The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO) was made for this feat [the first Australian HIP performance of the Bach/Mendelsson 1841 St Matthew Passion]. ARCO joined forces with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ Chamber Singers and VOX choirs under the direction of SPC’s Associate Music Director Dr Elizabeth Scott in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
[…]
In the heart-rending Erbarme dich.…Rachael Beesley’s performance was faultless and arresting, and her phrasing especially thoughtful….Apart from the prominent use of cellos and bass, the most interesting change in orchestration in the Mendelssohn version is the use of clarinets. In the Baroque, the oboe came closest to the human voice. In the Classical and Romantic age, it was the clarinet. Nicole van Bruggen on clarinet added the nostalgic warmth that the Mache Dich calls for.
Aryan Mohseni, State of the Art
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