MUSIC

-- Dave McKenna

National Philharmonic

Thanks to Felix Mendelssohn, who resurrected Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" with a non-church performance in 1829, the piece has become a concert hall staple. Saturday at Strathmore, Stan Engebretson conducted a performance by the National Philharmonic, its chorale and a cast of solo singers.

Bach's "Passion" is both monumental and intimate. One needn't subscribe to its religion to be swept into the drama. Bach's music achieves that with an intoxicating mix of subtlety and power, and on those terms this performance mostly succeeded.

Yet it was the intimate side of this "Passion" that ultimately suffered. Engebretson's rigid (sometimes rushed) conducting wasn't kind to singers. Add to that several aloof soloists and you have a passion-deprived "Passion."

A detached mood was set from the start. Bach's opening chorus is a complex, rising wave of sound -- a chorale tune soars above a double chorus of intertwining parts -- but the grandeur was lost as the choruses rushed inarticulately under Engebretson's speed.

Aside from an early misstep, tenor Robert Petillo, as the Evangelist (Bach's narrator), provided a much-needed emotional center. The way he stretched and colored the word "bitterlich," describing Peter's denial, was just one example of his thoughtful performance.

That poignant moment leads to "Erbarme Dich," one of Bach's most moving creations. The plucked bass notes fall like tears, yet mezzo-soprano Valerie Komar's performance was disappointingly dry. The beautiful, raw silk sheen of her voice could have made much more of Bach's cantabile lines. After all, this is a desperate plea for mercy.

Tenor Philippe Castagner provided some of the most exciting and engaged singing of the evening, along with bass Christopheren Nomura, whose "Mache Dich" added the right touch of comfort.

Bach's music is strong enough to overcome inconsistencies in almost any performance. This one had its strengths; it just needed more passion.