Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Messiah performed
Went to listen to the Academy of Ancient Music perform Händel's Messiah last night. Excellent stuff once you ignore the theatrics of some performers.
Contemporary CD culture is in some ways seriously detrimental to the nature of sacred music: if nothing else, that performance was a reminder that sacred music like the Messiah was written to be performed. It is only when you sit down for three hours and listen to it, from beginning to end, that the theological connections come across.
Excellent move to have the choir rise when the bass soloist sings 'the kings of the earth rise up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord' - illustrating the link to the following chorus 'Let us break their bonds asunder' (Ps. 2).
Contemporary CD culture is in some ways seriously detrimental to the nature of sacred music: if nothing else, that performance was a reminder that sacred music like the Messiah was written to be performed. It is only when you sit down for three hours and listen to it, from beginning to end, that the theological connections come across.
Excellent move to have the choir rise when the bass soloist sings 'the kings of the earth rise up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord' - illustrating the link to the following chorus 'Let us break their bonds asunder' (Ps. 2).
