HANDEl`S Messiah - Academy of Ancient Music

Academy of Ancient Music, 2013–14 SeasoN | 3
ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC
H ande l’ s M e s s i a h
17 December 2013 · Barbican Hall, London, UK
18 December 2013 · King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, UK
20 December 2013 · Salle Pleyel, Paris, France
The AAM is particularly indebted to Chris Rocker and
Alison Wisbeach for their generous support of tonight’s soloists.
Tonight’s performance will end at approximately 10pm.
Please turn off alarms, phones, pagers etc. during the performance.
Taking photographs, capturing images or using recording devices
during the performance is strictly prohibited.
H ande l’ s M e s s i a h
Bernard Labadie conductor
Lydia Teuscher soprano
Iestyn Davies counter-tenor
Jeremy Ovenden tenor
Brindley Sherratt bass
Choir of the AAM
Handel’s Messiah
Academy of Ancient Music, 2013–14 SeasoN | 5
Handel’s Messiah
PART THE FIRST
Symphony
Grave — Allegro moderato
Accompagnato tenor
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God.
ISAIAH 40.1-3
Air tenor
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and
hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough
places plain.
ISAIAH 40.4
Chorus
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all
flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it.
ISAIAH 40.5
Accompagnato bass
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once, a little while,
and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea
and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the
desire of all nations shall come.
Recitative counter-tenor
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and
shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.
ISAIAH 7.14; MATTHEW 1.23
Air counter-tenor and Chorus
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee
up into the high mountain, O thou that tellest good
tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength,
lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah:
Behold your God!
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, arise, shine
for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee.
MALACHI 3.1
Air counter-tenor
But who may abide the day of his coming, and
who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a
refiner’s fire.
MALACHI 3.2
Chorus
And he shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may
offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
MALACHI 3.3
Recitative soprano
And the angel said unto them: Fear not; for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of
David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Accompagnato soprano
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host, praising God, and saying:
LUKE 2.8-13
ISAIAH 40.9, 60.1
Accompagnato bass
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon
thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And
the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising.
ISAIAH 60.2-3
Air bass
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great
light. And they that dwell in the land of the shadow
of death, upon them hath the light shined.
ISAIAH 9.2
HAGGAI 2.6-7
The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his
temple, even the messenger of the Covenant, whom
ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of
Hosts.
Accompagnato soprano
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and
the glory of the Lord shone round about them and
they were sore afraid.
Chorus
For unto us a Child is born, unto us, a Son is given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and
his Name shall be called: Wonderful, Counsellor, The
Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace!
ISAIAH 9.6
Pifa
Larghetto e mezzo piano
Recitative soprano
There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night.
Chorus
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good
will towards men!
LUKE 2.14
Air soprano
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter
of Jerusalem, behold, thy King cometh unto thee. He
is the righteous Saviour, and he shall speak peace unto
the heathen.
Recitative counter-tenor
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the
ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man
leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
ISAIAH 35.5-6
Duet counter-tenor and soprano
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and he shall
gather the lambs with his arm; and carry them in his
bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
ISAIAH 40.11
Come unto him, all ye that labour, come unto him that
are heavy laden, and he will give you rest. Take his
yoke upon you, and learn of him, for he is meek and
lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
MATTHEW 11.28-9
Chorus
His yoke is easy, his burthen is light.
MATTHEW 11.30
ZECHARIAH 9.9-10
Interval of 20 minutes
Before the concert’s second half, soloist Iestyn Davies will be presented with the 2013 Critics’ Circle Award for Exceptional
Young Talent (voice). The award will be presented by Chairman of the Circle’s Music Section, Guy Dammann.
PART THE SECOND
Chorus
Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of
the world.
JOHN 1.29
Air counter-tenor
He was despised and rejected of men, a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
ISAIAH 53.3
He gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks
to them that plucked off the hair: he hid not his face
from shame and spitting.
ISAIAH 50.6
Chorus
Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was upon him.
ISAIAH 53.4-5
Handel’s Messiah
Academy of Ancient Music, 2013–14 SeasoN | 7
Chorus
And with his stripes we are healed.
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, he is the
King of Glory.
ISAIAH 53.5
Chorus
All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned
every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all.
ISAIAH 53.6
Accompagnato tenor
All they that see him, laugh him to scorn: they shoot
out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
PSALM 22.8
Chorus
He trusted in God that he would deliver him: let him
deliver him, if he delight in him.
PSALM 22.7
Accompagnato tenor
Thy rebuke hath broken his heart; he is full of
heaviness; he looked for some to have pity on him,
but there was no man, neither found he any to
comfort him.
PSALM 69.21
Arioso tenor
Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto his
sorrow! LAMENTATIONS 1.12
Accompagnato soprano
He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the
transgression of thy people was he stricken.
ISAIAH 53.8
Air soprano
But thou didst not leave his soul in hell; nor didst thou
suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
PSALM 16.10
Chorus
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye
everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come
in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye
everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in!
PSALM 24.7-10
Recitative tenor
Unto which of the angels said he at any time: thou art
my son, this day have I begotten thee?
HEBREWS 1.5
Air tenor
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt
dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
PSALM 2.9
Chorus
Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth,
Hallelujah!
The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of
our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever
and ever, Hallelujah!
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and he shall reign for
ever and ever, Hallelujah!
REVELATION 19.6, 11.5, 19.6
There will be a short pause between Part the second and Part the third.
Please remain seated.
Chorus
Let all the angels of God worship him.
HEBREWS 1.6
Air counter-tenor
Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity
captive, and received gifts for men, yea, even for thine
enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
PSALM 68.18
Chorus
The Lord gave the word: Great was the company of
the preachers.
PSALM 68.11
Air soprano
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good
things. ROMANS 10.15
Chorus
Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words
unto the end of the world.
ROMANS 10.18
Air bass
Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and
why do the people imagine a vain thing; the kings of
the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and against his anointed.
PSALM 2.1-2
Chorus
Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their
yokes from us. PSALM 2.3
Recitative tenor
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn;
the Lord shall have them in derision.
PSALM 2.4
PART THE THIRD
Air soprano
I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth.
And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God. JOB 19.25-6
For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of
them that sleep.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.20
Chorus
Since by man came death, by man came also the
resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.21-2
Accompagnato bass
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.51-2
Air bass
The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.52-3
Recitative counter-tenor
Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.52-3
Duet counter-tenor and tenor
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of
sin is the law.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.55-6
Chorus
But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.57
Air soprano
If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God’s elect?
It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who
is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession
for us.
ROMANS 8.31, 33-4
Chorus
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed
us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and
blessing.
Blessing and honour, glory and power be unto Him
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for
ever and ever.
Amen.
REVELATION 5.12-14
Handel’s Messiah
Academy of Ancient Music, 2013–14 SeasoN | 9
B ernard Labadie
Lydia T euscher
conductor
soprano
A specialist in baroque and classical repertoire, Bernard
Labadie is Music Director of Les Violons du Roy and La
Chapelle de Québec, founded by him in 1984 and 1985
respectively, with whom he regularly tours Canada, the
US and Europe. They are frequent guests at the major
venues and festivals and recent appearances have
included the Salzburg Festival, New York’s Carnegie Hall
and Lincoln Center, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los
Angeles, the Kennedy Center in Washington, London’s
Barbican Centre and the Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam.
Lydia Teuscher was born in Freiburg, Germany and
studied at the Welsh College of Music and Drama
and at the Hochschule für Musik in Mannheim. Early
appearances include the Göttingen Handel Festival,
the Stadttheater in Heidelberg and the
Nationaltheater Mannheim.
Labadie is a regular guest with all the major North
American orchestras. He appears frequently with the
New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, the
Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras, the symphony
orchestras of Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, St Louis,
Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Montreal, Toronto and
Vancouver, the New World Symphony in Miami, the
St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles
Chamber Orchestra.
Guest engagements have included Mozart’s Così fan
tutte at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York, Handel’s
Orlando for Glimmerglass Opera, Mozart’s Lucio Silla
for the Santa Fe Opera, Mozart’s Die Entführung on
tour with the OAE and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for the
Metropolitan Opera, New York and for Cincinnati Opera.
Last season he returned to Cincinnati for Mozart’s
Don Giovanni.
His honours include Officer of the Order of Canada
awarded by the Canadian Government and Chevalier
de l’Ordre National du Québec.
counter-tenor
After graduating in Archaeology and Anthropology
from St John’s College, Cambridge, Iestyn Davies
studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. He
has sung the roles of Creonte in Steffani’s Niobe for
the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Ottone in
Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea for Zürich Opera
and Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Arsace in Handel’s
Partenope for the New York City Opera; and Apollo in
Britten’s Death in Venice for English National Opera. He
made his debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, New York,
in Handel’s Rodelinda where he has also appeared as
Trinculo in Adès’s The Tempest.
He is the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic
Society’s 2010 Young Artist of the Year prize, the 2012
Gramophone Recital Award and the 2013 Critics’ Circle
Awards for Exceptional Young Talent (voice).
© Marco Borggreve
A highly experienced opera conductor, Labadie was
Artistic and Music Director of L’Opéra de Québec
(1994–2003) and L’Opéra de Montréal (2002–06).
I estyn D av ies
© Luc Delisle
He is enjoying more and more renown in Europe and
made excellent debuts with the Bayerischer Rundfunk
Orchestra in Munich, the Concertgebouw Orchestra
in Amsterdam, the Orchèstre Philharmonique de
Radio France in Paris, and the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra. He will soon make his debuts with the
Swedish Radio Orchestra, Finnish Radio Orchestra,
Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique
de Strasbourg, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, and will return to
Munich and Paris, the Melbourne Symphony and
Malaysian Philharmonic, the NDR Orchestra Hannover,
The English Concert and to the Northern Sinfonia.
© R&G Photography
Recent concert engagements include JC Bach’s Lucio
Silla with Ivor Bolton for the Salzburg Mozartwoche;
Haydn’s Paukenmesse with the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra and Bernard Labadie; Bach’s Mass in B Minor
with Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen; and Handel’s
Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with Le Concert d’Astrée and
Emmanuelle Haïm. Forthcoming engagements
include Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Kölner
Kammerorchester, and a tour with Il Giardino Armonico.
Handel’s Messiah
A c a d e m y o f A n c i e n t M u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 S e a s o N | 11
J eremy O v enden
ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC
tenor
Violin 1
Rodolfo Richter* · Sijie Chen · Colin Scobie · Stephen Pedder · Kinga Ujszaszi
Jeremy Ovenden studied with Norman Bailey and Neil
Mackie at the Royal College of Music, London and
privately with Nicolai Gedda.
His recording of Mozart arias with the OAE prompted
David Cairns (The Sunday Times) to say that the “rhythm,
diction and easy flexibility of [his] voice are exemplary”.
Viola
Jane Rogers · Ricardo Cuende Isuskiza*
Cello
Joseph Crouch* · Imogen Seth-Smith*
© Pierre-Philippe Hofmann
Jeremy recently sang Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan
tutte for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and
Staatsoper, Berlin; Tigrane in Handel’s Radamisto at
Theater an der Wien; Belfiore in Mozart’s La Finta
Giardiniera and Jupiter in Handel’s Semele at La Monnaie,
Brussels; Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in Berlin
with Daniel Barenboim; the title role in Monteverdi’s
L’Orfeo; and Oronte in Handel’s Alcina and Ilio in Cavalli’s
Ercole Amante for Netherlands Opera.
Violin 2
Rebecca Livermore · William Thorp · Pierre Joubert · Marianna Szücs
*Sponsored Chairs
Oboe
Frank de Bruine · Mark Radcliffe
Leader
Lord and Lady Magan
Bassoon
Ursula Leveaux
Principal cello
Dr Christopher and Lady Juliet Tadgell
Trumpet
David Blackadder · Phillip Bainbridge
Principal flute
Christopher and Phillida Purvis
Timpani
Benedict Hoffnung
B rind l ey S herratt
bass
Harpsichord
Alastair Ross
Born in Lancashire, bass Brindley Sherratt studied at the
Royal Academy of Music, of which he is now a Fellow
and Visiting Professor.
Organ
Stephen Farr
His engagements in the 2013–14 season include
Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in his debut at
the Wiener Staatsoper; Claggart in Britten’s Billy Budd
on tour with the Glyndebourne Festival to New York’s
Brooklyn Academy of Music; and Pimen Mussorgsky’s
Boris Godunov for his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper,
Munich.
© Sussie Ahlburg
Future seasons see him return to he Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden and to the Netherlands Opera, and
make major debuts with the Lyric Opera of Chicago,
the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and at the Metropolitan
Opera, New York.
Double Bass
Judith Evans
Sub-principal viola
Sir Nicholas and Lady Goodison
Sub-principal cello
Newby Trust Ltd
Handel’s Messiah
C hoir of the A A M
Soprano
Nina Bennet · Elizabeth Drury · Helen Groves · Philippa Hyde · Katie Thomas · Anna Whyte
Alto
Heather Cairncross · Jacqueline Connell · Lucy Goddard · Kate Mapp · Susanna Spicer
Tenor
Darrell Forkin · Edmund Hastings · Sean Kerr · Paul Tindall · Christopher Tortise
Bass
Charles Pott · Samuel Queen · Edmund Saddington · Michael Wallace · Jon Stainsby
A c a d e m y o f A n c i e n t M u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 S e a s o N | 13
S tephen R ose introduces
H ande l’ s masterpiece
The circumstances of the premiere of Messiah, in Dublin
in April 1742, are well known. Handel was at a crux
in his career. Having spent the previous thirty years
mainly dedicated to the composition, promotion and
performance of Italian-texted operas in London, he was
increasingly preoccupied with English-texted oratorios
on religious topics. Suffering from dwindling audiences
for his music in London, he embarked in November
1741 on a nine-month residence in Dublin. Here he
could present his music to new and enthusiastic
audiences, as well as contemplate the future direction
of his career in England.
Handel’s concerts in Dublin mostly included oratorios
such as Esther and Alexander’s Feast, but also a
performance of his last Italian opera Imeneo, and the
premiere of Messiah. In recruiting a choir for these
performances, Handel faced considerable opposition
from Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral,
who disapproved of the members of his cathedral
choir participating in “a club of fiddlers”. In the case
of Messiah, however, Swift withdrew his opposition
because of the charitable aims of the performance,
to raise money for a host of worthy causes in Dublin.
In the end, the first performances received a warm
reception. As The Dublin Journal reported: “Words are
wanting to express the exquisite Delight it afforded
to the admiring crouded Audience. The Sublime, the
Grand, and the Tender, adapted to the most elevated,
majestic and moving Words, conspired to transport and
charm the ravished Heart and Ear.”
The enthusiastic reception of Messiah in Dublin must
have encouraged Handel to change tack in his London
career, and thereafter compose and promote oratorios
rather than opera. Yet the first London performance of
Messiah (in March 1743, at Covent Garden theatre) was
overshadowed by controversy about the performance
of religious works in a theatre. As a writer to the
Universal Spectator complained: “An Oratorio either is an
Act of Religion, or it is not; if it is, I ask if the Playhouse
is a fit Temple to perform it in, or a Company of Players
fit Ministers of God’s Word...?” Slowly, however, the
oratorio gained respectability, particularly after it was
performed at the Foundling Hospital Chapel in May
1750. The Foundling Hospital was dedicated to the
‘Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted
Young Children’, and was acutely short of funds in the
mid-eighteenth century. As with the Dublin premiere of
Messiah, the charitable aims of the Foundling Hospital
performance dispelled concerns about the work’s
combination of a religious text and theatrical arias.
Interesting though the series of early performances
of Messiah might be, it is also fascinating to ask how
the oratorio achieved its fame and ubiquity after
Handel’s death. Regular performances at the Foundling
Hospital continued into the 1760s, directed by Handel’s
erstwhile assistant, John Christopher Smith the younger.
In addition, the oratorio soon became a favourite in
the repertory of provincial music societies as far afield
as Derby, Liverpool and Newcastle, as well as in East
Anglia and the West Midlands. Messiah was performed
not merely in concerts, but in events that called
themselves festivals, and which often had charitable
purposes and a strong sense of social ritual. For
instance, in 1757 Messiah made its first appearance at
the Three Choirs’ Festival, the annual event that rotated
between the cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester and
Hereford. The Festival was partly intended to raise funds
for the families of clergy and cathedral singing-men;
but it was also a key date in the social calendar of local
gentry, and was attended by councillors, members of
parliament and other local worthies. With its religious
texts and stirring music, Messiah rapidly became a
staple part of these important local events.
Handel’s Messiah
A c a d e m y o f A n c i e n t M u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 S e a s o N | 15
H ande l’ s masterpiece c o n t d .
Also significant were the two performances of Messiah
at the 1784 Commemoration of Handel in Westminster
Abbey. Celebrating what was then thought to be the
centenary of Handel’s birth, the Commemoration
showed how completely Messiah had been accepted
by the English political establishment. The concerts
were attended by the royal family and were financially
underwritten by members of both political parties (the
Tories and Whigs). Using large performing forces — a
total of about 500 performers — the 1784 concerts
paved the way for the large-scale performances of
Messiah staged in Victorian England.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, Messiah
retained its popularity with the country’s elite, but was
also being sung by the increasing numbers of amateur
choirs found in industrial cities. In 1857 an incredible
number of performances of the oratorio took place
across England, some of which were intended as dry
runs for concerts planned for 1859 to celebrate the
centenary of the composer’s death. The highlight of the
1857 performances was the Great Handel Festival at the
Crystal Palace, London, on 15 June. It included a choir
of about 2,000 voices, drawn from amateur musical
societies across England, and an orchestra of 300 strings
and 90 wind and brass players. The performance was a
celebration not simply of Handel’s oratorio, but also of
English industrial ingenuity in bringing together such
an immense ensemble. Newspaper reviews paid almost
as much attention to the special trains organised to
bring the performers to London, as to Handel’s music
or Charles Jennens’s libretto. As The Musical World
proudly commented in its review of the concert:
“When Englishmen once make up their mind to do a
thing — whether it be the repeal of the Corn Laws, the
erection of a Menai railway bridge, the laying down of
a transatlantic telegraph wire, or any other apparently
impracticable task — the chances are a million to one
that the scheme will be triumphantly carried out. Like
Napoleon, Englishmen do not appear to recognize the
right of the word ‘impossible’ to appear in the dictionary
of their language.”
Yet the huge appeal of Messiah cannot be explained
purely in terms of the political and social institutions
with which it was associated. Nor can it be attributed
solely to the patriotism seen in the 1857 Great Handel
Festival. Equally important factors in the success of
the oratorio are its text and music. Charles Jennens’
libretto narrates the birth of Christ and his Passion,
death and resurrection by quoting and paraphrasing
numerous passages scattered throughout the Bible. It
is no simple description of Christ’s life, but an account
rendered in large part through the allusions of Old
Testament prophecies. As such the libretto incorporates
such a wide selection of Biblical texts that it resonates
with Christians from a variety of persuasions and
historical periods. Moreover, unlike operas and many
other oratorios, there is no attempt to represent actual
characters. There is little dialogue or reported speech;
instead, the texts are sung in the third person, avoiding
any crude attempt at literal portrayal of Biblical events,
and thereby gaining a sense of universality.
Handel’s music for Messiah offers a synthesis of styles
and textures that has appealed greatly to audiences
ever since its premiere. There are relatively few
recitatives, but instead numerous sharply-characterised
choruses and arias. Handel’s experience as an opera
composer is evident in the oratorio’s arias, which
each evoke an emotional state via carefully-selected
instrumental and vocal gestures. Some arias draw
on the stereotyped forms of Italian opera, such as
the rage aria (“Why do all the nations so furiously
rage together”) or the bravura display piece (“Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion”). As in his operas, Handel
sometimes includes pictorial gestures that instantly
convey a message to the listeners, such as the angry
dotted rhythms on the words “He gave his back to the
smiters” in “He was despised”. Yet despite this use of
operatic elements, the arias also have a tuneful appeal
that reflects Handel’s training in both Italian melody
and German counterpoint. The smooth and melodious
lines of ‘He was despised’ and ‘I know that my redeemer
liveth’ partly draw on the lyricism of opera around 1700,
but are also supported by a firm sense of harmonic
structure that Handel gained from his German
upbringing.
Messiah is set apart from Handel’s operas by its
many choral movements. Italianate opera mainly
consisted of arias and recitatives, and rarely made
use of a chorus. Handel’s oratorios, by contrast, drew
on the English tradition of grand choral movements
in church anthems and secular odes. Some of the
choruses are exercises in homophony, such as “Since
by man came death” with its contrasts between
minor-key Grave sections and major-key Allegro
passages. Other choruses show Handel’s skill, again
gained from his German upbringing, in writing
fugues. But most characteristic are those choruses
that juxtapose homophonic and fugal sections. Thus
“For unto us a child is born” starts as a fugue — albeit
with a transparent texture rarely heard in the works of
German composers — and culminates in the chordal
interjections on “Wonderful Counsellor”. Another
powerful juxtaposition of homophony and fugue is
found in the Hallelujah Chorus. Such choral writing is
one of the main reasons why Messiah has appealed
to generations of performers and listeners, from the
eighteenth century right up to the present day.
Stephen Rose © 2011
Dr Stephen Rose is Senior Lecturer in Music at Royal Holloway,
University of London.
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AAM NEWS
Work with Guildhall School students
In early December we continued our AAMplify new
generation scheme through a side-by-side session at
the Guildhall School. Led by Pavlo Beznosiuk, students
enrolled in the Historical Performance course played
alongside a selection of AAM musicians working on
repertoire by Rebel, Handel, Purcell and Telemann.
We look forward to releasing a film documenting this
project later in 2014.
Guildhall student Joe Qiu (baroque bassoon) plays alongside AAM cellist Imogen Seth-Smith
Visit to Handel House
In the build up to our recent concert with Anna
Prohaska in Milton Court, Friends of the AAM spent
an afternoon at Handel House. An expert from
the Foundling Museum was on hand to discuss a
manuscript from their private archive and explained it
in the context of the evening concert programme. Ruth
Smith — the curator of the Jennens exhibition — was
also there to answer questions in an informal setting.
The bedroom in Handel House
On sale tonight for £10
2013–14: a season of celebration
The AAM launches its own record label by charting the development of the symphony
in the eighteenth century, including a Handel Sinfonia, works by the avant-garde Franz Richter
and Johann Stamitz, Mozart’s first symphony and Haydn’s mature “La passione”.
“Crisp, spirited, full of imaginative detail”

The Observer
Disc of the week
BBC RADIO 3
CLASSICAL MUSIC
“An enjoyable bird’s-eye view of the symphony’s development”
THE SUNDAY TIMES
Our 40th anniversary celebrations continue
During this festive period, we’d like to thank you for
joining us for the first half of our celebratory 40th
anniversary season. It was great to see so many of
you at the National Gallery as part of our summer
residency, and we have been overwhelmed by your
support for the launch of AAM Records and the Birth
of the symphony recording. Our seasons in London and
Cambridge continue to be a highlight of our schedule,
and we look forward to seeing you in the new year.
Handel’s Messiah
A c a d e m y o f A n c i e n t M u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 S e a s o N | 19
ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC
OUR ETHOS
The history of the AAM is the history of a revolution.
When Christopher Hogwood founded the orchestra
almost forty years ago, he rejected the decades-old
convention of playing old music in a modern style.
Hogwood and the AAM were inspired by original
performances and, along with musicians across Europe,
were beginning to discover the sound worlds which
Bach, Handel and Haydn would have known. These
bold initial steps would lead to a radical transformation
in musical performance, allowing baroque and classical
masterworks to be heard anew from that day to this.
So what’s different about the AAM? Partly it’s the
instruments, which are originals (or faithful copies of
them). The stringed instruments have strings made of
animal gut, not steel; the trumpets have no valves;
the violins and violas don’t have chin-rests, and the
cellists cradle their instruments between their legs rather
than resting them on the floor. The result is a sound
which is bright, immediate and striking. Additionally, the
size of the orchestra is often smaller, meaning that every
instrument shines through and the original balance of
sound is restored; and where possible we play from first
edition scores, stripping away the later additions and
annotations of editors and getting back to composers’
initial notes, markings and ideas.
There’s also a difference in the way we approach our
music making. Composers prized the creativity of
musicians, expecting them to make the music come
alive and to communicate its thrill to the audience an ethos we place at the heart of all that we do.
Very often we don’t have a conductor, but are
directed by one of the musicians, making for
spontaneous, sparky and engaged performances.
It’s not just about researching the past; it’s about
being creative in the ­present.
In everything we do, we aim to recapture then
intimacy, passion and vitality of music when it was first
composed. The result? Performances which are full of
energy and vibrancy, the superb artistry and musical
imagination of our players combined with a deep
understanding of the music’s original context.
world-premiere recording of music by seventeenthcentury English composer Christopher Gibbons.
In June 2012 the AAM was invited to perform at the
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant; and in summer 2013
the AAM was Resident Ensemble at London’s National
Gallery, accompanying the exhibition “Vermeer and
Music” with ongoing performances.
O U R PA S T , P R E S E N T ,
FUTURE
The AAM’s artistic excellence has long been fostered
by a range of guest artists. Pianist Robert Levin and
singers Dame Emma Kirkby, Dame Joan Sutherland
and Cecilia Bartoli were among those performing
regularly with the AAM in the early days, and a range of
collaborations continue to inspire the group with new
ideas and fresh approaches. The current relationship
with the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge recently
produced the world’s first live classical cinecast, with
Handel’s Messiah streamed live into hundreds of
cinemas across the globe; and ongoing work with the
likes of mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager, countertenor Andreas Scholl, tenor James Gilchrist and violinist
The Academy of Ancient Music was founded in 1973
by Christopher Hogwood, under whose leadership
the orchestra developed the global reputation for
inspirational music making which continues today.
The AAM performs baroque and classical music
on period instruments, taking inspiration from the
unique soundworlds which composers would have
originally known. Founded on a combination of
academic research and superb musicianship, the AAM’s
performances have been acclaimed for their vitality
and intimacy.
Over the past forty years the AAM has performed live
to music lovers on every continent except Antarctica,
and millions more have heard the orchestra through its
catalogue of over 300 CDs: Brit- and Grammy-Awardwinning recordings of Handel operas; the first-ever
recording on period instruments of the complete
Mozart symphonies; pioneering accounts of the
Beethoven piano concertos and Haydn symphonies;
and discs which champion neglected composers.
In 2006 Richard Egarr succeeded Christopher Hogwood
as Music Director. Egarr has led the orchestra on tours
throughout Europe, the USA and the Far East, and
in 2007 he founded the Choir of the AAM. Recent
recordings include a complete cycle of Handel’s
Opp.1-7 instrumental music, released to celebrate the
250th anniversary of the composer’s death, and the
The Choir of the AAM in rehearsal for our Barbican performance of Messiah in December 2011
Alina Ibragimova lies at the heart of the AAM’s presentday artistic success.
The future is just as bright. From September 2013
to August 2014 the AAM marks its 40th anniversary
with a season of concerts featuring the full range
of the orchestra’s music-making from Monteverdi’s
L’Orfeo (1607) to Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 (1824).
International plans include a recent tour of Australia as
well as performances at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw,
the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and the Théâtre
des Champs Elysées in Paris. AAM Records, the
orchestra’s own record label, launched in October 2013,
with forthcoming releases including JS Bach’s St John
Passion, St Matthew Passion and Orchestral Suites.
The AAM is Associate Ensemble at London’s Barbican
Centre and Orchestra-in-Residence at the University
of Cambridge.
Visit www.aam.co.uk to find out more.
Handel’s Messiah
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A A M S ociety membership form
THE AAM SOCIET Y
On 17 September 1973, 23 musicians gathered in
Richmond to record Arne’s Eight Overtures under
the young director Christopher Hogwood. Nobody
travelling to the church that morning could have
begun to imagine that the Academy of Ancient Music
(as Hogwood had christened the group) would be in
flourishing health 40 years later.
Funded by Decca the AAM began to build a pioneering
discography. Over the next 25 years it released more
recordings than any other period instrument orchestra
in the world, and gave thousands of performances at
the finest concert halls on every continent.
By the late 1990s, when Hogwood began to plan
for the appointment of his successor, the world was
changing. The record industry was in decline, and
financial pressures facing international concert halls
meant that the generous performing fees of old were
no longer available. Putting down roots at home in the
UK had become a pressing priority.
In 2000, founder-members of the AAM Society
contributed £10,000 to fund the orchestra’s first
London season. It was AAM Society members too who
financed the establishment of the orchestra’s residency
at Cambridge, and who provided the support needed
to appoint Richard Egarr as Hogwood’s successor.
Over the last decade, the generosity of an everexpanding group of supporters has transformed the
AAM from a private enterprise directed by Hogwood
into a major charitable institution which continues his
work beyond his active involvement.
The strength of support offered by Society members
and other funders has enabled the AAM to develop an
ambitious vision for the next stage of its development.
It recently established the AAMplify new generation
programme to nurture the audiences, performers and
arts managers of the future; in January 2012
it was appointed as Associate Ensemble at the Barbican
Centre; and in October 2013 established its own
record label.
The orchestra’s supporters have risen magnificently
to the challenge of funding the initial costs of these
developments, and the greatest priority now is to make
the step-change permanent. You can help us to do so
by joining their number. Because the AAM is a charity
it can claim Gift Aid on donations, boosting their
value by 25%. Even better, the orchestra has received
a generous challenge grant which means that every
pound donated by a new Society member will
be matched.
We would be thrilled to welcome you as a member —
and your support would enable us to enrich more lives
than ever before with our music.
To find out more please contact:
Brittany Wellner James, our Fundraising Manager,
on 01223 341099 or b.wellner-james@aam.co.uk
Your details:
Acknowledgement
* Please acknowledge my gift using the
Name
following wording
Address
* I would prefer to remain anonymous
Post code
Telephone
Email
Payment details
* I enclose a cheque, payable to ‘AAM’ for £
* I enclose a CAF cheque, payable to ‘AAM’ for Your gift:
£
I would like to join the AAM Society at the following level:
I would like to pay by standing order
(please complete the standing order section overleaf)
* The Chairman’s Circle £20,000+
* The Hogwood Circle £10,000–£19,999
* Principal Patron £5,000–£9,999
* Patron £2,500–£4,999
* Principal Benefactor £1,000–£2,499
* Benefactor £500–£999
* Donor £250–£499
*
* I am transferring my gift by bank transfer to
Academy of Ancient Music, Lloyds Bank
Gonville Place Branch.
Sort code 30-13-55 Account number 02768172
* I would like to pay by card — please contact me
* I would like to make a gift of shares —
please contact me
* I would like to make a gift of £
In support of the following priority project
identified on page 19:
(Form continued overleaf)
Handel’s Messiah
A c a d e m y o f A n c i e n t M u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 S e a s o N | 23
Gift Aid declaration
Please treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of money
made in the past 4 years and in the future. I confirm I have paid
or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for
each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount
of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs
(CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year.
I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not
qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every £1
that I gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every
£1 that I give on or after 6 April 2008.
Signed:
Please notify the charity if you:
•
Want to cancel this declaration
•
Change your name or home address
•
No longer pay sufficient tax on your income
and/or capital gains.
If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to
receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all
your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax return or ask
HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.
S tandin g order mandate
Please complete this section only if you would like to
make your donation to the AAM by standing order:
Name of Bank:
Please pay:
Academy of Ancient Music
Lloyds Bank, Gonville Place Branch.
Sort code: 30-13-55 Account number: 02768172
Bank Address:
the sum of £
Per month/quarter/year starting on:
Sort code:
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Signed:
Account number:
Date:
Handel’s Messiah
A c a d e m y o f A n c i e n t M u s i c , 2 0 1 3 – 1 4 S e a s o N | 25
than k you
The AAM is indebted to the
following trusts, companies, public
bodies and individuals for their
support of the orchestra’s work:
Trusts and foundations
The Backstage Trust
CHK Charities Ltd
Cottisford Trust
Dunard Fund
John Ellerman Foundation
AAM BUSINESS CLUB
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Cambridge University ­Press
Fidelity UK Foundation
Kleinwort ­Benson
Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Royal Bank of Canada
The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust
Public funders
Newby Trust Ltd
Arts Council England
Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement
Orchestras ­Live
Constance Travis Charitable Trust
Cambridge City ­Council
Garfield Weston Foundation
and other anonymous trusts and foundations
David and Linda Lakhdhir
Professor Sean ­Hilton
John Missing and Milica Mitrovich
Oscar and Margaret Lewisohn
Dr and Mrs G and W Hoffman
Edward Powell
Steven Larcombe and Sonya Leydecker
Heather Jarman *
Yvonne de la Praudière
John McFadden and Lisa Kabnick *
Susan ­L atham
Jane Rabagliati and Raymond Cross
Mr and Mrs C Norton
John Missing and Milica Mitrovic
Robin and Jane ­Raw
Lionel and Lynn Persey
Mr and Mrs Hideto Nakahara
Annabel and Martin ­Randall
Mr and Mrs Charles Rawlinson
Orpheus and Bacchus Festival
Arthur L Rebell and Susan B ­Cohen
Simon Robey
Nick and Margaret ­Parker
Chris and Valery Rees
Robert Sansom
Bruno Schroder and family
Denys ­Robinson
Sir Konrad and Lady Schiemann *
Victoria Sharp
Mr and Mrs Timothy Robinson
JG Stanford
Peter ­Thomson
Michael and Giustina ­R yan
Michael Stump and Oriel Williams
Janet Unwin
Alison Salt and David Mackinlay
Stephen Thomas
Pippa Wicks
Miss E M ­Schlossmann
Anthony Travis
Peter and Margaret ­W ynn
Michael Smith
Paul and Michi Warren
Julia Yorke
Rt Hon Sir Murray ­Stuart-­Smith *
Sarah Williams
and other anonymous ­Benefactors
Lady Vaizey of Greenwich
Mrs R Wilson Stephens
Friends of the AAM
Find out more at www.aam.co.uk/support
the A A M S ociety
Donors
and other anonymous Principal Benefactors
Angela and Roderick Ashby-­Johnson
Paul F. Wilkinson and Associates ­Inc.
Marianne Aston
Benefactors
Tony and Jackie Yates-Watson
Dr Julia Bland
and other anonymous ­Donors
Dr Aileen Adams ­CBE
Elisabeth and Bob Boas *
* denotes founder ­member
Elise Badoy Dauby
Mrs Nicky Brown
Professor John and Professor Hilary Birks
Jeremy J B
­ unting
Bill and Sue ­Blyth
Dr and Mrs S ­Challah
Claire Brisby and John Brisby QC *
David and Elizabeth ­Challen
Special gifts
Richard and Elena Bridges
David and Linda Lakhdhir
Hugh Burkitt
Stephen and Debbie ­Dance
The Academy of Ancient Music extends its
grateful thanks to Richard and Elena Bridges,
Matthew Ferrey and Lady Sainsbury of Turville,
who have supported the orchestra’s work at a
particularly significant level this ­year.
The Hon Simon ­Eccles
Mark and Liza ­Loveday
Mr and Mrs Edward Davies-­Gilbert
Peter Stormonth Darling
Richard and Jean Gooder
Roger Mayhew
Charles Dumas
Derek and Mary Draper
Christopher Hogwood CBE *
Nigel and Hilary Pye *
Mr and Mrs ­Jean-­Marie ­Eveillard
Steven and Madelaine ­Gunders
Dr Duncan Hunter
John and Joyce Reeve
Simon Fairclough
Gemma and Lewis Morris ­Hall
Graham and Amanda Hutton
Mark and Elizabeth Ridley
Marshall ­Field CBE
Mrs Helen H
­ iggs
Mrs Sheila ­Mitchell
John and Madeleine Tattersall
Michael and Michele Foot CBE
Lord and Lady Jenkin of R
­ oding
Newby Trust Ltd *
Mark West
Wendy and Andrew ­Gairdner MBE
Ali ­K nocker
Terence and Sian Sinclair
and other anonymous ­Patrons
Beatrice and Charles ­Goldie
Richard ­Lockwood
The Hon Mr and Mrs Philip H
­ avers
Annie Middlemiss
The Chairman’s ­C ircle
Matthew ­Ferrey
The Hogwood ­C ircle
Lord and Lady Magan
Christopher and Phillida Purvis *
Chris and Ali Rocker
Mrs Julia ­Rosier
Dr Christopher and Lady Juliet ­Tadgell
Lady Linda Wong Davies (KT Wong Foundation)
Principal ­Patrons
and other anonymous Principal ­Patrons
Principal ­B enefactors
Patrons
Carol Atack and Alex van Someren
Lady Alexander of W
­ eedon
George and Kay ­Brock
John and Gilly Baker
Mrs D ­Broke
Adam and Sara ­Broadbent
Jo and Keren B
­ utler
Clive and Helena ­Butler
Sir Charles ­Chadwyck-­Healey ­Bt
Richard and Elizabeth de Friend
Kate Donaghy
Mr and Mrs JE ­Everett
Malcolm Gammie CBE QC
Mr and Mrs James ­Golob
The Hon William Gibson
Sir Nicholas and Lady Goodison *
Elma Hawkin and Charles ­Richter
John and Ann G
­ rieves
Lord Hindlip
Robin ­Vousden
Charles Woodward
Professor Tony Watts OBE
Handel’s Messiah
O ur T eam
Music ­Director
Richard ­Egarr
Head of Communications
Toby ­Chadd
Fundraising Manager­
Brittany Wellner James
Emeritus ­Director
Christopher Hogwood CBE
Communications Manager
Tom McNeill
Fundraising Assistant
Bethan Quartermaine
Chief ­Executive
Jonathan Manners
PR Consultant
Rebecca Driver Media Relations
Head of Projects & Administration
Samantha Martin
Head of Concerts & Artistic Planning
Andrew ­Moore
Head of Finance
Elaine ­Hendrie
Administration Assistant
Helena Gavrielides
Concerts Administrator
Ceri Humphries
Head of Fundraising Andrew McGowan
Board of trustees
Richard Bridges · Hugh Burkitt · John Everett · Matthew Ferrey · James Golob · John Grieves (Vice-chairman)
Philip Jones · John Reeve · Terence Sinclair (Chairman) · Madeleine Tattersall · Janet Unwin
Honorary President: Christopher Purvis CBE
Development Board
Richard Bridges (Chairman)* · Delia Broke · Hugh Burkitt · Elizabeth De Friend · Kate Donaghy · John Everett* ·
Matthew Ferrey* · Andrew Gairdner MBE · James Golob · John Grieves · Philip Jones · Linda Lakhdhir · Annie Norton
· John Reeve · Chris Rocker* · Terence Sinclair* · Madeleine Tattersall* · Janet Unwin · Alison Wisbeach
* Fundraising committee member
council
Richard Bridges · Adam Broadbent · Kay Brock LVO DL · Delia Broke · Hugh Burkitt · Elizabeth de Friend
Kate Donaghy · Jane Evans · John Everett · Matthew Ferrey · Andrew Gairdner MBE · James Golob · John Grieves
Philip Jones · Linda Lakhdhir · Annie Norton · Christopher Purvis CBE (Chairman) · John Reeve · Chris Rocker
Will Samuel · Sir Konrad Schiemann · Terence Sinclair · Rachel Stroud · Dr Christopher Tadgell
The Lady Juliet Tadgell · Madeleine Tattersall · Janet Unwin · Alison Wisbeach