Handel’s Messiah performed by Glyndebourne
Tom Hammick
Handel's best known, and probably best loved, work came around a little early this year. Usually, it's one of the key signs that Christmas is just around the corner. I've certainly got used to cheering on the local singing society as they gamely work their way through the trickier passages, egged on by family and friends, while turning a deaf ear to the hired hand musicians on autopilot. The opportunity to see the work performed by the world class talent of Glyndebourne was not only a chance to hear singers and musicians at the top of their game - it was a timely reminder of the scale and significance of the composer's most renowned oratorio.
The company made the sensible decision to present the Messiah with the minimum of theatrical fussiness, something those of us who recall the horrors of the 2010 ENO production (complete with nativity plays and ironing boards) can be thankful for. With Ben Glassberg's superb orchestra tucked away in the pit, the stage was bare, but for the banks of seats occupied by the chorus. Mirroring the audience, there was a curious symmetry between performer and ticket holder, adding to the sense that this was more a celebration, all members one of another, than a show. With the exception of mezzo-soprano Stephanie Wake-Edwards (decked out in striking scarlet) the choir and soloists sported matching black, lending a sober gravitas to proceedings. Lighting shifted subtly in line with the narrative - and it's worth saying that the Messiah does have a narrative - while the backdrop cycled through greens and purples and blues, almost imperceptibly shifting as mood demanded. There was a moment half way through the second act when the brass section inexplicably popped up by the exit of the dress circle, drowning out the chorus for those of us close by, but that was as far as it went regarding innovation.
In judging the performance itself, it's worth pointing out that we're discussing first amongst equals. Everyone acquitted themselves well. But the stand out soloist for me was Tenor Stewart Jackson, who invested such emotional intensity to the opening few moments of the performance that it quickly became apparent we were in for something special. While I appreciated the sur-titles for the choral passages, he sang with such clarity and precision, they proved entirely unnecessary.
Precision was, indeed, the key to the whole evening, as the cadences and finer nuances of the piece emerged from out of the mouths of a supremely talented chorus. Let's be honest - we're all waiting, at least to some extent, for the Hallelujah chorus, and when it came they delivered. Yet, even more enriching were their interpretation of the more restrained and reflective passages that would have been lost in lesser hands. This was a rounded, mature rendition of a perennial favourite, showcasing all that Handel bequeathed us, and reminding us just why it has remained a stalwart classic. My only regret is that those village hall productions will, sadly, never sound quite the same again.
