SITE RATING:
4/10
SITE REVIEW:
I'm a little baffled as to whom this video release is aimed
at;
"sing-along" Messiah's
are,
of course, popular throughout the United States, bringing together
music lovers who might not have the time or inclination to
participate in a full-time chorus, these yearly events give them the
opportunity to raise their voices in some of the most sublime music
ever written for choir. They also allow people to mingle with
and
interact with others who share their love of Messiah.
But this video
serves little purpose, other than as a memento of one such gathering.
What? Are those who are too anti-social to get out
of the
house now able to do a "sing-along" at home? As
entertainment,
Ivars Taurins (as "Herr Handel") puts on an acerbic performance; part
arthritic curmudgeon, part wink-wink Benny Hill, with strange,
anachronistic add-ins that strip away any pretense that this is an
historic re-enactment. He interrupts musical moments by
shouting
out directions, teases audience members (to their delight or
embarrassment), and conducts with great, swooping vigor. It's
an
energetic performance, but it detracts, rather than enhances the sacred
music being performed; a feeling which began at the very beginning of
the video, with long behind-the-scenes shots played over and through
the opening "Sinfonia." As to the soloists and orchestra,
they
acquit themselves very well, with the orchestra a marvel of clean,
vibrant playing, and the soloists world class, although Locky Chung's
performance was oddly stilted and forced, the rest are notable; the
choir
is of course, an amalgam of the Tafelmusik Chamber
Choir
and the audience, and as such, the audio on the choruses is blurry and
smudged throughout. On the whole, the viewing experience was
unsatisfying; being an audience participation project, I wanted to feel
the experience, but
was left with the impression that you really just had to be there.
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