Because the “Messiah” is typically on the concert calendar year after year, it can too easily start to sound perfunctory and bland.
But there was nothing remotely routine about the Colorado Symphony’s presentation Friday evening of George Frideric Handel’s famed oratorio.
After taking a two-year break from the work, the orchestra returned to it sounding transformed. It turned in a superb performance, capturing both the power and, yes, intimacy of this masterpiece.
Much of the credit belonged to guest conductor Bernard Labadie. Leading the entire piece by memory — an extraordinary feat in itself — he clearly knew bar by bar what he wanted, drawing nuanced, stirring results from the forces arrayed before him.
He brought a historically informed approach to this interpretation, resulting in a lighter, more transparent sound, including a daringly delicate diminuendo culminating the “Glory to God” chorus.
It also meant a willingness to be a bit more deliberate and contemplative, taking the time to probe certain sections and weigh their meaning and the often profound emotions underlying them.
But such deliberateness never slid into flaccidity. Indeed, it only heightened the dramatic contrast, when Labadie kicked into high gear in the lead-up to the “Hallelujah” chorus, delivering a thrillingly kinetic version of the air, “Why do the nations . . .”
Director Duain Wolfe always does a fine job preparing the Colorado Symphony Chorus. But Labadie, music director of the choir La Chapelle de Quebec, was able, with just a few hours of rehearsal, to push it to unexpected heights.
He deftly sculpted the interactions among the tightly interwoven choral parts, achieving amazingly subtle dynamic control and a palpable sense of immediacy, as the chorus responded instantly to his every gesture and cue.
The orchestra allowed Labadie to choose his own soloists, which not only assured that all were excellent vocalists but also that there was an easy, well-honed collaborative spirit among them.
A special treat was Labadie’s choice of the spellbinding countertenor Robin Blaze in place of the more common mezzo-soprano.
The program will be repeated at 2:30 p.m. today.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
