Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong

SYMPHONY'S MESSIAH ORATORIO A STUNNING HOLIDAY SUCCESS

Another triumph for conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong and the Santa Rosa Symphony took place in Weill Hall Dec. 3, as substantial musical forces were amassed to present Handel’s beloved Messiah in three nearly sold-out performances. The Dec. 3 concert is reviewed here.

There was considerable pre-concert buzz in the lobby where four student string musicians played holiday music, priming attendees for a monumental event. And monumental it was, as this mighty oratorio, from its premiere in 1742 up to the present moment, has maintained its worldwide musical relevance and popularity. Although originally conceived as an Easter presentation, covering the entire life of Christ, it has also become firmly rooted in the Christmas tradition, with the “Christmas Portion” often being performed stand-alone, tacking on the “Hallelujah” chorus as a closer. But here, the entire piece was given, however gratefully minus all the long da capo repeats in the arias, and two clusters were trimmed of about ten numbers in Parts 2 and 3, splicing the two together for the second half. The resulting length and arc were exactly right. With an intermission after Part 1, the whole performance clocked in at about two and a half hours. Dropping the da capos improved the flow immensely, not just of the music and clock, but also the dramatic momentum.

Mr. Lecce-Chong’s vision was magnificent, returning to Handel’s own concept of Messiah as a sacred opera of sorts. He found every opportunity to create stunningly impactful musical and dramatic effects, sculpting the score from the body of the words, with contrasting tempos, heavily stressed accents, huge dynamic passages, and heart-stopping caesure. It was so intense that applause spontaneously broke out twice.

The Sonoma State University Symphonic Chorus, augmented by a handful of Santa Rosa Junior College singers, both under the direction of Dr. Jenny Bent, numbered 55. They sang beautifully, with excellent intonation and requisite agility, tackling the highly florid sections of “And he shall purify”, “For unto us”, “His yoke is easy”, “All we like sheep” and “Let us break their bonds asunder” fluently and responding attentively to Mr. Lecce-Chong’s musical and interpretative demands. The tenor section was often lightweight, but still balanced well enough with the other sections.

Acoustically, Weill Hall can prove problematic. Whenever soloists are down in front of the orchestra, they are strangely robbed of projection, as if the sound is going up rather than out. I was in the balcony and heard them clearly enough, but down in orchestra level, solo instruments and voices alike can be absorbed, and it remains a dilemma as to what the right solution could be.

A seasoned quartet of baroque soloists dazzled with their vocal gymnastics and an abundance of inventive ornamentation. I did not miss a single da capo repeat and hope this trend continues. Soprano Christina Pier has a clear and full voice which sparkled in the quartet of “angel” recitatives, and she dispatched the coloratura of “Rejoice greatly” easily at a judicious tempo. “Come unto him” and “I know my redeemer liveth”, while perhaps lacking a little in emotional depth, were beautifully sung with arching, delicately lyric legato.

Alto Abigail Nims brought deeply expressive poignancy to “He shall feed his flock” and “He was despised” and joyful buoyancy to “Oh thou that tellest”, revealing the higher range of a mezzo-soprano. She didn’t pack as big a punch in the lower range the way many altos do, but that element wasn’t missed at all due to the beauty and emotional quality of her singing.

Bass Michael Dean sung with, with solidly dramatic declamation and excellent phrasing and coloratura, especially his triplet work in “Why do the nations?” “The people that walked in darkness” meandered artfully and mysteriously. I liked having “But who may abide” and “For he is like a refiner’s fire” shared by the alto and bass, creating a conversation between the two. However, by the time the anticipated “The trumpet shall sound” arrived at the end he seemed out of sorts vocally, with a noticeable reduction in clarity and power.

Canadian tenor Benjamin Butterfield was an 11th hour replacement in these performances. In brief, he gave a brilliant interpretation of this tenor role, exploring all the pathos and nuances of “Comfort ye”, “Ev’ry valley”, “Behold and see”, “But thou didst not leave” and “Thou shalt break them” and their spine-tingling recitatives with a riveting, electric, clarion display of “real deal” bel canto artistry. He was able to take the form of the baroque and propel it into a 21st century mindset. From his command of the recitatives to the coloratura of “Ev’ry Valley” his dynamic, charismatic rendition delighted. I have seldom heard this music sung this way.

The soloists were happily not seated onstage, but made individual entrances for their numbers, another excellent departure from convention. They were all holding scores but barely glancing at them, which enabled them to communicate with the audience.

The Symphony’s playing was first rate. Similar to the chorus, they were sensitive to the conductor’s interpretative nuances, and the resulting ensemble was a joy to hear, with some wind section acoustical issues. All the tempos were everywhere brisk and spontaneous sounding, whether excitingly or heartbreakingly drawn out. Instrumental soloists were excellent with a special praise to trumpeter Robert Giambruno and continuo cellist Adele-Akiko Kearns. Mr. Lecce-Chong’s double duty as harpsichordist while conducting was fun to watch. There were moments when I was literally on the edge of my seat holding my breath, and that kind of response to baroque music from an old opera veteran cannot be faked.

For centuries now audiences have stood for the Hallelujah chorus, for a reason supposedly going back to King George II being in attendance for the London premiere in 1743. Legend has it that he stood, so everybody else had to stand up too, and this salute to Handel and the unique greatness of this chorus has remained in force ever since, and has always given me a thrill. So why did only about half of this audience stand? Well, one can’t help but notice that most concertgoers at this event were older and for whatever legitimate reasons, many might not be inclined to get up and stand in place for five minutes. Or perhaps the younger attendees might not be aware of the tradition or think it a silly holdover of a legend that may not even be true.

But be that as it may, for me the shared momentary thrill will continue to get me on my feet.