers. REFERENCES DWIGHT CASWELL — For The Daily Astorian Oliver Mercer who plays the evangelist in St. John’s Passion, sings with alto Erica Brookhyser at the Astoria Music Festival Saturday. B ach comes as close to on the text of St. Mark, — Only a opera as he is allowed lost and never recovered. full-time to in the passions he wrote And the St. John’s. — as we heard in the St. In his comparison of the liturgical John’s Passion at the Liberty passions, Schweitzer asserts church Theatre last Saturday. that in the St. John’s, the musician As the players gathered events are more spun out on stage, there was no re- and dramatic in form, so the can semblance to opera. No text has no point of repose. designed set, back drops, appreciate Bach composed a continu- the costumes, colored lights or ous stream of music to this props. Instead the audience text, and we only experience workload was presented with a bare a break after the conclusion and VWDJH ¿OOHG ZLWK DQ HQVHP- RIWKH¿UVWSDUW ble that would soon morph sacrifice liver Mercer’s portrayal into the sonorous sound of in Bach’s of the evangelist was the 17th century, with 12 position. exceptional, Singing clearly singers and soloists. The and crisply in German, the keyboard/organ in particu- lar was strange and small compared to the emotion in his voice was captivating. Mer- Liberty’s Steinway Grand that we are most cer’s slight movement in the direction of the singers made it clear that the chorus would be used to seeing. The drama in Bach’s music — revealed commenting on the action and words of the at the very beginning — needed no staging performers. It was as if he was just hearing to draw the listener into this very dramatic WKLVIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHDQGZDVWDNHQDEDFN Richard Zeller, playing the role of Jesus story that leads to Christ’s death and burial. 7KH(QVHPEOHRI2UHJRQZLWKPDJQL¿FHQW used his deep sonorous bass to convey the soloists added words to Bach’s setting of humble statements of Jesus when ques- tioned, and the familiar words predicting the Bible text from the book of John. what is to come. ach wrote four passions, or as Albert Singing words of joy, Amy Hansen’s Schweitzer claimed, only three. The voice was rich and clear. Other soloists ex- St. Luke’s Passion was written by another hibiting their beautiful bel canto technique composer but performed by Bach in his se- could easily have been transported to any ries of passion performances. He did com- 17th century opera of Handel or other Bach pose the St. Matthew’s Passion, which is contemporaries. Bach’s contract forbade the most familiar. Also the passion based him to use the bel canto form. O B J. S Bach, by Albert Schweitzer in Two Volumes — Dover Publications Inc. Johann Sebastian Bach — The Learned Musician, by Christoph Wolff- W.W. Norton & Company Johann Sebastian Bach — His Like in Pictures and Documents, by Hans Conrad Fischer — Hanssler Illustrated Book Bach Barenreiter Urtext — Jo- hannes-Passion, BWV 245 — Vocal Score Keith Clark’s small but mighty Baroque ensemble supported the singers. The oboist, Melissa Pina, when accompanying Hansen and the contralto soloist, Erica Brookhyser, was like another voice, creating a duet that would have been just as beautiful without the words. The cellist and viola di gamba instrumentalist, Adaiha MacAdam-Somer performed an instrumental duet with the bass soloist with such grace and impeccable coordination. These combinations of voice and instrument creating one idea or emo- tion, propelled us forward — riding on the stream of Bach’s music. Charged with sounding like a Baroque boys chorus of 12 voices, the Ensemble of Oregon achieved their goal graciously. Bach had two purposes in all of his mu- sic — to dedicate it to the glory of God and to elevate the souls of the worshipers and listeners. I believe the purpose of all composers and performers is to take the listener to another place — wherever they envision that place to be. Many thanks to Keith Clark and the Astoria Music Festival for bringing this remarkable performance of the St. John’s Passion to Astoria. It carried us back to the 17th century and gave us a glimpse of Bach’s world as a church musician. Bach, the greatest Baroque composer, was the epitome of his highest calling as a messen- ger of God through music. Dr. Denise Reed is director of the North Coast Chorale . STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher • LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager • CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. 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