Music and Dance Reviews : John Currie Conducts Master Chorale, Sinfonia

Bach’s “St. Matthew” Passion became a kind of endurance test as interpreted by John Currie and the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Sinfonia at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday.

Bowing in the direction of authenticity, Currie conducted reduced vocal forces--two choirs of 19 and 18 singers, respectively--and two orchestras, numbering 13 and 15 instrumentalists. But, for all that, he did not make contrapuntal lines necessarily clearer, better balanced or more expressive.

And certainly over-prominent were the approximately 60 voices of the Los Angeles Children’s Choir, who not only sang in the opening chorus but also contributed conspicuously jerky trills in the chorus that closes Part I.

Currie’s treatment of the chorales was consistent in appearing little motivated by text, musical line or placement in the narrative. He made them all big, bold assertions right from the start or else began them quietly then brought them to a routine swell near the close. The chorale sang nobly.

Overall, Currie’s rhythms, dynamics and tempos seemed to arise less from musical necessity than from efforts to achieve variety in pacing. But the instrumentalists played with lightness and clarity.

Zeger Vandersteene appeared bent on making a star turn out of the role of Evangelist, so idiosyncratic and mannered was his interpretation--singing, whispering, roaring with scant regard for the text. But at least he did try to inject some passion into the performance.

As Jesus, David Downing tendered a mellifluous, small bass and a passive, suffering attitude bereft of authority and strength.

The vocal quartet was uneven. Soprano Irene Drummond sang with hooded sound and unclear enunciation. Countertenor Steven Rickards sang with purity at mid-range. Tenor Richard Kennedy contributed hard, constricted vocalism. Bass John Ostendorf sang strongly, if without much focus.