Handel’s ‘Messiah’ expressive, intimate, a holiday joy to hear

Connoisseur Concert began its Northwest Bach Festival early this year, and not with a work by Bach, either. Handel’s “Messiah” was given a glowing performance Friday night at First Presbyterian Church. Spokane audiences have learned to expect a fresh view of anything under Gunther Schuller’s baton, and Friday’s “Messiah” was filled with Schuller’s revelations.

Schuller was abetted by a splendid quartet of guest soloists and of local musicians and choristers. What was most striking early in the performance was how carefully Schuller weighed the solemn and the light-hearted elements in this work, something that was immediately evident in the opening instrumental “Sinfony” (as Handel originally referred to the work’s overture). The majesty of Handel’s stately rhythms was succeeded by a dance-like allegro with the spice of ornamental figures Handel would have expected of his own orchestra.

Tenor Rockland Osgood set the tone for the vocal aspects of the performance with his opening accompanied recitative, “Comfort ye, my people.” Every word of the text could be easily understood, a characteristic that remained true not only in the solo numbers but in the choruses, as well. Charles Jennens’ libretto for “Messiah” is a masterpiece made up of passages from the Bible, but it is rare that all those words remain clear even in Handel’s most complicated musical textures.

“Messiah” is a contemplative work rather than a drama with specific characters – very unusual in oratorios. But there is plenty of dramatically expressive music. And Friday’s soloists were a wonderfully expressive lot. From the graceful agility of soprano Janet Brown in pieces such as “Rejoice greatly” and “He shall feed His flock,” to the thunderous rage of bass-baritone James Maddalena in “Why do the nations so furiously rage together” or Osgood in “Thou shalt break them in pieces.”

Mezzo-soprano Barbara Rearick spilled out her own rage in “But who may abide the day of His coming,” but Rearick’s tenderness in “He was despised” was even more deeply moving.

Since Schuller used an orchestra and chorus of about two dozen performers each, the performance group brought a very much more intimate feeling to this oratorio that has been subjected too often to the “cast of thousands” treatment. Particularly impressive were the fast-moving choruses such as “His yoke is easy” and “All we like sheep have gone astray.” Such refreshing delicacy made the impact much greater in such solemn choruses as “Behold the Lamb of God” and the angry ones such as “Let us break their bonds asunder.”

By design or coincidence, the choice of First Presbyterian Church for this “Messiah” performance matched almost exactly the size of Neale’s Music Hall in Dublin, where “Messiah” was first heard. Both places accommodate an audience of about 600. It was unfortunate that there were empty seats Friday.

Schuller did not break any speed records in Friday’s performance in the way some conductors claiming to be committed to historical performance practice. But he did find the variety of expression that Handel brought to the biblical text Jennens chose – the way Handel’s music shows contrasts of darkness and light, heavy burdens made light, and even references to the crucifixion and the resurrection. For me those contrasts are the keys to this work rather than a matter of speed or volume.

I sadly confess that I missed most of Part III of this performance. Had I not done so, you would not be reading these words. But my advice is: Hear this “Messiah” all the way though tonight, if you missed any or all of it Friday.