VoxCarnyx

City Halls, Glasgow

If there are different formats in which Handel’s Messiah works for concert-goers, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is much less adaptable, which may explain why there are fewer opportunities to hear it.

With Czech Baroque specialist Vaclav Luks in charge, this was a performance not to miss. The key ingredient was the SCO Chorus, again proving itself in another league from the choirs associated with most orchestras. Chorus director Gregory Batsleer had prepared a perfectly balanced unit with as many men as women, equal numbers of singers in each section, and enough young recruits to guarantee a freshness in the sound alongside the wisdom of the voices of experience.

Luks had clearly thought carefully about how to present this priceless asset, arraying them close behind the instrumentalists, and arranging the players in a way that was as singularly effective. Immediately in front of him were the harpsichord and chamber organ, the latter a notably sweet-toned instrument played by Michael Bawtree. With most of the strings on the conductor’s left, only the cellos and basses were on the right hand half of the stage, with all the winds and brass in front of them.

Of the vocal soloists, only tenor Robin Tritschler, in the narrative role of the Evangelist, remained at the centre of the platform, with the other three seated in the wings between their contributions. All of this helped the narrative of the music, while asking the instrumental soloists to stand in their places when partnering the singers was also an important contribution to the story.

After the introductory chorus, with the pure-toned sopranos making an immediate impression, Tritschler led the drama. His delivery was matched by the animation of bass-baritone Florian Stortz, making his SCO debut, and soprano soloist Julia Doyle. Mezzo Helen Charlston, singing the role of the Virgin Mary, was a more sedate presence as suited her arias of lullaby and contemplation.

This concert presented the first three cantatas of the six in the full oratorio (shepherds and angels, but no magi), and was full of memorable moments: the chorus sopranos joining Stortz, the continuo and reeds in Cantata 1, Tritschler duetting with first flute Andre Cebrian in Cantata 2, and Cantata 3’s duet of Doyle and Stortz and a trio of winds among them.

Luks made every detail crystal clear, while the SCO Chorus continued its magnificent form. Cantata 2’s brief unaccompanied Chorale, Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall, was quite exquisite, their German diction was immaculate throughout, and there was always a clear tonal distinction between the brisk Choruses and more measured Chorales.

Keith Bruce

Portrait of Julia Doyle by Louise O’Dwyer