Switzerland Brahms: Carmela Konrad (soprano), Samuel Zünd (baritone), Soós-Haag Piano Duo, Bach Collegium Zurich / Bernhard Hunziker (conductor). Grossmünster (Great Minster), Zurich, 9.4.2022. (JR)
Brahms – Ein deutsches Requiem, Op.45
During Holy Week musical offerings are often limited to religious choral works and Zurich is no exception. The Bach Collegium Zurich started us off with a small-scale version of the German Requiem. (Later this week, at the Tonhalle, the Gemischter Chor Zurich perform Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Tonhalle Orchestra and finally Philippe Herreweghe brings his Collegium Vocale Gent to perform Bach’s St. Matthew Passion).
Zurich does not have a cathedral: the landmark Grossmünster is a Romanesque-style, rather bare Protestant church, the largest in the city. Its acoustics suited this intimate performance of the German Requiem very well.
The Bach Collegium Zurich was founded some twenty years ago by current chorus master Bernard Hunziker and currently consists of around 36 singers. In this performance the choir performed not with an orchestra, but with the Soós-Haag piano duo, four hands on one piano.
In this venue one did not often miss the sound of an orchestra. The opening and closing sections ‘Selig sind’ were all the more affecting with few distractions from the choral sound. Where one did miss a degree of heft was in the second section ‘Denn alles Fleisch’, where a shiver should go down your back when the full might of the choir and orchestra are unleashed. ‘Zu der Zeit der letzten Posaune’ was somewhat underwhelming without the blast and thrill of a brass section.
The scheduled baritone, Rudolf Rosen, was indisposed at very short notice, and in stepped Samuel Zünd, whose clear, firm voice was both confident and appealing. Star of the show, however, was the soprano of Carmela Konrad, whose crystal-clear tones soared into the rafters: it was simply the perfect voice for this most moving part, ‘Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit’.
The chorus were impressive throughout, clearly very well trained. Intonation – in the main – was spot on, diction clear, entries secure. Without the distractions of an orchestra, conductor and chorus master Bernhard Hunziker was able to give his whole attention to the choir. The nine sopranos were confident with their high notes, the seven altos could have done with some more volume at times. The twelve basses and eight tenors sounded secure, though they will have some succession problems soon if they cannot recruit more young singers. (This is a problem with many an amateur choir). ‘Preis und Ehre und Kraft’ tested the stamina of some of the older voices.
Hungarian pianist Adrienne Soós and Swiss pianist Ivo Haag met in Budapest and formed their duo. They are currently recording piano versions of all Brahms’s symphonies for the German Telos record label. Soós had the more audible, upper part and was most sympathetic to the score; occasionally I wished for more volume from Haag in the bass.
Bernhard Hunziker was cool and composed throughout, giving precise indications to his chorus, to dynamics, length of note and kept a steady, flowing rhythm.
The chorus has much to look forward to. In addition to singing Bach cantatas in Zurich’s Augustinerkirche, they will take part in the Bachfest Leipzig in June, also with Carmela Konrad and Samuel Zünd; in Bach’s B minor Mass at the Grossmünster Zurich and in the Stephansdom in Vienna in September. The year will round off with three performances of the Messiah, in Basel, Zurich and Zermatt.
‘Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted’ are the opening words of the Requiem and they brought to mind the many suffering in Ukraine at this time; it was a fine performance, all most poignant.
John Rhodes