BY ALEXANDRA MATHEW
Pärt Passio
The Song Company
St Andrews Church in Brighton, 12 April
Arvo Pärt composed his Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Secundum Joannem in 1989, as he was developing his now-renowned tintinnabuli technique. Order, therefore, is at the centre of Passio, but, with its grounding in medieval plainchant, the resulting music sounds organic, and sometimes improvised.
Passio is through-composed, with no separate movements, and a typical performance lasts about 75 minutes without interval. It is a very different experience to sitting through a Bach Passion: there are no big arias, recitatives, choruses or chorales; rather, the story unfolds through dialogue between instrumentalists (organ, violin, oboe, cello, and bassoon), soloists (Evangelist Quartet, Christus and Pilatus), SATB choir, and intense silence.
Pärt’s unusual score is meditative and beautiful, and requires commitment and concentration from all involved, including audience. There is no opportunity to sit back and enjoy the familiarity of a da capo aria; one must pay close attention to the Latin text in order to keep up with the action.
On 12 April, Sydney’s Song Company, directed by Antony Pitts, joined with Melbourne’s Trinity College Choir and a selection of Melbourne’s finest musicians to bring us Pärt’s riveting setting of the Passion of Christ according to St John. Trinity College Choir director Christopher Watson performed the role of Pilatus, and young bass-baritone Andrew O’Connor gave voice to Christus.
As a whole, the performance was tense and meticulous, and, for its chant-like music and sparse instrumentation, gave the impression of an ancient ritual retold through a series of tableaus.
O’Connor was a standout as Christus. Set behind the musicians, and directly facing the conductor, his voice reverberated through the lofty church as if disembodied, or perhaps even emanating from a place not of this world. This contrasted with the other soloists, who were placed ahead of the instrumentalists, and the choir, situated closest to the audience. By positioning the musicians so, some voices were more present, others (presumably intentionally) less so.
One such ‘present’ voice was Christopher Watson’s as Pilatus. Raised higher than his colleagues, he sang from the pulpit, and his lovely tenor rang out clearly and sometimes piercingly, as the text called for it.
The Evangelist Quartet navigated this seemingly challenging music with exceptional precision, and impressive dynamic control. The final line, ‘et inclinator capite tradidit spiritum’, sung on a repeated, unison A, was chillingly quiet, but still clearly audible — almost a whisper. Susannah Lawergren and Anna Fraser were superb as the female representatives in the quartet, and at moments one imagined that the two embodied a weeping Mary, standing by the cross of Jesus. Their male counterparts Owen Elsley and Lucian Fischer too deserve a mention for their equally strong performances.
Trinity College Choir, comprising young University of Melbourne undergraduates, was superb; and the two choral excerpts bookending Passio were sung with fervor, passion, and accuracy. The concluding Qui passus es pro nobis, miserere nobis was so loud, so intense, that the sound was almost too much for that hollow space, and rang out long after the choristers sang their final note.
With great intent, conductor Antony Pitts directed singers, ensemble, and organ, from which he elicited a fluid, coherent sound. There’s no doubt that conducting a full performance of Passio is a marathon effort, but Pitts maintained complete, uninterrupted (and hugely impressive) control for the entire 75-minute duration.
Sitting through this performance was in incredible experience, and one that will surely remain in the minds of those present for some time. Pärt’s music, while restrained, is both powerful and moving, especially when in the hands of such fine performers.
Image supplied shows The Song Company in its Trinity College performance of this event, captured by Georgia Ginnivan.
