Concert Review | TSO’s 2023 Messiah: A Spiritually Uplifting Experience

Sitting in the audience at the TSO Messiah this past Sunday, listening to the wonderful sounds coming from the stage, I kept thinking how lucky I was to witness another performance of a work that I adore, in the familiar Roy Thomson Hall, where I have been attending Messiah performances every single year since it opened in 1982.

I joke that, like comfort food and a favourite pair of comfortable, well-worn shoes, attending a Messiah is sure to warm the cockles of the heart. I am still reveling in the afterglow of Sunday’s performance, featuring the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC). It was my second Messiah and my fifth Christmas concert this season. As a card-carrying Messiah/Christmas-music-omnivore, I say the more the merrier!

A few observations. In years past, the TSO Messiah was a full orchestra affair. I have fond memories of the ones conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, complete with “All we like sheep” antics, which had the audience in stitches. This time around, the work was performed by a reduced orchestra, though the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir remains formidable at 100+ choristers.

TSO performing Messiah (Photo by Allan Cabral)

The quartet of soloists featured three well-known Canadians – mezzo soprano Krisztina Szabo, tenor Colin Ainsworth, and baritone Joshua Hopkins. American soprano Lauren Snouffer is making her TSO debut with this run. The conductor was Dame Jane Glover, a Baroque specialist, whose book, Mozart’s Women is essential reading. With Maestra Glover at the helm, the performance was sure to be faithful to Handel.

While the Tafelmusik Messiah I had seen three days earlier was nearly three hours long (including one intermission), the TSO version was just two hours and fifteen minutes in duration. Despite this, the performance was in no way rushed, its concision thanks to some very discrete cuts. Maestra Glover’s pacing was perfect, and everyone’s favourite arias, duets, and choral numbers were performed.

The Mendelssohn Choir stood on stage in five rows behind the orchestra (instead of its usual spot, in the choir loft), and the soloists stood on either side of the conductor, in front of the orchestra. This positioning drew attention to the disparity in number between the orchestra and chorus, which was visually somewhat odd. In spite of this, however, the orchestra and voices remained well-balanced throughout the entire piece.

From the very first downbeat, the gorgeous sounds of the TSO and the mellow warmth of the TMC permeated Roy Thomson, making it a truly enjoyable sonic journey. The quartet of soloists were very fine. While all of them were opera singers, they sang in the requisite oratorio style, without use of excessive vibrato. Whether in solos or duets, their voices were lovely.

American soprano Lauren Snouffer sang with a lyric voice of substance and beauty. Unlike some soloists best described as having the “nymphs and shepherds sound,” hers is quite full bodied, with a touch more vibrato than usual in long held phrases. Her “I Know my Redeemer Liveth” was a highlight. In “He shall feed His Flock,” her voice blended nicely with mezzo soprano Krisztina Szabo. Veteran Canadian mezzo Krisztina Szabo sang with poise, beauty and serenity, if occasionally a bit too softly to be heard in the big space, as was the case in moments during “He was Despised.”

Singer performing Messiah with the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral)

The men, both veterans with years of concert experience, were terrific. Tenor Colin Ainsworth delivered a beautiful “Ev’ry Valley,” with good coloratura, a clarion high note at the end, and the requisite dramatic acuity. Although baritone Joshua Hopkins does not have the stentorian, ‘fire and brimstone’ gravitas of a bass, he impressed with warm timbre and solid musicality. His “The Trumpet Shall Sound” was suitably thrilling, aided in no small part by the amazing sounds of TSO trumpeter Steven Woomert.

If I give the impression that the soloists sounded a tad underpowered, it is because Roy Thomson Hall is less than ideal for a Baroque piece like Messiah, especially performed in a chamber version. Its acoustics, even after extensive amelioration some years ago, remains less than optimal. Despite this, the performance was wonderful just the same.

To my ears, the true star of the evening was the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Founded in 1895, it would be interesting to find out how many Messiah performances this venerable ensemble has given in its 128-year history! This performance was vintage TMC, one of beauty, substance, nuance, and true to the spirit of Handel. Kudos to TMC Artistic Director Jean-Sebastien Vallée, and all the singers for a great job.

On that note, Happy Holidays to all the readers of La Scena Musicale!