“… a magical and riveting performance”
Althea Mouhtouris
5 Stars
Venue : ACO On the Pier (The Thirsty Mile)
Sydney
Dates: 9 & 11 January
Bach Akademie Australia
Bach: Birth and Destiny is one of four performances under the Sydney Festival’s Resonance series.
In a small theatre on a balmy Sydney evening, we are transported to the magic and harmony of the universe through a Bach-led (but not exclusive) program of music. Outside is a dusky sky and the lights of the cityscape; inside the intimate ACO theatre, it’s an emotion-driven collection of music designed to carry us through the heavens.
The program transverses the Renaissance (via Galileo’s musical father Vincenzo), the Indigenous landscape (through Biripi people Indigenous composer Troy Russell), and Scotland through composer James MacMillan.
In introducing the program, artistic director and violinist Madeleine Easton explains how she was challenged by Sydney Festival Director Olivia Ansell to interpret the festival’s theme of birth, destiny, and legacy.
The program starts with Bach’s Sinfonia and Chorus from ‘Himmelskönig, sei willkommen’ – Cantata, BWV 182, a whole-of-orchestra piece with the richness of the strings imbued with sweetness from the flute, sparkling sounds of the harpsichord, and rich voices of the chorus.
The spine-tingling a cappella piece, O magnum mysterium (Tomás Luis de Victoria) is sacred and spiritual. It is drawn from the Matins of Christmas, with celestial voices marking wonder at the Nativity and the infant Christ in the manger. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue No.1 in C major from The Well-Tempered Clavier continued the move through time and space. Showcasing the harpsichord, it requires precision and clarity, a gentleness of touch.Fittingly, this composition is among a collection of musical pieces included on two Voyager Golden Records, which were sent into space in 1977 to show extraterrestrial life the extent of human achievement.
A highlight of the evening was Bach’s Aria, Variations 1, 2 and 3 from the Goldberg Variations. Requiring almost militant precision on the harpsichord, it exposes the artistry of the performer, and Neal Peres Da Costa rose to the challenge with impeccable agility, purity, and delicacy.
At the end of the program, Easton unexpectedly introduced a young acoustic guitarist (whose name I didn’t catch) to demonstrate the longevity and widespread reach of Bach through the Beatles piece Blackbird. This was written by Paul McCartney who leveraged three chords from Bach’s Bourrée in E minor. Led by accomplished Tenor Timothy Reynolds, Blackbird was performed by all members of the orchestra as well as the young performer.
This was a magical and riveting performance, and an inspired 75-minute program. Kudos to Easton who established Bach Akademie Australia in 2016 to bring the music of Bach to a modern world that needs beauty more than ever.
5 celestial beings
Photo by Wendell Teodoro
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
