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How Was Your Messiah?
- 12/22/10
- 26
Back in November I encouraged you to Enjoy Messiah This Christmas and I know that quite a lot of you did—you took in a performance of Handel’s Messiah. I’d love to hear about your experience. Where did you go and what was it like? Give me a brief report!
Let me tell you about the performance I saw last night with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
First off, it was great to bump into several friends there. And it was interesting that for the second year in a row I bumped into a reader of this site in the bathroom at Roy Thompson Hall; that’s two times he and I have crossed paths, and in both cases it’s been in the bathrooms of Roy Thompson. Small world, I guess (and sorry—I didn’t catch your name!).
Messiah is an annual tradition for me, so I’ve seen quite a few performances of it. This year’s was entirely unique and utterly amazing. The conductor ws Andrew Davis—that’s Maestro Sir Andrew Davis to you. But he not only conducted Messiah; he also re-orchestrated it. This was a major 10-month project for him. His aim was “to keep Handel’s notes, harmonies, and style intact, but to make use of all the colours available from the modern symphony orchestra to underline the mood and meaning of the individual movements.”
This led to quite a few unexpected instruments being used: marimba, darabuka, bells and even tambourine (yes, tambourine). While the piece’s words and flow were unchanged, there were significant changes to the orchestration throughout. The performance kicked off with the Overture, as it always does, but it was led not by strings but by the woodwinds. So from the first notes I knew this was going to be very, very different. And, indeed, it was. But Davis made it work. Many of his changes to the orchestration were meant to illuminate the meaning of the different movements and in this he succeeded very well, whether it was in adding to the irony of the lighthearted feel of “All we like sheep have gone astray” (by which Handel meant to show how flippant we can be about our sin) or in coming up with a kind of echo effect for “The trumpet shall sound” which was meant to show that the trumpet is sounding far and wide. I found that I understood Messiah much more this year than I ever have in the past.
His explanatory notes in the program were very, very helpful. Here’s an example from immediately before the “Unto us a Child is born” chorus:
The orchestration for the chorus ‘For unto us a Child is born’ is robust, but when, towards the end, the militaristic tenor drum threatens to take over, the rest of the orchestra, embarrassed, fades away, leaving us with the thought that perhaps the most important of the Messiah’s names is ‘Prince of Peace.’
If there was anything about the performance that disappointed me even a little it would have been the “Hallelujah Chorus” where some of his changes seemed just a little bit heavy-handed (mostly related to bells ringing at otherwise quiet moments). Of course I feel ridiculous even taking issue with something done by Sir Andrew Davis whose knowledge of music is infinitely greater than mine, but I suppose I’m still entitled to my opinion. I also felt that the alto soloist was just a little bit weak compared to the other soloists, though the fact that she was on the far side of the stage from me must have contributed to that. And finally, the seats we had didn’t give us the vantage point I would have liked; we were very close to the stage and couldn’t see back to the percussion, brass or woodwinds. But that’s just because we didn’t want to spend the money to get better seats.
Nevertheless, it was an amazing performance and easily my favorite of all-time. I am hoping that at some point we will be able to enjoy a recording of Davis’ reorchestration of Messiah. It’s that good!
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Comments (26)
We watched Messiah in Washington, D.C. at The Kennedy Center. The National Symphony Orchestra with conductor Rinaldo Alessandrini were terrific. The University of Maryland concert choir performed. It was a great start to our first Christmas as DC residents!
Hey Tim. I’m the guy that met you again at Roy Thomson last night in the bathroom. :) I also enjoyed Davis’ Messiah. I found the Hallelujah Chorus to be magnificent, except for the triangle on “King of Kings.” I felt that got old after a couple of times. But the Worthy Is the Lamb/Blessing and Honour/Amen final tryptych of choruses was beautiful and powerful. The bass drum added an earth-shaking depth and authority, and the cymbal crash on the last cadence was thrilling. I found the colour of the solo clarinet shining through the soft strings in the intro for “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” gorgeous. I found that I understood Messiah better than ever this year too; hearing the audiobook helped a lot, and Davis’ orchestration helped bring out the message as well.
For the first time, we saw Messiah live this year. I can’t believe I waited so long to go.
We went to the NSO performance at the Kennedy Center in DC. It was beautiful. The tenor was very young (25, from what we could tell), but his voice was incredible. The soprano was striking as well. My husband and I were just amazed at the depth of the scripture and how well it was woven together to create an overall picture of Christ. We knew it would be good, but we didn’t think it would be so moving. I actually wrote about it here:http://dalecity.patch.com/articles/brightness-to-the-soul
I was there as well last night. I totally agree with your review. The sleigh bells in the Hallelujah Chorus were kinda shocking! In the notes, he explains that he envisions horses at that point- (perhaps the white horse our Messiah will be riding..) but bells on horses really felt out of place.. but that was his interpretation of it, and the power of that piece and the Amen Chorus overshadowed any negativity I might have had. It was an awesome night.
I just did a Bible search for bells, and sure enough, there it is in Zechariah (I shold have known this). Zech 14:20 “On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses…”
This wasn’t as anachronistic as I thought!
We had tickets to the sold out performance of the Minnesota Orchestra. Then the storm of the century came through.
I guess my wife will have to wait to see her first ever orchestra performance.
I went and saw the Kitchener Grand Philharmonic choir do it. I considered going to the TSO one, but this was closer to home and cheaper so it won out ;) It’s kind of funny though because we also felt that the alto soloist was the weak link in the soloists
I would LOVE to hear a recording of this new orchestration! Be sure to let us know if/when you hear of one being available.
It’s hard to top Handel’s original, but every so often I appreciate something a little different. And, as a trumpet player, chances are there’s a lot more to do in Davis’ version. The one bad part about playing “Messiah” is sitting there for an hour before coming in cold to play a long high note followed by a very exposed descending scale before “King of Kings” in the Hallelujah Chorus. Many a trumpet player has flubbed those notes… I know I sure have!
hi tim! went in a group of 10 to the messiah sing-a-long at the walt disney concert hall in LA… a seriously amazing venue, to begin with. it was pouring rain out with lots of cars and slippery roads, but the hall was packed!
i didnt realize how devoted many were… everyone had their own copy of the score and one of the members of our party had three in her home! it was a really amazing first experience—— i think i might have preferred watching it the first time to get the full experience, but the standing up and down and reading along was really unique too.
my only gripe is that they skipped chunks at a time… i dont remember exactly when, but i think they skipped a good third of part 2 and maybe close to that in part 3….. but they did sing the hallelujah chorus three times- once as a warmup, at its actual time, then as an encore. crowd pleasing, definitely.
thank you for the public encouragement to go! i had never even considered it but ended up enjoying it and i think even my husband liked it more than he had expected :)
We saw the performance in Edmonton. My first time. It was fabulous.
We had just received a copy of Stapert’s book the day before, so I brought it along and followed some of his notes on the various pieces. Very helpful.
My only disappointment was that the alto soloist was a guy, making for some awkward falsetto notes.
I am enjoying Handel’s Messiah right now on PBN radio as I read your report!
http://www.pbnradio.com/
Enjoy!
Hi Tim,My mom and I saw the same performance as you did. It was my first time seeing the whole performance, so I have no experience to compare it to. However, we were in the choir loft right beside the bass singers, so we could hear them very well, and the other singers less so, but it was an interesting perspective; a couple of the bass singers were very animated. I thought the soprano was awesome and seemed to really enjoy what she was doing. I did like the alto’s voice, but it seemed like she was struggling to catch her breath.It was nice bumping into your group!
For the past 12 years I’ve been blessed to see Dr. John French conduct the Ursinus College Choir here in Collegeville PA (yes, the Heidelberg Catechism Zacharias Ursinus). They’ve been performing the entire work annually for over 50 years. The venue is relatively small: an old stone chapel with wood ceiling and beams, now retrofitted with theater seats and a stage. Seats about 400 on 2 levels. Prominent is the magnificent pipe organ up front center (played by Alan Morrison). The 20 person or so orchestra in the pit includes Dr. French playing harpsichord continuo, a double-bass, kettle drums, 2 trumpets, oboes, and strings. The 4-part choir is about 100 (?) strong with 4 featured soloists (notably a countertenor in place of the alto in recent years). Each year I bring someone different to share it with: wife, children, parents, and next year friends. My seats were second row (first row empty), so I got an abundance of 2nd violin and trumpet this year.
It’s a wonderful way to have the gospel sweetly sung, angelically proclaimed, and forcefully ministered. I love to see the Truth presented in all its beauty and majesty: Jesus the Messiah unveiled, and glorified. Worthy is the Lamb/Amen is to me like a glimpse of heaven with all the choral parts and instruments coming together in one crescendo of adoration! Come join us next year!
Photo at http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/articles/2010/11/08/life/srv000000987801…
After reading your recommendation, I quickly bought Stapert’s Commentary and purchased two tickets to Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s performance. The night before the show my middle daughter broke her arm, in such a way that required surgery, being released just hours before the show my wife refused to leave our daughter. Reluctuntly I thought it best to stay at home with family rather than go to show alone. Maybe next year.
I heard the unabridged Messiah this year performed by the Village Seven Presbyterian Church (Colorado Springs, CO) choir and orchestra and four guest soloists, all directed by Dr. Richard Hunt. All were superb. As I listened, I was reminded of the words from I Pet. 2:9 “that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him”. Handel certainly does this eloquently in this work.
This performance was more special because students from our English as a Second Language ministry attended. I was privileged to sit next to one of my students, a Muslim, and help her follow along. She and her two children had never heard it before.
The past several years I have followed the text of the work while listening either at home or at a performance from Timothy Botts’ calligraphic rendering of the words in his book Messiah. This year was not an exception.
Just a note (no pun intended) — The reason some few of you may have thought the alto was not as strong as the other singers is because the alto line in the Messiah often lies particularly low in the female voice. Also, a different tuning system was employed during the Baroque era and it seems many present day altos don’t have as much power in their lower register as compared to altos during Handel’s day. (There are those who spend their lives studying these issues) One last thought, the “alto” part no doubt is suitable for a good counter tenor.
Sola gratia…
Went to my first ever live performance of The Messiah with my wife, in Perth (Scotland) last night! The Dunedin Consort from Edinburgh were performing - John Butt the director. Exquisite experience. The concert hall in Perth doesn’t need mics, so good are the acoustics. Even managed to share the gospel with the friendly guy sitting next to us - he seemed quite happy to receive what was explained to him - but was very much the moral relativist. So incredible that with all those provocative parts of Scripture being sung, it can just wash over people, and even be taken as a ‘code of ethics’ (in this particular case)! Oh for unblinded eyes to be a widespread reality in Scotland once again!
I have the privilege every year of singing “Messiah” with the Dallas Bach Society and Orchestra. We had one performance last night, at an intimate stone church, and will have one more tomorrow, at the symphony center downtown. Two very different atmospheres! Every year it’s a more and more meaningful experience, as every year I am able to praise God better with my singing as I grow closer to Him. The last page of the “Amen” always gives me chills; last night I choked up as I reflected that as wonderful as it was, singing Amen in heaven will be so unimagineably much more wonderful!
Thanks for the review. Don’t apologize for criticism - you should be able to hear all the soloists no matter where you sit! I find the cheap seats in the back of balconies are usually the best - first because the sound is completely mixed by the time it reaches you and second you can see everyone on stage.
Christina, I was in the section right beside you (mezzanine R5) and noticed the animated bass singers as well! The mix was pretty good where we were though, because we were a little closer to the centre.
I bought tsoundcheck tickets ($24 each if you’re under 35) and they were surprisingly good seats. I would have to agree that it was the best Messiah I’ve been to. I think it’s because even though I didn’t love every change he made, I loved most of them and I appreciated all the thought that went into each one. It was very obvious that he loves Messsiah and maybe even loves THE Messiah :) and that came through. It was an amazing experience.
Tim, thanks for reminding us about it. I plan to go every year, but most years I forget to get tickets till it’s over. Your blog was a great reminder!
We went last night as well Tim - in Charlotte, NC. The Charlotte Symphony orchestra. A traditional interpretation, and extremely well done!! Even my husband really enjoyed it, and he is not much into “culture”. haha!
We love life in our small town, except for missing opportunities like good, live music. Our “Messiah Experience” will be via iTunes in the car on the way to Grandma’s the Monday after Christmas.
But it’s a start. When the kids are older, we’ll make the trek somewhere to hear it live. But probably not to Toronto.
I have never found a more superior way to enter into the message of THE MESSIAH than this:1. I do not want to be distracted by people or by watching musicians.2. I sit in my office in a comfortable chair and I have PRINTED OUT in front of me EVERY WORD that will be sung.3. Without stopping, I play THE MESSIAH and I listen and I read and there is only one focus: THE MESSAGE! And so, I am moved to worship the LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE TRUE MESSIAH!4. As an alternative, in one of my Bibles, I have the MESSIAH passages marked and numbered… and so I turn from page to page in the Scripture, according to what is being sung. This allows me to also meditate on the context of the MESSIAH passages.
5. One year, we offered this to the church family… providing each one with all the Scripture of the Messiah and played THE MESSIAH over the auditorium sound system. Only a few took advantage of the opportunity; but it was a blessing to all.
6. I happen to use the edition by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, conducted by John Alldis.
7. For me, to sit and to critique is to miss the point and to waste time. O COME LET US WORSHIP AND BOW DOWN!
Response to Virginia’s comment: Really! Thank you for sharing that bit of information. :) It certainly helps to make the alto’s challenge more understandable.
An early Christmas present from my wife this year was tickets to a “sing along” performance of the Messiah. About 1000+ were there with music in hand to sing from. It was awesome. I had learned and performed the Messiah when I was in high school, and it was amazing to re-experience it. It was a great gift.
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Thanks to your wonderful prompting my whole family attended our first Messiah performance. We attended In Colorado Springs, CO. The program said it was a rare complete performance. It was amazing! The soloists were wonderful, especially the alto (who was really a mezzo-soprano per the program) and bass soloists. Having never been before I have nothing to compare it to, though I was fortunate to sing two movements in choir in High school. Thank you so much for beginning a new tradtion in our family!
Tim,
I took your advice and got tickets for me and my wife to go to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles for their version of the Messiah Sing-a-Long. It was incredible!They took us through all 3 acts of the Messiah in 2 hours, skipping a few numbers in each act to finish on time, We sang the Hallelujah chorus 3x!
I had tears welling up in my eyes as 2,000 people joined together with an incredible live orchestra to sing scripture. We have never experienced anything like it. A true glimpse of heaven.
The only part that grieved me was looking around at the packed concert hall and guessing that many who were present had no idea what they were singing. I had a brief moment where I felt compelled to stand up and proclaim the Gospel and tell people what we were actually doing! But instead I more culturally appropriately (haha) spent the better half of the last act simply praying for all that were present. I prayed that the words of their programs would powerfully leap off their scores and that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to the Good news of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for the encouragement to go Tim, this will be a new tradition for us!
Matt DoanOrange County, Ca