Bach: St John Passion (Concert Review - The Daily Telegraph, 2001)

The Good Friday performance of Bach's St John Passion at St John's, Smith Square, was distinguished by the assured singing of the choral ensemble Polyphony, and was enhanced by the eloquent interpretation of the role of the Evangelist by the tenor James Gilchrist, and by some heartfelt voicing of the meditative arias, particularly from the countertenor Robin Blaze. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, despite some sour moments, gave support that was lithe and intense.

The fact that this St John Passion came in at well under two hours was a result of the brisk tempos favoured by the conductor Stephen Layton. On occasion this led to breathlessness in such arias as Ach, Mein Sinn, but the tautness of the performance was of value in heightening the drama during Part 2 of the Passion. Here, in Christ's trial before Pilate, the dovetailing of the Evangelist's recitative and the choral interjections made for vivid aural excitement and theatrical realism, a reminder that the Passions are as close as we get to opera in Bach's music.

Geoffrey Norris