Handel's "Messiah" and Baroque Performance by Michael Christie
It's rare in the often traditional world of classical music to say you've done something new and innovative with a stalewart work such as Handel's Messiah. Innovation in the presentation of this familiar holiday piece can surprise and sometimes upset listeners, who depend on getting the experience they enjoyed before, note for note. When so much of classical music is subjective, why change a sure thing? My message for our community is "Don't take the "Messiah," or Baroque Music for that matter, for granted!"
Tinkering with greatness is a financial gamble too, especially as is the case here at The Phoenix Symphony, when a large portion of our annual revenue depends on this seasonal business. But the Symphony's board of directors and its artistic staff decided it was time for the Phoenix Symphony to join a growing list of organizations world-wide who are committing themselves to a deeper understanding of early music performance practice. This of course brings about change to the Messiah, a different perspective we hope you will all come to enjoy.
Through considerable hard work and investment, The Phoenix Symphony has brought out a new version of Messiah, one we could call Version 1.0. This is because the latest incarnation of this masterwork is getting back to its roots as a Baroque showpiece.
Last weekend, we premiered this new "old" version to enthusiastic crowds at the Orpheum Theater. We will continue to perform Messiah Highlight concerts throughout the Valley this weekend at several churches. If you attend - and I hope you will - you'll hear Messiah as it was originally intended. Using Baroque performance practice taught to our musicians under the guidance of period expert Robert Mealy, and employing an ever-growing assortment of period instruments thanks to a generous donation from The Herberger and Barness Family Foundations, we bring you a an even more vibrant, engaging Messiah.
This is just the first step for The Phoenix Symphony, as we develop our skills at Baroque performance. You can also attend Baroque Christmas this season, taking advantage of the same changes to present some of Bach's fabulous "Christmas cantatas," a Brandenburg Concerto and an Orchestral Suite. I hope you will venture out to see one of these concerts this month, and let us know what you think. It's a change and a challenge, but a welcome one!
I think once you've heard this fresh perspective you will understand why early music performance practice and the great music it informs should never be taken for granted.
Tinkering with greatness is a financial gamble too, especially as is the case here at The Phoenix Symphony, when a large portion of our annual revenue depends on this seasonal business. But the Symphony's board of directors and its artistic staff decided it was time for the Phoenix Symphony to join a growing list of organizations world-wide who are committing themselves to a deeper understanding of early music performance practice. This of course brings about change to the Messiah, a different perspective we hope you will all come to enjoy.
Through considerable hard work and investment, The Phoenix Symphony has brought out a new version of Messiah, one we could call Version 1.0. This is because the latest incarnation of this masterwork is getting back to its roots as a Baroque showpiece.
Last weekend, we premiered this new "old" version to enthusiastic crowds at the Orpheum Theater. We will continue to perform Messiah Highlight concerts throughout the Valley this weekend at several churches. If you attend - and I hope you will - you'll hear Messiah as it was originally intended. Using Baroque performance practice taught to our musicians under the guidance of period expert Robert Mealy, and employing an ever-growing assortment of period instruments thanks to a generous donation from The Herberger and Barness Family Foundations, we bring you a an even more vibrant, engaging Messiah.
This is just the first step for The Phoenix Symphony, as we develop our skills at Baroque performance. You can also attend Baroque Christmas this season, taking advantage of the same changes to present some of Bach's fabulous "Christmas cantatas," a Brandenburg Concerto and an Orchestral Suite. I hope you will venture out to see one of these concerts this month, and let us know what you think. It's a change and a challenge, but a welcome one!
I think once you've heard this fresh perspective you will understand why early music performance practice and the great music it informs should never be taken for granted.
7 Comments:
"Against the Grain" back for further comment:
I fully support taking these beloved war-horses (i.e. "Messiah") in new directions. After all, why else should the audience keep coming back year after year? There might be a few audience members who want to hear *exactly* the same thing each year, but I would suspect they are in the minority.
I love the early music initiative. I could certainly hear the difference during the Baroque Christmas concert, and I make no claim to be an expert in these matters.
I might actually drag myself in for a "Messiah" listening, and that is something I had not bothered to attend for years.
Signed,
ATG
Ah, but Sonny, I would so love to hear Bach's Magnificat in a Baroque setting. With more orchestra and less chorus in the Pops I think it could be done. I agree to eliminate the Orpheum unless the acoustics can be improved, but please repeat the complete Messiah again. Perhaps in the Mesa Arts Centre.
Sonny's observation about "separate divisions" outside of our Symphony Hall events is correct. The Phoenix Symphony has limited access to Symphony Hall based upon the city's requirement that we share with our sister companies, the Opera, Ballet and increasingly the city's ever-increasing appetite for convention space. The orchestra has been spliting during the Nutcracker season for years so our current activities do not differ from the past. In fact, this period has allowed us the added flexibility to add Baroque Xmas to our holiday offerings.
Our next Baroque gig comes in March. The other half of the orchestra will be doing classroom/education concerts during that week fulfilling one of our other important mandates, direct contact with our school age education programs. As many of you have probably gathered from reading various posts on this blog the mechanics of a symphony orchestra are never as easy as they would seem nor as streamlined as one would ideally like, particularly here in Phoenix where we struggle to find ideal performing space that allows us to cover a reasonable part of the cost of doing business.
I don't think Sonny is insuating that he feels we aren't committed to the full orchestra repertory but it is worth pointing out that with the addition of the full orchestra on most of our "MOPS" (Mesa, Orpheum, Prescott, Scottsdale) concerts the full orchestra is playing together significantly more than in the past.
You'll be pleased to know that Mahler Symphony 5 appears on next season's program as do a number of spectacular orchestral staples. Full disclosure - Bruckner does not appear but will soon.
We have certainly enjoyed our Baroque Tour around the valley and like many of my colleagues I hunger for our next opportunity to dive into this music.
Until then however, I can't wait for Harmonielehre!
Merry Christmas!
"Handel’s oratorio dates from 1741 but leads two contemporary lives. For the under-50 devotee, the traditional “Messiah” is likely to be Handel rediscovered — fleet, light, powered by period instruments and sung with a bell-like, vibrato-free delivery. For the weathered listener, the real “Messiah” will be Edwardian-size choruses, heavyweight symphony orchestras and tempos slowed by a consequent pull of gravity."
This from a recent New York Times review of a Messiah performace. I think it sums up the divide between the two approaches quite well.
I felt in these performances a little as though I were playing a concert of new music (where I am a little more at home). I say this only because the act of performance was enough to provoke discussion. At least in the churches it created enough interest that some from the audience approached me to ask very good and sincere questions.This alone is a very positive direction in my mind.
I am not quite ready to throw out my Glenn Gould or Henryk Szeryng Bach recordings just yet. (Szeryng's solo violin Bach is one of the great recordings). I am not sure that there is only one approach to this period music. However, one only needs to listen to a few recordings to know that within one "style" there are as many interpretations as there are performers.
I hope that there are as many from the audience who are not afraid to ask about the Adams next month.
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/06/DDG4PM5A191.DTL
This might be a great way to combine the baroque project, staged opera and new music
Hi Sonny,
"Against the Grain" writing here. I love your idea of "The Tender Land." I would most definitely attend that.
I am also waiting for the announcement for next season with great anticipation!
ATG
We went to hear midori play beethoven and then, I think, it was a John Adams piece after that. I tried to tell people that Adams was full of wonderful melodies (I think the piece was called Mellodian or some such? I cant find it in the January 11, 2007 program listings), but people left anyhow. Amazing. How can a composer become FAMILIAR if you never hear his work? Anyhow. WE enjoyed it all. Thanks. The orchestra did nice crash bang boom and lovely sounds resolving things. I love it when the drums go all out.
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