I have watched this for the third time now (and also bought the full DVD) and find myself increasingly fascinated. What I like so much is that it takes us away from the usual image of soloists, chorus, orchestra, and the general odor of sanctity. This is quite simply beautiful music-human music-and two people sharing an emotional situation that is about love and caring, but not (I think) about romance. I like very much how subtly Guth suggests a story, but doesn't spell it out for us, at least not in this scene. There is great sensitivity here, great restraint, and such musicality!
Thank you. I have a lot of grief and trauma associated with the holidays, and I came to hate the annual return of this warhorse. But this production completely recontextualized the piece for me. It’s my annual tradition on “Blue Christmas “ (Dec. 21st - remembering those we’ve lost)
A particularly apt staging and performance for a COVID Christmas... indeed bittersweet and miles from what Handel intended (musically and otherwise)... but it is devastating for 2020 audiences
This is the Claus Guth staging, is it not? I have seen other scenes from it, but this makes me think I should get the whole thing. Yes, MESSIAH is an oratorio, not an opera, but other Handel oratorios have been staged with much success. I rather suspect that while any one scene may seem odd, the cumulative effect of the whole will be its own justification-for those who are open to such an approach at all.
This is beautifully sung and , in its gentleness, very affecting. Odd pronunciation of 'lambs' (=lemz) - why? Bejun Mehta is American, and certainly will know how 'lambs' should be. In his own time Handel was much criticised for taking less liberty with the English words in his setting of them. Also 'All ye that heavy laden' ('are' is omitted) - that doesn't make sense. I haven't see the full production (this looks very odd), but in the end. the musical side of this is so good that it gives great pleasure, even with its eccentricities.
"Lambs" comes very high in the countertenor range; might it simply be a vocal alteration for better sound? I very much agree with the word "gentleness"; thank you for that!
Roger Brunyate bingo. I tend to close down the vowel a bit so it doesn’t spray all over the place. Also, the Germanic vowels tend to work better in English baroque music.
Is this additional setting that wasn't originally intended by Händel a scene of a married couple that lost a child and reminds each other if their faith again to get through the loss?
Maximilian Trevelyan A suicide that kind of rips the lid off a lot of family issues. It’s set mostly in a funeral home and a hotel where the family is staying.
As with many suicides, we’re left in the dark as to why. We get hints during the staging of the passion narrative (part 2), but more questions than answers.
It's part of a story about three brothers, one of whom commits adultery with another brother's wife when he is married, leading to the suicide of that other brother (also because of the brother's failure in business deals).
entonces los ojos de los ciegos serán abiertos y los oídos de los sordos oirán, el cojo saltará cual cervatillo y la lengua de los mudos cantará. Él alimentará a su rebaño como el buen pastor que es y reunirá a las ovejas con su diestra y las llevará en su regazo y gentilmente guiará a aquellas que tienen ovejitas más pequeñas.
