One of the most performed and loved works of all time, Handel’s Messiah is an oratorio based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. It received its initial performance in Dublin in 1742.

This Saturday, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus gave their traditional Messiah performance under the baton of British Maestro Bramwell Tovey with guest chorus-master Anthony Pasquill at Hamer Hall. The soloists were New Zealand soprano Anna Leese, Melbourne mezzo Sally-Anne Russell, Vienna-based Australian tenor Steve Davislim and Australian-based New Zealand tenor Teddy Tahu Rhodes. The soloists were seated on the aisles of the hall, soprano and mezzo to the left, tenor and baritone to the right and walked on an off to perform their items.

By nature of the work, the orchestra comprised a chamber-sized string section with basso continuo of cello, double bass, harpsichord, organ and bassoon, all in modern concert pitch.

Part I, the coming of the Messiah, is full of classical favourites including the French-styled Sinfony-Overture, the tender Comfort Ye solo for the tenor, But who may abide for the alto, The people that walked in darkness for the bass and the Rejoice greatly for the soprano. After the majestic opening chorus Behold the Lamb of God, Part II introduces the alto aria He was despised, the longest aria in the Messiah, depicting Christ’s rejection. Behold, and see and But thou didst not leave for the tenor paired with the soprano’s How beautiful are the feet and the bass’s Why do the nations lead to the glorious Hallelujah Chorus to conclude Part II of the work.

Interestingly, it was decided to omit the chorus Let all the Angels as well as the alto aria Thou art gone up on high in tonight’s performance. As some more cuts were implemented in Part III, the impression evoked that this was a reaction to complete, often overly long performances of the work.

Part III, the shortest of all three parts, is characterized by the well-known Redeemer aria for the soprano as well as The trumpet shall sound for bass and trumpet and concludes with the mighty Worthy is the Lamb followed by the Amen.

Bramwell Tovey conducted tastefully and knew when to lead the ensemble and when to listen and let go. The tempos were adequate and the balance between soloists, chorus and orchestra were well achieved. (I met the conductor in the pub afterwards and he impressed with an enormous portfolio of facial expressions and English wit. A pity that—besides some glimpses from the side—I could only see his back during the performance, but I am certain that these skills were also used to interpret the music in the performance. It sounded like it).

Anna Leese’s shiny soprano was a good fit for Messiah. She gave an admirable performance of the Rejoice, greatly showcasing her warm-timbred voice. It is an aria feared by many and the reason why many sopranos would turn down a Messiah gig. And all of this because Handel wrote two eternal coloratura lines that make this aria fiendishly difficult. Leese took breaths in both of them. Do I think it made the music or her performance worse? No. Did I think it mattered at all? No. Why do I mention this then? I think this can help to encourage more sopranos to have a go at this wonderful piece of music and share it with their audiences.

Mezzo soprano Sally-Anne Russell, or Sally Russell as she is known on Facebook, not only impressed with her purple dress and shiny earrings but also with her clean voice to produce an effortless speech-like sound paired with the right drama when needed. Her Despised in Part II—including the ornaments in the repeat section—was truly wonderful and righteously earned her the title of “Messiah Queen of Australia.” (Note: Graham Abbott is the Messiah King of Australia!)

The stylish performance of Steve Davislim’s Comfort Ye was followed by a theatrical performance of Every Valley. His items in the other parts were equally convincing and I really enjoyed the perfectly suited unity of timbre and character in his interpretation of Thou shall break them. Teddy Tahu Rhodes’ performance throughout the work shines with enough grunt to be heard within a setting of modern instruments as well as uninterrupted vocal line paired with a profound bass-baritone timbre. His duet with MSO principal trumpet Geoff Payne in The trumpet shall sound was one of the highlights of the evening.

The soloists were supported by a dedicated and sparkly performance by the MSO Chorus. Following maestro Tovey’s guidance, guest concertmaster Adam Chalabi communicated well with the soloists and other members of the orchestra to guarantee adequate blend between ensemble and individual voice type. The orchestra’s small ensemble/ripieno accompaniment in the Despised was truly magical.

Congratulations on a very enjoyable performance.

Dr Mario Dobernig, himself a conductor, reviewed the MSO performance for Classic Melbourne on opening night, December 5,  2015.

The picture taken on that occasion is by photographer Daniel Aulsebrook.

In this extremely well received performance, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and especially the soloists, brought out the story line of Messiah – in recitatives, arias and choruses – a very convincing way.  It is a story of wonder, awe, sorrow and redemption.

The energetic conductor, Matthew Halls, took the chamber-sized orchestra at a brisk pace with clear intonation.  A welcome lack of vibrato contributed greatly to the Baroque sound.  Without a score Halls seemed to have all sections of the orchestra and choir within eye contact and used his expressive gestures to achieve the effects – sustain this section, shape this line, bring out the forces.  And this was achieved.  Throughout the work Halls brought a lovely attention to the lower continuo parts of cello, harpsichord, organ for the accompaniment.   The orchestra of about 35 rarely overwhelmed the soloists, and the balance of choir and orchestra was excellent.

One highlight of the orchestra’s work, was in “For he is like a refiner’s fire”, the violins truly generating sparks.  Another orchestral highlight was placing two trumpets in the balcony wings to give a processional effect for building to the conclusion of the chorus “Glory to God”.   The orchestra throughout was effective in conveying the emotions of the pieces with great clarity; from wonderful singing violin lines in “Come unto him”, through forceful dotted rhythms of “Surely” to the biting savagery of “He trusted in God”.  In the larger choruses the oboes often added depth to the texture.

Tenor Richard Butler was the first soloist with the recitative “Comfort Ye” and “Every valley” which followed.  Here his voice was effortless and demonstrated a strong top.  Perhaps there was too much reliance on swelling from a pianissimo, but all his work showed a clear technique and clarity of diction that was very persuasive and attentive to the meaning of the words.  In “Thou shalt dash them”, his desire to convey the intensity of the piece seemed to cause a sharpness of pitch on the top notes.

Christopher Field, counter tenor, was equally at home in bringing the Angel’s message of good tidings as he was with capturing the wildness of the runs in “For he is like a refiner’s fire”.  His tone was consistent throughout and with very good flexibility which made for an impressive performance.

Christopher Purves, bass, was another convincing storyteller. From hushed awe to fiery duet with trumpet, he had power and maintained tonal quality. His sense of the character of each aria was very compelling and his ease with the top register and the fiendish runs of “The Trumpet shall sound” was impressive (although one unfortunate low note caused laughter, rather than fear associated with the Day of Judgment)!

Siobhan Stagg’s bright and clear soprano was the real highlight of the night.  It was an exquisitely judged performance in every recitative and aria.  She has a great stage presence and the luminescent quality of her voice (especially the top notes, but evident throughout her range) brought tears for some audience members.  Her “How beautiful are the feet” was extraordinarily radiant.  May the memory of this never dim.

The MSO Chorus was well prepared and under the detailed guidance of the conductor gave very responsive contributions of great immediacy.  There was the softly, hushed quality in choruses such as “Since by man”, contrasting with the joy of “Even so in Christ”.  There were good clear entries and diction in choruses such as “Let us break their bonds” which gave clarity to Handel’s counterpoint.  The standard major choral numbers were given their full-bodies richness without being forced – especially in the opening choruses of Part 2; but their singing of “He trusted in God” was marvellously impressive with its gripping malevolence of taunting and spite.

The ending of the work with its massive sound-edifice of “Worthy is the Lamb” and the build up through the fugal-like structure of the “Amen”, captured the audience’s ears and heart.

Peter Williams reviewed this performance of Messiah at Hamer Hall on December 13, 2014.