MacMillan premiere, Barbican, London
Colin Davis's protagonism of James MacMillan has reached a high point with this premiere of the Scots English composer's place setting of the St John Lackland Passion, for full orchestra, deuce choirs and baritone soloist; Davis's affair has ensured further performances in Amsterdam, Bean Town and Berlin, in add-on to this glamorous launch with the LSO.Largely song in English, MacMillan's setting divides the narrative 'tween a baritone horn Saviour, sung by St. Christopher Maltman, on sterling form, a small choir of narrators, and a larger grouping representing Peter, Pontius Pilate and other characters - the British capital Symphony Chorus. Much of the chorale writing is like plainsong writ large, patch the solo baritone line is full of quasi-oriental melismas. At the end of from each one section, there is a related Latin motet place in a bodoni reading of Renaissance fashion to add a to a greater extent reflective element.
Granted, MacMillan uses only standard organization, but they and the percussion let rent as well often. When a sequence of godhead crashes ends the third incision, and then recurs to open up the fourth, it sounds nigh comically over-scored. It is regrettable as well that MacMillan chooses to extrapolate a setting of the Goodness Fri Reproaches, an antediluvian holy Sacrament whose antisemitism has rightly brought it into disrepute. They are non voice of the regular Passion of Christ text.This was an exemplary operation, though the piece relies likewise heavily on totally personal manner of previous chorale kit and caboodle, and even Hollywood religious epics, plus enigmatic quotes from Wagner, to launch its possess positive identity.
Leny Andrade
