Mezzo Soprano Allyson McHardy with conductor Grant Llewellyn: photo by Malcolm Cook
Tradition be damned. The next time I attend a performance of Handel’s Messiah, I shall insist on seats in a section where one is not compelled to rise like a dutiful lemming upon hearing the first notes of the Hallelujah chorus.
Certainly, we all know that George II usually takes the rap in some, though not all, quarters for initiating this tradition. But wherever the blame for this mood-destroying practice lies, it is most unfair to have an audience rise as one yeast-infused loaf of bread on all sides and, in turn, dwarf one’s private submission to this beloved masterwork’s celebratory magic.
But such ruination is not always the case, especially if we are referring to last Sunday’s very special performance of Messiah by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, conducted with an intriguing sense of purpose by Grant Llewellyn. One paid attention here without wavering, one hung on every musical phrase and on every word, one was moved.
This was indeed a subtly gripping take on Messiah, carefully measured, initially understated and cumulative in dramatic effect, more refined than restrained. One sensed an intimate warmth in the performance overall, a reassuring quality in the proportioned lyricism, an implied potency, sometimes explored to moving effect, in soloists and choir and orchestra alike. One felt throughout that, whatever was stated, more was always implied -and isn’t that the quintessence of musical power? Orchestral flavourings, now playfully sprightly, now fluid in phrasing, always served an unobtrusively but decisively propelled momentum negotiated by Llewellyn with his versatile musicians.
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, like the TSO, proved adept at a wide range of musical effects and, one would think, their spiritual values. Sometimes full-throated as a multi-textured mass of sound, sometimes clearly delineating Handel’s fugal writing, sometimes poised and ethereal, sometimes bursting from restraint with full-bodied exultation, theirs was a celebratory presence. Never mind George II, one often felt the urge to rise from one’s seat throughout the evening in response to this choir.
The quartet of soloists –Jane Archibald, Allyson McHardy, Lawrence Wiliford, and, filling in for cold victim Philippe Sky, Stephen Hegedus- offered a compelling variety of vocal riches. Jane Archibald proved to be a soprano of gently-emerging radiance, of almost prayerful assertiveness, of heartfelt word-caressing delicacy, and then, in “Rejoice, rejoice” most agile in trilling ascents at a fast tempo. Tenor Lawrence Wiliford’s contribution was a voice of delicate warmth edged velvety and metallic, lyrically refined with delicate shadings, and then, in “He that dwelleth” a lyricism that was not only fluid but emphatic.
Bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus was most compelling with his assertive declarative manner, especially in “The trumpet shall sound” and with both a deep resonance and ringing upper register, when needed, throughout a refined dramatic reading. Mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy displayed mastery in the meticulous shaping of words for dramatic urgency, the ability to deliver meaty dramatic renderings as the orchestra maintained a propelled momentum, and, most poignant of all in “He was despised,” a sense of deliberation in a vocal telling that was reflected also in her physical movements. One held one’s breath to listen.
Conductor Grant Llewellyn provided, in all, a memorable Messiah, in part because he achieved an evolving sense of overall dramatic purpose, whether played or sung, held his resources in reserve until they were needed for the most potent logical effect, kept the listeners involved as he meticulously guided the telling of this much-told tale, and utilized the many mutually supportive qualities in the orchestra, choir, and soloists in the service of a sometimes breathtaking whole. This was a very fine performance and, yes, I’ll stand up, but for all of it.
Conductor Grant Llewellyn with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir : photo by Malcolm Cook