The Gospel according to St Mark: Padmore and the OAE in Battersea

By Roy Westbrook, 05 April 2021

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“an uncanny portrait of the divine in mortal guise”

Reviewed at Battersea Arts Centre, London on 2 April 2021

Bach, St John Passion, BWV245

Grant Gee, Video

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Mark Padmore, Tenor, Artistic Concept and Music Director

Gerald Finley, Baritone

Neal Davies, Bass

Jonathan Brown, Bass

Nakhane, Spoken Word / Actor

Jessica Cale, Soprano

Rowan Pierce, Soprano

Daisy Walford, Soprano

Helen Charlston, Mezzo-soprano

David Clegg, Countertenor

Bethany Horak-Hallett, Mezzo-soprano

Hugo Hymas, Tenor

Laurence Kilsby, Tenor

Philip Tebb, Baritone

Immersive OAE submerged at Southbank’s Multitudes festival

Mark Valencia, 22nd April

The road to immersion is paved with modish deflections as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment performs 20th-century English string music.

**111

Mixed Mozart from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Dominic Lowe, 26th February

A Mozart's of symphonies – his last – under conductor Robin Ticciati is capped with a fine Jupiter, but is let down by the performances of its two predecessors.

***11

John Butt and the OAE celebrate Handel's Solomon

Roy Westbrook, 12th October

The Queen of Sheba is clearly in a hurry in this account of Handel's oratorio at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

*****

Enescu Festival immersion: Bach on the street, Klimt in the forest

Peter Quantrill, 11th September

At the George Enescu International Festival, a pair of new shows crossing genres and reinventing the classics, with mostly enlightening results.

****1

Brandstrup Breaking Bach with the OAE at EIF

Kathy Elgin, 20th August

Kim Brandstrup choreographs Bach favourites based on hip hop and street dance. Lie back on the bean bags at Usher Hall and enjoy...

****1

A strong new Figaro opens at Glyndebourne

Dominic Lowe, 29th June

Mariame Clément is a popular director at Glyndebourne, and her new production of Figaro shows her trademark approach to hardhitting comedy.

****1

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.

The Gospel according to St Mark: Padmore and the OAE at Battersea Arts Centre