{"id":120389,"date":"2025-12-17T14:41:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=120389"},"modified":"2025-12-17T14:41:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:41:57","slug":"scrutiny-toronto-symphony-orchestras-messiah-covers-basics-misses-true-holiday-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/12\/17\/scrutiny-toronto-symphony-orchestras-messiah-covers-basics-misses-true-holiday-magic\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Toronto Symphony Orchestra\u2019s Messiah Covers The Basics, But Misses On True Holiday Magic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Gerald
Gerald Finley, Anthony Le\u00f3n, Susan Platts, Lauren Snouffer and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performing Handel\u2019s Messiah on December 16, 2025 (Photo: Allan Cabral)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Handel: Messiah. Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (Jean-S\u00e9bastien Vall\u00e9e, artistic director). Lauren Snouffer, soprano; Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano; Anthony Le\u00f3n, tenor; Gerald Finley, bass-baritone. Michael Francis, conductor. At Roy Thomson Hall, Dec. 16, 2025. Repeats Dec. 17, 19, 20, 21; tickets here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Handel\u2019s Messiah returns every year to Roy Thomson Hall under the auspices of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, typically with distinguishing characteristics imported by a visiting conductor and a fresh slate of soloists.<\/p>\n

The version heard on Dec. 16 under the baton of Michael Francis<\/strong> had all the basics. Possibly the repeat performances will occasion more of a hard-to-define quality I shall call Messiah magic.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir performing Handel\u2019s Messiah on December 16, 2025 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Photo: Allan Cabral)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Choir<\/h3>\n

Central to the evening were the 169 choristers of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, most on stage risers. Balanced and precise as prepared by Jean-S\u00e9bastien Vall\u00e9e, they responded faithfully to Francis\u2019s dynamic and articulatory demands.<\/p>\n

The already bracing difference between the grave and allegro sequences of Since By Man Came Death was redoubled with an unauthorized contrast of volume. As TSO music director Gustavo Gimeno points out in an introductory program essay, the Messiah maestro has something like carte blanche in the matter of expressive markings, Handel having left us very few.<\/p>\n

Francis showed a preference for light textures and glancing rhythms. And He Shall Purify was appropriately nimble. Happily, there were no half measures for Hallelujah, which had its expected galvanizing effect. All but a handful in the crowd were on their feet. Presumably Francis had the idea of raising the house lights to encourage standing and confirm the status of this chorus as primus inter pares.<\/p>\n

Not everything went as well. In some cases slow tempos conspired with a steady beat and d\u00e9tach\u00e9 phrasing to create a feeling of stasis. There could be no doubt of the iambic pulse of Behold The Lamb Of God. The final Amen was orderly but left me wanting something more openly apocalyptic.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Hallelujah Chorus of Handel\u2019s Messiah on December 16, 2025 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Photo: Allan Cabral)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Soloists<\/h3>\n

Soloists were seated stage right and asked to walk to the centre as the prior number was winding down. This created a welcome touch of theatricality.<\/p>\n

Susan Platts<\/strong> was the most impressive of the four. The British-born Canadian mezzo-soprano did not make a forceful sound but projected inner intensity. Even the breath breaks added to the expressive potency of He Was Despised.<\/p>\n

Gerald Finley<\/strong> \u2014 by contrast Canadian-born and resident in Britain \u2014 was a noble bass-baritone, equal to both the range and authority embodied by The Trumpet Shall Sound. TSO principal Steven Woomert<\/strong> sounded gleaming in the title role.<\/p>\n

Tenor Anthony Le\u00f3n<\/strong>, described as American-born, Cuban and Colombian, made amends for an edgy tone with excellent diction. Like his colleagues, he ornamented amply. Lauren Snouffer<\/strong> was sweet and poised in I Know That My Redeemer Liveth. This American soprano also gave us If God Be For Us \u2014 an air that is often cut in the hustle to bring the post-Hallelujah Part 3 to a close. Associate concertmaster Matthew Hakkarainen<\/strong> supplied a refined violin obbligato. It would nice one of these years to hear the duet O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?<\/p>\n

\"Michael
Michael Francis conducts the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performing Handel\u2019s Messiah on December 16, 2025 (Photo: Allan Cabral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orchestra<\/h3>\n

The orchestra numbered 38, although only a fraction of players were used for smaller-scaled solos. String sound, in keeping with contemporary dictates, was largely vibrato-free. Trumpets were in the organ loft for Glory To God.<\/p>\n

Armed with a baton and using a score, Francis was firmly in control of the particulars. This British conductor, appearing for the fourth time with the TSO, knows his stuff. Judging by the positive response, the crowd could tell. There are four further performances.<\/p>\n

Are you looking to promote an event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n

Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em>HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Handel\u2019s Messiah returns every year to Roy Thomson Hall under the auspices of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, in 2025 under the baton of British conductor Michael Francis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":120391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,74,11,19,5722,52,63],"tags":[42515,1401,42516,2217,3191,5644,3349],"yst_prominent_words":[6825],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-REVIEW-2025-12-17T143843.975.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-vjL","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120389"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120389"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120396,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120389\/revisions\/120396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120389"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=120389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}