{Table} Cantata 187 Es wartet alles auf dich ................ Bach
Mass in F BWV233 ................................... Bach {/Table} THE second of the Orchestra of St Cecilia's Bach concerts at St Ann's, Dawson Street, given on Sunday afternoon, was greatly more rewarding than the first.
The use of a larger orchestra (though still without a much needed bassoon in the continuo line of the movements with oboes), the greater significance of the chorus the works on the programme (sung by Cork choir Madrigal `75), and the sheer grandeur of the music itself were factors which worked in favour of the conductor, Geoffrey Spratt.
The inclusion of a work with Latin text focused attention away from some of the short comings of the soloists' sung German. It used to be the done thing to deride Bach's Lutheran Masses because of their borrowings of materials from earlier works. The great Albert Schweitzer even went so far as to declare the adaptations to be "perfunctory and occasionally quite nonsensical".
Critical opinion in the late 20th century tends to be more concerned with the quality of the music which, in the case of the Mass in F is quite splendid than with any conflict of illustrative association arising out of the recycling.
The soprano, Helen Hassett, again showed a sound alignment with the music and exerted a sense of vocal appeal that were marred by flawed detailing. Mezzo soprano Colette McGahon was the soloist with greatest ease in German and, like Helen Hassett, the reliable bass Philip O'Reilly, sounded more at ease in Latin.
Geoffrey Spratt's conducting conveyed a stronger sense of direction than in the first concert. Again, the violin solo of Mary Gallagher was among the most pointed and purposeful of the orchestral contributions.
The alert, bright singing of Madrigal `75 was a consistent pleasure.
