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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