Grazie Bach Akademie Australia! Just perfect

Bach Akademie Australia | Grazie in Grazia

Sunday 13 November, 2022, Our Lady of Dolours, Chatswood

Madeleine Easton – director
Susannah Lawergren – Soprano
Brianna Louwen – Soprano
Hannah Fraser – Alto
Stephanie Dillon – Alto
Richard Butler – Tenor
Koen Van Stade – Tenor
Andrew O’Connor – Bass
Jack Stephens – Bass

In a 100 year old church in Sydney’s northern suburbs a wonderfully appreciative and enthusiastic audience listened to music composed 300 and 400 years ago for some of the great European religious venues. And they had every reason to be happy as the performances from all were wonderful.

The first part of the concert was comprised of music by Monteverdi with short canzoni by Giovanni Gabrieli, beautifully performed by Matthew Manchester on cornetto and Ros Jorgenson, Nigel Crocker and Brett Page on sackbuts and Tarquinio Merula with the stunning violinist Matthew Greco ripping through excitable writing with aplomb all the while supported, and engaging in their own instrumental pyrotechnics, by cellist Daniel Yeadon and Neal Peres Da Costa on harpsichord. All the instrumental players were stars in their own right but this was a program where the emphasis was on vocal music and the audience was treated to some delicious singing.

In Monteverdi’s substantial Messa a quattro voci da cappella ‘Selva morale e spirituale’ and the compact but exquisite Cantate Domino all the singers seemed ever so happy to luxuriate in the sumptuous music.

Special mentions go to soprano Susannah Lawergren and alto Hannah Fraser for their elegant and thoughtful solos.

Even though it was a fine selection of Italian early baroque music the intellectual content jumped numerous notches when German composers from the late baroque took front and centre. Alleluia: Lobet den Herren by Heinrich Schütz, vivacious from its opening notes made me think what a treat to have such glorious music played for the most fortunate concertgoers. All the singers shone and there were great violin and cornetto ’licks’.

For me it all became magic when the Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata Christen, ätzet diesen Tag BWV 63 began. The opening chorus with all trumpets, oboes and timpani blazing thrilled and the energy from the performers was almost visible. Hannah Fraser in the beautiful extended alto recit was music itself! The duet from Susannah Lawergren and Andrew O’Connor with the sublime oboe playing by Adam Masters and basso continuo was a jewel in a concert that sparkled so much. Lovely singing from tenor Richard Butler and alto Stephanie Dillon in a recit and a duet led to the superb and dramatic recit by bass Andrew O’Connor and the glory of this work, the final chorus, where Bach summons up his vision, his heaven, and paints it all with such stunning colours. Great singing and the trumpets were, like the all the band, just perfect.

Musical director Madeleine Easton has put together a group that excels and we, the audience, are so fortunate.