Concert review

One “bassier” than the other

The Concerto Stella Matutina thrilled the audience at the Kulturbühne "AmBach" in Götzis.

(Bild: LILLI LOEBL, HOHENEMS)

 The Concerto Stella Matutina (CSM) delighted audiences with humor, virtuoso bass tones and a sensationally well-played Beethoven symphony at the subscription concert in Götzner "AmBach".

In classical music, the high notes of prima donnas, tenors or violinists, for example, are often perceived as sensational. But at the CSM's current subscription concert on Friday and Saturday in Götzis AmBach, the exact opposite was true. With the singer Matthias Hoffmann and the double bass player David Sinclair - one is "bassier" than the other - homage was paid to the low notes, especially with works by Mozart, who wrote many a bass aria for his friend and lodge brother Franz Xaver Gerl - including Sarastro in the "Magic Flute". As you can see, both the high and the low registers are about exploring boundaries.

In Mozart's time, a special double bass with five instead of four strings and an unusual tuning, the so-called "Viennese bass", also broke these boundaries, namely those of a rather underexposed instrument. With the Canadian David Sinclair, the CSM was able to attract a specialist for this rare instrument, who interpreted a concerto by Anton Zimmermann, born in 1741, and showed what is possible on this "Viennese bass" - the astonishing virtuosity and playing in high registers and the harmonics were inspiring.

 The two concertmasters, David Drabek and Fani Vovoni, brought more richness of overtones to the proceedings with their delicate violin accompaniment of the solo passages. The highlight before the interval was the meeting of the two basses in Mozart's aria "Per questa bella mano", a charming work in which the singer has his serenade for his beloved accompanied by the largest possible instrument - whether out of insecurity or excessive love - and a model of musical humor.

In its current subscription concert, the CSM paid homage to the low notes - an approach that can be described as a complete success.

(Bild: LILLI LOEBL, HOHENEMS)

If the audience was already more than satisfied with this first part of the concert, their happiness increased considerably after the interval with Beethoven's Second Symphony. The classical gesture in the best sense of the word and the radiance of this much too rarely performed work came into their own with the original instruments and once again justified performances as close as possible to the style of the era. Under the baton of Thomas Platzgummer, the CSM played with the greatest possible range of dynamics and expression, and the authentic instrumentation made many things seem to work by themselves - the characteristics of the instruments with the blaring horns or the blossoming violins, for example, or the daringly fast tempi, especially in movements three and four. A fun encore by the two bass soloists brought this acclaimed evening to a close.