Starting from the point that an oratorio is a dramatic work – an opera on a Biblical subject – Sorrell takes Messiah back to its roots, as a drama performed by theatrically trained singer-actors for an opera-going public.
Sorrell said, “I marvel every day at the boldness of the experiment that Handel and his librettist Charles Jennens undertook in 1741. Handel and Jennens courageously proclaimed their new work “A Sacred Oratorio” – in other words, a dramatic entertainment that is also a spiritual journey. That theatrical/spiritual duality caused criticism in Handel’s lifetime. But it is surely the reason why the piece continues to speak to so many people today.”
Sorrell’s version emphasizes how Handel responded to the challenge of musical storytelling. She points out that the curtain opens with the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, crying in the wilderness: ‘Comfort ye, my people.’ He is addressing the oppressed Israelites, captive in Babylon, who are told by their prophet that comfort is on the way, and that their Messiah is coming. “So, from the first notes of the Overture, Handel is in storytelling mode,” Sorrell says. She also brings out the distress and angular intervals of the Overture, which is darkly scored in E minor. “This sets the stage for Isaiah, in the form of a tenor, who launches the drama with his cries in the wilderness.”
Performances:
Thursday, December 11, 7:30 PM Trinity Cathedral, CLEVELAND 2230 Euclid Ave.
Friday, December 12, 8:00 PM First Baptist Church, SHAKER HTS. 3630 Fairmount Blvd.
Saturday, December 13, 8:00 PM First Baptist Church, SHAKER HTS. 3630 Fairmount Blvd.
Sunday, December 14, 3:30 PM St. Mary of the Falls, OLMSTED FALLS 25615 Bagley Rd.
Monday, December 15, 7:30 PM FAIRLAWN Lutheran Church 3415 West Market St.
Choose your length!
2-1/2 hours on December 11, 12 & 13
2 hours on December 14
2-1/4 hours on December 15
A pre-concert talk takes place one hour prior to each local concert, led by an AF musician.