As we have come to expect from three decades of practice, Toronto period-instrument orchestra Tafelmusik did a fine job with the first of its annual performances of George Frideric Handel’s perennially popular 1741 oratorio Messiah at Koerner Hall.
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
True to form, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir conductor Ivars Taurins teased rich colours and textures from the 25-member-strong-orchestra flanked at the back of the stage by the same number of singers. The sound balance was very good. The pacing natural, dynamic and fluid.
Given that Taurins and his gang of pros return to this well-thumbed score year after year, it would have been a major shock for it to sound any other way.
As is Tafelmusik’s custom, the audience heard something we could call the uncut version of Handel’s music and the Scriptural texts assembled by his librettist Charles Jennens. Most other groups provide some cuts here and there, especially towards the end of the 2-1/2-hour oratorio.
Taurins also chose to make some substitutions with some of the more familiar arias. There are many versions of Messiah from Handel’s time because he would adapt solos to suit the forces available to him for any given performance.
It’s impossible to tell whether these substitutions are better or worse than the arias we have become accustomed to hearing for the past century, but the change does make one listen to the music with a fresher ear.
The big variables from year to year are the soloists — and it’s here where the Toronto Symphony’s current effort might garner an extra little star of admiration from this reviewer.
Tafelmusik’s guest Canadian soloists — baritone Tyler Duncan, tenor Colin Balzer and mezzo-soprano Laura Pudwell — all did an excellent job of not just conveying the music, but in bringing a sense of tasteful drama to the text.
It’s too bad that British soprano Emma Kirkby was not up to the same high standard. Too bad in many ways, actually, because, in her prime, she was one of the great champions and heroines of baroque and Early Music, and an inspiration for many young singers and students to consider a career in this field.
Yes, Kirkby can still sing, but she expends so much effort in making this possible, that the text and phrasing suffer. If she were surrounded by a less capable group of singers and musicians, it wouldn’t be nearly as obvious. It was also strange for someone who has spent so many years with Handel’s music, and this oratorio in particular, to be glued to the score rather than explore a wider range of expressive contact with the audience.
But this didn’t upset the capacity house at Koerner Hall, where the musicians received a long and warm standing ovation for their efforts. Such is the accumulated appreciation for Tafelmusik’s view of Messiah that all the Koerner Hall performances were sold out before the week began.
There may be a seat or two left for the annual Singalong Messiah at Massey Hall on Sunday afternoon.
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
