An Intimate Take on Bach's Mass in B Minor

Choral conductors and choirs alike hold Bach's Mass in B Minor in both fear and awe. Its technical demands and emotional range keep all but the most serious musicians at bay. Because this mass is a pastiche of Bach's entire output, some may grumble that Bach reused much of his older material in this work. Despite Bach's recycling, the sheer passion of his music has captured audiences around the world.

Even though Bach initially wrote the choir part for a quintet of soloists, I have only heard the Mass in B Minor performed by a large choir in an even larger concert all, a venue which tends to strip the performance of its more intimate moments. Therefore, I was delighted for a chance to hear the mass performed by a small choir of twenty people in the setting for which it was initially written, the church. The Mass in B Minor proved to be a wonderful selection for the inaugural performance of the First Presbyterian's Concerts at First series, proving that bigger isn't always better.

The choir, a professional group, sang with intelligent gusto, highlighting the main themes in the abundant fugal sections. Furthermore, its vocal presence ranged from a bombastic fortissimo to a pensive piano, quite impressive for so small a group. While the choir seemed vocally tired towards the end, their energy never faded, many choristers still swaying with their vocal lines through the final, triumphant "Dona nobis pacem."

While the star of this mass is certainly the chorus, the soloists, drawn from our local talent pool, shone as well. Mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis was especially radiant. She was at ease with the often unpredictable twists and turns of Bach's vocal lines and communicated the humility of the "Agnus dei" superbly with the audience. Her resume boasts many Bach credits and it certainly shows. Soprano Barbara Shirvis seemed hesitant and held back much of the power I know her to have from other performances. I was a bit perplexed as to why the soloists sang the "Crucifixus," which is normally sung by the chorus. However, this change of parts allowed Shirvis to sing with her full voice and allowed her rich tones to float above the other soloists. The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, with its relentless rhythmic drive and precision, provided the backbone of the work.

Conductor Andrew Senn prefaced the performance with a charming anecdote: his inspiration for this particular selection was a car ride to and from Chicago. He listened to this mass there and back - nearly 14 times in total. While I hope that he doesn't have to listen tirelessly to a piece to select it, I expect more wonderfully intimate performances of choral gems from this new Concerts at First series.

Image via flickr.com user R80o