Forbidden Passion

The Beijing International Festival Chorus began its 2004 season with a magnificent performance of J.S. Bachs St. Mathew Passion at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in May. The IFC have been performing important choral work in Beijing since 2002, including Mozart s Requiem, Stravinskys Symphony of Psalms, and Xian Xinghai s master choral work Yellow River Cantata.

Perhaps one of the most important pieces of music of all time, St. Matthew Passion is part of a choral genre that dates back to the medieval period and was first performed in 1727 and revived by German composer Felix Mendelssohn in 1829, having been lost for many decades since the composers death in 1750. Written by Bach for use on Good Friday 1727, the Passion is based on the work of Christian Henrici, a poet and writer of sacred text and uses the biblical narrative of the Gospel of St. Matthew as its text. It tells the story of the renunciation of Jesus of Nazareth by his disciples, a story at the very heart of Christian mythology.

The Passion text was historically performed several times during Holy Week and just before the Christian festival of Easter. Over time there were more occasions for the retelling of the story, becoming more elaborate and dramatic and eventually moving from the church to other stages.

A large-scale chorale fantasia, St. Matthew Passion is scored for double orchestra, double choir and soloists and is an intense dramatic retelling of the Gospel story that can be an unexpected, visually entertaining stage performance for audiences.

The Beijing IFC chose a small performance format for its season opener with just four soloists: Colin Campbell as Christus, Edward Hands as Evangelist and Sandra Porter as Alto and Cintia De Los Santos as Soprano. Nicholas Smith conducting, the choirs were lead by Kerry Holahan and Nancy Fraser and orchestra by Jin Haiyin and Zhu Mu.

The Passion is a moving and evocative piece of music for anyone raised within the Christian tradition and with memories of church choirs at Easter time, as well as for lovers of baroque music from other religious or non-religious traditions.

The Beijing IFC produced an uplifting yet intimate performance of the Passion that didnt lose any of its momentum. Of particular note, Edward Hands as Evangelist gave a powerful and energized performance that was readily complimented by the voices of Cintia De Los Santos and Sandra Porter.

The double chorus was magnificent and produced a deeply satisfying choral sound as well as allowing individual voices freedom that revealed the rich timbre of the collected voice.