Reflections

Part I of this three-part series on Portland Baroque Orchestra’s 2024 Messiah began with a question put to Portland Baroque Orchestra’s Artistic Director Julian Perkins – What is your philosophy of Handel’s Messiah? Part II set about finding out how that might be accomplished. It is only fitting that Part III begin with a da capo to Part I to conclude the series. 

How did Perkins’ philosophy of Handel’s Messiah serve this performance?

Pulling three main points from Perkins’ early conversation with OAW, perhaps his philosophy can be condensed to this: The “Messiah is a drama” in which Handel’s music is a “conduit” to librettist Charles Jennens’ text and “the introduction of the music into the dramatic text will not make the music invisible.”

Setting the stage for a drama

From the Friday, December 6th downbeat of the symphonic overture to George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, Perkins indicated that he was quite serious about “dramatic thrust” as a modus operandi. This wordless preamble had to transport us from our hard pew seats on a chilly Portland evening into the drama that is the life of Christ as envisioned by librettist Charles Jennens and composer Handel. Here’s how Perkins did that:

In the opening bars in 4/4 with those dotted rhythms, beats one and three were never a landing site, they were electrified launching pads propelling each of the thirty measures forward toward an allegro fugue that kept apace until the final minor chord. Within seconds the allegro’s ominous and a bit combative phrases were smoothed over by a prophetic messenger bringing comfort and a message of hope. Was the message delivered by a stoic tenor soloist intent on producing beautiful tones? No it was offered by a beatific prophetic figure – who also happened to be tenor soloist – who looked us right in the eye as he told of wonders ahead. Tenor Dann Coakwell wasn’t singing to us, he was telling a story. And yes, he produced some beautiful tones. 

“Comfort Ye” and “Every Valley” were in Coakwell’s sweet spot and he puckishly pranced through the melismas. We were fully engaged by the time bass-baritone Christian Pursell stepped forward and panned the hall, capturing our attention before even singing his first note. Then wham! – he let loose on “Thus Saith the Lord” with a resonant, round, unforced but powerful sound that lifted us from our seats. No kidding; the pews creaked as folks shifted to get a closer look. “For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,” responded the chorus, appropriately.

An overture, two recitatives, two airs and a chorus into the performance, we were hooked in the drama. And with each passing scene Perkins’ philosophy was more evident. 

Each movement flowed into the next, like a continuation of an intimate conversation. Recitatives were delivered with the precision and import of a Shakespearean soliloquy. Every word sung by the chorus was clear and purposeful.The instrumentalists engaged into dialogue with chorus and soloists, as in the “Oh Thou That Tellest” and “If God Be For Us.”

Ah, that Messiah chorus. Cappella Romana sure brought some fine singers to the PBO stage. Choruses in many of Handel’s twenty-seven oratorios, including Israel and Egypt and Messiah, are integral to the narrative, not just responses to the story coming from airs. Consider these Messiah choral messages: “Unto Us a Child Is Born”; “Surely He Hath Born Our Griefs”; “We Have Gone Astray”; “Break Their Bonds” and “By Man Came Death.” Every word this Messiah chorus sang was not just heard but understood.

In the first rehearsal of the chorus Perkins gave pointers on attention to consonants and shaping of phrase and asked the singers to be “actors declaiming the text.” It was obvious that the same had been asked of the soloists who, in the airs – “He Was Despised”; “Rejoice”; “He Will Give you Rest” – bring the emotion. There were no theatrics, no gestures, but each soloist embodied a character as they delivered their message. Soprano Rebecca Myers “rejoiced” in a brisk tempo on the shimmering edge of her voice. And alto Sarah Coit’s rich tones draped like seamless yards of silk as she sang of “sorrow.”

Here are some other moments deserving of special recognition:

The alto/tenor duet “Oh, Death Where Is Thy Sting” was masterful. Coit and Coakwell were such intimate partners for the magical piece, vocally and dramatically. Listen to that movement here.

Soprano Myers’ “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” was one of the least dramatically delivered but also one of the most precious because of Myers’ guileless portrayal. 

And then there was “The Trumpet Shall Sound.” I don’t have thirty-four performances notched in my Messiah score but this was the most perfect performance of that piece I’ve ever heard. Though they were twenty feet apart Pursell and PBO’s trumpeter Kris Kwapis were a triumphant team. The herald from afar amplified the dramatic foretelling of the “mystery” to be revealed. Magnificent.

Light on his feet at the harpsichord, with back to the audience, sometimes with only a nod of head, Perkins set each movement’s tempi – although I swear the tactus hardly wavered – and then guided the action. With delicate gestures he “cast” the busy 16^th-notes “away” like fairy dust in “Let Us Break” and then powerfully held the troops in check as they “furiously raged” at the end of Part II. He led in the direction of the story at all times.

What happens when we stand

Need you ask? Of course, the audience stood for the “Hallelujah Chorus” and Perkins turned to acknowledge that it was just fine with him. It did serve to rouse those who had drifted into their semi-somnolent zone. But why we stand is so much less important after 282 years than what happens when we do–which was in evidence in a scan of the audience as the iconic piece unfolded. Multigenerational families were embracing, hands were held, folks wiped away tears dripping down their smiling faces and some mouths silently matched each fragmented iteration of “forever and ever.”

By this point in the evening everyone had settled into the new hall. The “forever” issue of bathroom access in sold out church venues was navigated. PBO Executive Director Hilary Butler said in a recent email to OAW that they are still figuring that out for future sold-out concerts. But, she said, “we see a lot of potential working with our new partners at FCC and are enjoying the many benefits of our new space in the heart of Portland’s Cultural District.”

One of those benefits is the acoustic. Butler said the feedback from musicians has been positive. From my seat on the floor level in Sanctuary Hall the sound came straight out and was crystal clear. No ring time, no reverb. Just true. Though the 15-voice chorus stood in two floor-level lines behind the orchestra their unified blend was unobstructed. Voices didn’t need to be pushed. Tenors overcompensated a few times – one of their quartet was ill and absent from this performance; it was not unpleasant but noticeable. And a false start and a shaky transition in the orchestra were also crystal clear. These are merely a reminder of the fragility and the magnificence of a live performance that can still capture minds and souls from beginning to final “Amen.”

We all have opinions and preferences when it comes to our favorite works. Gosh, I hope we do. I prefer my “Pifa” (Part I’s “Pastoral Symphony”) a tiny bit slower than the one in this performance. You might agree. Do I think a slower tempo would have served Perkins’ intent? I do not. His lively “Pifa” was part of the whole energetic, dramatic and unique Messiah performance on one Friday night in Portland in this Sanctuary with these masterful performers and this audience. 

At home this chilly Christmas Eve we can cue up a “Pifa” at a slower tempo. 

As for this Portland Baroque Orchestra performance, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. 

Up next

Portland Baroque Orchstra’s next concert, “D’amore,” with guest conductor and oboist Debra Nagy is on Saturday, February 15, 7 pm, at First Congregational Church and Sunday, February 16, 3 pm at Kaul Auditorium. Perkins returns in March to conduct “The Hunting Horn.” More information is here. 

Cappella Romana presents the Marian Consort performing the works of “Lusitano: Black Composer of the Renaissance” in Seattle on Friday, February 7, 7:30 at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and in Portland on Saturday, February 8, 7:30 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Details are here. And join your Cappella Romana singers for “Canon for Racial Reconciliation” in Seattle and Portland on February 28 and March 1. More information on that concert here.