PLEK: N.G. Kerk, Lynnwood.

AANBIEDING: Bach se Johannes-Passie soos uitgevoer deur die Bach Koor Pretoria met Anneen Leeuwner (sopraan), Stella Beder (alt), Sjoerd Beute (tenoor), Jozua Serfontein (bariton) en John Thorpe (bas). Die Collegium Musicum-orkes o.l.v. Bruno Peyer. Orrellis: Henning Wagner

Hierdie aand was in menige opsig een van Bruno Peyer se mees geslaagde uitvoerings tot op datum. Hy het deurgaans respek afgedwing met sy bedrewenheid as oratoriumdirigent en die ware gees van Bach se groot Passie met gelouterde begrip weergegee.

Hoewel ek nie versoek is om 'n resensie oor hierdie uitvoering te skryf nie, was dit 'n behoefte van die hart om na afloop van die uitvoering kortliks 'n paar indrukke weer te gee...veral omdat Saterdag se uitvoering 'n besliste voooruitgang was op dié van verlede jaar.

RYK

Die koorsang was in breë trekke beskou, ryk aan sonoriteit. Dit was veral opvallend in diekoralewaar koor en orkesklank telkens mooi saamgesmelt het. Die finale koor en daaropvolgende koraal was só 'n hoogtepunt dat dit die herinniering aan die stramheid van die openingskoorHerr, unser Herrscherlaat vervaag het. By die verhouding orkes-koor was eersgenoemde telkemale te sterk in volume.

In vergelyking met verlede jaar se uitvoering, was daar slegs een verandering t.o.v. die soliste, nl. John Thorpe het die plek geneem van Bruce Martin. John Thorpe se karakterisering van Petrus en Pilatus was volkome vlekkeloos en veral sy ariaEilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen(met koor) was in perfekte styl. Hy het hom bewys as 'n dinamiese Bach-sanger. Ook al die ander soliste het met 'n intenser vitaliteit as in die verlede hul partye voorgedra. Dit was spesiaal opvallend by Sjoerd Beute wat die duidelikste artikulasie van almal en wat as die Evangelis geweet het hoe om die spanning in die teks op te bou en die stemminge sonder vokalistiese oordrywing weer the gee.

Orkesspel en veral orrelspel was deurgaans pragtig. Die altariaEst ist vollbracht!met sy skitterende tjello-obligaat was een van talle hoogtepunte - so ook bv. die dramatiek by die skeur van die tempel-voorhangsel.

- PAUL BOEKKOOI

THE earnestness and dignity of this perforance was very welcome at the beginning of Pretoria's 1975 Easter festival.

One did not need to know German to follow the emotional content of the music. The singers sang as if they cared, with the composer, about the story they were telling.

They sang well - after a rather woolly opening chorus, when the choir's uncertain efforts were made even less distinct by the orchestra's playing too loudly and heavily.

After that they were more confident, and achieved a better balance with the orchestra.

Their singing is marked by muted tones and smooth phrasing which produce balanced harmony at the expense of distinctness. They lose some of Bach's formal preciseness but always sound good.

Four of the soloists were excellent - Anneen Leeuwner, Stella Beder, Jozua Serfontein and John Thorpe; The fifth, Sjoerd Beute, was outstanding. His interpretation, the quality of his extraordinarily expressive voice and the clarity of his enunciation were all so fine.

There was very little wrong with the other soloists' performances either. Perhaps the soprano and the alto could take more care to make their words audible.

The applause at the end, although it was so richly deserved. - does one praise other mortals in a church?

- PETER SOUTHEY.