Handel’s Messiah Proves To Be An Auditory Enrichment
Handel’s “Messiah” is a three part composition with chorale, four lead singers, and full orchestra. It is one of the most frequently performed classical pieces in the Western world. Composed in just 24 days, it was originally made to be played during Easter but has become a Christmas tradition over time. Its story guides the audience through deeply familiar biblical texts surrounding Jesus’s birth, sacrifice, death and resurrection.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the evening takes place, is incomparable to other concert halls. It’s a grandiose, warm family space with a great, jagged organ reminiscent of the one found in the film Fantasia. The theater has balconies 360 degrees around the stage with an orchestra in front of the central stage. With this setup, no matter the piece being performed, the audience is in for a treat.
The musicians are on stage tuning their instruments. The chorus of men in bowties and coattails and women in glittering black velvet gowns enters like a well-oiled machine. Then comes the concertmaster; the bass, tenor, alto and soprano soloists; and finally the conductor, Grant Gershon. Every move is done with the utmost respect for the craft and the audience. It’s an event with holiday cheer and a bit of dramatic flair.
Grant Gershon is an incredibly sensitive conductor, giving his musicians the utmost attention and care. Los Angeles Master Chorale is a Grammy award-winning performance group. They work together in harmony and overlapping language to bring dynamic sound to the audience. The four soloists, Jon Keenan, Steve Pence, Janelle DeStefano, and Hayden Eberhart, dazzle the hall with their stunningly well-trained voices. In typical opera fashion, however, it is difficult to understand lyrics without the translation or transcription within the playbill. No matter, though — the mellifluous sounds of the composition keep even the drowsiest audience member in a state of peace and appreciation.
The art form appeals to the auditory sense, and audience members are expected to tune in while visual stimulus is ignored. Each line of scripture is repeated five to ten times between lead singers and chorus. This happens in rounds, key changes and different melodies. Though the opera singers are obviously outstanding artists, their minimal stage presence leaves us wanting a bit more pizzazz. Eberhart, Pence and DeStefano know that emotional changes occur with changes in music but much of the recognizable emotional content has to be provided by audience members’ minds.
The fact that the humble grassroots story of Jesus Christ is being told to the upper echelon of Los Angeles in one of the most extravagant institutions in the country may seem a bit indulgent and impersonal for some. However, none of this deters from the fact that this piece needs to be seen. This is an event for those who wish to feel included in the intellectual community for a night, listen to incredibly-well conducted music, and pay their respects to some of the world’s finest musicians.
The second and third performances are on Wednesday, December 16th at 8PM and Sunday, December 20th, at 7 PM. Wednesday’s show is the sing-along version, a perfect family outing. For tickets and further information, call 213–972–7282 or go in-person to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Box Office in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM. On concert days, call 213–972–7282 beginning at 10 AM. The Disney Hall Box Office will be open for will-call and sales beginning at 5 pm for evening concerts. Tickets range from $29 to $119.
Contact contributor Lexy McAvinchey here.
