Goosebumps and long-lasting applause: the Tölzer Boys' Choir gave an inspiring concert on Sunday evening in the parish church.
It was the first gig at home after the long lockdown.
Bad Tölz
- choir director Christian Fliegner had reached into the repertoire of the entire, widely ramified Bach family and put together a special program. There is not just one Bach, Johann Sebastian. This family shaped musical life in Erfurt for over a hundred years. The concert began with Johann Sebastian's great uncle, Johann Bach. "Our life is a shadow" caused the first goosebumps. Twice three soloists accompanied the six-part choir, three sang next to the conductor, three from the organ gallery. The large ensemble responded like an echo to her haunting stanzas.
Around 55 singers, boys' and men's choirs, stood in the chancel at a distance.
Clemens Haudum accompanied on the chest organ, Michael Schönfelder on the violone.
Johann Michael Bach composed an eight-part double chorus motet with “Now I have overcome”.
Johann Sebastian Bach could only refine the tonal richness of the music.
Two of his motets concluded the program.
Before that, however, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's “Adspice Domine” was heard, a vespers song for male choirs.
The 20-year-old led a re-performance of the “St. Matthew Passion” in 1829 and thus ensured a rediscovery of the baroque composer.
Standing ovations
It was astonishing to hear how strictly the romantic Mendelssohn-Bartholdy adhered to strict church composition, in the spirit of the great master.
The male choir shone above all with Schubert's setting of a Goethe poem, “Song of the Spirits over the Waters”.
The singers created verses of spraying water with intensity and fortissimo.
At the end, they touched the audience with a low unanimity to the verse "Soul of man, as you are like water".
As a positive answer to this, the double-choir Bach motet "The Spirit helps up weakness" began, followed by "Praise the Lord, all Gentiles".
The choir knew how to combine the polyphonic melodies into the praised total work of art.
Precision in tempo and in inserts as well as precise articulation demonstrated the choir work, which is valued all over the world.
It was also admirable to hear how the young voices effortlessly harmonized with the powerful and experienced male voices.
After the final “Hallelujah”, everyone in the pews of the parish church rose to long applause.
(Birgit Botzenhart)
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our new, regular Bad Tölz newsletter.