Anyone looking to get a handle on Handel’s “Messiah” this holiday season won’t have to search long or far.
Joined by the masterful Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, maestro Michael Francis and The Florida Orchestra will perform the timeless sacred-music favorite on Friday, Dec. 5, at the Straz Center in Tampa and on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. Both are 8 p.m. performances.
Later that same week, the Tampa Oratorio Singers and the Palma Ceia Choir will present Part I of “The Messiah” — on Monday, Dec. 8, and Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, and on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. All are 7 p.m. performances.
Handel wrote “Messiah” in 1741, and the English-language oratorio first was performed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742, with its London debut following a year later. German-born (in 1685), Handel moved to London in 1712 and in 1727 was made a British subject.
In modern times, “Messiah” has become a fixture in orchestral programs during the Advent period leading up to Christmas and in the pre-Easter season of Lent. Some say it’s been over-done, but I’m not one given to such sacrilege. For most, to experience this Baroque choral masterpiece live is unforgettable.
If you’re looking for a recorded version to enjoy in advance of taking in a live “Messiah” performance, there are several easily available to stream. Among the most popular are Sir Neville Mariner’s recording with the Academy & Chorus of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Christopher Hogwood’s with the Academy of Ancient Music and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral.
The gloriously sprawling, three-part “Messiah” generally runs about 2 ½ hours. Part I takes up roughly an hour of the total performance time. Each part contains several “scenes,” indicating aural depictions of various elements of the Christian savior tale.
Part I deals with Old Testament prophesies of a messiah’s virgin birth.
Part II covers the life of Jesus Christ from birth to crucifixion, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven. The famous “Hallelujah” chorus closes the section.
Part III is about the implications of Christ’s sacrifice and hope for mankind’s redemption.
The orchestral and vocal staging of the oratorio was originally spare, but in later times the score was greatly embellished — including a rather over-the-top Mozart orchestration. It wasn’t until well into the 20th century that the work was reined in for performances more in line with Handel’s original intent.
“The Master Chorale performs Messiah frequently, but it is a new experience each time, and new interpretations and discovering further nuance make it fresh each year,” said Nate Hettinger, the Master Chorale’s executive director. “It may be familiar to us, but that doesn’t necessarily make it less challenging. Performing Messiah means navigating tricky melismas, careful articulations and building the stamina to sing the lengthy oratorio. We look forward to these challenges each year.”
Hettinger expressed his gratitude for the ensemble’s longstanding partnership with TFO, which he noted has “gained great momentum in recent years.”
Other holiday programs
There also will be plenty of other sorts of Yuletide programs served up by classical ensembles during the holidays.
Suncoast Symphony Orchestra will present “Sounds of the Season” the weekend of Dec. 5-7, performing its arrangements of holidays songs such as “Slight Ride,” Hannukah Festival Overture,” “Winter Wonderland” and more, and there also will be a carol singalong.
Scheduled performances include 7 p.m. concerts on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6 in Largo’s St. Jerome Catholic Church and Clearwater’s Grace Lutheran Church, respectively. And a 2 p.m. matinee is planned for Sunday, Dec. 7, at North Bay Community Church in Clearwater.
The Florida Orchestra will present — under the baton of resident conductor Chelsea Gallo — several “Holiday Pops” concerts the weekend of Dec. 19-21 at the Straz, the Mahaffey and Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall.
The Straz concert is set for 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19. Two Mahaffey performances are scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. And a pair of REH concerts will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Additionally, if its cozy holiday atmosphere you crave, there’s a “Candlelight Christmas Carol on Strings” concert set for Centro Asturiano in Tampa, featuring the Listeso String Quartet, at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21. The locally recruited chamber group will perform a host of holiday favorites, from “Deck the Halls” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” to “Good King Wenceslas” and “Greensleeves,” and many more.
Listeso — accompanied by a concert dance troupe — also will present two evening performances of a candlelit program of music from Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11. A local Latino landmark dating to 1902, Centro Asturiano is something of an attraction itself and should be a good fit for both candlelit programs.
And this final note: As usual, there will be several groups offering music and dance performances from “The Nutcracker” during the holiday period. Tampa City Ballet will have performances throughout early-to-mid December; the New Tampa Dance Theatre has performances set for Dec. 20-22; and a Magical Christmas Nutcracker show hits the Mahaffey on Dec. 28.
For ticketing information and additional program details on the many holiday concerts coming to the Tampa Bay area, visit the websites of the various performance groups and concert venues. •
Happy Hols, y’all!
Carl DiOrio is a Tampa Bay area journalist and a lifelong music lover. He can be reached at carldiorio@gmail.com.
