* Notes *
Last weekend American Bach Soloists performed a program consisting entirely of works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Last Sunday’s San Francisco concert began with the very cheery and sycophantic “Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!” The ensemble, conducted by ABS Music Director Jeffrey Thomas, played neatly. The tenor, Guy Cutting, was slightly blustery, while soprano Clara Rottsolk sounded quite clear. Countertenor Eric Jurenas has a somewhat manic edge to his voice, but was much easier to hear than baritone William Sharp, who would occasionally blend in with the orchestra. The chorus was lovely.
The Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor that followed featured flautist Sandra Miller, who played beautifully and was well-supported by the rest of the musicians. After intermission we heard the cantata “Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir” and were invited to join in for the chorale. The evening ended with Magnificat. The playing was tidy. The soloists sounded wonderful together, the alto and tenor duet with Jurenas and Cutting was particularly nice, as was the trio with sopranos and alto.
* Tattling *
The audience was silent and attentive. I was impressed by how well the chorale went.
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