This is not our Gardiner (it's better)

Those who met him upon his return to Barcelona say that Gardiner has changed . A lot, in fact. He hadn't set foot in the Palau de la Música Catalana for two years and four months. The last time, in February 2023, he did so to officiate a Bach Mass in B minor, which became ingrained in the memories of all the parishioners who had come that day to renew their communion with the maestro. He was about to turn eighty at the time, and a few months later, in August, came the news that marked a critical turning point in his career: at the end of a performance, the Bach expert had punched one of his singers. Gardiner intoned his mea culpa, attributed his attitude to fatigue and a change in medication, and took a few months to reflect. Many of us thought we would never see him on stage again.

But that hasn't been the case, and the British musician has returned to lead his orchestra. Because "The Constellation," although it bears a different brand and logo from the legendary Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra, is made up of a very similar cast to the one that has accompanied him for decades. This is the nature of the employment structure of British orchestras: many members are freelancers who play with this group today and that one tomorrow. This explains, for example, why the wonderful Kati Debretzeni remains the concertmaster to the left of the Father, as she always has.

It remained to be seen, however, whether Gardiner was still Gardiner. And, undoubtedly, he is. Three Bach cantatas were enough to win over the Barcelona audience once again. From the outset, the connection between the conductor and his musicians was somewhat shaky. "Ihr werdet weinen und heulen" (Your Werdet Weinen and Heulen) sounded somewhat hesitant at first, especially in the vocal section. The relative renewal of the orchestra contrasts with much more evident changes in the choir. Among the soloists, alto Alexander Chance stood out for two completely opposite reasons. In this first cantata, he seemed unsure at all times, which was reflected in the inconsistencies when it came to his solo accompanied by the aforementioned concertmaster: they struggled to find each other. However, at the end, in the imposing "Wir mussen durch viel Trübsal" (Where We Must Be Through Many Troubles), he displayed undeniable confidence, exquisite taste, and much more controlled delivery. Gardiner remains a great detector of voices for tackling the Baroque repertoire. The ones he has now just need a little more time.

In the choral passages, the singers' blending provided unforgettable moments, moments we feared we'd never see again. Heavenly voices serving a score conducted by a character with both light and shade—we already knew this before the punch—whose reading of Bach's corpus is the fruit of decades of study and dedication. Gardiner, therefore, has returned, and he's not the same: he's a little better . Perhaps saying he's more affable and more humble would be an exaggeration, but he does seem less arrogant and measures his words and gestures better. The musicians also notice it: we haven't seen so many smiles or knowing glances behind the music stands before.