The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO), Polyphonic Voices and soloists herald an annual tradition that legend suggested occurred in 1743 when protocol dictated that all audience members had to stand as King George II did in reverence to a well-known chorus. Melbourne audiences, likewise, continue this tradition by rising to their feet to the resplendent ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ in George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. Directors Sophie Rowell (orchestra leader) and Michael Fulcher (conductor) joined four committed soloists and chorus in a performance of this celebrated oratorio. Orchestral and choral musicianship, dramatic flair and tonal beauty were on show within the exceptional acoustic of Elizabeth Murdoch Hall at the Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC).
Handel’s Messiah stands apart from his Old Testament oratorios by deviating from operatic narrative conventions that oratorios of the period typically honoured. As David Forest’s program note infers, librettist Charles Jennens’ libretto is organised thematically rather than as a linear narrative. Messiah is almost entirely drawn from Biblical texts, primarily the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. Jennens carefully curated these passages to form a cohesive theological argument with an absence of characters. Where elements of narrative occur, such as in the retelling of the Christmas story in Part One, they are but fleeting. The challenge for the orchestra, soloists and chorus is then to communicate the messages of three parts: Prophecy, Sacrifice and Redemption, in the absence of plot. This speaks to the heart of the motivations of the characters in the New Testament that are never mentioned in this work. Messiah is an elevated form of ‘high drama’ that resists conventional narrative storytelling. One relevant aspect of this performance demonstrated the carefully considered decisions made to include key movements of the work, while some movements were omitted. Messiah is rarely performed in its entirety – a complete performance can last over three hours. The exclusion of some movements may have disappointed some hardened patrons, but the carefully considered inclusions kept the overall message intact and the pace of the performance well-kept.
The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra is impressive in its combined sound, and this was evident from the opening bars of the overture. It was interesting to perceive a romantic richness of tone in the strings, particularly in the first and second violins where exposed lines in ‘Glory to God’, ‘Amen’ and numerous coloratura-inspired entries were always full-bodied yet articulate and never laboured. At times, the choir found it difficult to match the orchestral volume though this was not a frequent occurrence. By the end of Part One, a more even balance between orchestra and ensemble was achieved and maintained for the remainder of the work.
Where some performances opt for breakneck speeds, Rowell and Fulcher opted for measured tempi that rightly engendered a mannered and stately feel in Part One choruses such as ‘And he shall purify’ and ‘For unto us a child is born’. Indeed, his yoke was always easy and never overdone, allowing the acoustic of the MRC to accept the polished sound of Polyphonic Voices under Michael Fulcher. Of note, the delivery of some commonly challenging choral coloratura passage work in the early choruses were effortless and even across all chorus parts. Polyphonic Voices need to be congratulated on some inspired moments. Their most captivating moments occurred during Part Two. The chorus delivered some affective word painting and expressive phrasing in ‘Behold the lamb’ and in ‘And with his stripes’. Moving from the stately to the impassioned and on to what was a most pleasing conclusion was the choir’s rousing, ‘Worthy is the Lamb / Amen’.
The four soloists each had unique qualities that attended to the expressive demands of the text. Tenor Timothy Reynolds warrants a special mention as a last-minute replacement. Reynolds’ lyrical phrasing in ‘Comfort ye my people’ was galvanised by polished vocal onsets that bloomed into a warmly cultivated tone. Reynold’s dramatic conviction in ‘Thou shalt break them’ was gripping. In a similar vein, bass Nicholas Dinopoulos’ dramatic delivery of the text in ‘Why do the nations’ was injected with spiteful venom. Dinopoulos was in full voice for ‘The Trumpet shall sound’, in duet with a flawless performance from solo trumpet player Callum G’Froerer. Alto Alex Ritter was most pleasing in the lyrical sections of his arias where his soothingly cultivated tone was able to draw the audience in during the consoling ‘He was despised’. Likewise, soprano Elsbeth Bawden’s beauty of tone made ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ engender the text with an appropriate sense of reconciliation.
As the festive season approaches, audiences in Melbourne will be treated to a variety of interpretations of this beloved work. The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Polyphonic Voices love of this work was evident in some inspired moments. As MCO Artistic director Sophie Rowell communicated in her audience address, Handel’s Messiah is something both audiences and musicians look forward to every year; may we all respond with a rousing ‘Hallelujah’!
Photo credit: Lucien Fischer
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Stephen Marino reviewed “Handel’s Messiah”, presented by The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
