Church portrayals of Mary, the mother of Jesus, are generally that of a pious young woman demurely bowing her veiled head.
Vivaldi’s and the Bach father and son’s Magnificats, however, all of three which Noosa Chorale will present at the J on May 26 and 27, portray a very different Mary.
This Mary is far from meek and mild, and a long way from being beholden to a mortal man. On the contrary, she has become pregnant without the need for a man, which must have represented an enormous challenge to the accepted social morals of the time, even though it was God who was the father.
According to Luke’s Gospel, Mary was grateful to have been chosen by God to bear his son in spite of her obscurity, and low status. Perhaps this was the inspiration for her prayer in which she calls on God to cast down the powerful from their thrones, to send the rich away empty handed, to feed the hungry, and to lift the lowly.
This message, in what was then Roman-occupied Palestine, could even have been construed as a heretical statement of defiance against the state and the prevailing social order.
Mary’s prayer in the Magnificat, with its message of praise for humility over pride, and rejection of injustice and exploitation of the poor and the powerless, transcends all religions.
This focus on social justice is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. It has been recited every day for centuries by Christians, chanted by monks, set to music by composers of every age, and sung by choirs all over the world.
The Magnificat was composed by three musical giants of the Baroque era and the Magnificats selected for this concert are amongst the best known and most frequently performed in the world today.
Vivaldi created his various revisions of the work around the period 1717 through to the early 1720s. JS Bach, a contemporary of Vivaldi’s, composed his in 1723. His son, CPE Bach, who composed his some 26 years later in 1749, was clearly inspired by his father’s Magnificat, but his is more “modern”, very different in style and effect from the high baroque influences and strong theological references of JS Bach.
Conducted by well-respected conductor and choir director Kim Kirkman, the concert features five exceptional Brisbane-based soloists and an orchestra of 22 players, along with the choir.
Tickets $45. The J, Friday May 26 at 7pm and Saturday May 27at 2pm. Bookings at thej.com.au
