Baritone Mischa Bouvier (A. Wasserman Photo)

A ST. JOHN PASSION FOR THE AGES

Bach’s Saint John Passion, 300 years old this Easter, may not be as well known as his Saint Matthew Passion, but it is a sublime musical experience. As performed by American Bach Soloists March 8 in Belvedere’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, it was profoundly stirring, and one did not have to be a Christian to be moved by its dramatic power.

Under the baton of Jeffrey Thomas, the story of Jesus’s arrest, trial and crucifixion was immediate and relatable. Its libretto alternates recitatives taken directly from chapters 18 and 19 of the Gospel of John with Lutheran hymns, inspiring chorales and exquisite arias. The story is told from different perspectives, moving from narration to dialogue to the expression of inner thoughts and feelings.

A pre-performance lecture to an early bird audience by gamba player and scholar Kenneth Slowik filled in the Passion’s history and gave insight into Bach’s creative process and spiritual journey. The Passion was initially performed in Leipzig on Good Friday in 1724, but this was the fourth version, completed 25 years later, not long before the composer’s death. Unlike the 1727 Saint Matthew Passion, Bach was not satisfied with his earlier work, refining, polishing and conducting each version until he achieved the emotionally wrenching and ultimately uplifting version we were privileged to hear.

Before raising his baton, Mr. Thomas announced the dedication of this performance to the memory of ABS’s principal founder and first board president, Sandra McKean Ogden with these words: “We are grateful for this moment to perform music that she so deeply loved.”

And then it began. From the opening bars, the orchestra and chorus set a mood of almost palpable unease, a disturbing yet disciplined cacophony of sound, the turmoil of an uneasy crowd knowing something awe-inspiring and dreadful was about to happen. The strings roiled tumultuously, and the woodwinds mourned as the chorus sang (almost a cry), “Show us, through your passion that you, the true Son of God, through all time, even in the greatest humiliation, have become transfigured!” I had to catch my breath. Into this unease came the compelling voice of tenor Gregório Taniguchi as the Evangelist who narrates the story from an emotional distance; and Mischa Bouvier, whose portrayal of Jesus was particularly striking not only for his rich baritone but his stoic and dignified demeanor.

Equally fine were bass baritone Jesse Blumberg as Pilate and mezzo-soprano Agnes Vojtkó as Maid - a blend perhaps of several women in Jesus’s life, including Mary Magdalene. The other soloists were soprano Julie Bosworth and tenors Daniel Yoder, Steven Brennfleck and Jonathan Smucker. All except Mr. Taniguchi and Mr. Bouvier added their strong voices to the sonic texture of the chorale and chorus sections. The chorus was composed of all ages; the mother of the youngest chorus member was in the audience beaming with pride. How delighted Bach would have been to have such singers under his baton 300 years ago, for in 1730 he complained to the Leipzig Town Council about the lack of qualified musicians.

I was especially moved by Ms. Vojtkó’s arias, including the first one, where she harmonizes with two oboes in the mournful D minor key: “To deliver me from the bondage of my sins, my Savior is fettered…” In a splendid off-the-shoulder sapphire blue gown with sparkling jewelry, her appearance oddly contrasted with the sobriety of the music, yet her voice was movingly expressive, smooth as satin and weighted with emotion.
That aria was followed by a duet for soprano and flutes, “I’ll follow thee likewise with eager steps,” performed by Ms. Bosworth, also in a classy blue gown. Her voice was pure and silky, but her volume waxed and waned, and some of her phrases fell disappointingly under the orchestra.

As Pontius Pilate, baritone Jesse Blumberg was outstanding. The role of Pilate in the drama is ambiguous, and according to John’s Gospel he doesn’t believe Jesus deserves death and can see no sedition in him. But he is willing to let the mob decide the man’s fate. Mr. Blumberg’s voice is dark, deep and resonant, and he had a commanding presence without theatrics.

Mr. Slowik had pointed out that the Passion was written in two parts between which a long sermon was preached. Rather than a sermon, there was an intermission. Part Two is longer than Part One and full of action. As the Evangelist telling the story, Mr. Taniguchi carried the demanding role heroically. His energy and vocal power never flagged. Mr. Bouvier’s Jesus was totally convincing, the still center of the whirling drama, weighted with sorrow and a sense of the inevitable, not bitter towards anyone, even those who betrayed him.
One of the lovely moments in Part Two was a long violin duet between ABS veteran Elizabeth Blumenstock and Tòma Iliev, a relative newcomer to the Company whose appearances as a Valley of the Moon Music Festival apprentice years ago first alerted me to his qualities.

The final chorus, “Rest well, ye holy bones,” brought tears to my eyes. The music was alive, pulsing with emotion and beauty. The final chorale, which in Bach’s time the congregation would have known well, uplifted my spirits. Like any great theatrical experience, the multiple perspectives of the Saint John Passion, combining narrative, dialogue, hymns, choruses, and the lovely poetry of the arias, with the eloquence of period instruments, elevated the experience. Fine points of individual belief didn’t matter.

As the audience stood to applaud it struck me that the story tells a universal truth: the same forces of love, betrayal, courage, suffering and transcendence happen in our world today. To re-live a human drama from 2,000 years ago through such divine music and walk out refreshed with new understandings of Bach’s genius, as I did, was a gift.