David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, NY; December 16, 2023—It’s Christmas Time again in New York and that means merrily shopping crowds galore, an 800-foot-tall tree, and several different venues presenting Handel’s Messiah. I opted for one of the four at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, with Fabio Biondi making his New York Philharmonic debut—an odd choice given his excellent credentials with period instruments and practices. He easily could have pushed his early music views on the players and singers, but instead stuck to the Philharmonic tradition. What we heard was a solid, traditional reading of the world’s most famous oratorio, and the packed auditorium clearly loved it.
The remarkable Handel and Haydn Society Chorus, which has sung this work countless times, was flawless. Their articulation of the coloratura in “And he shall purify” and “For unto us a child is born” was clear as a bell, with the sopranos in particular singing with the type of purity one hopes for in a soloist but is dazzled by in a group; moreover, all the voices were capable of singing softly and gently. The call-and-response of “Lift up your heads, O ye gates” was vivid and dramatic; “The Lord gave the word” had just the right oracular effect. And the final moments—“Worthy is the Lamb” through to the glorious “Amen”—were as epic as they should be. Oddly enough, only the “Hallelujah” chorus seemed under-performed.
The four soloists varied in quality. Soprano Hera Hyesang Park is already on the roster of opera houses worldwide, and she was terrific: “He shall feed his flock” was gentle and pastoral; “Rejoice greatly” was sung with verve, impeccable runs, and gleaming high notes. Alto Hanna Ludwig sang her part as if it were Amneris in Aida or Azucena in Trovatore, with a wide vibrato and a register break in the voice that occasionally sounded as if a baritone had broken into her vocal line. Others may have found this dramatic; I found it awful. John Matthew Myers, a big man with a big voice (Bacchus in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos is in his repertoire), made a fine impression, conquering the melismas of “Ev’ry valley” and the fierce exclamation of “Thou shalt break them”. Young baritone Joshua Conyers, with a somewhat woolly yet big sound, was very impressive in “Thus saith the Lord” and stunning in “The trumpet shall sound”.
Biondi got beautiful playing from the orchestra. The pastoral symphony floated into the hall, the strings positively gossamer. Continuo was a harpsichord and positif organ, the latter a surprise whenever it acted on its own. Biondi made some cuts, particularly in Part III, in a work that many find a bit long; the two-plus hours of Handel were enough for all but purists. I’m not certain why he choose a caesura between numbers, particularly when we have a dramatic situation like “And suddenly…a multitude of the heav’nly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest…” and we have to wait for the words of the heav’nly host. Momentum lost.
Special mention to trumpeter Matthew Muckey, who played with brilliance and accuracy.
