Toronto Symphony Orchestra/Messiah by George Frideric Handel, carried out by Jean-Sébastien Vallée, that includes the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Roy Thomson Corridor, runs till Dec. 22. Tickets right here.
Since turning into creative director of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in 2021, Jean-Sébastien Vallée has excited my curiosity due to his creative programming. Thus, when it was introduced that he could be conducting Messiah for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the query was, would he deliver his auteur type to this hallowed oratorio?
The reply is a powerful sure. The efficiency captivated the viewers, who rewarded Vallée and his forces with a rapturous reception.
A number of the issues Vallée carried out weren’t essentially new, whereas others have been a real shock. Nonetheless, taken as an entire material, this efficiency of Messiah felt not solely contemporary, however downright adventurous.
The Common Format of the Efficiency
The TMChoir was not within the loft, however on bleachers behind the orchestra which allowed for a compressed blast of sound. The 4 soloists have been additionally tucked behind the TSO, which was a really intelligent transfer. That meant that the tenor, who sings solely in the beginning of Half One, may cover away, as may the soprano, who solely sings on the finish.
This additionally meant that the soloists needed to stroll across the orchestra to come back to the entrance of the stage which actually targeted consideration on them. They’d memorized their components, so that they weren’t carrying scores. Thus, their our bodies have been free to react to what they have been singing, which made this efficiency semi-operatic – not fairly full bodily expression, however definitely far more than the same old live performance stance.
How they walked in, and walked away after that they had sung additionally mirrored their textual content. They have been characters in a play, with their exits and entrances.
Improvements
My first clue that this was going to be a distinct Messiah got here with American tenor James Ley after the overture. In his recitative and air, he tossed off unusually florid ornamentation — far more than is customized — but it surely was designed to emphasise the which means of the phrases. The sluggish “Consolation ye” has by no means sounded extra passionate, whereas the sooner “Ev’ry valley” extra thrilling.
That is dangerous enterprise for a staid oratorio. It was as if Vallée had acted as a stage director, overseeing how his singers walked into the set, so to talk, and detailing how the textual content could be rendered. Briefly, this was a efficiency that informed a dramatic story.
Charles Jennens’ libretto sprang to life, and the phrases seemingly exploded with which means. You could possibly clearly see how the textual content had impressed Handel’s music.
And so it continued all through the night, with every soloist including to the drama. Every repeat of the verses, as is customized in Baroque arias, contained new ornamentation for emphasis.
The marvellous TMChoir was simply as detailed within the dynamics of their phrases, notably how the half singing performed towards one another. They have been additionally so disciplined that they might cease on a dime.
Vallée’s conducting mirrored the identical cautious consideration to how the music labored with the textual content, the place he constructed up stress, the place he softened the temper, the place he elongated a pause. Half One had a joyous air, in distinction to the darker Half Two, and the fervent Half Three. Clearly, Vallée is as robust an orchestral conductor as he’s a choral director.
This was a Messiah with a theatrical aptitude, and it was thrilling to expertise.
Then there was the treble — younger William Mar from St. Michael’s Choir College — that’s proper, a treble, which was a Vallée innovation.
The stage door opened, and out he got here in his faculty uniform. Together with his candy piping voice, he informed us, “There have been shepherds abiding within the subject”.
India-born soprano Sherezade Panthaki then sang in regards to the arrival of the angel of the Lord, to which Mar informed the shepherds what the angel mentioned, “I deliver you good tidings”, adopted by the recitative which led into the choir’s rousing rendition of “Glory to God within the highest”.
Inserting a treble definitely was a departure, and it labored. Younger Mister Mar was a voice of innocence, reflecting the simplicity of the shepherds. Maybe much more so, the treble voice has an ethereal, different worldly high quality which conveyed “the heav’nly Host”.
The Singers
It is very important observe that Vallée hand-picked the soloists, all of whom have been making their TSO debuts, and each introduced one thing particular to the storytelling.
The aforementioned Ley was dramatic whereas Panthaki introduced the sweetness. Canadian countertenor Nicholas Burns was reflective, whereas Filipino-American bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca was commanding.
All have been extraordinarily expressive of their supply and, extra importantly, they might negotiate by means of the demanding ornamentation which Vallée, presumably, had dictated.
Ley has the brilliant clear voice one desires in an early music tenor, however there may be an attention-grabbing trace of darkness. There’s additionally virtually a wildness to his singing, as odd as which will sound, which makes him an thrilling performer. He was essentially the most operatic of the 4, and his bio, not surprisingly, lists an intensive listing of opera performances. I’d like to see Ley in an opera.
Panthaki has a tasty, feathery soprano voice which is blessed with an ease of florid coloratura. For instance, she couldn’t cram yet another trill into her rendering of “Rejoice vastly” if she tried. Briefly, her spectacular ornamentation appeared completely easy. There is no such thing as a shrillness in her voice, solely a purity of sound. Her diction was the weakest of the 4, however, by some means, that didn’t matter.
Having a countertenor as an alternative of a mezzo-soprano reminded us of Handel’s personal time, an echo of the previous which was an attention-grabbing alternative on the a part of Vallée.
Burns is definitely a serious expertise on the rise. He has a gorgeous voice with a delicate expressive high quality. There’s a good tone all through, and his supply of textual content is considerate.
As a storyteller, he was extra introspective than his colleagues, however he may present ardour when wanted, akin to actually singspiel the phrases, “disgrace and spitting”. When he barked them out, he caught us abruptly. Total, we wanted Burns’ restraint in distinction to his extra showy colleagues.
From the very first-time bass-baritone Lagasca opened his mouth, it was a power of nature. Hearty is simply too mild a phrase to explain his ringing commanding tone. His low notes are in his toes, whereas he additionally displayed a shocking excessive register as effectively. He whipped by means of “Why do the nations so furiously rage collectively” at whirlwind pace, and when he sang “I’ll shake the heav’ns…”, you knew he meant enterprise.
Lagasca is a really charismatic performer who definitely calls for consideration.
When the 4 soloists are taken collectively, they make a really numerous assortment of storytellers, and it was these very particular person variations which added to the drama of the textual content.
The Choir and the Orchestra
We will’t go away with out applauding the TMChoir who have been merely sensational. What Vallée has finished with these singers is outstanding – the evenness of tone, their means to play with sound, the dynamics that infuse their music-making.
We now have solely to take a look at the refrain “Raise up your heads, O ye gates”. The start has the ladies singing first, after which the boys, and again to the ladies, and so forth. The 2 sides have been completely matched in output — the ladies and the boys have been of the identical power. It was perfection to the ear.
In one other Vallée-ism, additionally they obtained to carry out a shocking little trill on the finish of “His yoke is simple”.
The choir was merely sensible within the Hallelujah Refrain, giving us the pure pleasure of it, however much more spectacular was the ultimate refrain “Worthy is the Lamb” and the “Amen”.
The construct, the strain, the drama — Vallée led his forces up and up in sound till the ultimate “Amen” rang by means of the corridor in superb splendour.
There was one different innovation. I’ve by no means observed the timpani that precedes the Hallelujah Refrain, however there they have been, three or 4 loud, commanding drum beats earlier than the choir started to sing. It was like a grand announcement. The timpani additionally gave a loud crash in the course of the remaining refrain which truly made me soar, but it surely certain added color.
The TSO
As for the TSO, they gave the impression to be detailed just like the soloists and the choir, and they also produced very attention-grabbing dynamics within the instrumental part of the night. The musicians rose to the event and carried out the calls for Vallée positioned on them with aplomb.
Particular kudos to Affiliate Concertmaster Clare Semes for her lovely violin solo in “If God be for us” and Affiliate Principal Steven Woomert for sounding the trumpet in commanding vogue.
A phrase to the clever: this TSO/TMChoir Messiah as envisioned by Vallée is to not be missed.
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Paula Citron is a Toronto-based freelance arts journalist and broadcaster who hosts her personal web site, paulacitron.ca. For over 25 years, she was senior dance author for The Globe and Mail, affiliate editor of Opera Canada journal, arts reviewer for Classical 96.3 FM, and dance previews contributor to Toronto Life journal. She has been a visitor lecturer for varied cultural teams and universities, notably on the function of the critic/reviewer, and has been a panellist on COC podcasts. Earlier than assuming a full-time journalism profession, Ms. Citron was a member of the drama division of the Claude Watson College for the Arts.