Copenhagen Soloists                                                   

 

 

 

 

Gnomes or Angels or Bach

 

Music: Review: Gnomes, light-festoons with stars, single angels, all kinds of Christmas music from speakers in the supermarkets and in the streets are an unmistakable sign that Christmas has invaded us, whether we are for or against! Some places it is impossible to choose, we are caught in it all, horror or happiness! Somewhere there is a choice of music: We can go to one of the many concerts in churches f.ex, - there we can find peace from the barging, undesired tones, perhaps there are also angels – there is in any case a plentitude of offers from now to the 24th of December. Noone can make it all – so here one must make ones choices between all the tempting concerts. In the recent weekend my choice was a concert in Helsingør Domkirke with the ambitious ensemble Copenhagen Soloists with conductor and solo violinist Jonathan Ofir as primus motor in the ensemble, which that evening consisted of a single solo singer, soprano Keren Motseri, one solist on transvers flute, Cecilia Flodén, cembalist David Shemer, four strings on baroque instruments and in a section of cantata 51 ‘Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen’ a virtuoso baroque trumpet was heard, played by Niels Tilma. Soprano Keren Motseri was soloist in this cantata and with her warmly resonating voice, that moved with ease through Bach most difficult registers she moved us, because she sounded, as if this praising of God came from a glad heart. Cecilia Flodéns playing on the soft sounding transvers flute was a congenial ‘partner’. Earlier she was fabulous in the 2nd suite i B minor – the small ensemble was a delightful revival for the original orchestra suite, just as the other works also received nevived quality with the few, outstanding musicians, who fulfilled all of our wishes concerning genuine musicianship. Even Brandenburg concerto nr. 5 became a small pearl, not least because the big harpsichord solo was played so magnificently by David Shemer! Once again has Jonathan Ofir succeeded to construct an ensemble of soloists! In the afternoon in Helligaandskirken in Copenhagen this same concert brought 150 listeners! Unfortunately the Domkirke could not say the same; but those who were present were delighted for the fine musical Bach-evening. The church has both its own Christmas concert and Rotary’s traditional concert, and as well, the week up to Christmas offers the small afternoon concerts, which one can read of in Tuesday’s paper. Grethe Jørgensen, Helsingør Dagblad, Dec. 5th 2007

 

 

 

 

Beautiful and transparent performance of Händel's Messiah

 

Music: Mark my words, 20 singers and musicians managed to bring Händel's popular 'Messiah' to new hights at a performance in Helsingør Domkrike Saturday night. A transparency, which allowed us to hear the music more intense, grasp the texts in a new way, whether it was the arias or choruses. The choir consisted of nine singers, all taken from proffessional rows, all with high level solistic qualities, and the soli were taken by the choir members with great beauty in the unforgettable arias, which one hums long after one has gone home. (Especially, when oneself has, at the dawn of time, been part in singing Messiah)...

  The ensemble which performed Messiah is named Copenhagen Soloists with good reason, for also the eleven professional instrumentalists managed with fine entrances and impressing accompaniement of choir and soli to accomplish these parts, and the orchestra movements resonated full of beauty and with that transparency, which the musical girl beside me called 'as woven jewelry'!

   It was a chamber musical performance, without conductor, but with the fine violinist Jonathan Ofir as standing concertmaster, who surely and with few means brought the almost three hour long performance to success with great applause from the audience, whcih filled up the church completely.

  Hereby did Copenhagen Soloists make their debut in Helsingør Domkirke, a fact which we can be proud of, because I believe the ensemble has a long future ahead! Already the day after, Sunday the 10th was Messiah performed for a second time; this time in Helligaandskirken in Copenhagen.

  In the printed program one can see, that the ensemble has planned to performances of Bach's St John Passion Friday the 6th April, 15:00 at Helligaandskirken in Copenhagen and Saturday the 7th April, 16:00 at Vor Frue Kirke in Kalundborg..

 

Grethe Jørgensen Helsingør Dagblad, Tuesday 12th December 2006

 

 

 

 

 

St. John Passion as chamber music

 

Music: Can one squeeze Bach's grand St. John Passion, in regards to the number of performers, and do with 9 singers and 11 musicians? This was the task for the new solistic vocal and instrumental ensemble 'Copenhagen Soloists' Saturday afternoon in Tikøb church, and one must say, that the ensemble solved the task with bravura. Bach's score was interpreted with musical naturalness, so the audience - a full Tikøb church - got an experience of the rare kind.

  It was a St John Passion performed in chamber musical fashion, where each phrase, each harmony, each choir movement and each intimate aria and choral were lighted with a clear bright hue. The work is clearly a choir composition which poses great demand as to intonation and precision, and when the choir consists of only 2 singers per each of the four voices, then the demand is greater than what would normally be required of a choir singer. The 8 singers voices were interbalanced and the result felt volumewise just as full as a big choir. All 8 singers performed as well, in most beautiful fashion, as soloists in the passion's arias. Here it was the alt aria 'Es ist vollbracht' and soprano aria 'Zerfliesse mein Herze' which made the most profound impression.

  The Evangelist, who comments and weaves the single episodes, was well placed in his critical role in the story with his sonorous tenor. An impressing performance.

  The small well balanced baroque ensemble of 11 musicians made sure with their authentic instruments to provide a fine and faithful accompaniement to the vocal parts. The ensemble played without a conductor, but was lead by concertmaster Jonathan on baroque violin. Bach in hish high heaven would have been delighted for this uplifting concert.

 

Ole Josephsen Helsingør Dagbad, Wednesday April 11th 2007