12-14+ NYP Messiah:Layout 1 12/6/10 11:58 AM Page 1 HANDEL’S MESSIAH Presented by the Robert Hekemian Family Foundation Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 7:30 p.m. 15,101st Concert Open rehearsal at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 7:30 p.m. 15,102nd Concert Thursday, December 16, 2010, 7:30 p.m. 15,103rd Concert Friday, December 17, 2010, 7:30 p.m. 15,105th Concert Saturday, December 18, 2010, 7:30 p.m. 15,107th Concert Global Sponsor Bernard Labadie, Conductor Guest artist appearances are Karina Gauvin, Soprano+ made possible through the Hedwig van Ameringen Guest Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Contralto+ Artists Endowment Fund . Tilman Lichdi, Tenor+ Classical 105.9 FM WQXR is the Andrew Foster-Williams, Bass+ Radio Station of the New York New York Choral Artists Philharmonic. Joseph Flummerfelt, Director Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs , New York State Council on the Arts , and the National Endowment for the Arts . This concert will last approximately two Instruments made possible, in part, by and one-half hours, which includes one The Richard S. and Karen LeFrak intermission. Composer Joelle Wallach Endowment Fund . will give a talk one hour prior to the Steinway is the Official Piano of the New York performance. Philharmonic and Avery Fisher Hall. Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center Home of the New York Philharmonic Exclusive Timepiece of the New York Philharmonic December 2010 27 12-14+ NYP Messiah:Layout 1 12/6/10 11:58 AM Page 2 New York Philharmonic Bernard Labadie, Conductor Karina Gauvin, Soprano+ Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Contralto+ Tilman Lichdi, Tenor+ Andrew Foster-Williams, Bass+ New York Choral Artists Joseph Flummerfelt, Director HANDEL Messiah (1741)* (1685–1759) Part I Sinfonia (Overture) Recitative (Tenor): Comfort ye, comfort ye my people Air (Tenor): Ev’ry valley shall be exalted Chorus: And the glory of the Lord Recitative (Bass): Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Air (Contralto): But who may abide the day of His coming? Chorus: And He shall purify Recitative (Contralto): Behold, a virgin shall conceive Air and Chorus (Contralto): O thou that tellest Recitative (Bass): For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth Air (Bass): The people that walked in darkness Chorus: For unto us a Child is born Pifa (“Pastoral Symphony”) Recitative (Soprano): There were shepherds abiding in the field Recitative (Soprano): And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them Recitative (Soprano): And the angel said unto them Recitative (Soprano): And suddenly there was with the angel Chorus: Glory to God in the highest Air (Soprano): Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion Recitative (Contralto): Then shall the eyes of the blind Duet (Soprano and Contralto): He shall feed His flock Chorus: His yoke is easy, His burthen is light Intermission 28 New York Philharmonic 12-14+ NYP Messiah:Layout 1 12/6/10 11:58 AM Page 3 Part II Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God Air (Contralto): He was despised Chorus: Surely, He hath borne our griefs Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray Recitative (Tenor): All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn Chorus: He trusted in God Recitative (Tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart Air (Tenor): Behold, and see if there be any sorrow Recitative (Soprano): He was cut off out of the land of the living Air (Soprano): But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell Chorus: Lift up your heads Air (Soprano): How beautiful are the feet of them Air (Bass): Why do the nations so furiously rage together? Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder Recitative (Tenor): He that dwelleth in heaven Air (Tenor): Thou shalt break them Chorus: Hallelujah! Part III Air (Soprano): I know that my Redeemer liveth Recitative (Bass): Behold, I tell you a mystery Air (Bass): The trumpet shall sound Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain CARTER BREY, Cello EUGENE LEVINSON, Bass KIM LASKOWSKI, Bassoon PHILIP SMITH, Trumpet LIONEL PARTY, Harpsichord KENT TRITLE, Organ + Denotes New York Philharmonic debut The New York Philharmonic This Week, nationally syndicated on the WFMT Radio Network, is *Recorded by the New York Philharmonic and broadcast 52 weeks per year. Radio schedule currently available subject to change; for updated information visit nyphil.org. The New York Philharmonic’s recording series, Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic: In consideration of both the artists and the audi - 2010 –11 Season, is available through iTunes ence, please be sure that your cell phones and via an iTunes Pass. For more information, visit paging devices have been set to remain silent. nyphil.org/itunes. The photography, sound recording, or videotaping Other New York Philharmonic recordings are of these performances is prohibited. available on all major online music stores as well as on major labels and the New York Philharmonic’s own series. December 2010 29 12-14+ NYP Messiah:Layout 1 12/6/10 11:58 AM Page 4 Notes on the Program By James M. Keller, Program Annotator Messiah the vicissitudes of his life on earth; and the third to the events surrounding the Resur - George Frideric Handel rection and the promise of redemption. Messiah was unveiled in an open re - When George Frideric Handel received an hearsal on April 9, 1742, and at two official invitation in 1741 to produce a series of con - performances, on April 13 and June 3. The certs in Dublin, the idea of an escape from premiere was given as a benefit, organized the failing fortunes of his operatic ventures in with the assistance of the Charitable Musical London appealed to him. He traveled to Society, “For Relief of the Prisoners in the Dublin in mid-November 1741 and remained several Gaols, and for the Support of Mer - until August 13, 1742. Without a doubt, the cer’s Hospital in St. Stephen’s-street, and of highpoint of Handel’s Dublin season was the the Charitable Infirmary on the Inns Quay” premiere of his new oratorio, Messiah . He (as The Dublin Journal announced it a couple had composed it while still in London during of weeks in advance). After the open re - the summer of 1741, over the course of hearsal, The Dublin News Letter pronounced about three weeks. His librettist, Charles that the new oratorio “in the opinion of the Jennens, had been pressed into service to best judges, far surpasses anything of that assemble a text for the new work . This he Nature, which has been performed in this or apparently did in the early summer of 1741, any other Kingdom.” The Journal concurred drawing creatively on Biblical passages from that it “was allowed by the greatest Judges to the books of Isaiah, Haggai, Malachi, Mat- In Short thew, Luke, Zechariah, Born: John, Job, Psalms, February 23, 1685, in Halle, Germany Lamentations, Hebrews, Died: April 14, 1759, in London, England Romans, First Corinthi - ans, and Revelation to Work composed : 1741, in London create a loose story World premiere: April 13, 1742, in a matinee at the Great Music Hall in Fishamble comprising historical Street, Dublin, Ireland (though an open rehearsal had been held four days earlier) narrative and reflec - tions about the life of New York Philharmonic premiere: December 28, 1878, Walter Damrosch Jesus. He organized conducting the New York Symphony (which would merge with the New York Philharmonic in 1928 to become today's Philharmonic), with Minnie Hauk, Anna the text into three dis - Drasdil, George Simpson, and Myron William Whitney, soloists crete sections: the first relating to the prophecy Most recent New York Philharmonic performance: December 19, 2009, of Christ’s coming and Helmuth Rilling, conductor, with soloists Annette Dasch, Daniel Taylor, James Taylor, and Shenyang the circumstances of his birth; the second to Estimated duration: ca. 120 minutes 30 New York Philharmonic 12-14+ NYP Messiah:Layout 1 12/6/10 11:58 AM Page 5 be the finest Composition of Musick that ever So Many Messiahs was heard, and the sacred Words as properly Following its Dublin premiere in 1742 and its London adapted for the Occasion.” It continued with premiere a year later, Messiah was revived in London a bit of advice for persons lucky enough to in 1745, again in 1749, and again in 1750. By the 1750s Messiah was becoming widely performed, specifically hold tickets for the official premiere: as an Easter tradition. Handel revised his score for many of the early productions, largely to fulfill the Many Ladies and Gentlemen who are well- practical demands of differing soloists and instru - wishers to the Noble and Grand Charity for mental ensembles, although partly (many argue) to reflect his changing conception of the piece. Surely which this Oratorio was composed, request no work in the standard repertoire offers so vast a it as a Favour, that the Ladies who honour buffet of performing possibilities to choose from. this Performance with their Presence From one version to the next, we find variations in - would be pleased to come without Hoops volving which numbers are sung and in what order, which solo pieces are assigned to which vocal as it will greatly encrease the Charity, by soloist, and which versions of competing individual making Room for more Company. movements should be used. There are no easy an - swers, although performers should not discount that To which it added in a follow-up article: “The practical considerations may be as important today as they were in Handel’s time. Some modern per - Gentlemen are desired to come without their formances adhere to the documented practices of a Swords, to increase audience accommoda - specific Messiah performance that Handel oversaw.