Concert review Handel's 'Messiah' gets zippy, memorable treatment: Instantly I feel enraged

Concert review Handel's 'Messiah' gets zippy, memorable treatment

Concert Review |

You can see in photocopies of Handel's "Messiah" manuscript the furious speed at which he composed his masterpiece. Slashed with crossed-out passages and smears of ink, the 260 pages were completed in just over three weeks â€" one of the most spectacular compositional feats in music history.

This year, the Seattle Symphony's production of the "Messiah" is just as speedy as the composer. Canadian guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni â€" who conducted the oratorio Saturday at Benaroya Hall as if his life depended on it â€" provided blazing tempos and mercurial twists in one of the most memorable "Messiahs" this city has seen.

Zeitouni took lots of chances. The "Hallelujah" Chorus, for instance, began not as the usual grandiose declaration, but instead rather quietly â€" the better to build the drama into a gradual crescendo of considerable impact.

Zeitouni's interpretive choices were underscored by his decision to have the strings play without vibrato, in a modern interpretation of 18th-century style. There was no sense of the routine or humdrum; instead, there were huge, dramatic pauses (notably at the ending of the "Hallelujah" Chorus) and movements taken at warp speed (such as "He Trusted in God"). It was an edgy and exciting reading, with a responsive orchestra and an eager Seattle Symphony Chorale following Zeitouni's every sweeping gesture. The life-and-death drama of the score was fully realized in this performance.

The trimmed-down Chorale, prepared by Joseph Crnko, provided a fleet, light sound with considerable dynamic and expressive range and a lot of tonal variety.

The four soloists were all well chosen. Tenor Thomas Glenn led off with a lyrical, clear-voiced rendition of "Comfort Ye"; Nathalie Paulin gave an agile and imaginative account of her skillfully ornamented soprano solos. Countertenor Ryan Belongie (a late replacement for Matthew White) showed an expressive range almost as wide as his vocal range in some remarkable solo work; the emotional honesty of "He was despised" was especially telling. The bass-baritone soloist, Stephen Hegedus, sang with commanding lyricism.

The orchestra players, particularly the continuo ensemble, were in terrific shape, with the versatile harpsichordist Jillon Stoppels Dupree and organist Joseph Adam providing beautiful moments. Despite the four "Messiah" performances sandwiched into the weekend, nothing about this exciting show suggested "business as usual" â€" for which audiences may well shout "Hallelujah."

Melinda Bargreen also reviews concerts for 98.1 Classical KING FM. She can be reached at mbargreen@aol.com.