The renowned violinist barefoot, Patricia Kopatchinskaja was a guest at deSingel with soprano Anna Prohaska and Ensemble Resonanz. They presented a program around the Holy Virgin 'Maria Mater Meretrix'.
Textually a skillfully compiled program where you can follow the most important moments from the life of Mother Maria. The texts by anonymous and non-anonymous poets were set to music over the centuries by (un)known composers. Quite interesting and attractive, engaging.
Maria central or Patricia?
A concert should place the music central and if there is a particular theme, such as the Mother Virgin, then that stands as central as the music or it may dominate. But alas, what stood central above all was the violinist who definitely went into overdrive with regard to the show element. And then it's not about her bare feet, but everything else. Yes, she is a virtuoso and draws an enormous sound from her violin. Music, however? I hardly heard it. Moreover, she turned the interwoven program into a sort of potpourri with not always entirely fitting musical connecting elements and interventions.
The singers Anna Prohaska sang with dedication and performed the text quite authentically. At full orchestra volume she didn't always come out on top of the sound, but it remained very decently acceptable. However, I couldn't agree with the sometimes bizarre interventions that fit like a spanner in the works. Occasionally there were very beautiful restrained respectful moments, such as in the opening piece by Gustav Holst.
The subsequent 'Palästinalied' by Walther Von der Vogelweide was as medieval as could be, until the penultimate added instrumental verse gave it a contemporary cinematic effect, still respecting the style. Alas, after that the floodgates opened with an instrumental dragon by George Crumb followed by a completely out-of-context Ave Maris Stella based on Gregorian chant by Guillaume Dufay. The instrumental arrangement was oh so pseudo-medieval and turned out to be a failed search for the what and how. I suspect that the arranger – whoever it may be – didn't understand the essence.
And so it went on and on. And then the conductor of it all, good gracious, it really got on my nerves. Drawing attention like that to yourself. Where is the necessity? You stand in the middle of the stage, everyone sees you really, all those exaggerated shows and sometimes aggressive violin playing make you, as far as I'm concerned, instead of 'the star of the evening' into the 'falling star of the evening'. No, thank you. I don't need this even though I know very well that a large majority, whether dazzled by the great name or not, will not agree with me.
WHAT: 'Maria Mater Meretrix' by Anna Prohaska (soprano), Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin) and Ensemble Resonanz
WHERE: deSingel, Antwerpen
WHEN: 20 April 2023
PHOTO: © A touch of theatricality … Patricia Kopatchinskaja (left) with Anna Prohaska at the Barbican. Photograph: Ash Knotek