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Music for
Grown-Ups Newsletter
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25/05/2004 Bach's B Minor Mass at the Festival Hall
You knew it was Bach from the very first bar. You could have entered at any point in the two hour performance, and you'd have known straight away you were listening to music written by the Main Man. The gravitas, the insistent exploration of the motifs, and the deep resonance of Bach's best music are without parallel in European music. The B Minor Mass is his masterpiece. Almost to a man/woman, Saturday's audience left the Royal Festival Hall concert beaming, uplifted. Their lives had been enriched. They knew it simply doesn't get any better than this. And not a few had just had a taster of what Heaven must be like. The Philharmonia Orchestra, under Andras Schiff, performed the work beautifully, bringing out all its subtlety, power and conviction. The Philharmonia Voices, in their debut gig, were magnificent. Their Crucifixus was particularly graphic. The four vocal soloists, notably mezzo Monica Groop, added light and shade: her duet with soprano Malin Hartelius, Et in unum Dominum, was one of many highlights. The B Minor Mass is great, soaring art. It's also a near miracle of logistics. The talents of 85 people on stage are synchronised into a seamless, tumultuous tapestry of sound, all pointing in exactly the same direction: praising the Lord. And the music occupying 110 sublime minutes showcases a mere 500 words. Great set list. Great performances. And the price of the ticket? £6. Gerry Smith
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