≈ 3 hours · With intermission
Last updated: January 7, 2019
The NAC Orchestra first performed J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in 1972 under the direction of Brian Law, and with Heather Harper, Gabrielle Lavigne, Kenneth Bowen and Antony Ransome as soloists. In 1997, Trevor Pinnock was conductor, as he is again tonight, for the Orchestra’s most recent performance of this work. On that occasion Nancy Argenta, Catherine Robbin, Benjamin Butterfield, Howard Crook, Stephen Varcoe and Brian Bannatyne-Scott sang the solo parts.
Chorus
Choristers from:
Cantata Singers of Ottawa (CSO)
Capital Chamber Choir (CCC)
Rehearsal Pianists:
Andrew Ager
Sonya Sweeney
SOPRANO
Kristi Aruja CSO
Gwyneth Bergman CSO
Jennifer Berntson CCC
Nadine Dawson CSO
Bonnie Day CSO
Valerie Douglas CSO
Maura Forrest CCC
Deirdre Garcia CSO
Jennie Glassco CCC
Natasha Harwood CSO
Cait Hurcomb CCC
Erin Joyce CCC
Sharon Keenan-Hayes CSO
Lucie Laneville CSO
Sumin Lee CCC
Erica Loughlin CSO
Jessyca Morgan CSO
Colleen Morris CSO
Sophia Nickel CSO
Nicola Oddy CSO
Cathy Patton CSO
Aude Pull CCC
Kristina Roudiy CSO
Hannah Searson CCC
Mackenzie Stone CCC
Anna von Holtzendorff CSO
ALTO
Barbara Ackison CSO
Pat Beckett CCC
Patricia Bilodeau CSO
Trish Brooks CSO
Judy Brush CSO
Heather Buisman CCC
Vickie Classen Iles CSO
Janet Cover CSO
Amy Desrosiers CCC
Ellie Glantz CCC
Mary Gordon CSO
Liz Gray CSO
Carolyn Greve CCC
Pamela Holm CSO
Pein-Pein Huang CSO
Diana James CSO
Eileen Johnson CSO
Grace Mann CSO
Janessa Mann CCC
Jessica McClay CCC
Andi Murphy CSO
Alice Yoch CCC
TENOR
Sascha Adler CCC
Gary Boyd CSO
Gennaro Busa CSO
Cameron Climie CCC
Richard Fujarczuk CSO
Dorian Gerdes CSO
Louis Jacques CCC
Ross Jewell CSO
Karl Mann CSO
Nicholas Piper CCC
Aaron Shenkman CSO
Aidan Shenkman CSO
BASS
Wallace Beaton CSO
Phillip Burness CCC
Kyle Canton CCC
Spencer Cripps CCC
Mark Chester Dumbrique CSO
Michael Hartney CSO
Andrew Hodgson CSO
Greg Huyer CSO
Björn Johansson CSO
Nathan Maclean-Max CCC
Christopher Mallory CCC
J.P. McElhone CSO
Peter Reilly-Roe CSO
Daniel Savoie CSO
Glen Seeds CSO
Mike Vanier CSO
Paul Whiteley CCC
Repertoire
The Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244
Born in Eisenach, March 21, 1685
Died in Leipzig, July 28, 1750
Of all humankind’s great testimonials to religious faith and devotion, one of the supreme musical manifestations is surely Bach’s Passion According to St. Matthew (the St. Matthew Passion for short). Written in 1729 (or possibly 1727 – scholars still argue the point) and first performed at the Vespers service on Good Friday of that year (April 15), it stands at the summit not only of Bach’s own enormous output, but also of a thousand years of Western music.
Musical dramatizations of the Passion story date back to at least the thirteenth century, the period of the Miracle Plays. The subsequent development of this genre passed through phases involving varying degrees of departure from biblical and liturgical texts and varying degrees of dramatization. Strictly plainsong or chordal settings gradually gave way to polyphonic treatments of at least part of the text, and some of the trappings of Italian opera were also introduced, in particular the orchestra and the use of recitative and aria.
Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672), Bach’s great predecessor in German sacred music, had confined his Passion texts to the Gospel, but subsequent composers in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries expanded the scope of their Passions to include extended passages of lyrical, non-biblical text. Innovation turned to excess, and for a time there was little difference between a Passion-oratorio and an opera save in subject matter. Eventually there was a strong reaction to the frankly sensational treatments, but non-biblical texts were still incorporated. Hence, when Bach turned his attention to the Passion story – with its choruses, arias of non-biblical text, chorales, explicit text painting in the orchestra, and dramatic representations of the Evangelist, Jesus, the crowd and smaller parts – he was not indulging in anything historically innovative. There were, however, two extremely important respects in which the St. Matthew Passion transcended all precedents. These were its length (well over three hours) and its aura of monumentality.
The St. Matthew Passion is laid out on a huge scale, in two parts comprising about seventy numbers: choruses, chorales, arias, ariosos and recitatives. The forces required include two four-part choirs, a boys’ choir (sung here by a mixed children’s choir), two orchestras each consisting of two flutes, two oboes, bassoon, strings, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and organ. Generally, Orchestra I plays with Choir I and Orchestra II with Choir II. Choir I represents the twelve disciples, Choir II the people at large, though for the opening and closing numbers of the Passion they join to represent the entire Christian Church. The choirs also merge for the chorales and the closing of Part I.
Four vocal soloists are required for the arias (soprano, contralto, tenor, bass), and two more carry the roles of the Evangelist (tenor) and Jesus (bass). These latter two sing only in recitative, but a recitative more often akin to arioso (orchestrally accompanied sung narratives but not full-fledged arias) than to the dry recitative of opera. The Evangelist is an objective narrator who relates the events of the Passion story, which covers the period from the Last Supper to the Entombment. His recitative is accompanied by the organ, but Jesus is always accompanied by the strings, which provide a halo-like effect around his words (another element borrowed from Italian opera). The sole exception occurs at Jesus’ final words, just before death, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?” There are also eleven Soliloquenten, bit parts sung by individual members of the chorus for miscellaneous characters such as Pilate, Judas, Peter, priests, maids, witnesses, etc.
In addition to the Gospel texts, which are drawn from Matthew Chapters 26 and 27 complete (in itself a substantial piece of writing; it takes about twenty minutes to read aloud), there are 28 interpolated pieces set to texts by Henrici. These include twelve solo arias encompassing a great variety of moods and expression, accompanied by the orchestra and often featuring a solo instrument; ten ariosos; two arias with choir; one duet with choir; and three choruses.
Twelve chorales (in addition to those used in the big choral numbers) taken from contemporary German Protestant hymnbooks complete the textual component. All are set to four-part harmony with the melody in the soprano, and serve to portray the tension, feelings and responses of the congregation as a collective body to various events in the Passion story as they unfold. Some of the melodies are used for two or more hymns; one of them is heard five times, and has acquired the sobriquet “the St. Matthew Chorale.” It is not unreasonable to imagine members of Bach’s congregation singing along with the choristers, since these hymns were as well known in eighteenth-century Germany as popular songs are today.
A performance of the complete, uncut St. Matthew Passion takes more than three hours, plus intermission. That’s something of an endurance test for any audience. But imagine yourself back in Leipzig at St. Thomas’ Church on Good Friday in 1729, where Bach’s music was but a part of the Vespers service. The service began about 1:30 in the afternoon with a hymn. Then came Part I of Bach’s Passion, then another hymn, then the sermon (which may have lasted up to an hour), another hymn, Part II of the Passion, a motet, the Good Friday Collect, still another hymn, and finally the Blessing. A truly devout and diligent churchgoer might also have sat through a long morning service as well.
To prepare us for the Passion experience, Bach wrote one of the most majestic, powerfully moving and structurally complex choruses in the history of music. This and the chorus at the other end of the St. Matthew Passion are the mighty pillars that support the immense musical structure. For the opening chorus, Bach employs all the resources at his disposal. The aura of deep solemnity is set in the introductory bars for orchestra (Orchestras I and II combined), where the complex interweaving of melodic strands creates a dense and continuously evolving contrapuntal web. The choral entry in bar 18 – that anguished, fervent expression of communal grief – is given only to Chorus I. The reason Bach withholds Chorus II soon becomes apparent, for he pits it against Chorus I in a dramatic dialogue of question and answer: “See Him!” “Who?” “The Bridegroom” “How?” “So like a Lamb is He,” and so on. This choral dialogue portrays a vivid theatrical event, with crowds moving about in excitement and anticipation. Soaring above all this earthly commotion and suffering, a separate chorus (either sopranos or a boys’ choir), in a different key and to a different rhythm, intones the chorale “O guiltless Lamb of God” with its promise of redemption. The interaction of these three levels – the heavenly choir, the two earthly choirs, and the orchestra supporting the whole vocal edifice – produces an unparalleled richness of sound and an image of impregnable faith.
Following this chorus, Bach unfolds a steady succession of numbers suffused with sublime beauty, deeply-felt intimacy or dramatic excitement. With extraordinary vividness, he gives expression to all the sorrow, pain, terror and wonder of this great Christian drama. The characters are no mere abstractions; they are richly imbued with human, lifelike qualities, characters who interact freely and spontaneously, who portray their deepest thoughts and emotions. As such, the St. Matthew Passion remains one of the most exalted, yet most accessible, monuments of devotional expression.
An account of all the notable moments in the St. Matthew Passion would fill many pages. Here are just a few of the dozens, perhaps hundreds, that the listener might look forward to:
The first recitative (“Du lieber Heiland du”) for the alto, who, incidentally, gets the lion’s share of the solo numbers, is accompanied throughout by flutes playing an expressive “teardrop” motif.
Flutes also express the time-honoured device of musical sighs of grief in the first soprano aria (“Blute nur”). Later in this aria, at the word “Schlange” (snake), both the soprano and the accompanying bass wind their way through serpentine musical lines.
Underscoring the text of the tenor aria “Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen” (I will watch with my Jesus), Bach incorporates as its principal melodic material a traditional watchman’s call.
The thunder of the chorus “Sind Blitze, sind Donner” is vividly portrayed by the virtually non-stop rumbling of the bass line.
When Pilate asks the crowd which of the prisoners he should release, Jesus or Barabbas, he expects and hopes for the former. The unexpectedness (to Pilate) and horror (for us) of the crowd’s call for “Barabbas” is transmitted through a wrenching harmonic gearshift that totally defies the expected resolution of the previous chord. The events leading to the Crucifixion now unfold rapidly. The scourging of Jesus is heard in the whiplash effects in the orchestrally accompanied recitative “Erbarm es Gott! Hier steht der Heiland angebunden,” and the weight of the Cross Jesus bears to Golgotha in the bass aria “Komm, süßes Kreuz,” is painfully portrayed in the “dragging” of the lower strings.
After Jesus expires on the Cross, the veil of the temple is rent in two, the earth shakes, and the graves open, all to graphically descriptive effects in the orchestra and nearly hysterical recitative from the Evangelist. Then, in one of the most wondrous passages in the whole St. Matthew Passion, the chorus exclaims that “this truly was the Son of God.” It is a brief moment, but one of sublime beauty and absolutely unforgettable.
And then that final chorus! Flowing alternately between the stern monumentality of C minor and the consoling warmth of E-flat major, all humanity bids the Saviour a loving farewell, bringing to an end both an incomparable musical masterpiece and a timeless, communal act of faith.
Program notes by Robert Markow
Artists
Allyson McHardy, mezzo-soprano
A unique vocal colour and commanding stage presence are the hallmarks of performances by mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy. Hailed by Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle as “a singer of enormous imagination and versatility,” she has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, Théâtre capitole du Toulouse, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Glyndebourne Festival, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, and Warsaw Philharmonic.
Allyson’s career is a carefully curated balance of opera and concert repertoire that moves easily from Donizetti to Handel, from Heggie to Mahler. Of particular note were her performances as Julie Riel in Harry Somers’s Louis Riel, a Canadian Opera Company production also seen in Ottawa and Québec City as part of the nation’s Sesquicentennial Celebrations. She is also a Prix Opus Winner for Opéra de Montréal’s Dead Man Walking and Opéra de Québec’s Der fliegende Holländer. She has appeared with major orchestras across the globe for performances of such works as Ligeti’s Requiem with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah in St. Louis, Madrid, and Chicago, and a staged production of Mozart’s Mass in D Minor for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Allyson’s discography includes the JUNO-nominated recordings Healey Willan: Summer Night with the Canadian Art Song Project (Centrediscs), Handel’s Orlando with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (ATMA), and Caldara’s La conversione di Clodoveo, Re di Francia (ATMA), which is also ADISQ-nominated. Other recordings include Bellini’s Norma with the Warsaw Philharmonic (Philharmonia Narodowa), two works by Harry Somers—Serinette and A Midwinter Night’s Dream (Centrediscs), and Ukrainian art song by Mykola Lysenko in a six-disc collection (Musica Leopolis).
French-Canadian bass-baritone Philippe Sly has gained international recognition for his “beautiful, blooming tone and magnetic stage presence” (San Francisco Chronicle). He is the first prize winner of the prestigious Concours Musical International de Montréal, a grand prize winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and was awarded Concert of the Year in Romantic, Post-Romantic and Impressionist Music at the 16th annual ceremony of the Gala des prix Opus.
In 2022–23 Philippe Sly will debut at Opernhaus Zürich for Lakmé (Nilakantha) and the Bayeriche Staatsoper for Semele (Cadmus) and return to the Wiener Staatsoper for Don Giovanni (Leporello). On the concert stage he will appear with the New York Philharmonic for J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and the National Arts Centre (Canada) for Mozart’s Requiem.
Last season he debuted with Opéra de Québec for Don Giovanni (title role), and the Matsumoto Festival in Le nozze di Figaro (title role) and returned to the Wiener Staatsoper for Le nozze di Figaro (title role) and Don Giovanni (Leporello). On the concert stage he appeared in St. Matthew Passion with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and St. John Passion and Mozart’s Requiem with Les Violons de Roy. In the 2020–21 season, he made his debut at the Wiener Staatsoper in Le nozze di Figaro and returned to Orchestre Métropolitain and Les Violons de Roy for their annual Galas.
Recent performances include the world premiere of Harry Stafylakis’s Into Oblivion with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra; Mozart’s Requiem with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Gulbenkian Orchestra (Portugal); Handel’s Messiah with the University Musical Society; and Mozart Mass in C Minor with the National Arts Centre (Canada) and Maison Symphonique de Montreal. Additionally, he returns to the Paris Opera (Garnier) for productions of Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte as well as performances of Schubert’s Winterreise with Le Chimera Project.
Philippe Sly’s solo recordings are available on Analekta Records.
Cantata Singers of Ottawa (CSO) is marking 60 years and Artistic Director Andrew McAnerney has programmed “A Season of Celebration.”
CSO’s concert series for 2023–2024 includes Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (in November), Arctic Soundscapes with music from Arctic countries (in April), and the CSO@60 Anniversary Concert (in June) with works from the choir’s 60 years of music making, specially commissioned pieces, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass with The Ottawa Baroque Consort.
Founded in 1964, the choir of approximately 45 voices has distinguished itself in the performance of music of many styles and musical periods from early music to minimalism, and is at home singing a cappella, with orchestra, or with small ensembles. The choir aspires to perform choral music to the highest standards, promotes choral music in Ottawa, and supports Canadian musical talent by commissioning Canadian composers, engaging Canadian musicians, providing scholarships to young Canadian singers, and including works by women and Canadian composers in seasonal programming.
With the exception of the COVID period, CSO has performed annually with the National Arts Centre Orchestra under the baton of every NAC Artistic Director, plus visiting guest conductors, since the NAC’s opening in 1969.
The choir has been an invited guest at a number of Canadian music festivals, including Festival de Lanaudière and Festival of the Sound. It has also partnered with such well-known Canadian choirs as Pro Coro Canada of Edmonton, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Montreal’s St. Lawrence Choir in joint concerts. Thanks to numerous CBC and Radio Canada broadcasts, the choir is well known across Canada.
The Capital Chamber Choir (CCC) is an auditioned ensemble of experienced choral singers from the National Capital Region. The choir and Artistic Director, Jamie Loback, are committed to bringing a diverse range of choral music—in particular, modern, Canadian, and local works—to audiences through high-calibre and engaging performances. Founded in 2009 by Dr. Sara Brooks, the choir is a true collaboration, emphasizing the importance of collegiality in generating an integrated choral sound. CCC is a volunteer-led organization, drawing Executive Board and Committee members from within the ensemble itself.
Each season, CCC presents its own concert series in addition to undertaking collaborative projects with other musicians. The choir has collaborated with notable ensembles including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Elmer Iseler Singers, and Canadian Chamber Choir, and has hosted masterclasses or performances with composers including John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo, and Ēriks Ešenvalds.
CCC released its all-Canadian debut album, The Delight of Paradise, in April 2017. In 2018, the choir performed a Spotlight concert in St. John’s, Newfoundland as part of the Podium Choral Conference & Festival. CCC won second prize in the Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs category of the National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs in 2019 and was invited to perform at Rideau Hall for recipients of the Order of Canada.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to live performances in 2020 and 2021, CCC took advantage of the break to record two series of video sessions on YouTube. The choir re-emerged on stage in Fall 2021 and has since been building up to consistent seasons! CCC is looking forward to a full 2023–2024 season program including innovative works and exploring new spaces in the heart of Ottawa.
Chorus
Choristers from:
Cantata Singers of Ottawa (CSO)
Capital Chamber Choir (CCC)
Rehearsal Pianists:
Andrew Ager
Sonya Sweeney
SOPRANO
Kristi Aruja CSO
Gwyneth Bergman CSO
Jennifer Berntson CCC
Nadine Dawson CSO
Bonnie Day CSO
Valerie Douglas CSO
Maura Forrest CCC
Deirdre Garcia CSO
Jennie Glassco CCC
Natasha Harwood CSO
Cait Hurcomb CCC
Erin Joyce CCC
Sharon Keenan-Hayes CSO
Lucie Laneville CSO
Sumin Lee CCC
Erica Loughlin CSO
Jessyca Morgan CSO
Colleen Morris CSO
Sophia Nickel CSO
Nicola Oddy CSO
Cathy Patton CSO
Aude Pull CCC
Kristina Roudiy CSO
Hannah Searson CCC
Mackenzie Stone CCC
Anna von Holtzendorff CSO
ALTO
Barbara Ackison CSO
Pat Beckett CCC
Patricia Bilodeau CSO
Trish Brooks CSO
Judy Brush CSO
Heather Buisman CCC
Vickie Classen Iles CSO
Janet Cover CSO
Amy Desrosiers CCC
Ellie Glantz CCC
Mary Gordon CSO
Liz Gray CSO
Carolyn Greve CCC
Pamela Holm CSO
Pein-Pein Huang CSO
Diana James CSO
Eileen Johnson CSO
Grace Mann CSO
Janessa Mann CCC
Jessica McClay CCC
Andi Murphy CSO
Alice Yoch CCC
TENOR
Sascha Adler CCC
Gary Boyd CSO
Gennaro Busa CSO
Cameron Climie CCC
Richard Fujarczuk CSO
Dorian Gerdes CSO
Louis Jacques CCC
Ross Jewell CSO
Karl Mann CSO
Nicholas Piper CCC
Aaron Shenkman CSO
Aidan Shenkman CSO
BASS
Wallace Beaton CSO
Phillip Burness CCC
Kyle Canton CCC
Spencer Cripps CCC
Mark Chester Dumbrique CSO
Michael Hartney CSO
Andrew Hodgson CSO
Greg Huyer CSO
Björn Johansson CSO
Nathan Maclean-Max CCC
Christopher Mallory CCC
J.P. McElhone CSO
Peter Reilly-Roe CSO
Daniel Savoie CSO
Glen Seeds CSO
Mike Vanier CSO
Paul Whiteley CCC