Finely sung with beautiful moments
One week before Easter, at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment presented St John Passion under the direction of Johanna Soller, which also marked her London debut. Alongside, there were James Way as the Evangelist and Peter Edge as Christus, soprano Hilary Cronin, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and tenor Jonathan Hanley in the meditative arias, joined by the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment as the ensemble.
Many of the soloists showcased striking and promising talent. As the Evangelist, Way delivered a supple lyricism with refined nuance, helping to hold the ensemble together. As the primary storyteller, his voice carried a devoted piety but was tinged with subtle worry, worrying about Christus not as Lord but as human. This “humanisation of Christus” was further reflected in Edge’s portrayal, particularly in the recitative “Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern”, where a trace of disappointment and melancholy was undercurrent, especially in the line, “Shall I not drink the cup which my Father has given me?”. Hilary Cronin, as the soprano, stole the evening with “Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren”. The aria was exquisite: her timbre was weightless, paired with a finely balanced light-mix that seamlessly dissolved into the instrumental texture.
However, despite these compelling solo moments, Soller appeared to struggle in articulating a coherent interpretive philosophy. What kind of St John Passion this was meant to be. Was it to be dramatic or intimate, historically informed or more modern? For instance, the opening chorus, “Herr, unser Herrscher”, can unfold as searing and overwhelming, full of dramatic tension. Bach’s modernity, in its harmonic clashes, is at once refreshing, unsettling, and even wild.
Here, the opening lacked both precision and intensity, as many notes came off as “oh, this is a bit hasty”, and the ensemble was not fully locked in, nor did the instruments properly engage. The dissonance struggled to accumulate the intensity through the violins’ and the basses’ quavers, which should have driven towards the three thunderous “Herr”.
Such interpretive vagueness lasted throughout the night, which made the whole performance feel like a missed opportunity. Much less performed by St Matthew Passion, St John Passion may demand a more sharply defined and affective direction.
This show finished its run on 29th March. Tickets for other shows at Queen Elizabeth Hall can be found here – https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/.